Not too hard this morning but awkward in spots, I thought.
Guardian 27,036 / Brendan
It’s less than a week since Brendan’s last appearance – but I’m certainly not complaining! A puzzle right up my street, based on one of my favourite Shakespeare plays, the 5,24 that superstition … Read more >>
Independent 9382 / Alchemi
Alchemi gives us a topical offering today. Unless you have been hiding away in some CATACOMBS [25 across] for months, nay years, you will be aware that the American Presidential … Read more >>
Guardian Quiptic 886 /Anto
Another Monday, another Quiptic from Anto. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letters removed definitions are underlined Across 8 Banal description … Read more >>
Independent 9,381 by Vigo
A lovely crisp sunny morning to do a crossword
Guardian Cryptic 27,035 by Rufus
Even more…
Private Eye/Cyclops 585 Difficult Woman
A puzzle centred on the phrase “Bloody difficult woman”. Ken Clarke’s observation <link> which was caught on mic during this summer’s Tory leadership non-election. I imagine as soon as the story broke Cyclops delighting in using … Read more >>
Everyman 3,656
The usual smooth offering from Everyman today which results in my having little to say. No cryptic definitions, which will no doubt please some people, and only a couple of double definitions, so … Read more >>
AZED 2,317
There are two typos in this crossword: Edinburgh is spelled Edinburg at 11ac, and 34ac is numbered as 24ac. Obvious mistakes of course, not likely to detain anyone, but when the standard of proof-reading falls like this, if you can’t at first solve a clue then you begin to wonder if there is a typo in it. Not something one normally sees in Azed’s crosswords — how he generally maintains such high standards of accuracy without so far as I know having any sort of crossword editor to pick up on things is impressive.
(I wrote this before discovering that there is a third typo: The first word of the clue for 4dn is meant to be Chain not Cain. And here at last we have a mistake which does actually cause a waste of time (in my case, because I was doing the blog, considerable).)
The usual: sound clueing, impossibly difficult words whose very existence keeps surprising me, one or two excellent clues, and as so often one (4dn) whose explanation is beyond me (at least it was, until the typo was pointed out).
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Independent on Sunday 1394/Daedalus
Daedalus and I bump into one another again on a Sunday morning. Abbreviations cd cryptic definition dd double definition (xxxx)* anagram anagrind = anagram indicator [x] letter(s) removed definitions are … Read more >>
Guardian Genius 160 by Puck
What flight of fancy will Puck – the mischievous, fun-loving sprite from ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ – take us on with Genius 160?… Well thankfully, for your correspondent at least, this was a … Read more >>
Guardian 27,028 / Brummie
Sorry about the late post; it’s been a very busy week. This was a fun puzzle from Brummie, with a nice theme of … … the BEACH BOYS (9, 26a), and their songs. … Read more >>
Independent 9,380 by Nimrod
Oh cripes, it’s Nimrod again. This time I managed two and a half answers before reaching for internet-based help, and perhaps a couple more before dissecting the Crossword Compiler data file for pointers. … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations No. 1249: Stateless by MynoT
MynoT is a fairly tricky setter, but his puzzles are always worth the challenge. Here, like many of his recent EVs we had an alphabetical jigsaw, with sixteen answers requiring thematic modification before … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 27,033 by Vlad
Struggled to finish this, with several clues holding me up even with full crossers, and had to Google 17dn. Lots to enjoy – favourites were 1ac, 19ac, 22ac, 25ac and 18dn. Thanks, Vlad.
Not too sure about my parsing for 20dn.