Financial Times 13,344 / Falcon
Unfortunately Shuchi is unable to join us today so here is a substitute analysis. A fairly straightforward puzzle in the main but I have to admit that I had never heard of 12ac … Read more >>
Guardian 24,968 / Bonxie
A reasonably straightforward puzzle from Bonxie, with some nice touches. I have some quibbles with two or three definitions. Across 1 SCARECROW: anagram of CAW SCORER: this surface made me smile. 6 BOOM: … Read more >>
Independent 7,314 by Phi
It’s a while since I blogged a Friday Phi, so either I’m a little rusty or this was quite a tough one. Not having heard of the relevant trilogy didn’t help, although it … Read more >>
Independent 7309 – Saturday Prize Puzzle by Nimrod
I found this hard and took a good afternoon to solve it. There were a couple of words or phrases I had not come across before, namely CACOETHES SCRIBENDI and PULQUE. I knew … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,343 / Orense
Another typically solid puzzle from Orense (does anyone know whether the correct pronunciation is O-rense or Oar-ense? I’ve always wondered.). One answer entered more in hope than expectation at 7D. Across 1 BUFFER … Read more >>
Independent 7,313/Nestor
Apologies, I’ll need to be brief today, so won’t be able to give this the full treatment it deserves. I found this to be a tough but very enjoyable puzzle from Nestor. I … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1049 by Quixote 21st March 2010
The usual enjoyable bag of tricks from Quixote. A couple of inventive clues stood out for us: 6 down and 17 across. ACROSS 1. KOPECK ‘ok’ backwards, followed by peck ‘a little kiss’ … Read more >>
Guardian 24,967 – Orlando
Good fun from Orlando today with a theme of famous Belgians, and a few references to Belgium in some of the clues as well. Sound and inventive clueing throughout, with some trickily-concealed defintiions … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1117: 7 Down by Schadenfreude
Each across answer produces a single clash with a down answer, the latter being the grid entry. The unentered letters are one definition of 7d, which itself cryptically indicates one item in each … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,334 – Falcon
Monday Prize Crossword on 15 March 2010 Quite a varied potpourri of not-too-difficult clues. Very fair and entertaining. ACROSS 1,28 MAKE BOTH ENDS MEET Allusion to the fact that the Channel Tunnel was … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,333 by Cincinnus
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of March 15 I remember FT puzzle number 10,000 and now here we are a third of the way through another batch of 10,000. Cincinnus marks the … Read more >>
Guardian 24,966 – Paul
Found this fairly easy for a Paul, and one with a little theme of Yorkshire towns at that. Several lovely and inventive clues. Across 1 SPONSOR S[econd] + NS=”team” in bridge inside POOR=”poxy” … Read more >>
Independent 7312/Dac
Not the easiest Dac puzzle, I thought. The explanation of two or three answers still eludes me, but no doubt someone will explain. The two symmetrical pairs of eight-letter answers look significant, but … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,342 / Hamilton
I found this to be something of a mixture, some very easy and obvious clues and others where the wordplay was convoluted and difficult to parse. The result was that about 20% of the … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,341 / Neo
I was just thinking that it had been a little while since we had seen Neo. Here he is with a fresh collection of clues. I found these to be high on inventiveness … Read more >>