Boatman Cryptics
@boatmancryptics.co.uk
Guardian crossword setter & teacher of aspiring word-fiends. Two books of puzzles & the stories behind them: see website for signed copies or to sign up for masterclasses or to commission bespoke puzzles: boatmancryptics.co.uk
Pinned
Don't forget your holiday reading! Two books of 50 crosswords from @theguardian.com - solve the puzzles, read the stories behind them, discover how they were created and enjoy bonus extras. From wherever you buy good books, or signed copies from boatmancryptics.co.uk/crossword-bo...
Behold today’s passion fruit harvest and wonder …
September 3, 2026 at 6:23 PM
Behold today’s passion fruit harvest and wonder …
Has @theguardian.com crossword generally become harder or easier over the 90+ years of its history? There's a study out by @nomoremarking.bsky.social that offers some interesting insights. Link in my blog here:
boatmancryptics.co.uk/2026/09/01/t...
boatmancryptics.co.uk/2026/09/01/t...
The difficulty of the Guardian Crossword, 1930 to 2026
Has the Guardian crossword become generally harder or easier over the 90+ years of its history? Chris Wheadon looks for answers in this study and finds a trend that can be attributed partly to chan…
boatmancryptics.co.uk
September 1, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Has @theguardian.com crossword generally become harder or easier over the 90+ years of its history? There's a study out by @nomoremarking.bsky.social that offers some interesting insights. Link in my blog here:
boatmancryptics.co.uk/2026/09/01/t...
boatmancryptics.co.uk/2026/09/01/t...
Reposted by Boatman Cryptics
We can afford nationalisation if only politicians understood it youtu.be/iyz-qzmNkCE?... Our politicians claim we cannot afford nationalisation. They ignore two things. We only pay with bonds, not cash, and the interest would pay the interest cost if they go at the right price.
We can afford nationalisation if only politicians understood it
YouTube video by Richard J Murphy
youtu.be
August 28, 2026 at 6:11 AM
We can afford nationalisation if only politicians understood it youtu.be/iyz-qzmNkCE?... Our politicians claim we cannot afford nationalisation. They ignore two things. We only pay with bonds, not cash, and the interest would pay the interest cost if they go at the right price.
… and if you want to know what that betokens, you’ll have to buy the book!
August 26, 2026 at 9:23 AM
… and if you want to know what that betokens, you’ll have to buy the book!
Brava to masterclass graduate @heroncrosswords.bsky.social, who takes a well-earned place in @theguardian.com daily puzzle today!
August 25, 2026 at 6:38 AM
Brava to masterclass graduate @heroncrosswords.bsky.social, who takes a well-earned place in @theguardian.com daily puzzle today!
Advance warning: in @theguardian.com #crossword on Tuesday 22 September. Let's play!
August 20, 2026 at 11:22 AM
Advance warning: in @theguardian.com #crossword on Tuesday 22 September. Let's play!
Pinhole fun in Sussex …
August 12, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Pinhole fun in Sussex …
This is probably the most Irish* thing that you will see this month. Unless you live in Ireland, of course, in which case this is the most Irish thing that you will see for the next 30 minutes.
* As a person married to a person who is herself Irish, this is entirely a compliment
* As a person married to a person who is herself Irish, this is entirely a compliment
Good morning, there's a new Bobby Fingers www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGt7...
Johnny Depp's Bed
YouTube video by Bobby Fingers
www.youtube.com
August 5, 2026 at 6:54 AM
This is probably the most Irish* thing that you will see this month. Unless you live in Ireland, of course, in which case this is the most Irish thing that you will see for the next 30 minutes.
* As a person married to a person who is herself Irish, this is entirely a compliment
* As a person married to a person who is herself Irish, this is entirely a compliment
We visited #ArundelCastle today (highly recommended and run by a trust, which may matter to you if you're concerned about giving money to the aristocracy) and Mrs B decided to play Sharon from Bootle all day. Much fun was had when one of the castle guides turned out to be from Liverpool herself.
July 28, 2026 at 9:55 PM
We visited #ArundelCastle today (highly recommended and run by a trust, which may matter to you if you're concerned about giving money to the aristocracy) and Mrs B decided to play Sharon from Bootle all day. Much fun was had when one of the castle guides turned out to be from Liverpool herself.
I can't tell you how excited I am to be setting up an old laptop with a copy of Office 2021 so that I can continue to access 10 years of work and hundreds of files when @microsoft.com decides to kill MSPublisher for Office 365 users later this year!
July 24, 2026 at 5:35 PM
I can't tell you how excited I am to be setting up an old laptop with a copy of Office 2021 so that I can continue to access 10 years of work and hundreds of files when @microsoft.com decides to kill MSPublisher for Office 365 users later this year!
Places on my autumn online masterclass for aspiring setters and advanced solvers are starting to fill up, so this is a good time to make sure of your place ... Release your inner fiendishness over two afternoons on Saturday 7 and 14 November: boatmancryptics.co.uk/crossword-ma...
July 20, 2026 at 12:18 PM
Places on my autumn online masterclass for aspiring setters and advanced solvers are starting to fill up, so this is a good time to make sure of your place ... Release your inner fiendishness over two afternoons on Saturday 7 and 14 November: boatmancryptics.co.uk/crossword-ma...
What Radio 4 flippancy are we indulging in tonight?
July 15, 2026 at 5:04 PM
What Radio 4 flippancy are we indulging in tonight?
