Cryptic crossword solvers in the UK have a variety of sources for their daily, weekly or monthly entertainment. Most solvers are familiar with the daily tussle with the Guardian, Telegraph or Independent crossword and the keener solvers attempt the Observer’s Azed puzzle on Sunday, with its regular clue-writing competition. Harper’s magazine provides a similar crossword for US solvers.

Very amusing smutty clues appear in Private Eye’s fortnightly crossword (though the smut is all in the mind – the solutions are above board!)

The Listener crossword, which is published by the Times on Saturdays is the ultimate aim of many solvers. It almost invariably has loops for the solver to leap through in order to reach a totally satisfactory conclusion. It is available on-line through a subscription site which provides a variety of crossword puzzles: www.timesonline.co.uk/crossword

However, for those of us who live overseas, who have little access to English language newspapers, three useful magazines exist. The one with the easiest crosswords is 1 Across (write to Christine Jones, The Old Chapel, Middleton Tyas, Richmond, North Yorks, DL10 6QX) This was founded by the legendary Araucaria and contains two of his puzzles each month as well as puzzles by a variety of other setters like Mr Magoo, the current winner of the Times Crossword competition. (He can solve a puzzle in the time it takes an ordinary mortal to write the answers!)

More difficult cryptics and clue-writing competitions appear in the Crossword Club magazine which is published monthly (Coombe Farm, Awbridge, Romsey, Hants, SO51 0HF) and crosswords ranging from about the difficulty of those of the national dailies, to some even harder than those of the Listener, there is The Magpie. The D and E category puzzles can seem totally impenetrable to the less experienced solver – but what a challenge!

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