Never knowingly undersolved
Congratulations to Cyclops on his 500th puzzle, and many thanks for all the fun and amusement so far. Here’s to number 1000! The preamble tells us to expect guest appearances from ‘names that … Read more >>
A relatively swift solve at first, though with plenty to check in Chambers before I could quite finish, let alone prepare a blog. Lots of abbreviations and reversals this week. 28ac partly escapes … Read more >>
The third Sunday Hypnos puzzle I’ve drawn in a row, which is no doubt far more tedious for Hypnos than it is for me. This one provided quite a stiff challenge, requiring two … Read more >>
Nick: Fairly easy Azed this week, which I give 4/10 on the Azedian hardness scale, as I completed this puzzle before I left for work Sunday morning at 10:00, in about 80 minutes … Read more >>
Lorraine: Good morning happy solvers! Yet another fine puzzle from Everyman. First in was 14ac., rushed into writing in the answer and put ‘a stab in the dark’ instead of ‘a shot in … Read more >>
This puzzle by Crucible used a device also to be found in the previous puzzle in this series by this setter, No 113 in November last year. A number of clues (19 in … Read more >>
A monster preamble this time – and all the excitement associated with a grid of many colours.
What we learn is that the puzzle’s subject plays 4 roles and is known by a particular pseudonym to Enigmatic Variations solvers. These roles and pseudonym are given respectively by corrections to lights and extra letters from subsidiary indications. Further background to the roles is given by 2 normal clues per role. Phew!
What’s this? A compiler I’ve not seen before in the Prize slot. What’s that! Setting the Inquisitor on the same day! This is probably going to be a tough challenge. I got only … Read more >>
A fairly typical Paul, though without some of his customary smut or risqué clues. Solving didn’t take long and I didn’t have to return to any clues to sort out the parsing since … Read more >>
Smashing puzzle from The Don – 28 across brill Across 1 ANARCHIC lacking proper rule A R (king) in AN CHIC (elegant) 6 STROBE is flashy ST (saint) ROBE … Read more >>
A good solid puzzle from Phi today with a number of clues that brought a smile as I solved them or understood more them about as I wrote the blog. … Read more >>
After an unfortunately stormy week in Fifteensquaredland, what a delight to see an Arachne puzzle to restore us to normality. Perhaps not one of her hardest, but no walkover either, and with plenty … Read more >>
This was tough. Without use of the ‘Reveal letter’ button and yes, I must admit, on one or two occasions the ‘Reveal’ button itself, I doubt whether I’d have finished. Even the straightforward … Read more >>
I enjoyed this offering from Gurney. It seemed very fresh; that might be because I don’t blog Gurney’s puzzles very often, or it might simply be because this was a well-thought-out, witty and … Read more >>
Nothing too tricky here, but all very smoothly done. Favourites were 15ac, 3dn and 14dn. Across 1 CURTSY =”Bob” CURT=”brusque” + S[l]Y=”heartlessly cunning” 4 ALCOPOP =”drink” A + COP=”bobby” inside LOP=”dock”=cut the end … Read more >>