Skip to main content

About



If you're a fan of puzzles, this is the place for you. Cryptic crosswords, regular non-insane crosswords, word searches, cryptograms, heck, even jigsaws ... they're all here.

I've been a puzzle writer for several decades now, and have been more serious about it since 2002, when my first puzzle book was published.

On this blog I talk about puzzles in the news (it happens — occasionally), reveal tips on how to solve them, dissect cryptics, and talk about anything puzzle-related I can get my hands on. I sometimes run competitions, and post cryptic clues and other puzzles for you to solve.

Another hat I wear, of several, is that of book indexer. Yeah, someone has to write those indexes at the back of books, and the best ones (usually) aren't written by the author, but by a professional indexer. So sometimes I lift the lid on the mysterious work of book indexing, and reveal some of the fascinating possibly slightly interesting things about this topic. And if you're an author whose book needs an index, you will find some useful info here too.

Popular posts

These posts are a good place to start, if you're new here:


25 things about me

  • I had a pet rat called Sarah when I was a kid.
  • Murder mysteries are the main fiction I read. 
  • I collect Simenon's Maigret novels.
  • I love dogs, and have two chihuahuas.
  • I hate the smell of lavender. Ugh. Stink weed.
  • I spent a lot of my first three decades living at Mt Stromlo Observatory.
  • I own quite a lot of nail polish.
  • I'm mum to two young adults, and one husband.
  • My husband is an astrophysicist.
  • We got married when we were 20 (!!!)
  • I used to play the violin and be in an orchestra.
  • I love cooking, and try new recipes every week.
  • I have hip dysplasia, and got an artificial hip when I was 46.
  • I'm not allowed to run or jump (see above). Woo!
  • I've lived in three places in the States: New Haven, Tucson, and Boulder.
  • I'm not a big fan of movies.
  • Pavlova is my favourite dessert.
  • I once wrote a whole Dummies book in 14 days. Never again!
  • My musical taste is very eclectic : from Vivaldi and Schubert to Glass and Zimmer to Nine Inch Nails, Muse and Parov Stelar.
  • I always have a knitting project or three on the go, and design my own knitting patterns.
  • My favourite drinks are tea, and freshly squeezed orange juice.
  • I don't mind public speaking, or even radio.
  • I am no good at word games with time limits, I can only think of 3 letter words like CAT and MAT. Seriously.
  • I've moved 27 times in my whole life. The longest I've lived in one house is 6 years and 4 months.
  • I have 4 mm ear piercings, I got them recently, so I can wear my son's glass jewellery.

Popular posts from this blog

American vs British crosswords

American and British crosswords. Is there a difference? The short answer is HELL YES! Now for the long answer ... There are major differences between American-style and British-style crosswords (which are seen in Commonwealth countries too).  Crosswords were started by Arthur Wynne in 1913, a British man who lived in America, so both countries claim a close connection with the development of this popular puzzle. They developed in slightly different directions in each country, which has led to the varieties we see today. American-style crosswords are almost exclusively published in America, while British-style crosswords have spread through the Commonwealth — Australia, New Zealand, Canada, South Africa, and other English-speaking nations tend to prefer this variety of the puzzle, as well as the United Kingdom, of course. A quick look at these grids will show you the most obvious difference between the two varieties : British-style Note th

Crosswords in other languages

The crossword was invented nearly exactly 100 years ago — yes, 2103 is its centenary! We all know that in that time it's spread throughout all English-speaking countries. But what about other countries? The answer is a resounding yes! In almost every country that I researched, they have crosswords. The forms are often a bit different from what we're used to — the grids are often non-symmetrical, 2-letter words are allowed, accented characters are often ignored, and sometimes the clues are written into the black squares. Here are some links to crossword sites from other countries, for your enjoyment. Afrikaans blokkieraaisel Part of a Chinese crossword Chinese   填字游戏 Danish  kryds og tværs Dutch  kruiswoordraadsel Finnish crosswords often include picture clues Finnish  Sanaristikko   French grids use a different numbering system French mots croises A German crossword German Kreuzworträtsel Greek  σταυρόλεξο   Part of a He

Lesson 2: Anagrams

One thing it's important to do with cryptic clues is to ignore the surface reading! The surface is the sense you get when reading a clue for the first time, the mental image it brings up. Apart from some very rare clue types, this is only going to lead you astray. What's vitally important to do is to read each clue, word by word, looking for the hidden meaning. Also, there are a few important things to note with the definition part of clues. Firstly — they will always be at the start or the end of the clue, but never in the middle (ie with bits of wordplay around them). Secondly — pinning down the definition is a major part of getting success in solving cryptic clues. And of course, once you've figured out which part is the definition, the remainder of the clue has to be the wordplay! ANAGRAMS So, on to the first of the cryptic devices that you'll find in every cryptic crossword: Anagrams! Anagrams are a very popular cryptic device, and e