Enjoyable puzzle with some testing clues.
Beelzebub 1,043 (14/02/10)
A very enjoyable week, with some really nice anagrams. For my own part, I managed all but 13ac unaided, which may be a record for me, yet that one eluded me due to … Read more >>
Guardian 24,938 – Puck
Another very tricky puzzle to finish off the week. The many cross-references and multiple-entry answers made it hard to get started, and even after getting some of the key answers it didn’t get … Read more >>
Independent 7279 (Sat 13 Feb) by Anax
Sat 13th Feb was the opening day of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver so I was not surprised to find this was the main theme of the puzzle. This meant I could fill … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1112: Shifty Characters by Phi
Some answers have a letter shifted before entry, and these letters spell out the name of a group. The members of the group form a number of other entries, but the answers to … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,313 / Gozo
Something of a class reunion for a lot of old friends here today (10A, 12A, 23A, 1D, 15D, 19D). On a related note, I did feel an unexpected twinge of childhood nostalgia courtesy … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1044 by Quixote – 14th February 2010
We were glad of a slightly trickier puzzle this weekend, as we tackled this one on a lengthy rail replacement bus service. Once again, we’re embarrassed that our name erroneously indicates some kind … Read more >>
Independent 7283/Nestor
This is one of the first Thursday puzzles I’ve ever blogged, and I was a bit uneasy, knowing that some of the more user-friendly setters were not due. Would this be something by … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,304 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 8 February 2010 Dante returns with another gentle week-opener full of smooth clues and slick definitions. ACROSS 1 SPRANG Ins of RANG (telephoned) in SP (starting prices, the odds) … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,303 by Mudd
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of February 6 Mudd gives us some jolly good double definitions here (notably 5A, 21A, 29A, 20D and 21D) but my choice for best clue is the … Read more >>
Independent 7282 by Dac
Not sure if Wednesday would be quite the same without a Dac Indy puzzle. This, as always, was great, particularly liked the surface readings. Turned out to be quite a easy one for … Read more >>
Guardian 24,936 / Brummie
We get roughly a puzzle a month from Brummie in the Guardian, so I think I end up doing more of his Private Eye puzzles (as Cyclops) overall and it’s good fortune to … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,312 / Dogberry
Overall I didn’t think this was as difficult as some Dogberry puzzles. It seemed to be something of a mixture, some very easy clues, some more tricky ones, some good surfaces and some … Read more >>
Independent 7,281 by Nimrod
This was quite a challenge, though the very thoroughly-implemented theme was a big help once it clicked. *=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Across 6 BROWN – BROW + N. 8 … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,311 / Neo
A good one from Neo, with some creative dissections of words in the charades (e.g., 25 and 29 ac). Across 9 OVERHEARD *(HAVE ORDER) 10 PLANT dd 11 MERCURY CU (copper) in MERRY … Read more >>