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Crossword blog: The short film Crosswords
A short film depicts the sometimes solitary hell of solving. Alan Connor talks to writer/director Steve SimmonsSteve Simmons has made a seven-minute film that puts the contents of a solver's brain on...
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Crossword roundup: cryptics and decryption
Alan Connor finds that spies are more romantic in crosswords than in real life in his pick of the week's spookiest cryptic cluesThe news in cluesAll the spies in last week's puzzles were of the quaint,...
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Crossword blog: meet the setter - Otterden
Alan Connor turns the tables on the torturers. In the spotlight this time is the New Statesman setter Otterden, AKA Gordon HoltOtterden is one of the pair of setters who alternate at the New Statesman....
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Crossword roundup: first-world words
Alan Connor finds a phrase not yet in any print dictionaries in his pick of the week's best – and woolliest – cryptic cluesClueing coincidenceIt's been a while since we've spotted the same word in...
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Crossword blog: the thousandth Telegraph Toughie
As the Daily Telegraph's second cryptic puzzle celebrates a milestone, Alan Connor talks to setter John Henderson and editor Phil McNeillOn 2 September 2008, the Telegraph relaunched as a full-colour...
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Crossword roundup: clue become one
Alan Connor finds real and manufactured spice in his pick of the week's best – and chattiest – cryptic cluesClueing coincidenceIn Tuesday's FT, Phssthpok went winningly long in his clue …6d Storage for...
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How the Spectator crossword began
Alan Connor discovers how, in 1932, after much sniffing and harrumphing, the Spectator succumbed to the crossword crazeIt is nearly 100 years since the crossword as we know it was invented, first...
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Crossword roundup: Bye-bye to Banks
Alan Connor finds factories of wasp and roads of crow in his pick of the week's best – and most body-aware – cryptic cluesThe news in cluesThere was a poignant and unannounced theme in Monday's...
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Crossword roundup: Bernie 'Ponzarelli' Madoff
Alan Connor finds ill-conceived investments and hidden gateways in his pick of the week's best – and most economical – cryptic cluesThe news in cluesEconomics professor Robert Skidelsky argues in these...
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Crossword blog: meet the setter – Doc
Alan Connor turns the tables on the torturers. In the spotlight this time is Tom Johnson – also known as Doc, Gozo, Didymus, Twudge, Busman …Tom Johnson is a setter whose puzzling seemingly cannot be...
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Crossword roundup: did you hear the one about the absurdist playwright?
Alan Connor finds poachers and gamekeepers, Irishmen and Scotsmen in his pick of the best – and most jokey – cryptic cluesCross witA cracking clue shares many qualities with a cracking joke –...
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Crossword blog: the Times crossword championship
Alan Connor struggles even to qualify for the annual speed competition for cryptic solversThis year is the year of the crossword, I told myself a few months ago, so maybe it should also be the year I...
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Crossword roundup: feline movie
Alan Connor finds royal baby excitement and tasteful procedures in his pick of the week's best – and most purging – cryptic cluesThe news in cluesToday, if you have anything resembling a human heart,...
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Crossword blog: pencils, pens and unique solutions
Alan Connor asks whether your choice of writing implement reflects your feeling about whether every clue should have only one valid answerI'm always delighted to find that my inbox contains some...
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Crossword blog: How shall we celebrate the crossword centenary?
Alan Connor asks for help in planning the puzzling party of 2013What a marvellous time to be a crossword setter, a solver or indeed someone who writes about crosswords for the Guardian. On 21 December...
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Crossword blog: The short film Crosswords
A short film depicts the sometimes solitary hell of solving. Alan Connor talks to writer/director Steve SimmonsSteve Simmons has made a seven-minute film that puts the contents of a solver's brain on...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Crossword roundup: cryptics and decryption
Alan Connor finds that spies are more romantic in crosswords than in real life in his pick of the week's spookiest cryptic cluesThe news in cluesAll the spies in last week's puzzles were of the quaint,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Crossword blog: meet the setter - Otterden
Alan Connor turns the tables on the torturers. In the spotlight this time is the New Statesman setter Otterden, AKA Gordon HoltOtterden is one of the pair of setters who alternate at the New Statesman....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Crossword roundup: first-world words
Alan Connor finds a phrase not yet in any print dictionaries in his pick of the week's best – and woolliest – cryptic cluesClueing coincidenceIt's been a while since we've spotted the same word in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Crossword blog: the thousandth Telegraph Toughie
As the Daily Telegraph's second cryptic puzzle celebrates a milestone, Alan Connor talks to setter John Henderson and editor Phil McNeillOn 2 September 2008, the Telegraph relaunched as a full-colour...
View Article