Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of December 3, 2016
Financial Times 15,423 by AARDVARK
I did not find this quite as tightly clued as Aardvark’s usual fare, and there is one unsolved clue in here. Other than that enjoyable as always. Thank you Aardvark.
Independent 9413 / Raich
Even if time is short on the approach up to Christmas, we are enjoying having a regular puzzle (or two) to solve each day and were pleased to see that it was Raich today. Several … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 27,067 by Picaroon
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27067.
Inquisitor 1467: Multiplication by Radler
Preamble: Answers to the eleven asterisked clues must be changed to a related word of the same length before entry. All other clues have a single-letter misprint: the correct letters (in clue order) … Read more >>
Guardian27,066 / Pasquale
A bit of a mixed bag from Pasquale today. There’s the expected sprinkling of less familiar or unknown words – impeccably clued, as usual – but also some rather tired ones, at 26 … Read more >>
Independent 9,412 / Alchemi
Alchemi’s latest puzzle awaited solvers this Tuesday morning. If I look back at my previous blogs of Alchemi puzzles, they all talk about struggling to get started and needing to chip away at … Read more >>
Financial Times 15,422 by ARMONIE
That rare thing, a perfectly formed crossword from Armonie today.
Independent 9,411 by Anglio
I found this a bit of a grind with lots of quite involved clues and a number of off-centre or obscure word usages making the clues seem more difficult than they actually were.
Guardian Quiptic 891 / Provis
I think this one meets the remit. Nothing too tricky so a reasonably quick solve for me, and I wouldn’t imagine that it would take that much longer for a relative newcomer to … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 27,065 by Rufus
Nicely clued, and a very friendly grid. Favourites were 1ac, 22ac and 16dn. Thanks, Rufus.
Azed 2322
As is quite common, there are a couple of minor typos in the clues. More seriously, that fact that this is a competition puzzle was not mentioned (at least initially) on the website, … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,399 by Peter
I think this is my first tangle with Peter, at least within a blogging context, though the Fifteensquared search reveals it isn’t a debut. I often find it tricky to get to grips … Read more >>
Everyman 3,661
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3661.
Enigmatic Variations 1254 November by Shark
We have to deal with a Shark puzzle this week – Hmm. A compiler whose puzzles I usually take some time to get tuned to the right wavelength. Misprints in the definitions this … Read more >>