Everyman 3,820

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The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3820. Everyman seems to be settling into a generally straightforward style, with the trademark pairing of long answers. ACROSS 1 YOU DON’T SAY Liberal excluded from US … Read more >>

Azed 2480 – Little Extras

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This is the annual Christmas Competition Puzzle where solvers were given two weeks for submission, hence the delay in publishing the blog.       The preamble stated: Ten thematic clues are without … Read more >>

Independent 10,367 by Wiglaf

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The puzzle can be found here. Hello and Happy New Year.  I hope you enjoyed the festive period whether or not you spent it in festive fashion (I did and didn’t, respectively) and … Read more >>

Enigmatic Variations No.1414 – Final Resting Place by Shark

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“Several answers are shorter than the available grid length and therefore must be entered with blank cells. In 16 clues, the wordplay leads to the answer with one (and in one case, two) letters short. These suggest what must fill the unclued down entries, forming new words and signifying the FINAL RESTING PLACE. A symmetrical thematic string must be discovered (see 37, unclued) and naturally must move within the completed grid. Chambers Dictionary (2016) is recommended.”

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Independent 10,366 by Phi

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When one has solved a Phi clue the answer is so obvious that one wonders where the difficulty lay. Yet there was difficulty, to be sure. Perhaps it’s because, as Carol Vorderman used … Read more >>

Guardian 28,010 / Maskarade

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This was the bumper Guardian Christmas crossword by Maskarade, with a theme of place names around Great Britain. We thought this was a good theme, and an impressive grid fill – it was … Read more >>

Guardian 28,019 – Chifonie

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Perhaps the day after a bank holiday is like a Monday, because this had a very Mondayish (or even Quiptic-ish) feel, with very straightforward clueing throughout. Thanks to Chifonie.         … Read more >>