TLMB

The solution to my February Cryptish Crossword is in an image at this link. There was a theme to this one, which you no doubt spotted. I did offer the puzzle for publication to someone I thought appropriate, but apparently no-one answers their email anymore. *sigh*

18A riffed on a weak joke I make everytime I’m driving in Suffolk. 11A was my favourite, although I found 14A pleasing. I really liked using “Occam’s Lathe” in one of the clues originally, but couldn’t quite make it parse correctly as a clue, so Killed My Darling.

I’m having a new puzzle published on a crossword blog tomorrow. Hopefully I’ll get some useful feedback.

Colours to the mast! Here is my February puzzle.
Right click to download printable PNG file.
Or view it below, in PNG, or as a browser-solvable puzzle.

Answers next week.
Enjoy!

The solution to my January Cryptish Crossword can be viewed in this image.

I had this puzzle ready in the dying days of 2018, but couldn’t publish it until Jan 1st, without invalidating one clue. I decided to wait another day to let heads clear. Interestingly, on the day I published, I read an article via Twitter, which mentioned a connection between 17A and 8A which I was previously unaware of. I’m not sure if that’s pleasing or annoying! Let’s be positive and say the former.

I liked both 25D and 26D, although I can see why others might dislike them. 29A might be my favourite. No reaction, so I don’t know what people thought of this one. Hey ho. As always, I’m on Twitter for complaints, comments, enthuses or shares. Ciao.

[Edit: In-browser solvable version is now at the bottom of this post.]

Here’s my January puzzle.
Quite a few 4s in this one, so maybe it’s a touch easier? Blockiness reduced to just four 2×2 squares. Hopefully tolerable. One clue might annoy some, but there you go. As always, feel free to let me know via Twitter if you’re trying/done it/liked it/hated it, and RT/share if you like.
Cheers, enjoy!

The solution to my December Cyptish Crossword can be viewed here.

The grid was still a little blocky, so a few clues can be fully “solved” just by solving all the cross-clues. Something to try and improve in future grids. My next grid is filled, with a little light theming too. Not sure if it’ll be my next Cryptish though, as I may try to find a nice home for it elsewhere.

Meanwhile, back at the December puzzle, there were a few clues I’d had saved up that fitted in here. One clue had a trap. I wonder if anyone fell into it. A reasonable range of clue-types, I think, and I don’t think I overused any one type this time. Possibly I even underused one type. Hey-ho, that’s variation for you. I liked 42A and 37D. A little light reaction on Twitter.

[Edit: In-browser solvable version is now at the bottom of this post.]

Here’s my December puzzle.

I haven’t yet found a way to use Mac software to embed a solvable grid (that also works on iPads) in my blog. Let me know if you know how I can do that, please. (I’m using CrossFire.)

I’ve been wondering… should I explain my clues? After all, if I do a crossword in a newspaper, you don’t have the setter available for consultation afterwards. Just the solution posted a week later, from which you have to work out why the answers fit the clues. And if I do explain, will that mean people get to know my setting style quicker? …Rather than puzzling it out slowly as they go along. (Much as I’m doing myself!) Then again, there are blogs out there which explain some puzzle solutions. I’m not sure. I’m leaning towards silence.

Feel free to share the link or RT/Like/comment on Twitter, if you enjoy it.

The solution to my November Cryptish crossword can be viewed here.

I was reasonably happy with this one at first, but after I’d published it, I realised that I’d used one type of clue 6 times, which was probably too many. Also, 21D, 36D and 42D could all have been made a little better, I think. 41D and 44D were both fairly easy, but they raised a smile, I’m told. I originally had the clue for 1D as half as long, but decided that if you didn’t get the reference (which was already slightly veiled), there was no way of working it out (aside from guessing with the checked letters), so I added the second half.
25D was probably my favourite.

Unfortunately it only got to 4 retweets, so I withdrew the prize offer. But on the plus side, I did get some interest on twitter. Thanks retweeters, and it was also good to hear from Helen, Anna & Richard that they were having a go. (I think you finished it, Richard?) I did receive a completed grid from Mikey (who’s not on Twitter) by email, but he had solved 7A as “Lan”. Actually, it’s a good solve of the clue (and one I hadn’t thought of), as it’s inside “garland”, and can be argued to be a circle. Unfortunately, that makes another clue end up incorrect. Mikey did work it out though.

I’m working on my next one. The grid’s completed, but only a couple of clues are written so far. I might release it this week.

[Edit: In-browser solvable version is now at the bottom of this post.]

Well, I might not be getting much feedback, but at least I’m still enjoying setting crosswords. I also started following a few more setters and crossword bloggers on twitter. Hmmm, there’s a hell of a lot of crossword talk out there. I’m not sure how interested I am in reading it though. I suppose I’ll get sucked in, and I’d better be ready to admit that I’ve still got a lot to learn.

Meanwhile, here’s another one with a £5 bounty for charity. As I type, the prize is currently still available, so go get it, follow and retweet. Then solve it!

THREAD! If this #crossword get 5RTs+, I’ll donate £5 to a charity chosen by the sender of the first correct solution by DM. You can only… pic.twitter.com/Ag3PbIZbf3

— The Void ザ・ヴォイド (@TheVoidTLMB) November 30, 2018

Solution one week after the 5th RT happens.

Right, that’s this blog up to date. Give me a shout on twitter if any of this is of any interest.
Cheers!