A mixture of easy clues and some tricky ones. Thank you Gozo.
Guardian 28,569 / Crucible
A welcome return for Crucible to fill the mid-week slot. We have a practically unmissable, I think, impressively wide-ranging theme of sports and games, in both clues and answers, with characteristically sound cluing … Read more >>
Inquisitor 1718: Epitaph by eXternal
The complex rubric read: Multiple letter clashes occur in eight cells, each creating a thematic word; definitions for these and definitions of an associated word for each appear as superfluous single words in … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 28,568 by Nutmeg
Had a slow start into this, then all went very smoothly. Favourites were 10ac, 12ac, 26ac, 6dn, 7dn, and 22dn. Thanks to Nutmeg for the puzzle.
Financial Times 16,908 by FALCON
A straightforward Tuesday offering with some eminently neat surfaces.
Independent 10914 / Hoskins
Hoskins fills the Tuesday slot this week, Tuesdays’ Independent puzzles often have a hidden message of some kind, but I can’t see one today. What I can see though is … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 1,142/Matilda
Matilda can usually be relied upon to produce an enjoyable and well-constructed Quiptic, and this fits that bill, I think. The only noteworthy point apart from that is that the puzzle is … Read more >>
Guardian 28,567 – Pan
Almost all very straightforward clueing this morning from Pan: I think this puzzle would have been more suited to the Quiptic slot, but a pleasant, if brief, diversion nonetheless. Thanks to Pan. … Read more >>
Financial Times 16,907 by BOBCAT
I’ve not heard of Bobcat before, but perhaps some of you have? An enjoyable challenge.
Independent 10,913/Silvanus
A sound puzzle in the usual Monday style from Silvanus. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition cad clue as definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letter(s) removed definitions are underlined … Read more >>
Everyman 3,911
The Observer crossword from Sept 26, 2021
Apart from one or two things a solid crossword, not too hard for those learning the game.
Independent on Sunday 1,649/Tees
Tees can do erudite. The boy can also do silly. Sometimes he can do both in the same puzzle. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition cad clue as definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 219 / Kite
The September Genius puzzle has been set by Kite The preamble was fairly short and told us that one (related) element is lacking from each of the first 12 italicised … Read more >>
Azed No. 2,572 Plain
Fewer obscure words than usual this week. Thank you Azed.
Guardian 28,560 / Qaos
Many apologies for the late post about this puzzle: time completely got away with me this week. I thought this was a fun puzzle from Qaos – a mix of rather easy clues, … Read more >>