i Cryptic Crossword 864 Monk

Here’s the original blog:

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2008/12/05/independent-6903monk-prize-puzzle-29-11-08/

A few of contenders for clue of the day – I’ll choose Wise friend getting back memory became confused (9)” at 20ac.

i Cryptic Crossword 852 Monk

I’m at a conference and may not get time to look at this properly, but here’s the original blog:

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2008/10/10/independent-saturday-prize-no-6855-monk/

I shall leave commentary to others.

i Cryptic Crossword 846 Nestor

Solid puzzle from Nestor, neither too easy nor too hard though I had a little trouble in the SW corner. Nothing really leaps out as a clue of the day but I’m a sucker for a neat anagram so I’ll go for 10d: “Anonymous twins’ dynamic range (5,9)”. The original blog is complete apart from one light:

23d. POWER: d.d.

i Cryptic Crossword 840 Tees

Full of unsound and vague clues, such as 6d, where even when you could know the answer, and the parts of the answer, you can’t see how you’re supposed to put them together because it doesn’t make any sense. The original blog is complete apart from one clue:

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2008/10/23/independent-6871tees/

7dn. WINNIE: WIN + EIN<.

i Cryptic Crossword 834 Scorpion

Here we are, with apologies for lateness. A mostly excellent puzzle from the always challenging Scorpion. The original blog is complete:

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2008/10/17/independent-6861scorpion-prize-puzzle-11-10-08/

Like the blogger then I can’t really explain 25ac or 21d; in the latter, a commenter’s suggestion that S is an ‘animated character’ because it waves about a bit seems the best, but feeble, line.

i Cryptic Crossword 828 Morph

I wasn’t really on Morph’s wavelength this morning and it all seemed overly-complicated and difficult, though very clever in places, and occasionally brilliant as at 14ac: “Going out of our minds in the zone beyond space? (6,9)”. The original blog is complete.

i Cryptic Crossword 822 Nestor

Inventive and enjoyable puzzle from Nestor this morning. Particular plaudits for 21ac: “To France he departed since in Hackney he is uncomfortable (3,2,4)”. The original blog from 2008 is complete.

i Cryptic Crossword 810 Radian

This seemed to me a puzzle of two halves, as they say – easy on the left, a bit less so on the right, but it all came together. A couple of slightly unconvincing clues but Radian has come up with lots of pleasingly vivid images in his surfaces – 30d ‘Love goddess squeezes old doctor like a viper (8)’, for instance. Incidentally it seems to be the week for THROWing IN THE TOWEL (1d) – I blogged the same light in this week’s Guardian Quiptic.

Original blog here. Perhaps the blogger was in a hurry as quite a few answers were left out – below.

By the way I won’t be around next week – if jonofwales is reading this perhaps he could pick up next Fri …

Across

12. WAIT: I in WAT
15. NIGHTSPOT: THINGS* + POT
19. HAVEN: AVE in H(amilto)N
24. SPUR: (lark)SPUR
29. LEGEND: GEN in LED

Down

2. ALIBI: I in BAIL*
3. SECT: C in SET
8. RELIGIOUS ORDERS: REL + (RIGOROUS SIDE)* &lit. I think ‘perhaps’ rather weak as an anagrind.
14. STUN: NUTS<
20. HEIR: “air”
23. ASHEN: AS HEN
25. PIANO: O under PAIN*. A rather dodgy use of ‘undergo’.

i Cryptic Crossword 804 Monk

The original blog for this easy crossword by Monk is complete:

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2008/08/10/independent-6810/

Mostly sound and workmanlike clues (but what is the word ‘Short’ doing in 1ac?) 20ac is particularly nice: “When not to eat up my pork I pickled! (3,6)” – and more seasonal this time than when the puzzle first appeared on Aug 10 2008.

i Cryptic Crossword 786 Quixote

I thought there were some tricky corners in this puzzle from Quixote, but the original blogger seems to have made short work of it. The old blog is complete:

http://www.fifteensquared.net/2008/09/11/independent-on-sunday-969-by-quixote-7-sep-2008/