I've put together this list of crossword abbreviations including explanations. I'd love to correct any errors/gaps (it'd be nice if the first explanation on the list wasn't "no idea"). 2- and 3-letter abbreviations coming at some point charliemethven.com/abbreviations

Another old Methuselah is reborn at MyCrossword mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2851 Featuring: Charlie more or less gets through drunken toast without slurring (8) Solver repeatedly excoriated Methuselah cryptic (6) as well as clues with no autobiographal component

I wrote a blog post for @mycrossword.co.uk about how setters can identify and calibrate how difficult (or otherwise) their own puzzles are: www.mycrossword.co.uk/blog/the-dif... If you’re a setter, an aspiring setter or just curious as to how these things work - give it 4 minutes of your time! 😊

ADAM AND EVE (Anagrammed Lines) Adam and Eve in God's garden: So ragged and damned naïve. Gave a song, minded an adder, and envisaged Armageddon. (Dogma and sin ravaged Eden and God — and gave Man desire.)

I'd told myself I wouldn't flog the(un)dead horse of my 2021 Halloween cryptic this year, but The i Paper have only gone and reprinted it. But will it be a 24 or a 24?

Back to my old tricks in the Indy puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti... 🤖 Chatbot plugged by social media site exposed home truth (5) 🧲 Villages beginning to hoard lucky charms, but not horseshoe (7) 👨‍🌾 Half-cut gardener wearing his wife’s skirt (5) 🤢 Quite sour converts like Reform rosettes (9)

Here's a new Mini crossword from me mycrossword.co.uk/mini/159 Featuring: See very last supporter behaving thus? (7) Crosswording authority sadly nixes me (7) Hue and cry? (6)

be nice please www.mycrossword.co.uk/mini/157

After a two month hiatus, a new PM is out on my crossword.co.uk. Samples: Slower on road, son went behind papa (5,4) One such as Dracula inspiring conclusion of classic tale (7) African sign of disapproval is to turn around (5) www.mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2803

Someone in today's Minute Cryptic comments is saying Ximenean rules say "you cannot apply the wordplay rules [to] the output of another wordplay indicator"*. I haven't read Xim cover to cover but surely that can't be right?! (*In this case reversing a word after ditching its odd-numbered letters)

Belatedly realised I had the perfect backdrop for my @unchcrosswords.com arrival pic and failed to use it

do you think the nyt puzzles people saw the only connect wall about them

I can't be in York today but have sent a clue via the Platypus hivemind. Hope it's a good weekend. mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2788

@wyrd.systems Film crossword setter getting crossword magazine answer in Holland? (6,9)

Do any crossworders know where you might see any of the following represented by their first initial in the wild? 🤔(I'm guessing amateur and athletic might be sports things) advance, amateur, athletic, date, dead, degree, Germany, house, Japanese, prince, query, zero, zone

I know I posted this on Twitter ages ago, but I came across it again last night and thought some may not have seen it yet. (From the Not the Nine O'Clock News spin-off book, 1980.)

Obligatory pet picture with my copy of "Some fun challenges (4)". Thanks and congrats to all at @unchcrosswords.com

Prak! https://mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2765

I've just published a mini crossword on MyCrossword for the first time, but don't worry - it's not one of those silly ones people do mycrossword.co.uk/mini/147

The Nobel Prize for Literature completes a century of snubbing cryptic crossword setters

@enigmatistelgar.bsky.social 14d has you written all over it, John mycrossword.co.uk/mini/147#14-...

I've just published a mini crossword on MyCrossword for the first time, but don't worry - it's not one of those silly ones people do mycrossword.co.uk/mini/147

It will make a nice change for there to be a Welsh woman named Charlotte in the castle #TheTraitors

Might be a good crossword if you had, say, just under half an hour to kill bsky.app/profile/did:...

I hope my faithful followers enjoy my latest cryptic, featuring: Star trio cast as double-crossers (8) Crossword setters you shouldn't have trapped in vice suffer (7) American in the way of DC hero unplugging Tesla (8) puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...

