Everyman 3163/Tuscany and Fairbanks
Solving time: 20′ Another rather fast solve for me… though spent a couple of minutes at first staring until the first clue (EVITA) succumbed. VP Spiro Agnew shows up again, proving that he’s … Read more >>
Guardian 24,075 (Sat 12 May)/Brummie – Mistaken identity
Solving time: 8:28 This was a lot easier than most Guardian prize crosswords, with few difficult words and the ones there were deduceable from the wordplay. The Guardian Crossword website front page claims … Read more >>
Independent 6423 by Phi – Sumer is icumen in
Harder than usual for Phi – especially because of the title above. Solving time: 34 mins * = anagram ACROSS 1 CUT BOTH WAYS 7 PHI Hidden 12 J zEALOUS 17 MA CU … Read more >>
Independent 6418 / Nimrod – what a carry-on!
Solving time 13:40 Overseas or younger solvers will have struggled with this, but for fans of 50s/60s British comedy, it was a very good solve and full of nostalgia as you’ll see. There … Read more >>
Guardian 24,080 by Taupi: Tea-tastic
A pretty fiendish puzzle. Trying circumstances for me, 10 minutes on a crowded tube followed by 20 over lunch approx, but I found this one very tough going, with a lot of quite advanced tricks. Vocab … Read more >>
Inquisitor 19 – Handiwork by Ploy
Solving time: an hour or so Approached with trepidation, having downed a convivial pint or two with Ploy at Sloggers and Betters 2, but also having missed the final step in his “Travelling … Read more >>
Guardian 24079/Arachne
I don’t think I’ve come across Arachne before, but I enjoyed the puzzle. The clues were mostly fair, although some were quite tricky and four living people – all politicians – appeared in … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday by Quixote – 900 up!
It’s celebrated in the first clue. Some unfamiliar words made it a little harder than sometimes for me. Congrats to Quixote on reaching this landmark. If an anorak wishes to probe why the … Read more >>
Independent 6422/Nimrod
After a long day at work documenting code I just wasn’t ready for a Nimrod puzzle. It finally defeated me a few minutes ago when I used TEA to check the last but … Read more >>
Guardian 24078/Paul – rearends
Just some quick notes about this puzzle written up a day after I solved (and re-solved!) the puzzle. Quite a few clever Pauline (not Paulene!) fun and games. Some post-post editing thanks to … Read more >>
Independent 6421/Dac
Quite a cavalier sort of solve with this one – a few clues filled in without completely understanding them, anagrams guess-timated rather than properly worked out – but luckily no mistakes. Would have … Read more >>
Independent 6420/Virgilius
Done in a slightly distracted fashion as I was in a soft play centre for children with half an eye on a 2-year-old and a 4-year-old. Slick as ever from Virgilius without a … Read more >>
Guardian 24077/Rover – whimsical
Solving time: 30’ Quite a few whimsical and cryptic allusions. I didn’t really enjoy this puzzle but probably because I’m a bit burnt out having just done The Times as well (“it’s not … Read more >>
Guardian 24076 / Rufus – Straightforward start to the week
Solving time: 13 minutes A straightforward start to the week from one of the masters of the cryptic definition. Nothing too troublesome, although a tiny grumble for the purists might be he use … Read more >>
Situations Vacant: Financial Times solvers
We would like to start including the Financial Times puzzles in this blog. The FT puzzle is set by many of the same people that also set the Independent and Guardian crosswords, and … Read more >>