Ha! I hear he was a mean zzxjoanw player.

Similarly delighted to read the setter bios and learn that I'm not the only setter in the South-West!

I've just noticed that Chambers dictionary has no entry for "mountweazel". I feel like there's a joke to be made somewhere.

Also I'm not sure if anyone else has been experiencing an "Upstream Timeout" message on their BlueSky feeds or if it's just me.

I'm no ichthyologist, but I don't think it's right to expect salmon to meet such deadlines.

Unch is here! Unch is here! Time for nine surely excellent crosswords, plus one from that weird snake guy.

A huge thanks to @unchcrosswords.com for allowing me my first appearance in print, and more generally for their contributions to the world of cryptics.

Had this question on my WWTBAM app last night. Aside from being far too easy for a £32,000 question (as per the original money tree), something tells me the question-writers didn't proofread this one...

Trump's strategy - he's blown it up (3,3,4)

Thankyou! You're too kind!

Quick crossword No 363 · MyCrossword Solve Quick crossword No 363 on MyCrossword. 13x13 grid with 28 clues by Ouroboros. Published Wed 1 Apr 2026. Features annotated solutions. Free to solve online.

And here it is. In uploading this grid, I realised that I completely missed 12d when first setting this for Plymscene. Sorry to those janners currently staring at an unfinished puzzle - Plymscene 35 will be much better... and complete!

www.mycrossword.co.uk/quick/363

April 1st quick cryptic arriving on MyCrossword later today - originally appeared as Plymscene 34.

Yes, it is themed. No, it is not themed around April 1st... I promise!

Venetian Snares - Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett YouTube video by 1SickMusic1

I've just rediscovered orchestral breakcore, and now I'll be plumbing the depths of that rabbit hole for a month.

I've always had a soft spot for VS, but this album is something else entirely. Elgar and Bartók recomposed into 7/4 with breakbeat drumming is the match-up we didn't know we needed.

Unch Issue 3 cover. "unch" text at the top, with the subtitle "the clued up crossword magazine". The field is dark yellow and on it is a cartoon of a red hand pointing to the right and a big black arrow pointing down.

OK everyone - we have a cover sorted out and pre-sales are open!

Roll up and buy one now at unchcrosswords.com

Please do repost and share where you can, I'm really keen to get these excellent puzzles in front of as many people as possible...

Mini crossword No 235 · MyCrossword Solve Mini crossword No 235 on MyCrossword. 7x7 grid with 6 clues by Ouroboros. Published Sun 15 Mar 2026. Features annotated solutions. Free to solve online.

I did a mini thing. One clue is not very mini - I showed that one off a couple of days ago.

1d: Songbird - a very loud one wearing red (7)

2d: Street gear leads to toxic side-effects for half a country (2,5)

www.mycrossword.co.uk/mini/235

Story of false imprisonment nearly foiled my attempt to heist nuts (3,4,2,5,7)

Perfect. Just out walking the dog, should have that ready shortly 😊

You haven't... yet! Care to take a gander? And if yes, which format?

Would anyone be willing to take a look at a grid for a potential newspaper submission? I've been working on this one for a while, got some clues I'm very happy with, and the puzzle has been through one tester already.

Can provide as .puz, .pdf, .ccw, whichever format suffices.

Another excellent Guardian grid today in the form of Boatman's Prize. However, I couldn't parse 29a, and I can't make any sense of 24a.

Now to carry on with the QC, and then take another gander at a rather scary-looking Inquisitor!

Update: This is a terrifying grid layout. Six clues solved and only one entered, I've got possible answers for Region clues 1 and 4 but can't fully parse. The clues I have solved are all gold, though!

I'm still solving Wiglaf's 15x15 before venturing to the IQ page! There's been a slew of very good Inquisitors lately, which makes me nervous for my own submission 🤣

Greatly enjoying today's Guardian cryptic by Paul. Perhaps I'm geographically biased.

While I (fittingly) still have the SW corner to fill in, this stands out as a clear favourite clue:

22a: What lover of Cornwall might do, scoffing English biscuits (10)

A few weeks ago, I decided to try some speed-setting. Before I knew it, I'd made an entire 12x12 barred grid in a single evening!

It's not brilliant, but I'm sharing it with you all regardless. 1d and 4d are two-word entries.

ouroboroscryptics.github.io/12x12PlainNo...

Cryptic crossword No 3,054 · MyCrossword Solve Cryptic crossword No 3,054 on MyCrossword. 15x15 grid with 32 clues by Ouroboros. Published Thu 22 Jan 2026. Features annotated solutions and special instructions. Free to solve online.

Bearing in mind, without hydrogen it's emptiness (7)

Bullseye's Head of Finance provided Tony's clothes (5)

Size of one who yelled "Seven!" reaching that girth at last? (6)

Some sample clues from my latest 15x15, with a theme perhaps better suited to last summer.

mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3054

Just got back from band practice - this feels relevant:

Ouroboros is in spot of tendon pain after playing drums (7)

Just spent nearly an hour helping this handsome fellow out of some stuck shed. He showed his gratitude by peeing on me.

I can't be angry at that adorable, squishy face though 😍

It's a barred grid, MyC can't publish barred ones. I'm determined to get this one over the line somewhere, so I'll wait for an email back before weighing options

I only have myself to blame - a Google search with some keywords would've shown me the fifteensquared blog.

Only I could spend over a year working on a grid, rewrite the clues, remake the entire grid from scratch, rewrite the clues again, send to the editor... and then find out that the theme was already done before! How deflating.

Still, there'll always be more grids to make. Onwards and upwards!

Cryptic crossword No 3,026 · MyCrossword Solve Cryptic crossword No 3,026 on MyCrossword. 15x15 grid with 20 clues by Ouroboros. Published Mon 12 Jan 2026. Features annotated solutions and special instructions. Free to solve online.

Please stand near bust showing household gods (5,3,7)

Halos - they improve eternally? (8,7)

Seventh son discovered ruby cordial (8)

Some sample clues from my latest 15x15, with as many 15-letter entries as I could pack into one grid. My sincerest apologies.

www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/3026

A classic! I'll have to rewatch that soon.