@ecclescrosswords.bsky.social cheers for the re-bleet, Andy. Sorry for nicking your slot!

I hope my faithful followers enjoy my latest cryptic, featuring: Star trio cast as double-crossers (8) Crossword setters you shouldn't have trapped in vice suffer (7) American in the way of DC hero unplugging Tesla (8) puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...

@ivanbrett.bsky.social Hi Ivan, if you're a crossword person as well as a quiz person you might enjoy my Independent cryptic today puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...

Thinking about abbreviations. Some from the top right quadrant occasionally break through as we acknowledge Chambers is often behind the times. But given no-one supports the bottom right, is there any real justification for bottom left other than "they're in the dictionary" and we're used to them?

@thevoidtlmb.social.vivaldi.net.ap.brid.gy @skirwingle.bsky.social Congratulations to you both www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

🥁🥁🥁 I set the October puzzle in the Guardian’s Genius series under my new setting name ‘Odo’ Ever since I started crosswording it’s been my ambition to get into the Guardian, it’s always been ‘my paper’. Many thanks to @alanconnor.bsky.social for the opportunity www.theguardian.com/crosswords/2...

Reposting this purely because I’m quite pleased with this puzzle and hope you get a chance to try it out ☺️

When I woke up this morning I had idea how many people would think "little bit" is in any way a dubious definition of ATOM.......

I thought we weren't going to get any Paradise Lost for a second there. The licence fee lives to fight another day #onlyconnect

Worth talking a second/late look at the amended 225 blog for yesterday’s Nimrod, if like me, you missed the extra. #cryptic #crosswords

Free to solve at puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti..., sample from today's Nimrod @the-independent.com xword: Slimmed manner, not so round? (8) @derekharrison.bsky.social @timlihoreau.bsky.social @jon-summers.bsky.social @tilsit999.bsky.social @somsram.bsky.social @knutcrosswords.bsky.social

I'm back in the Indy today, with clues like: Mouthy art student is trying, to an extent (9) Solve for free here - I hope you enjoy it! puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...

Who knew that all these US late night hosts get about as many viewers as the Kleptomaniacs seeing off the Lapsed Nudists in a tricky missing vowels round?

Midweek Mini #cryptic #crossword inspired by the question: would it be useful to tell solvers what kind of clue it is? 🤔👀😜 www.mycrossword.co.uk/mini/139 Sample clue: ACROSTIC: Hem is elastic, restricting a lady’s garment (7) [inspired by @adamleepotter.bsky.social and @liari.bsky.social]

Delighted to have compiled today's Indy puzzle. I hope you enjoy. puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...

If you enjoyed finding out BLL LSH can be written on a calculator as much as I did, you might enjoy this 2024 crossword of mine where she's clued as: Pop star I libel annoyed about fake news? Just a bit (6,6) mycrossword.co.uk/cryptic/2729 #OnlyConnect

"Films that end at airports" would of course have ended with R PL N. #OnlyConnect

The leisure centre where I play basketball has a lovely ‘Solved Connecting Wall’ motif

Sample from today's @theguardian.com Enigmatist Prize Xword (no spoilers please): He makes a hole in one tree (4) www.theguardian.com/crosswords/p... @derekharrison.bsky.social @timlihoreau.bsky.social @jon-summers.bsky.social @tilsit999.bsky.social @somsram.bsky.social @knutcrosswords.bsky.social

Is anyone able to test-solve a puzzle at some point in the next 24 hours?

So no.

Inspired by this conversation and people saying "I guess anything can be anagram indicator" every couple of days on Minute Cryptic, can anyone write an all-encompassing set of criteria for anagram indicators? 🤔

A great day to sit in front of the laptop and write one (1) crossword clue!

I'm back on my childish nonsense in today's Indy. Here's one of the more sensible clues: Take remedy to keep fit (7) puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...