I found this pretty tricky, despite…
Independent 8,600 by Monk
Monk is always good. There are some excellent clues here and one or two where I’d be grateful for a little explanation. We differ over the matter of CDs, but Monk isn’t the only setter who uses them. However, if there were no well-known setters who dislike them I’d keep quiet.
Surprise surprise — I’ve seen the Nina, or at any rate as much of it as I’m likely to see: look at the horizontal unchecked letters in the middle followed by the vertical unchecked letters in the middle, but quite where the climax of it all is I can’t see.
Definitions in italics.
Guardian 26,254 – Brendan
I haven’t blogged a Brendan puzzle for a while, so it was a pleasant surprise to get this one. I spotted the theme (see below) early on, which was very familiar to me … Read more >>
The Town of Ramsgate, 14 May
Following the Times setters’ lunch, there will, as has become usual, be a get-together at The Town of Ramsgate, 62 Wapping High Street, London E1W 2PN, from about 4:30 onwards. All Sloggers, Betters, … Read more >>
Financial Times no.14,616 by Neo
People who like this sort of thing will find that this is the sort of thing they like.
Financial Times 14,607 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword/Apr 28 Many might say ‘the usual stuff from Dante’ which was indeed mostly the case. However, there were two rather unusual clues (for Dante, that is) and one (13ac) for … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,606 by Mudd
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 26, 2014 This puzzle was fun! Looking back on it and explaining the clues now, it also seems unusually tricky but I managed to complete … Read more >>
Last call for Midland Sloggers and Betters on 17th May
Just over a week to go before our get-together in Derby on Saturday 17th May. We have nearly 40 people coming, with around ten setters and a good number of new faces, who … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,615 by HAMILTON
An entertaining puzzle, though I think I’m not quite on Hamilton’s wavelength as I struggled to fully explain some of the clues. Thank you Hamilton.
Guardian 26,253 by Nutmeg
There was a time when to see Nutmeg meant an easy ride in the Quiptic on a Monday and a few clues seem to be from that time.
Independent 8599 / Dac
As we have come to expect, another great puzzle from Dac with the usual smooth surfaces. We had never come across 18ac or 18d before, but the wordplay was clear enough and an … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1331: Operation by Kruger
Preamble: Clues are presented in alphabetical order of their answers, word lengths referring to the space allocated to them. The operation of one of the two unclued entries (2 words) has had an … Read more >>
Financial Times 14614 Gaff
A puzzle celebrating the 6oth anniversary of an event that took place on 6 May. The key clues are 1 across and 17 across, 19 down. Besides the clues that reference 17, 19, … Read more >>
Independent 8,598 / Scorpion
It hadn’t fallen to me to blog a Scorpion puzzle for quite some time, so I attacked this one with gusto. A quick glance through the clues reveals that there is a theme … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic N° 26,252 by Pasquale
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26252. I found this a roller-coaster: the first pass produced very little, then once I had found an entry point at 25A, things proceeded smoothly until a … Read more >>