Prize puzzle from the Weekend FT of September 16, 2016
Financial Times 15,357 by IO
W have Io today – not for the faint hearted…
Independent 9,347 by Dac
Dac is absolutely back to his best after his illness. The surfaces are as convincing as ever and this was a remarkably simple blog to do since the constructions are all so sound and straightforward. Which is not to say that the crossword is a doddle: yes, on the easy side, but one still has to stop and think from time to time.
Guardian Cryptic 27,001 by Arachne
A challenging puzzle from Arachne this morning.
Inquisitor 1456: Bad Company by Schadenfreude
Schadenfreude seems to be appearing about every other month this year. Preamble: 13 clues each have a misprint in the definition. The correct letters can be arranged to form the phrase to … Read more >>
Independent 9346 / Scorpion
Scorpion seems to have entered a time warp with this puzzle. There have been a few comments recently about reverse solving which thankfully we are more than happy with. There were some solutions here … Read more >>
Financial Times 15356 Dante
Thanks to Dante for another of his trademark puzzles. Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Back-slapping male with cultural pretensions (6) HEARTY : HE(pronoun for a male person) + ARTY(with cultural pretensions). … Read more >>
Guardian Cryptic 27,000 by Picaroon
The puzzle may be found at https://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/cryptic/27000.
Guardian Quiptic 880/Anto
I swear on my life that I’m going to take up religion again, so that a deity can intercede on my behalf and arrange that I never again find myself having to blog … Read more >>
Guardian 26,999 / Chifonie
It’s an unusually long time since we had a Chifonie puzzle and even longer since a Rufusless Monday. Apart from what I think must be a mistake in 20ac, we have a pretty … Read more >>
Independent 9,345 by Peter
Another new setter for me, but not a debut for Peter.
Cyclops 582: Unelected Oddball
After my suggestion that Cyclops 580 was maybe a tad ‘lite’ on the usual Cyclops-ean smuttiness, this one certainly redresses the balance! Some focus on the American election as well… …giving it out … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1,388 by Hypnos/Nitsy
Sorry this is late, forgot it was my turn to blog. I whizzed though this one employing a few electronic cheats to get the blog out quickly. A shame because I think this is an elegantly constructed puzzle which deserved some more appreciation. Thank you Hypnos/Nitsy.
AZED 2,311
The usual from Azed: a combination of sometimes less than sparkling surfaces with utterly sound clueing. And of course the words that one never knew.
Definitions underlined and in maroon.
Everyman 3,650
I heard a short while ago that the scheduled blogger had gone away for the weekend before realising that he hadn’t yet blogged this puzzle so I am stepping into the breach. I … Read more >>