Latest News, Blog and Editorial

Lazy Susan

A Lazy Susan is a revolving tray in the middle of the dining table for easy access to condiments and shared dishes.

What a strange name for this turntable that became fashionable in the early 20th century.

If your name is Susan, I am sure you are not lazy, but you are probably interested in the [more…]

As dead as a doornail

English abounds with similes in the form of  ‘as x as a y’ but where did this one come from?

The answer is not clear, but the expression has been around since before Shakespeare (and the good Bard used it in Henry IV).

Quite possibly ‘as dead as a doornail’ has survived down the centuries because it [more…]

Stumped by Baffler but love the cover!

“The quality of CRYPTICS is not simple – it dropeth down with great exasperation” CONGRATULATIONS to the graphic artist who produced this great Shakespearean cover.

My 96 year old fellow puzzler, George Howe, and my lifelong friend, Madge Sinclair have both expressed their congratulations. We are all Shakespearean Devotees. We were all stumped by the [more…]

Can stop stretching out Starhunts

Thank you so much for your generosity in increasing the number of your magazines. In the past, especially with the Starhunts, I limit the number of puzzles that I do each day so that I won’t run out before the next one arrives! Thank you again, Christine. Congratulations to you on what you do [more…]

Penny makes puzzling possible

A very big thank you for my win of the first prize of $500 for April’s BIGCash. Actually, this is the second time I have won this prize!

I am an 87 year old Chinese Singaporean and an avid doer of your crosswords for the past 15 years. This has been made possible through the [more…]

Wishful thinking – April BIG contests

 If you are feeling ‘Nostalgic’ (Demon 3dn) you are feeling WISTFUL. Nostalgia comes from two Greek words meaning ‘returning home’ and ‘pain’ to signify the pain a person feels when he/she wishes they were home. WISHFUL is not quite the same; wistful is wishful plus yearning or longing.
Our Demon looks just a little stout [more…]

Life goes on

I’ve submitted my first DIY entry for a long time. Since Black Saturday I have been unable to send in my efforts as I found my clues were all dark, dreary and sad, and it was obvious that living so close to the devastating fires had negatively affected my thought process. So I am [more…]

Laurel’s favourite books

You ask in BIG Magazine what are my favourite books? I love anything by Jeffrey Archer and have just finished ‘Paths of Glory’, a fictional? biography of George Mallory based on letters written to his wife Ruth. After reading it the reader is left with the question, “Who was the  first man to conquer [more…]

CALkuro Video Tutorial

Video tutorial on how to solve a Lovatts Calkuro.