Crossword roundup: Russian, Dutch and double French
A grid representing cold-war Europe and an impressive debut, in our pick of the crypticsAs each day begins, we approach the news with caution, unsure whether we will learn that the US and Russia are at...
View ArticleThe Riddle of the Sphinx: how the Guardian's cryptic crossword found its way...
Today’s cryptic was from a new setter … and the BBC’s horror comedy series might provide some clues to their identityIf you solved today’s Guardian cryptic (and if you haven’t, do so right away), you...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: from snooker to soccer, via croquet and rugby
Trick shots and drooling sportsmen in the pick of the best of the cryptic crosswords Perhaps it’s a blessing that the American president gets his information about the world from his associates’...
View ArticleCrossword blog: Jesse Eisenberg helps the New York Times celebrate a birthday
The US “crossword of record” is marking its 75th birthday with some very welcome stunt settingIt’s time again to take a look at crosswording in the US. The grandmother of US puzzling is the New York...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: why eyebrows are found on highbrows
Scottish synonyms and chance currency in the pick of the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic cluesChancy timing, as they say north of the border, for Crucible this week. On the same day that Nicola...
View ArticleCrossword blog: Colin Dexter's life in five clues
Inspector Morse creator Colin Dexter, who died on Tuesday, was a prolific creator of crosswords both real and fictional. Here are five clues that sum up his life of witty wordplayNo sooner has DI Morse...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: celebrating a century of Vera Lynn
A 100th-anniversary puzzle whose subject is around to enjoy it, plus the best of the rest from the cryptic worldNot since 2011 has April Fools’ Day fallen on a Saturday. In the world of crosswords,...
View ArticleCrossword blog: meet the setter – Nutmeg
The latest in our series where we turn the tables on the torturers. Under the spotlight this time is Margaret Irvine, AKA NutmegNutmeg has been setting cryptics and quiptics for the Guardian for nearly...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: snowflakes are so hot right now
From cold comfort to hot gossip, there is ingenious construction and of-the-moment bullying in the pick of the broadsheets’ crypticsI hope you enjoyed the Easter weekend’s special puzzles. In place of...
View ArticleCrossword blog: meet the setter – Chifonie
The latest in our series where we turn the tables on the torturers. Under the spotlight this time is John Dawson, AKA ChifonieChifonie has been setting cryptics for the Guardian since 1994; he also...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: do white knights belong in crosswords?
Our most recent cluing competition has raised a fascinating issue of what words can properly be defined in cryptic clues. BLACK PAWN? How about WHITE KNIGHT?It’s in the nature of a snap election, I...
View ArticlePaul's marathon crossword: devising clues while running 26 miles
Ever wondered what goes through a cryptic compiler’s mind? Paul recalls a very special setting session ...The setter Paul recently ran the London marathon in memory of his brother (after whom he took...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: epaulette regrets
A word the Oxford dictionary dislikes, plus the best of the rest of the recent cryptic cluesBravo to Claymore (known elsewhere as eXternal) in the National for this ingenious cluing …1acSturgeon’s...
View ArticleCrossword blog: what makes a thing 'a thing'?
How do you decide whether a word is worthy of being clued?During our competition to clue WHITE KNIGHT, solver Catarella paused for a spot of philosophy:I wonder if all the clues that are giving some...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: is it extrovert or extravert, and is it nucular or nuclear?
Peculiar spellings take over from more sensible originals, and William Hague finds a glamorous gal pal in the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic cluesA fortnight ago, we looked at Claymore’s splendid...
View ArticleCrossword blog: Meet the setter – Screw
The latest in our series where we turn the tables on the torturers. Under the spotlight this time is Dave Warder, AKA ScrewScrew had his first Guardian cryptic published in March 2015. At the time, I...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: who do cryptic setters want as new prime minister?
Inaccurate forecasts, misleading football and an accidental Batman obituary in the pick of the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic cluesThe pollsters may as well have used hepatoscopy. How did the...
View ArticleCrossword blog: Meet the Setter – Chalicea
The latest in our series where we turn the tables on the torturers. Under the spotlight this time is Shirley Curran, AKA ChaliceaChalicea – known outside crosswords as Shirley Curran – is a prolific...
View ArticleCrossword roundup: from the Baltics to Tuscany via Ulster
Slang terms for bad weather make a non-topical appearance alongside the super-topical DUP in our roundup of the best of the broadsheets’ cryptic cluesNutmeg (who we recently encountered in Meet The...
View ArticleCrossword blog: when quick crosswords get cryptic
A recent puzzle had a theme which was mis-reported as a printing error. Themes and hidden messages may be more common than you think ...I’ll be quixotic to avoid spoilers, but today seems quite...
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