Steerpike provides this morning's puzzling entertainment…
Independent 11,706 / Eccles
As he often does, Eccles is filling the Wednesday slot this week. I found this to be towards the harder end of the Indy spectrum, perhaps in no small measure due to the … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,710 by BASILISK
Excellent puzzle from Basilisk.
Guardian 29,359 – Tramp
I found this rather gentler than some recent puzzles from this setter, but still good fun. Thanks to Tramp. Across 1 WISHFUL THINKING Is fling with hunk at work having unrealistic desires? … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1850: Blast Off by Serpent
Boom. The puzzle commemorates an event from 1970. (i) Wordplay in 22 clues generates an extra letter that is not entered in the grid. These letters, in clue order, provide a name and … Read more >>
Independent 11705 / Deri
Deri is an Independent setter with only one previous crossword I can find on fifteensquared. That was in January when the puzzle had a Led Zeppelin theme. I have computing problems this week … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 29,358 by Philistine
Today's setter is Philistine.
Financial Times 17,709 by AARDVARK
Well, this turned out to be quite the challenge from Aardvark, with some difficult parsing on a few items, and about halfway through, I was not sure that I was going to be able to complete the puzzle. Some fortuitous crossers got me across the finish line.
Financial Times 17,708 by BOBCAT
BOBCAT kicks off the week…
Independent 11,704/Filbert
Filbert is very much a regular feature in the Indy these days, and a setter who is capable of ratcheting the difficulty level up and down. This one, as befits a Monday, was … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 29,357 by Brummie
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/29357.
Guardian Quiptic 1,273/Carpathian
Quiptics on a Sunday now. I am a creature of habit, and this has completely discombobulated me. Good job it’s a sound as a pound Carpathian for me to blog. Abbreviations cd cryptic … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,703 ‘Jigsaw’ – Competition Puzzle
How complicated this all is. It took me ages. I drew the grid on a piece of squared paper and armed myself with a pencil, not the usual pen, then started by solving as many of the clues as possible. Since I got two of the ten-letter answers I took a punt and pencilled them in at right angles to each other — there was a letter that fit both words where they crossed. Then I tentatively added the answers that I had and went on until things went wrong. For the second time I was lucky and the only wrong positioning quickly led to a dead end, and I could retrace my steps. I went on and on and to my surprise it all worked out OK, although I was very fortunate: similar such things have in the past led me to start all over again.
Definitions in crimson, underlined. Anagram indicators in italics.
Everyman 4,042
Everyman time, I note the paper is now the home of the QUIPTIC on Sundays & a new easier crossword as well on Saturdays
Independent on Sunday 1,781/Hoskins
Hoskins in his customary Independent on Sunday slot. The usual sound puzzle from him, with a self-description at 12dn and a perimeter nina that reads WHITE BOARDS ARE REMARKABLE. Are the two related? … Read more >>