To 2191: Bunk
Ambrose Bierce defined history as an account, mostly false, of events, mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers, mostly…
2190: Petra
‘1D/19’ (six words in total) is a work by 18/13. Remaining unclued lights form two pairs suggested by 13. …
To 2187: River and islands
The theme word is PHOENIX (38A). 6A, 12A and 26A are legendary birds; 15A, 28A and 4D are state capitals;…
2184: Airline
Nine unclued lights each contain a different 20 from the same source. The title suggests a further such 20. Elsewhere,…
To 2181: Obit II
The END (19) of Rameau, a great COMPOSER (1A) of OPERAS (6) and for the CLAVECIN (1D), occurred in PARIS…
2181: Obit II
The 19 of a great 1A of 6 and for the 1D occurred in 37 25 years ago this month.…
To 2178: Saint and playwright
In Vanity Fair (18/2), George Osborne is associated with 6/30 and 10/31. As Chancellor, he was preceded by 8, 26…
2175: Elated grunt
Across unclued lights combine with down ones to form anagrams of the titles (one of two words) of four works…
Solution to 2172: Para
Gerry Goffin, popular LYRICIST (40), died on 19 June 2014. He wrote the perimetric songs IT MIGHT AS WELL RAIN…
2172: Para
In June we lost a popular 40. Clockwise round the grid from 3 run the titles of two of his…
to 2169: Land
The grid represents Germany, with six bordering countries round the edge, and four cities in the interior, positioned roughly appropriately…
2166: Somewhere X
Somewhere next to 34 and 12, 33 is 25, the highest mountain is 1D (two words), and the principal 3…
to 2163: Muscle
The LITERAL QUINTET (13/22) was TERSE (37). 7A suggests ‘reest’, 40 steer, 5 stere, 6 ester, 19 trees and 26…
2163: Muscle
Six unclued lights (one hyphened) suggest words each differently formed from the same 13 22, which appears as a clued…
to 2160: 18 down
The unclued lights are all CHARACTERS (18D) in Plato’s dialogues, all but SOCRATES (1A) appearing in titles. In six cells,…
2157: Song X
Round the perimeter clockwise from 1 run six lights of a kind (7,9,10,9,9,8): if the grid were a 13/12, they…
to 2154: Clickety click
The MUSICAL (33) BARON (29) Lloyd-Webber’s BIRTHDAY (40) was on 22nd March; he was 66 (hence the title). His works…
2154: Clickety click
This puzzle marks the 40 of a 33 29. 16A, 24 and 1D (four words) are three of his works.…
Solution to 2151: Sources
The three theme words are CHAMBERS (12A, 16A, 40A), OXFORD (colleges) (24A, 4D, 8D), and (works by Wilkie) COLLINS (9D,…
to 2148: Eighth of February
Unclued lights can each be abbreviated so that together they give the letters of FEBRUARY: FAHRENHEIT (19), EARTH (32), BASS…
2148: Eighth of February
Unclued lights (including two of two words and an accent to be ignored) can be expressed in such a way…
to 2145: Two in a row
Each pair consists of two in a ‘row’ in a variety of meanings. PURL (14) & PLAIN (25) (line of…
2145: Two in a row
Unclued lights form four thematic pairs, one of which combines to form a single word. Across 1 Working…
Christmas crossword: The winners
Christmas carols, and their anagrammed ‘new titles’: O COME ALL YE FAITHFUL IT CAME UPON THE MIDNIGHT CLEAR ONCE…
2144: Leonids
1D is the title of a work minus a word that is suggested by three further unclued lights. Other unclued…
