Financial Times 12514/Jason
Across 5 CREW in SS – I hesitated about filling this one in because I couldn’t see how “props” could be a definition for SCREWS. I’ve just looked it up and found there … Read more >>
Guardian 24,133/Araucaria – well content to finish this one!
A typical Araucaria crossword, which hinges on being able to solve one key clue. In this case the key answer was the one at 19ac. Once you have that worked out, the rest … Read more >>
Conforming to type
Has anyone else notice that the FT bloggers are always first to post, bright and early and reliable as a Swiss train, followed by the Indyites, while the Guardianistas (myself included) roll up haphazardly … Read more >>
Financial Times 12,504 by Mudd
Across 1. BACKFIRE – BACK + FIRE 5. ARCTIC – C in ARTIC (artic being an abbreviation of articulated lorry) 9. PECTORAL – anagram of CLEOPATR. One of the breast anagram indicators I’ve … Read more >>
Guardian 24132/Orlando – politicians past and present
Solving time approx. 20 mins. Another excellent offering from Orlando, with some very subtle definitions that had me struggling in places. I particularly liked 6A (a subject close to my heart) and 7D. … Read more >>
Independent 6475 by Dac – top quality
A really good puzzle from Dac today with skilful misdirection, great variety and invention, and all clear in the end. Solving time: 27 mins * = anagram < =reversal ACROSS 5 B(AY R)UM … Read more >>
FT 12,512/Quark
An unusual balance of clue types here, I thought. Not often that you see double definitions and homophones (x6 and x2 respectively, by my tally) account for over a quarter of the clues … Read more >>
Independent 6474/Virgilius – Magic Numbers
According to the A-Z of Crosswords by Jonathan Crowther, Virgilius (in real-life) studied Maths at Cambridge and is an academic specializing in the “cultural and political aspects of mathematics education” so I suppose … Read more >>
Guardian 24,131, Taupi: Pun my word
I enjoyed this puzzle a lot, though it may not have been to everyone’s taste. My enjoyment of crosswords starts from the same kind of wordplay employed in puns, which often, though not … Read more >>
Guardian 24130 / Rufus – Solid start to the week
SOLVING TIME: 11 MINUTES Normal Monday fare, a gentle warm-up in the cryptic company of Rufus with the usual large quantity of Cryptic definitions and anagrams to encourage solvers. Ideal for the new … Read more >>
Private Eye/Cyclops 343 – Undone
I’m feeling a bit “undone” myself at the moment – a fortnight into the smoking ban and thus a fortnight into my latest attempt to forego the evil weed. How can I possibly … Read more >>
Independent 6473/Merlin
Across 1 O,A,FISH,NESS – “o” is a short form of “of”. Good clue to get us going. 10 (ACTIONS IN A LAB IN)* – CANNIBALISATION has a few meanings, apart from the obvious … Read more >>
Everyman 3171/back in Scotland
Back to Scotland again this week with Muriel SPARK. More than Everyman’s usual share of weak surfaces though: e.g. 9A, 2D, 5D, 17D. The rest are quite good though so perhaps this isn’t … Read more >>
Guardian 24,123 (Sat 7 Jul)/Shed – Cea mulpa
Solving time: 10 mins, one mistake (14ac) I liked this, lots of inventive wordplay without being too complex or convoluted like some Guardian crosswords. * = anagram, “X” = sounds like ‘X’. Across … Read more >>
Independent 6471 by Phi
Solving time: 20 mins < = reversal * = anagram ACROSS 5 STR (I P LIGHT) ING 8 SECOND S LIP 9 TR(O)Y 10 TE (A PART) Y YET< 12 A GREED … Read more >>