Found this tough, but with lots of fun and inventive cluing. A ‘singing’ theme in the clues…
Guardian Quiptic 827 Provis
Thanks Provis for an enjoyable puzzle (which I had to do in a hurry; and sorry for the delay). Definitions are underlined in the clues. Across 1 Support person on call (5,2) STAND BY … Read more >>
Guardian 26,682 – Nutmeg
A pleasant surprise to see Nutmeg’s name today, but this was definitely not your usual “easy” Monday puzzle, with a couple of obscure words and some tricky clueing. So, a slight shock to … Read more >>
Independent 9028/eXternal
For me, a bit of a mixed bag this morning. I’ve given up on the Monday Indy being ‘the easy one’, and of course apart from custom, there’s no reason why it should … Read more >>
Beelzebub 1,332
A very enjoyable solve as always, and perhaps a little gentler than a couple of weeks that I’ve blogged recently. In fact I got a little overexcited in trying for an unaided finish … Read more >>
Independent on Sunday 1334/Nitsy
Just like buses … you wait ages for one and then another one comes along straight afterwards. We hadn’t seen Nitsy for ages in the Indy until his puzzle a couple of weeks … Read more >>
Everyman 3,597
The puzzle may be found at http://www.theguardian.com/crosswords/everyman/3597.
AZED 2,258
I thought this had more that its fair share of clues on the harder end of the spectrum. Dare I say I understand all definitions and wordplay (yes, I know, I’m begging to be corrected).
Independent 9,021 by Anax (Saturday Prize Puzzle, 12/09/15)
It’s always a pleasure to draw an Anax on blogging day. This was actually a solve of two halves for me, the top half falling in steadily before I ground to a halt. … Read more >>
Enigmatic Variations 1190 Legend by Shackleton
Misprints in the definitions of all clues – 5 clashes – 2 messages a square to find a rectangle to find – five images to determine then a sixth and its description – … Read more >>
Guardian Prize 26,675 / Crucible
A real sense of déjà vu – twice over, for me. Crucible gave us a similarly-themed puzzle this time last year – and I was lucky enough to blog that one, too. I don’t … Read more >>
Independent 9,026 by Phi
As usual Phi has given us a neat efficient crossword with some very nice clues. As I have said before, he is often a bit tricky to get started on and then when you look back afterwards it all seems so simple, as witness the large number of answers that have been parsed in just one term, and I don’t think that’s because I’m in a bit of a hurry to complete this since I have a message from Norton telling me that they must fix a threat which is high risk, and the whole thing may explode before the blog is completed.
Guardian 26,680 – Tramp
Well, that was fun! Another of Tramp’s puzzles where many of the clues are related to a theme, but almost no knowledge of the theme is needed to solve them. The theme of … Read more >>
Financial Times 15,039 by GAFF
A good fun Gaffle this Friday. Thanks to Gaff for yet another twisted challenge, albeit on the easier side relative to some of his earlier work that I have encountered. Quite a few subtraction anagrams in this one. Progress was slow and steady with the SW corner holding me up in the homestretch. Parsing for 15ac continues to elude me.
Guardian Cryptic 26679 Orlando
(Please click here for this same blog but with a picture quiz added. Please do NOT post hereinbelow any comment relating to the picture quiz. Thank you.) A tougher than average Cryptic I … Read more >>