On a Sunday evening we like to pass the Observer crossword back and forth. We also like to do them on holiday, if we can find a suitable English paper. It always seems to be easier to get the Telegraph abroad, which has the benefit of usually being a bit easier than The Guardian. But the European Guardian is found from time to time.
I used to do the Guardian everyday in the late 80's / early nineties on my way home from work. On a couple of occasions I found myself sitting next to someone else doing it. I liked the feeling of superiority as I filled in clues as the person next to me stared blankly. I also recall the sense of failure as I struggled and the guy next to me sailed blithely through. I stopped when I started biking to work
These days I'm back on public transport put now prefer to read a book. When I do look at crosswords I find I'm not as familiar with the conventions and find them a lot harder than I used to.
Occasionally I'd finish one. I inherited my interest from my mother who used to do those one's with no black squares in The Sunday Times. She even won a prize a couple of times.

getting manful

tee hee

I do them every weekend. The prize ones on Saturday in the Times and Telegraph are the easiest of the week (and I don’t really have time during the week anyway). I do them with my Mum, collaborating over the phone, swapping ones we’ve got etc. - got into the habit a couple of years ago as it’s a good way of making sure I phone on a regular basis. We usually manage to finish them. Also do them on holiday with friends we always go away with. Don’t really bother doing them on my own - it‘s more enjoyable, and of course easier, doing them with other people because you pool different areas of knowledge etc. My favourite’s the Jumbo one in the Saturday Times weekend section.

p.s. oh and if you’re stuck and want to cheat this site should see you right: but remember, you’re only cheating yourself. http://www.crosswordsolver.org/

Bastard.

Respect.

You have to persevere until you have deconstructed the compiler's tricky, wicked, twisted, devilish and devious mind-set. Then you can move on to the really sick ones. They must have scaly skin, or prickly trunks, these freaks.

I honestly think the best surprise that I've found on the web this year is that all Guardian Crosswords, including the Observer Everyman and Azed, can be dowloaded. I don't like the Telegraph grids (no long clues which can crack a whole puzzle), but The Times is good. Now that the Observer is unreadable this means I don't have to buy it for the Crossword.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crossword/
While we're here, I remember an Araucaria clue from several years back which read 'Phenomenal moralist transforms Presbyterians' Thanks to some filled in clues I cracked the anagram and discovered to my delight that Presbyterians is an anagram of Britney Spears, but I still don't understand the definition part of the clue. Anyone?

“... i,j,k,l,m,n ...” (5 letters)

I've been doing The Observer's Everyman crossword whenever I can for about a decade now. But, not until this year and persuaded by a likeminded friend who is much braver than I am, have I attempted The Times crossword. I've been sort of becoming steadily addicted throughout the year, and even virtually completing it once - with my friend, naturally - and feeling unbelievably pleased with myself when it goes well.

I'm rather fond of the Financial Times Polymath crossword on a Saturday. It improves the mind. Probably.

but I'm very hooked - for about three years now - to the Grauniad's quick crossword. And my completion rate is about 40%. Please stop sneering now...

Private Eye is a bi-monthly treat.

Cryptics are great - so much more involving than the quicks, where generally you either immediately know the answer or you don't.

My "training" in cryptic crosswords was with the Guardian (still the best) but I remember the first time I tried the legendary Times crossword and being amazed at how easy it was in comparison to the Grauniad's efforts.

Apart from that Araucaria scunner, of course.

We don't want a crossword between us.

You are only middle aged when you buy a King's Singers CD, as I did this week.

I think I only ever managed to complete one Auracaria in 20 years or so. I was more a Janus and Rufus man, me.

I was stuck on the last clue on a crossword last night. The clue was 'overloaded postman'.

How many letters you ask?

F*****G hundreds! I'll get my coat.

In The Times on a Saturday. Every week I look at the instructions and don't understand them. Then I look at the previous week's solution and don't understand that either. People do the crossword every week, though. They probably have no friends.

Fell down on my knees
I went down to the crossword
Fell down on my knees
Asked the Lord above for mercy
Save me if you please.

...It's a family tradition, usually at Christmas when we get together. Dad and I can always break it, never fully completed one on my own though.

Used to do the daily at work, it would be a rare and happy day if I completed it though

Can have a good stab at the Guardian from time to time.

(9,4)

This is great, I wasn't sure I would get such an enthusiastic response to crosswords.

I feel even more at home here now, and I'll certainly know where to come tomorrow if I get stuck on the Observer.

Rufus is da man! Comes up with one or more gems in every puzzle. When the Grauniad opened up its Xwords site for free I went though the archives and printed off every Rufus since 1999. I like to live life on the edge.

I can recommend to solvers whatever the level of proficiency - have a look at http://fifteensquared.net/ - a very good site run by erudite cruciverbalists who provide daily commentary and analysis of the Indie, Guardian/Observer, FT and Eye cryptics.