Solving time – 32:39 Another Times Jumbo with no answers longer than 14 letters. As PB often says, why make a 23×23 grid if you’re not going to use the extra size? ACROSS 9 CAS(h),HEW, … Read more “Jumbo 672 – run out of long phrases?”
Month: December 2006
Times Saturday 23474 – a real stinker!
Solving time – I dread to think. Certainly over an hour, in three sessions. After a few weeks of fairly straightforward Saturday puzzles they’ve come up with an absolute stinker. For a while I was … Read more “Times Saturday 23474 – a real stinker!”
23,479 – Felicitous yet laboured?
Solving time : 4m46s – welcome relief for me after a taxing few days at the blockface. Quite a variety of feelings about the clues – two elegant &lits, some other very felicitous phrasing, but … Read more “23,479 – Felicitous yet laboured?”
23478: what about flight lieutenant?
Solving time : 13:11 I entered two words wrongly, but managed to recover them. Last word solved PERRON, of which I have never heard. Lots of fun clues today, but also a number of clues … Read more “23478: what about flight lieutenant?”
23,477 – one for old hands?
Solving time 7:15 A fairly good time for this, but there was lots of “instinctive solving” going on, with plenty of def-guessing and a few lucky spottings of probable wordplay material that helped. I got … Read more “23,477 – one for old hands?”
23,476 – Christmas gift
Solving time: 6:51 Most of this puzzle was very straightforward as the clues were packed with clichés and most definitions were transparent. However, a few difficult words slowed me down: in particular, I didn’t know … Read more “23,476 – Christmas gift”
23,475
Solving time : 1hr 24minsI initially wondered whether the clue for 27A being half-printed with the Down clues had any significance, but then I spotted 24D was incomplete. According to the online version 24D should … Read more “23,475”
Sunday Times 4202 – etaerio
Not a bad puzzle. A couple of clever wordplays. Actually I’m finding it hard to remember what I thought about this puzzle since I wrote these notes a week ago. Perhaps there’s a theme here … Read more “Sunday Times 4202 – etaerio”
Times Saturday 23468 – the Persians are coming!
Solving time 12:35 In retrospect that seems like a fairly indifferent time, as there don’t seem to be too many tricky clues, although there are a few interesting answers. I remember taking a while to … Read more “Times Saturday 23468 – the Persians are coming!”
23,473 – Ninas all round
Solving time : 17m40s – so much for no variation in solving times. I really don’t think it was because it was my office Christmas Party last night that I struggled to get to grips … Read more “23,473 – Ninas all round”