Never knowingly undersolved
As is typical of Puck’s puzzles, this challenging Genius has lots of satisfying and intricate wordplay. The across clues are all of the DLM (Definition and Letter Mixture) type, which neither of us … Read more >>
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 >>