Financial Times 13,455 / Aardvark
Not a lot of variety today with only a couple of clues that didn’t involve a charade and/or an anagram. If my memory serves me correctly this is something I have remarked upon previously when … Read more >>
Guardian 25080 / Paul
A fun puzzle with Paul’s trademark dodginess evident in a few clues. Annoyingly, I can’t quite see 24a…. Across 8. VUVUZELA (V V [tiresom]E A ZULU)*; I like “the blasted thing?” as the … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1136: Things by Nimrod
Surely this is not the same Nimrod that was active on the Listener in the 1940’s? This was pretty hard: clues in alphabetical order of answers, to be entered in the grid in … Read more >>
Guardian 25079 – Bonxie
Phew! What a tough puzzle with hard boiled eggs dressed with pepper sauce. Without Google and Wikipedia, I would not have completed this blog. Otherwise, an entertaining and fair challenge. ACROSS 1 SUBSOIL … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,454 / Neo
This Neo puzzle didn’t take too long, although I learned a new word (14 across). No complaints and some clever clues. Across 1 ACADEMIA ME reversed in ACADIA (Atlantic Provinces). Whence the Cajuns … Read more >>
Independent 7,425 by Radian
A very tough puzzle, involving several unfamiliar words, from one of my favourite setters. I came close to cheating a few times, but was eventually pleased to complete this one unaided. No doubt … Read more >>
Wedding photos
There are photos of our wedding — Jane Teather and John Henderson (aka Enigmatist, Nimrod, Io, Elgar) — on my Facebook page. They include one of Araucaria speaking and proposing a toast. Wedding … Read more >>
Guardian 25,078 / Rufus
A typically straightforward Rufus, with the usual generous sprinkling of double and cryptic definitions and anagrams, with some nice touches. Nothing too controversial, I think. Across 1 CROESUS: anagram of SOURCES: the wealthy … Read more >>
Independent 7424 by Morph
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def, sp=spoonerism Some very nice clues here that were mostly very accessible and didn’t require much general knowledge. 15 and 20 were my favourites overall. There … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 85: a Yarborough
I found this easier than some recent Genius puzzles. There was only one obscure word and most of the clues were fairly straightforward. The requirement here was to identify how the answers to … Read more >>
Private Eye/Cyclops 422 – Rescind sceptre
Woah! Cyclops revealing his Republican tendancies in his central down answers, and possibly extolling the virtues of early applications of antibiotics in the central across answers: Preempt anthrax. Maybe I’m reading too much … Read more >>
Azed 1991 – Ars Magna
Azed 1991 – Ars Magna Clues led to two words which were anagrams of each other – the definition provided one, and the wordplay the other. In the lists below, the definition word … Read more >>
Independent 7417 (Sat 24 July) – Scorpion
I didn’t time this accurately but thought it was about average difficulty for a Scorpion puzzle – which means pretty tricky. It might have been easier if I’d solved 4A early on, as … Read more >>
Everyman 3,330
A lot of double definitions this week and one clue that I’m not completely sure about although looks as though it might be a dd (any help much appreciated). Otherwise not the easiest … Read more >>
Guardian 25,071 / Araucaria (24th July)
I know that rightback has been having Internet access problems recently so presumably this accounts for his absence. My apologies for not noticing the lack of a post earlier but I have been … Read more >>