Wire provides our Wednesday challenge this week.
Financial Times 17,253 by MONK
Monk is a notoriously tough setter, and no exception to that this morning.
Guardian Cryptic 28,916 by Brummie
Brummie's on song this morning.
Inquisitor 1776: Primitive Structures by Chalicea
A typically brief preamble from Chalicea. Preamble: 36 form 10 35, which accumulate to create primitive structures. Single extra letters produced by the wordplay in each clue give, in clue order, an … Read more >>
Financial Times 17252 Zamorca
Thank you to Zamorca. Definitions are underlined in the clues. It’s a pangram. Across 1. Murder is detective’s province (8) DISPATCH : DI(abbrev. for “detective inspector”)‘S + PATCH(province/an area of one’s interest or … Read more >>
Independent 11,261 by Hoskins
Hoskins pops up again today – we’re in for a treat.
Guardian Cryptic 28,915 by Imogen
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/28915.
Azed 2630
The first Azed puzzle of the month is usually a competition puzzle. Sometimes it is also presented in a non-standard format. Today we have what many consider to be the most difficult variation … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,200/Pasquale
With a Quiptic from Pasquale, you always know that the setter will have constructed the puzzle with the less experienced solver in mind. He has given us this morning a generous grid, concision … Read more >>
Independent 11,260 by Vernon
I've not seen Vernon on a Monday before, although there have been previous puzzles by the compiler.
Guardian 28,914 / Kite
Kite presents rather more of a challenge than perhaps we’re used to on a Monday. The name didn’t seem familiar to me but a search in the archive, before I began the solve, … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,251 by GAFF
An anniversary puzzle today from GAFF…
Cyclops 740 – Annexation Plebiscite
Cyclops doing what Cyclops does…
Independent on Sunday 1,707 by Laccaria
Pretty sure this is a debut from Laccaria. This has probably the best clue I’ve blogged in years.
Everyman 3,969
I haven’t been very efficient this time, since there are two clues that leave me bewildered. However, I’m sure that some of the many people who read this blog will help. Otherwise it’s quite a satisfactory Everyman with the usuals (self-reference, first letters, rhyming answers (PACIFIC OCEAN, LAWS OF MOTION), and no doubt other things that I’ve missed). In only one or two cases I’m a bit unhappy with the clues.
Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (anagram, homophone, hidden, first letters, etc) in italics. Anagram indicators indicated like *(this) or (this)*. Link-words in green.