Solving time 22:04 Solved three-quarters of the puzzle fairly quickly but got completely stuck in the top right-hand corner with only 10ac entered. It took me over 10 minutes to get the rest in that … Read more “Times Saturday 23515 – tough NE corner”
Month: February 2007
Jumbo #681/27 Jan – Fluky
Solving time: 16:38, one idiotic mistake This was probably the easiest Jumbo for some time (though I have missed a few recently); I raced through most of it before being held up by a few … Read more “Jumbo #681/27 Jan – Fluky”
23,520 – Italia! oh Italia!
Solving time : 7m58s – Not a great time, given clues that are generally lucid and give one a fair chance – but a couple of the answers require serious knowledge, or good crosswording assumptions…I … Read more “23,520 – Italia! oh Italia!”
23519 – defeated by bovine spongiform encephalitis
Solving time : 13:10 with one mistake I don’t know why I was happy with ASSAIL for 11A. I assumed I would discover that SSA was a disease (like SARS and MRSA). But the definition … Read more “23519 – defeated by bovine spongiform encephalitis”
Mephisto 2422 – fairly tough
Solving time: 50 mins without Chambers, followed by one look-up (7D). Maybe I wasn’t in quite the right mood, but this seemed like one of those times when the setter’s odyssey through the further reaches … Read more “Mephisto 2422 – fairly tough”
23,518 – tip-top trap for the over-hasty!
Solving time 9:25 The last two minutes or so were spent making sure of the answer for 11. A nice mixture of material, and some very smooth clue-writing. I see with some relief that the … Read more “23,518 – tip-top trap for the over-hasty!”
23517/Cheeky revolutionary
Solving time: 1:20 (hours not minutes) After a diet of Sunday Times, there’s no doubt that the Times is both more rigorous and more challenging. Lots to commend this puzzle – but I wonder if … Read more “23517/Cheeky revolutionary”
23,516 – a moment of cheeky brilliance
Solving time : 46 minutesI made a quick start on the SE corner and then pretty steady progress. they were quite a few straightforward clues to make this accessible to beginners. There were a couple … Read more “23,516 – a moment of cheeky brilliance”
Sunday Times 4209 – Had a ball rumbaing
It feels like the quality of Sunday puzzles has improved: this one was both harder than the run of the mill, and almost all the clues were solid. RUMBAING is a new word for me … Read more “Sunday Times 4209 – Had a ball rumbaing”
Times Saturday 23509
Solving time 12:37 Not too tricky for a Saturday, the anagram at 7dn was the only entry I wasn’t 100% sure of when I put it in. Should have been quicker really, but I’m always … Read more “Times Saturday 23509”