Never knowingly undersolved
A mixed bag this week from Azed. I was able to solve quite a bit on the train (with reference to Chambers when I got home to verify my answers) but I found … Read more >>
I seem to detect a range of clue devices a little more limited than usual for Everyman, but the smooth surfaces are par for the course.
I’ve blogged two or three Sunday Glow-worms before, and I’ve thought they were pleasing puzzles. But I’ve been a bit critical this morning: I think there are some clunky surfaces, remote synonyms and … Read more >>
So a puzzle from Scorpion today and I sense a theme. The multiple references to 14 7 in the clues, mean that the 2 obvious clues to start with are 14 and 7. 7 was … Read more >>
‘Special instructions’ always make me wobble a bit and when I first looked at this, knowing that I was down to blog it, I was getting ready to regret my recent comments about … Read more >>
A standard format this week: missing letters form a message that will hopefully give enough information about the theme to allow the grid to be filled in without too much difficulty.
Rather a harder Phi than usual I thought today. It took me quite a while to get going properly, although all the answers are as usual very precisely clued. As you would expect … Read more >>
Quiet flows the Don – this guy’s waters are deep but fathomable (except 24d) ACROSS 1 INVESTIGATION probe, one gun I GAT in IN VEST I ON one being worn … Read more >>
Not the toughest Beelzebub but plenty upon which to chew ACROSS 4 Room to release chain with sailor chasing fish AMBERJACK fish [ch]AMBER sailor JACK 10 Stage performer who’d be … Read more >>
I found this a bit of a struggle, but it yielded in the end, with the bottom half going in first. Across 1. Engineer in a car plant (6) ARNICA An anagram (‘engineer’) … Read more >>
This puzzle demands a good knowledge of geography and a smattering of French. I haven’t got either of these things, but I got there in the end. A good puzzle, anyway. People who … Read more >>
Another great puzzle from Tramp, with the hallmarks we have come to recognise and appreciate – witty and ingenious cluing, fine story-telling surfaces and interesting references. Previous Tramp puzzles have had themes based … Read more >>
When we saw that it was Nimrod we knew we were in for a challenge. We particularly enjoy his Inquisitor puzzles which demand even more head-scratching than his daily offerings but all his … Read more >>
Monday Prize Crossword/May 21 By now, readers of my blogs will know that I like Crux crosswords very much. This one was no exception, but for some reason I’m always hoping that Crux … Read more >>
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of May 19, 2012 Here’s another somewhat tricky puzzle from Mudd. Clue 8A (POOL CUE) took me a while; it’s a difficult one because pool is more … Read more >>