The crossword department’s most-viewed list has recently been offering a lovely old interview with cryptic setter Sphinx.

Sphinx is the nom de guerre of writer-performer Steve Pemberton. His debut puzzle was fictional – or, at least, it was part of the plot of The Riddle of the Sphinx, a deeply crosswordy instalment in the BBC’s anthology series Inside No 9.

Series four is on now, which surely explains the reappearance of that Q&A: solvers are keen to see whether Sphinx has brought us his second puzzle.

He has.



This time, the puzzle reflects the entire series. Actors spend a lot of time waiting around, which helps explain why they – like sportspeople – are susceptible to puzzles. Prunella Scales has talked of the “Polo-mints and Times-crossword flirtation” that brought her and Timothy West together backstage, while John Gielgud, as we have noted, was known for the ferocious speed with which he filled his grids ...

... until the day a co-star peered at his grid and asked: ‘Excuse me, John – what are Diddybums?’ Gielgud airily replied that he had no idea, ‘but it does fit awfully well’.

Sphinx has taken the logical next step: from solving to setting. The puzzle is downloadable here and the solution is here: the clues work in and of themselves, and have an extra layer for Inside No 9 viewers; solvers may also enjoy discovering a hidden piece of fauna.