Which paper has the hardest Crossword?

[AB Editor]

It may vary week to week or day to day, but which paper has the hardest crossword featured regularly.

 

This poll is closed.

Answers:

• The Times - 63 votes
• 37%
• The Guardian - 30 votes
• 18%
• The Daily Telegraph - 25 votes
• 15%
• The Sunday Times - 19 votes
• 11%
• Mail on Sunday - 10 votes
• 6%
• The Sunday Telegraph - 9 votes
• 5%
• The Observer - 4 votes
• 2%
• The Daily Express - 4 votes
• 2%
• The Financial Times - 3 votes
• 2%
• The Independent - 2 votes
• 1%
• Daily Mail - 1 vote
• 1%
• The Independent on Sunday - 0 vote
• 0%

See final stats

Stats until: 16:49 Thu 26th Dec 2024 (Refreshed every 5 minutes)

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[Mampara]

The Independent with it's daily crossword and the Inquisitor & Beezlebub puzzles at the weekend

[Wideernie]

IMO The Times is most difficult followed closely by Independent/Telegraph toughie.

[novalis]

Difficult to answer if you don't see them all. I would suggest Saturday's Times because of The Listener crossword followed by The Sunday Telegraph because of the Enigmatic Variations crossword.

[gen2]

Ed, Are we just talking about cryptic crosswods here? or General Knowledge / Factual ones as well? They can sometimes be extremely difficult.

With cryptic ones, at least you have a chance to work out the answer. With factual ones, you either know them or you don't - I find no fun in simply having to Google all the answers.

As to which is the hardest: How can I say? I only take one daily paper so do not sample the competition.

I therefore decline to vote.

[AB Editor]

Afternoon/Evening all,

I respect your choices and those who decline to vote on the grounds of paper bias. We're mainly testing out the polls system.

I personally consider cryptic to be the "pure" crossword form, but , again, this is personal bias!

All the best,

Spare Ed

[kayakamina]

If we are talking about the standard grid crossword then I would plump for the Guardian.

For the specialist barred-grid puzzles that must be the Times (Listener) or Sunday Telegraph's EV.

[JoolsTwo]

May I wish all at AB Towers a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS. Jools xx

[Handbaglady]

Daily Mail cryptic can sometimes be very obscure

[teacher1]

The Sunday Express Skeleton ........ sometimes it's just ridiculous !

[kalahari12]

The Telegraph Toughie requires a bit more effort.

[lslowry]

AB ed, can you tell me what sticky means at the end of the question?

[Dustybun]

sticky! where? I haven't got sticky! :0)

[albaqwerty]

I'm voting for the MOS as it seems to be confusing a certain poster who can't post properly and it is starting to really annoy me now

[Jumbuck]

How odd - the Daily Mail is considered least hard and the Mail On Sunday is also near the bottom and yet those 2 papers seem to provide most questions requiring solutions. Must say something about Mail readers (I only get the Times).

[magicmerlin]

Financial Times cos it's pink and hard first thing in the morning.

[sincnoel]

The Financial Times, beyond a doubt. The Times comes second.

[magistra]

Does "Sunday Times" mean the ordinary crossword, or Mephisto? I would have said that Mephisto is much harder than The (weekday) Times crossword

[JRB]

I have looked at the Enigma puzzle in the Sunday Telegraph but cannot get my head round at all.

[Tallulah!]

It doesn't really matter now difficult the compiler believes the puzzle to be because the ABers who simply want to complete the grid, post it and win will find all the answers here without trying.
Just look at RT Christmas Xword which is great fun to solve. Requests for answers 7 days before the selling date in the small shops.
Awhile back the Listener chap tried to stop people spoiling the fun by 'ch++t+ng' but they're all back with the usual 'brain dead' last one' 'googled for ages' 'running out of time' as though posting a puzzle is the most urgent thing in their lives!
No collections until December 29th and no deliveries on December 31st so no point bothering unless you hand deliver!
Happy Christmas Everyone.