Independent on Sunday 1085 by Quixote
I have been doing these Sunday Indies one week late on the Independent site and it took some nice co-operation from friends to get hold of a current puzzle without having to be … Read more >>
Guardian 25,179 (Sat 27 Nov)/Araucaria – Hob story
Solving time: 16 mins, one mistake (HOBBEMA at 24ac) This crossword was themed on the song Rising Early in the Morning from The Gondoliers by Gilbert and Sullivan, which contains the following verse: … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 942: Block Capitals by Nutmeg
In my last blog, I suggested that very easy puzzles should have an ‘easy’ rating to attract solvers who would normally give the EV puzzle a wide berth. I think it worth adding … Read more >>
Independent 7525 (Saturday Prize Puzzle 27 November 2010) by Bannsider
I am a fan of complex wordplay rather than cryptic definitions, so I always find Bannsider’s puzzles stimulating . There were some excellent wordplay examples here – e.g. EGGS BENEDICT although I have some … Read more >>
Independent 7,530 by Klingsor
A tough one today, I found, made even tougher by the relatively low number of checked squares. In fact, the grid looks like there might be a Nina, but I don’t see one. … Read more >>
Guardian 25,184 / Brummie
I never quite know what to expect from Brummie, so was a bit 9ac when I started this puzzle. I needn’t have worried – it turned out to be quite straightforward and a … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,559 / Styx
Some nice misdirection made this puzzle tougher than it appeared on first sight. I opened with the top-left and slowed down at the bottom-right, with 23a and 23d causing me more trouble than … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,558 / Loroso
Plenty of high-calibre material in here. Loroso’s eclectic style almost defies pigeon-holing; in many ways traditional yet ever-innovative; occasionally fiendish with wordplay but usually complemented or vindicated by the most natural of surface … Read more >>
Independent 7,529/Dac
Dac?! On a Thursday!? After Phi’s unexpected appearance yesterday, I assumed that Dac was probably due a Saturday slot, we’d have a date-related puzzle tomorrow and that today would be the usual Thursday … Read more >>
Guardian 25,183 – Arachne
This was mostly straightforward, with a few very obvious clues, but there was some good fun too – I liked 14ac, 27ac, and especially 18dn. Sometimes the clues took a bit of working … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,549 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 22 November 2010 I am blogging this in London and the culprit is holidaying somewhere nice and warm. Dante, do have a restful sojourn Down Under. Solvers in Brrrrritain … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,548 by Cinephile (in the red!)
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of November 20 For once Cinephile uses a theme that does not make his whole puzzle rather easy once one has copped to it! In fact I … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,557 / Cinephile – SO tricky
A late-night log-on to the FT site revealed that my first blog here would be devoted to one of Cinephile’s thematic puzzles in the series “XX has the same meaning throughout”: in other … Read more >>
Guardian 25182 / Shed
Well, I learnt a new word today, at 2 down, having toyed with TRIBALISM, thinking BALI was the island, before deciding I couldn’t make it fit the word play. There is no doubt that … Read more >>
Independent 7528/Phi
Phi on a Wednesday indeed. Something is afoot. No doubt Eimi or someone will amuse us on Friday with a theme that we can’t predict. And what Dac is doing I can’t think, … Read more >>