Getting ready for our set at the Love Supreme Festival …
July 5, 2026 at 12:33 PM
Getting ready for our set at the Love Supreme Festival …
Reposted by Boatman Cryptics
I'm so proud of Yassin. He made Bristol and Britain his home.
He has contributed so much as a Green Party Cllr to his city and to the community in Lawrence Hill.
Solidarity in the face of this Reform fuelled racist hate.
Hope always wins!
He has contributed so much as a Green Party Cllr to his city and to the community in Lawrence Hill.
Solidarity in the face of this Reform fuelled racist hate.
Hope always wins!
July 1, 2026 at 8:23 PM
I'm so proud of Yassin. He made Bristol and Britain his home.
He has contributed so much as a Green Party Cllr to his city and to the community in Lawrence Hill.
Solidarity in the face of this Reform fuelled racist hate.
Hope always wins!
He has contributed so much as a Green Party Cllr to his city and to the community in Lawrence Hill.
Solidarity in the face of this Reform fuelled racist hate.
Hope always wins!
Don't forget your holiday reading! Two books of 50 crosswords from @theguardian.com - solve the puzzles, read the stories behind them, discover how they were created and enjoy bonus extras. From wherever you buy good books, or signed copies from boatmancryptics.co.uk/crossword-bo...
July 1, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Don't forget your holiday reading! Two books of 50 crosswords from @theguardian.com - solve the puzzles, read the stories behind them, discover how they were created and enjoy bonus extras. From wherever you buy good books, or signed copies from boatmancryptics.co.uk/crossword-bo...
The last crossword championship organised by Extra-C in London was excellent and succeeded in making a spectator sport out of crossword solving!
Now in a North American version and highly recommended, even if you have no realistic hope of winning the decent cash prizes on offer …
Now in a North American version and highly recommended, even if you have no realistic hope of winning the decent cash prizes on offer …
It's the first #WorldCup match to be played in #Canada! 🇨🇦 (I'm in #Toronto, but not at Toronto Stadium)
And there's another major competition coming to North America soon: the US & Canada Cryptic Crossword Championships! (see details below)
Go Canada! Go Cryptic!
#WorldCup2026 #USCanadaCrypticCC
And there's another major competition coming to North America soon: the US & Canada Cryptic Crossword Championships! (see details below)
Go Canada! Go Cryptic!
#WorldCup2026 #USCanadaCrypticCC
June 13, 2026 at 10:43 AM
The last crossword championship organised by Extra-C in London was excellent and succeeded in making a spectator sport out of crossword solving!
Now in a North American version and highly recommended, even if you have no realistic hope of winning the decent cash prizes on offer …
Now in a North American version and highly recommended, even if you have no realistic hope of winning the decent cash prizes on offer …
Karol’s clue deserves wider appreciation …
May 21, 2026 at 7:24 AM
Karol’s clue deserves wider appreciation …
Starmer’s ratings are heading south …
May 13, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Starmer’s ratings are heading south …
Reposted by Boatman Cryptics
Here’s a poem called ‘Life of a Naturalist’.
May 8, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Here’s a poem called ‘Life of a Naturalist’.
The PNG Courier on bungs, banquets and bunglers …
EXCLUSIVE - The Papua New Guinea Courier's view on today's Welsh, Scottish and local elections.
More in my Substack:
open.substack.com/pub/mrhenrym...
More in my Substack:
open.substack.com/pub/mrhenrym...
May 7, 2026 at 8:30 PM
The PNG Courier on bungs, banquets and bunglers …
Worth it for the exquisite redshirt reference alone …
I set today’s Guardian prize crossword:
www.theguardian.com/crosswords/p...
Clues include:
Uhura discovered characters bringing up the rear in red will die in difficulty (6)
Unknown joining Disney to make music (5)
Small PC close to price range (5)
No spoilers, ta!
www.theguardian.com/crosswords/p...
Clues include:
Uhura discovered characters bringing up the rear in red will die in difficulty (6)
Unknown joining Disney to make music (5)
Small PC close to price range (5)
No spoilers, ta!
May 2, 2026 at 7:45 AM
Worth it for the exquisite redshirt reference alone …
Reposted by Boatman Cryptics
"We accidentally made an animated graphic for Reform and then did a party political broadcast for them by mistake."
April 20, 2026 at 8:37 PM
"We accidentally made an animated graphic for Reform and then did a party political broadcast for them by mistake."
Bravo to former masterclass student @catnipxword.bsky.social, who makes a well-deserved debut in @the-independent.com today ...
I'm delighted to be making my debut in the Independent today as Nepeta. Sample clues:
Raunchy trio stripped naked (6)
Almost complete abstainer from pork eating English breakfast (6)
Side roads backed up after abattoir evacuated (7)
puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...
Raunchy trio stripped naked (6)
Almost complete abstainer from pork eating English breakfast (6)
Side roads backed up after abattoir evacuated (7)
puzzles.independent.co.uk/games/crypti...
The Independent's Cryptic Crossword | Play Online for Free | Independent
Play The Independent's Cryptic Crossword instantly online. The Independent's Cryptic Crossword is a fun and engaging Online game from The Independent. Play it and other games from The Independent.
puzzles.independent.co.uk
April 13, 2026 at 8:17 AM
Bravo to former masterclass student @catnipxword.bsky.social, who makes a well-deserved debut in @the-independent.com today ...
It’s been a good year so far for Scrabble GO …
April 8, 2026 at 2:35 PM
It’s been a good year so far for Scrabble GO …