Category: Monthly Club Special

Another quality MCS with some finely-turned cluing, not a word wasted anywhere. I loved the guest appearances by L. Savage and C. Hodges, the fact that there were a few “normal-strength” clues in here to … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,248: Cute Rockney, All British”

An enjoyable tour of the less well-trodden reaches of the dictionary, with some really brilliant clues: My favourite moments being “presumably gross” to clue UNNET, and my Clue of the Month 27 ac. That Laotian … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,247: Can We Solve It?”

Some great words around the edge of this one: not quite a perimetric pangram but not too far away either. I liked it all but particularly enjoyed 13dn (a brain area dear to all of … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,246: Waqford Squeers”

Another Monthly Club Special, another awesome puzzle. Not a duff or even a merely average clue in this mix but I particularly liked the “two in every seven” device (who but a genius could have … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,245: These Games You Play, They’re Gonna End In More Than Tears Someday”

As usual the best crossword of the month, whatever Horryd may think! Some gorgeous clues in here, of which I think my favourites were 13ac (certainly took me the longest to decipher) and 24ac. But … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,244: The Art of Falling Apart”

Very hard indeed, but very good indeed, and quite an education in obscure currencies from all around the globe. COD to the ingenious Italianate stylings of 4ac, but I also very much liked À LA … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,243: Strange Currencies”

I thought this was hard but most entertaining – 15ac being worth the price of admission all on its won. I also very much liked 22ac, an audacious word to try to clue at all, … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,242: Christmas Comes Early”

Another great MCS with a fine smorgasbord of unusual words clued with equally rare wit and verve. I loved the devices at 26ac, 4dn, 5dn, 16dn: these puzzles are such a great breeding ground for … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,241: As Easy As 12ac?”

A quick look at the completed grid for this one should be enough to tell you if you are going to love or hate the Monthly Club Special: some people just won’t want to painstakingly … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,240: Pooh Dreams”

Yes, to a certain extent this grid is just one of those MCS exercises in maximising the silly-letter quotient of each answer (worth fewer than 10 points in a game of Scrabble? You can just … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,239: Nuke The Scrabble Tile Factory From Orbit, It’s The Only Way To Be Sure”