Fifteensquared – Page 1572 – Never knowingly undersolved

Independent 7168/Virgilius

Tue October 6, 2009 at 2:26 am by John

Virgilius’s theme is tricky alternatives, as we see in the three different expressions in the across clues. As always I suspect I’m not telling the whole story. Across 9 A GREE{n} 12 yellowstonE nationaL … Read more >>

Guardian 24,823 – Gordius

Tue October 6, 2009 at 1:31 am by Uncle Yap

dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram Quite an interesting puzzle with some varied … Read more >>

Independent 7167 by Quaiteaux

Mon October 5, 2009 at 11:43 amMon October 5, 2009 at 9:57 am by NealH

*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, CD=cryptic def, DD=double def I can only recall seeing one Quaiteaux puzzle before, so a fairly infrequent contributor. This was mostly fairly straightforward with some nice CDs. There were … Read more >>

Financial Times 13,197 / Viking

Mon October 5, 2009 at 11:59 amMon October 5, 2009 at 9:42 am by Gaufrid

Now that Friday’s puzzle has been added to the FT website here is a quick analysis of the clues. Across 1 JURIST RIS[k] (much danger) in JUT (project) 4 AMPERAGE A MP (a … Read more >>

Guardian 24,822 / Rufus

Mon October 5, 2009 at 9:10 amMon October 5, 2009 at 8:34 am by Andrew

Another easy Rufus, with the usual crop of cryptic definitions, one or two of which I think are a bit lacking. Key: dd = double definition dd = cryptic definition * = anagram … Read more >>

Azed 1948

Sun October 4, 2009 at 10:11 am by Andrew

This was definitely from the easy end of the Azed spectrum: I managed to solve all of it except 31ac without recourse to Chambers or other aids (though with some lucky educated guesses). … Read more >>

Everyman No. 3287 (September 27th)

Sun October 4, 2009 at 6:30 am by The Trafites

Lorraine: A bit of a toughie this week especially, Archbishop Lang (2dn) and Lucrezia Borgia!. I actually needed Nick’s help with this weeks, unlike last week which was super easy. Thank you Mr. … Read more >>

Guardian Genius 75, Lavatch

Sun October 4, 2009 at 12:01 am by michod

This felt a little like a puzzle designed to test out a thematic entry technique. The clues were good, and the process of making new words by moving one letter produced some intriguing results and … Read more >>

Beelzebub 1,023 (27/09/09)

Sun December 13, 2009 at 3:34 amSat October 3, 2009 at 10:00 am by Simon Harding

I managed almost all of this without opening a dictionary, but a handful of clues put up a fight to the end. Perhaps it was just the constant feline harassment I was having … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No. 881 – Stomach by Kea

Sat October 3, 2009 at 1:00 am by Gaufrid

Completing this puzzle was not helped by the enumeration being incorrect in 13a and 19a and, unless I have got something seriously wrong, by the preamble referring to “a famous artist or performer” … Read more >>

Guardian 24,815 (Sat 26 Sep)/Araucaria – The avians have landed

Sat October 3, 2009 at 10:58 pmSat October 3, 2009 at 12:48 am by rightback

Solving time: 14 mins The bottom left here took me as long as the rest of the puzzle. There was a birdy theme alluded to by 1ac (ORNITHOLOGIST), with MACAW and SWIFT appearing … Read more >>

Independent 7165 by Phi

Fri October 2, 2009 at 1:48 pmFri October 2, 2009 at 12:51 pm by nmsindy

Unusual one, this. When I saw the small number of cells around the perimeter and the unusual grid (with 360 degree symmetry, I think), I thought ‘Nina’, but the only one I can … Read more >>

Guardian 24,820 / Araucaria

Fri October 2, 2009 at 9:29 am by Andrew

A nice challenge from Araucaria today, with almost entirely Ximenean clueing. I was particularly pleased to be able get the Shakespearian references in 1ac and 9ac without assistance. Key: * = anagram dd … Read more >>

Independent 7160 (Saturday Prize Puzzle – 26 September) by Nimrod

Fri October 2, 2009 at 7:00 am by duncanshiell

This is the second successive Nimrod puzzle that I have blogged for Saturday Independents, so I guess I knew what to expect in terms of both general knowledge and difficulty. Both were at … Read more >>

Inquisitor 143 – PRIMARY REFERENCE by Samuel

Thu December 17, 2009 at 11:50 amFri October 2, 2009 at 1:23 am by HolyGhost

Samuel’s first puzzle as an Inquisitor, but he’s a setter familiar to Listener solvers, notably with #3975 and more recently with #4038. Twelve thematic clues are of the “Definition & Letter-Mixture” sort. In … Read more >>