I struggled with this one, a tricky puzzle.
Guardian Cryptic N° 26,319 by Qaos
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/26319. This went fairly quickly for me, despite some references that I did now know in 11A (ARCHIVOLTS) and 18D (ketamine). Mainly because of the former, the … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1342: Omen by Nutmeg
I was expecting an easy one after the succession of high Moh (hardness scale) Inquisitors lately. No such luck! A long rubric: Clockwise round the perimeter run a slogan (3 words) and an associated … Read more >>
Guardian 26,318 / Shed
A friendly grid and impeccable cluing, as ever from this setter, are a great help with several less familiar words in this puzzle from Shed, who, for me, doesn’t appear often enough. When … Read more >>
Independent 8664 / Radian
Radian has produced a very enjoyable crossword today An interesting crossword with a WELL worked use of the anwer to 8 across [WELL WELL] using it as WELL [half of … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,680 PHSSTHPOK
I may not be able to pronounce the setter’s name properly, but I have no trouble pronouncing this puzzle a nice and easy solve.
Guardian Quiptic 766/Hectence
Bonjour! I liked this Quiptic: one or two tricky clues to parse, but once you’d reached base camp, the rest was all there to be worked out and the summit was attainable. Just … Read more >>
Independent 8,663 by Crosophile
So it’s Crosophile to start our week here, he has a history of including extra treats in the grid but at first sight there appears to be no Nina…
Guardian 26,317 by Rufus
Good stuff from Rufus today, with the usual cryptic/double defs and nautical references. I particularly liked the definitions in 13ac, 25ac, 16dn and 17dn.
Private Eye / Cyclops 525 – Fat Farm Survivor
Enjoyable stuff from Mr C this time. Over half answered on the first pass meant that there were enough crossing letters to facilitate solving those pesky final few tricky clues. Indeed there were some novel clue methods … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,271
This seemed a very tough week, and it has taken me until today to get things finished off. It didn’t help that the four longer entries put up quite a struggle, which made … Read more >>
Everyman 3,536
The first Everyman I have done in quite some time. This was where I cut my solving teeth a few years ago, and it was fun to go back. If the purpose of … Read more >>
AZED 2,197
How Azed produces these grids I just don’t know. He doesn’t so far as I know use technology but compiles them neatly in an exercise book, something that I would find virtually impossible. He sticks comfortably to the Ximenean advice about unchecked letters in words and both grid and clues are full of words that require a close examination of Chambers. Amazing, week after week.
Definitions underlined.
Independent on Sunday 1273 Raich
(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) I made things difficult for myself, … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1273 with Picture Quiz
(Please post comments on ONLY the picture quiz hereinbelow. To post comments on the crossword puzzle, please click here.) I made things difficult for myself, by missing the theme until I had finished … Read more >>