Independent 26 November – placeholder
The Independent crossword does not appear to want to come out to play this morning – all I get is an error message. I will keep trying, and if that fails I will … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 680/Orlando
A delightful Quiptic from Orlando, which I think would have been a treat for the intended audience. Plenty of wit, a good variety of devices, and some lovely surfaces. Abbreviations … Read more >>
Private Eye / Cyclops 482 – Ungodly control
This was certainly a topping crossword … …there were a variety of tops in it: Jersey, Poncho, Kimono. I must’ve been “on song” solving this, one lunchtime, as I had solved all but … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,185
Quite a tough week, with lots of good vocabulary to discover. Perhaps a grid we haven’t seen before, as I don’t remember ever blogging a Beelzebub with quite so many across clues. *=anag, … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,187 by Noz
I’m not familiar with the name “Noz”, and a trawl through the archives finds nothing, so I wonder if we have a brand new setter with us today. If that is the case, … Read more >>
AZED No. 2,111 ‘Letters Latent’
Nick: A fairly difficult Azed this week being a Letters Latent puzzle. He does give a way in though with the comment in the preamble about anagrams (for those that are new to … Read more >>
Everyman No. 3450 (18th November)
Lorraine: Good morning happy solvers. Nice flowing crossword this week I thought, particular favourites were 4, 14, 18 and 27ac. 8, 11 and 16dn. There should not have been anything too taxing although if … Read more >>
A change when adding comments – please read
This site currently receives over 65,000 spam comments each month. The vast majority of these (>99.9%) are intercepted by the excellent Akismet spam filter and so never appear on posts but they are … Read more >>
Independent Crossword 8142 by Anax (Saturday prize puzzle 17-11-2012)
It’s Saturday and another duel with Anax – who appears to be saving on the word count this week. Well we are in a recession! So a majority of short clues this week, that … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1044: Seven Things by Wiglaf
Wiglaf is a new name to me – and doesn’t seem to appear anywhere else on 15×15, so is either a new setter. or one of those occasional collaborations of setters(?). Either way … Read more >>
Guardian Prize Puzzle 25,796 by Araucaria
I enjoyed this one very much, sort of middling in difficulty I would say. The crossword does not have theme as such, more of a game of word-association. The idea of France/French seemed … Read more >>
Financial Times 14,169 by Mudd
Absolutely brilliant Across 1 BUTTERSCOTCH (sweet) BUTTER (goat) SCOTCH (drink) 10 RECITAL (performance) (CLEAR IT)* 11 TORONTO (Canadian city) OR (gold) in TONTO (Lone Ranger brave) 12 WHIRR (turn) first … Read more >>
Independent 8147 / Phi
This was another enjoyable puzzle from Phi. There was nothing too difficult or obscure in terms of entries or knowledge required to solve the clues. I downloaded this puzzle a … Read more >>
Guardian 25,801 – Gordius
This was mostly pretty easy, with a lot of write-straight-in answers. Some clues are fine, but as is often the case with Gordius a significant proportion them don’t stand up to close scrutiny. … Read more >>
Independent 8146/Radian
Radian has given us a pleasant crossword today themed largely around 16ac, which is connected with many of the clues. I have my doubts about 15dn, although perhaps I have it quite wrong … Read more >>