i Cryptic Crossword 929 Mordred

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/