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My heart fell when I saw the name of the setter of today's crossword. I hoped I would not be as disappointed as in previous offerings - I was!
Clues verging on the ridiculous in their obscurity
-Fred Dibnah,Homer Simpson please! Silliness- Poseidon's wet feet!!
If Mr McKenna is published again then , as the man once said, 'Include me out'
Good luck.

k- I'm so glad to hear you say this (as it wwere). I sent an email complaining about his xwords a week or so ago to the xword editor. I had a reply a few days ago from Paul Mckenna, saying, more or less, that most people welcomed the more difficult puzzles. I assumed that I was the only dissenting voice. I think I will reply, referring him to this page.

I have been working on this week's since about 7am, and have got most of it finisged, bar the right-hand corner. I feel I have fought a battle over nearly every clue (exaggerating only a little, you understand)

As someone who has not been doing this crossword for too long I completely concur with what you've both said. I am looking at it and it makes no sense at all to me, I am baffled. With other compilers I can normally get close to completion and have on occasions finished it, but Paul McKennas clues are obscure to say the least. If I wanted to depress myself I'd do the Listener crossword!

I am in total agreement. I thought the crossword editor attempted to ensure that the degree of difficulty across the regular compilers was fairly standard. Paul McKenna compared to Tim Moorey and Mike Laws is in a class of his own for obscurity and I too am making absolutely no sense of 2604 and cannot even get started.

I haven't even got one either, despite chewing over the clues all morning. Help!!!!

I finally got one - 4 ac! Don't think it's oing to help much though!

K & AJT

Totally agree with both of you. As with K my heart sinks when I see the McKenna name at the top of the grid.

For my part I would say some of his clues are far too obscure, some he tries to be clever - and fails and often some are not specific enough to nail the solution.

Basically I think he is a dreadful compiler, but then what do I know, I've only been doing it for more years than I care to remember when it used to appear in the glossy magazine .....

Exactly, Brian. I've been doing the Mephisto for over thirty years now. I can't remember a time in recent years when I failed to finish it - and get a lot of pleasure from it, but now, even when you've got the answer there are many times when you can't see how it fits the cryptic clue.

I agree with everyone else! Is PK only happy if no-one can solve his puzzles? I haven't finished 2604 yet, but if I do I doubt I will know why some of the answers are right!

Is there nothing we can do to get rid of PK?