Independent on Sunday 927 by Quixote
Tougher than usual, I thought. Solving time: 31 mins Notes on some clues below, happy to explain others if asked. ACROSS 6 A PLACE IN THE SUN “An opportunity for the high life? … Read more >>
Independent 6583/Dac – Wednesday 21.11.07
As usual Dac’s clues are consistently excellent. Few stand out (except for 14D), but they are always sound and have clear good surfaces. It’s a bit like Mozart (although Dac might feel a … Read more >>
Guardian 24,240 Paul – “Egrets: I’ve Had a Few …”
A very pleasant and reasonably humane puzzle from Paul. The best strategy with his puzzles I find is to pick off the rare easy ones, hope they give you letters for the multi-word solutions he … Read more >>
Independent 6582/Virgilius – All Square-d!
A couple of weeks ago I had an email from someone – let’s call him E – advising me to make sure I was blogging today’s puzzle. “How intriguing”, I thought at the … Read more >>
Guardian 24239/Gordius – tough but fair?
I see that a lot of you took advantage of the chance to comment on this beforehand, so I’m glad I left the placeholder message this morning. As it turned out, I was … Read more >>
Independent No 6581 by Mordred
Across 9 Capo: Truman Capote (US writer) – TE (note from doh, re..) 10 Metalloidal: (made a lot ill)*. Tricky word. 13 Octopod: Initial letters running backwards. Also some & lit because the … Read more >>
Guardian 24238/Rufus – raga man
I felt this was Rufus at his worst to be honest. There were too many long anagrams and too many unconvincing cryptic defs (yes, I realize this judgement is in the eye of … Read more >>
Private Eye/Cyclops 352 – Hyperactive deficiency
I don’t time myself when solving crosswords. I know I’m not very fast compared to most other people on this blog, and frankly it’s a bit late to start doing that now. However … Read more >>
Azed 1850
Like Jane last week I found this Azed relatively straightforward. It had the usual mix of obscure answers, obscure elements in the wordplay and tricky devices but it was scrupulously fair and so … Read more >>
Guardian 24,231 (Sat 10 Nov)/Araucaria – Blyton rock
Solving time: 25 mins, one missing (18dn) This puzzle was largely a tribute to Enid Blyton who would have been 110 this year (see 24ac). The bottom half of the puzzle fell out … Read more >>
Guardian 24236/Taupi – manly
A few manly answers: TESTOSTERONE (which figured in a Times puzzle today or yesterday as well), and an ARTILLERYMAN wearing an EPAULETTE. I did this in fits and starts throughout the day so … Read more >>
Independent 6579/Phi – the usual Phi standard
Solving time : 35 minutes. As he does every week, Phi manages to produce a crossword that is full of clever stuff with which it’s apparently almost impossible to find fault. Across 1 MOP IS … Read more >>
Beelzebub 925/Phi (04-11-07)
Across 1 RUM,GUM,(IN TOP)* – RUMGUMPTION can mean common sense or native wit. I’d heard of plain old “gumption” (which can mean the same thing) but thought it only meant nerve or courage. … Read more >>
Inquisitor 45 – THE ARCHERS
Reasonably easy theme to spot, the title referring to the colours of the rainbow arch (Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain). Most clues quite straightforward, but a bit muddling was the use … Read more >>
Independent 6574/Nestor
I’d be interested to know how everyone else got on with this as I found it very easy – solved in just over 11 minutes, far and away my quickest ever time for … Read more >>