Category: Monthly Club Special

Apols for this going out in a somewhat incomplete state earlier – I queued it up a month ago planning later improvements and of course promptly forgot about it entirely. In any case it was … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,224: Don’t Want None Unless You Got Puns, Hun”

I very much enjoyed this but there was definitely some winceworthy vocabulary to contend with in here – I suppose I shouldn’t complain as while science may not really be my bag (baby), at least … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,223: Don’t Know Much Biology”

A very tough but typically brilliant MCS puzzle, that was a wonderful stew of hard wordplay and pretty high-level knowledge both vocabularian and GK-wise. The down clues were my favourites this time around, with the … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,222: A Bit Harder Than Chopsticks!”

I thought this was a super MCS with two wonderful 15-letter highlights at 2dn and 7dn propping up the whole puzzle. 2dn in particular is almost certainly the most perfect clue I’ve seen this year … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,221: The Pillars of (Crossword) Creation”

An uncommonly gentle MCS in parts, with a run of clues towards the end that made me think that I was doing a “straight” puzzle, and quite a few others that had generous pointers in … Read more “Monthly Club Special No 20,220: Right on the Left Staircase”

The usual masterclass in clues which most mortals will have no chance whatsoever of Bunging In From Definition, needing to tease almost every one out painstakingly from the wordplay. Can JIRD and CIGUATOXIC *really* be … Read more “Monthly Club Special No 20,219: Terracottamasalata”

Cripes, there were some rude looking words in this month’s grid, such that I was afraid to look a few of them up for fear of what I might find. The usual tough and satisfying … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,218: Rogan’s Profanisaurus”

Simply a virtuoso puzzle and I’m only sorry that this proved such a busy month that I never found time to sit down and give it the many hours of sweet tortuous agony that I … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,217: The Gory Locks Zone”

Another “let’s see how many truly ridiculous words we can pack into one grid” type puzzle, with the crossing pair at 26ac and 14dn giving me particular cause to chortle. FOI 10ac (once I decided … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,216: Hoarse Beans and 20ac Bears”

ACROSS1 Palms demitasse’s held in (4)ITAS – hidden in {dem}ITAS{se} 4 Disgusted comments about shortage of tennis equipment and ancient cover for horse (10)SHABRACQUE – BAHS [disgusted comments] reversed + RACQUE{t} [“shortage of” tennis equipment] … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,215: Won Ton Soup”