Guardian 24,683 (Sat 25 Apr)/Araucaria – Poe faced
Solving time: 32:35 Wow, that was difficult – and that despite me knowing (for once) a few of the many literary references. I nearly reached for the dictionary / Google on a few … Read more >>
Guardian 24,688 – Bonxie
An unfamiliar setter to me, but seems quite fond of anagrams. In fact once I started to assume every answer was going to be an anagram, the second half went a lot quicker. … Read more >>
Independent 7,033 by Dac
*=anag, []=dropped, <=reversed, hom=homophone, cd=cryptic definition, dd=double definition. Aha, so here’s this week’s Dac. Whilst I do have a habit of missing such things, there doesn’t appear to be any particular Mayday theme … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,065 / Bradman
Good fun puzzle from Bradman, with great surfaces to most of the clues. Not too tough by Bradman standards – though I’m still scratching my head over 1A. Across 1 WEAVER? [Update: WEAVER … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 859: Hidden Hints by Piccadilly
Four 6×6 squares had to be filled with answers from unnumbered clues. The four mini grids could then be positioned according to four hints hidden in the completed grid. According to the Solving … Read more >>
Independent 7028 / Mordred (Prize Puzzle 25-04-09)
My first attempt at blogging a daily crossword, having previously blogged The Inquisitor regularly and Guardian Genius (once so far). I thought the clueing in this crossword was elegant with a number of … Read more >>
Inquisitor 121 BUILDING by Loda
I’m usually worried when I can do 1 across immediately, but solving the clues here was pretty straightforward though I had a number of question marks about several of the across wordplays and … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,064 / Adamant
I couldn’t spot anything here that required more than a cursory explanation, but please leave a message after the tone if you disagree…..beep…. Across 1 EARTHQUAKE – (heart)* + quake 7 CUFF – … Read more >>
Independent 7032 by Nimrod
Hard as Nimrod usually is, solving time, 58 mins. Very hard to break into, but seeing 1 down was a breakthrough helping with the LHS of the grid. Never systematically counted but Nimrod’s … Read more >>
Guardian 24687 / Araucaria
A typically difficult puzzle from Araucaria, but with some very pleasing clues. Across 1. TRAVESTY T + RAVE + STY 5. THAMES HAM in SET reversed 9. MIA FARROW AIM reversed + FARROW, … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1002 by Quixote (26 Apr 2009)
Great minds are still puzzling as to how Quixote has crossword 1002 in the 1000th issue of the paper which contained many articles and reminiscences to mark that occasion. The puzzle itself was … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,055 – Dante
Monday Prize Crossword on 20 April 2009 dd = double definition cd = cryptic definition rev = reversed or reversal ins = insertion cha = charade ha = hidden answer *(fodder) = anagram … Read more >>
Financial Times 13,054 by Cinephile
Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of April 18 A nice, moderately difficult puzzle from Cinephile with a memorable clue in 3D. I was stumped on 10A for a while as I was … Read more >>
Guardian 24686 / Auster
I really enjoyed this one; quite easy on the whole and only a few quibbles. Across 9. REDUNDANT (UNDER)* + D = “German” + ANT = “worker” 10. LEACH Homonym of “leech”; I … Read more >>
Independent 7031/Phi
What’s Phi doing on a Wednesday? There must be something devious lined up for Mayday on Friday, and no doubt we’ll be seeing Dac on Saturday. Or perhaps he just needs a holiday, … Read more >>