Hypnos provides us with the Sunday fun, in 13 years this only the third time I’ve blogged his work.
Everyman 3,965
Everyman sets him/herself several tasks over and above those of the usual setter of a cryptic: the self-referential clue, the first letters clue, the rhyming answers (like BAKEWELL TART and CROSS MY HEART) and no doubt others and almost always does pretty well at this. The standard of the actual clues is the main thing, and they are sound so far as I can see. One or two of the surfaces are a bit lame, though — for example ‘nag a swimmer’ — what does that mean beyond the obvious?
Definitions underlined, in crimson. Indicators (anagrams, homophones, reversal, hidden, etc.) in italics. Link-words in green. Anagrams indicated *(like this) or (like this)*
Independent 11,235 by Monk
The puzzle is available here.
Guardian Saturday Prize Crossword 28,883 by Paul (8 October 2022)
Paul in mercurial multi-linkage mode this Saturday Prize puzzle, with no fewer than four linked pairs of answers, and a triple-link…
Financial Times 17,220 by Mudd
Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 8, 2022
Financial Times 17,225 by BASILISK
BASILISK serves up a solid and enjoyable challenge this Friday.
Independent 11234 / Phi
Phi ends the Independent series working week, as he usually does There are some unusual entries in this puzzle – EXTRA JAM, HELIUM SPEECH, AMYGDALA, ANTEBELLUM and SCROFULA – to … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,888 by Paul
Getting a few longer solutions early helped me get through this quite quickly, though it was still tricky in parts. Favourites were 12ac, 22ac, 3dn, 5dn, and 15/17. Thanks to Paul for the puzzle
Independent 11,223 by Bluth
Bluth provides this week’s Thursday challenge.
Guardian 28,887 – Philistine
I was a little slow to get started on this, but then everything started slipping nicely into place. Thanks to Philistine. We have a mini-theme of words derived from the names of planets, … Read more >>
Financial Times 17,224 by CHALMIE
Chalmie's today's FT setter.
Financial Times 17,214 by Buccaneer
Non-prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of October 1, 2022
Enigmatic Variations No. 1559: Save by Vismut
Is Vismut referring to the current cost-of-living crisis, and urging us to try and SAVE a few pennies?…
Financial Times 17,223 by MONK
A fun but challenging crossword from Monk this morning.
Independent 11,232 by Eccles
It’s Eccles today! We’re in for a treat!