i Cryptic Crossword 929 Mordred
January 31, 2014
Perhaps it was just me feeling disgruntled, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about this as the original blogger. I’m not keen on puzzles this difficult on a weekday, so maybe it’s just that.
COD? 11ac – ‘They may be streaming out (9)’.
The 2009 blog is complete.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/03/19/independent-6996-by-mordred/
i Cryptic Crossword 928 Mass
January 30, 2014
Fairly straightforward for the most part, with one or two that held out to the end. Just the thing to while away an hour in a doctor’s waiting room.
COD? 23d – ‘Tree in bud on first of May (4)’.
The 2009 blog is complete.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/03/16/independent-no-6993-by-mass/
i Cryptic Crossword 927 Dac
January 29, 2014
I won’t have a chance to finish this until much later today, but here’s a link to the 2009 blog. Harder than usual, so far.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/03/18/independent-6995dac/
i Cryptic Crossword 926 Morph
January 28, 2014
Inventive, funny, groan-worthy as ever from Morph. Lots of excellent clues, but my COD goes to 23d – ‘What did the man on ‘orseback wear? (5)’.
The 2009 blog is complete:
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/02/03/independent-6958morph/
i Cryptic Crossword 925 Quixote
January 27, 2014
The NW corner a lot harder than the rest, but all in all a gentle, fun start to the week. As nmsindy noted, lots of very clever misdirection.
COD? With honours to 1ac and 24ac, I’m nominating 5d – ‘Table with iron – it could be seen in forge (11)’.
The 2009 blog is complete.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/03/26/independent-on-sunday-997-by-quixote-22-mar-2009/
i Cryptic Crossword 918 by Dac
January 25, 2014
Saturday 18th January 2014
If our setters were compared to a cricket team then I’d have Dac and Quixote as my opening batsmen. Classic technique & ever-reliable – you know what you’re going to get. And so it proved last Saturday with flawlessly constructed clues and nothing too showy or challenging – certainly not compared to yesterday’s Bannsider!
Here’s the 2009 blog http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/02/18/independent-6971dac/ and, from a very even field, I’ll pick out 26ac as my COD: Lorry man loaded with reasonable quality vegetable (9)
i Cryptic Crossword 923 Bannsider
January 24, 2014
It’s looking like I won’t have time to solve all this today, but here’s a link to the 2009 puzzle. Free feel to nominate a COD. 🙂
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/02/06/independent-6956bannsider-prize-puzzle-31-01-09/
Edited to say:
Well, I did get to finish it, and it was a bit of a stinker! Much better suited to a weekend puzzle than a Friday when solvers haven’t necessarily got access to a dictionary to lookup 24ac, 8ac, or 4d for example. 14ac seems to be missing from the old blog. I think it’s TAT for ‘dross’, with ‘I’m obliged’ as TA TO? Wouldn’t swear to it though.
COD? 12ac – ‘Son, before cold shower, game for a night on the tiles (8)’.
i Cryptic Crossword 922 Hypnos
January 23, 2014
A welcome return for Hypnos! Fairly straightforward for the most part, with one or two to get us thinking. I’m looking at you, 3d. A nice, entertaining puzzle to ease us to the end of the week.
COD? 17ac – ‘Capital feature, say, in payment made by bright chap (7,4)’.
The 2009 blog is complete.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/01/05/independent-6933-by-hypnos/
i Cryptic Crossword 921 Dac
January 22, 2014
I didn’t find this as easy as nmsindy, struggling especially with 22ac and 14d.
COD? 17ac – ‘Benefactor identified person with most debts? (8)’.
Only 9ac is missing from the 2009 blog – POLISH UP.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/02/25/independent-6977-by-dac/
i Cryptic Crossword 920 Virgilius
January 21, 2014
More difficult than usual, especially in the RHS. The theme, for once, made things more difficult, with a quote I was unfamiliar with, and lots of possible names to choose from.
COD? 26ac – ‘Guy checking tracks, perhaps, making wild animal wary (10)’.
The 2009 blog is complete.
http://www.fifteensquared.net/2009/01/13/independent-6940virgilius/