Solving time : a straightforward and enjoyable 20 minutes, including a quick Google where wordplay made an answer obvious, but the actual knowledge which explained it was outside my ornithological experience… Across 1 SANDPIPER – … Read more “Times 23,936 – Occasionally knotty”
Month: June 2008
ST 4279 (Sun 1 Jun) – A load of rubbish?
Solving time: lost, but about 7:30 rings a bell. No, actually – not a bad puzzle this week I thought, by Sunday Times standards. A few of the many cryptic definitions were a bit weak, … Read more “ST 4279 (Sun 1 Jun) – A load of rubbish?”
Bank Holiday Jumbo 759 – 26 May 08
Remember the last Bank Holiday Monday? Oh how we laughed as we tried to put down our tent in howling winds. Some pretty obscure stuff in here I thought, but I don’t really mind this … Read more “Bank Holiday Jumbo 759 – 26 May 08”
Times Saturday 23928 (31 May)
Solving time 8:46 – very easy for a Saturday, although the tricky wordplay for 1A took much longer for me to understand than the whole puzzle did to solve! Across 1 LA(CON)IC – took me … Read more “Times Saturday 23928 (31 May)”
New Chambers
If anyone’s considering a purchase of Chambers Dictionary for barred-grid puzzles, you might like to know that the 11th edition is due to be published on 22 August. Unlike the 2006 edition which matched the … Read more “New Chambers”
Times 23933 – Another Phew!
This took me about 45 minutes. I found the left side quite easy but became bogged down on the right with rather too many answers arrived at from one part of the clue without understanding … Read more “Times 23933 – Another Phew!”
Times 23932 – Phwoar indeed!
I didn’t time myself on this one, I think if I solved it under usual conditions, it would be a 20-25 minuter. Clues were good, some nice wordplay, I solved this one in front of … Read more “Times 23932 – Phwoar indeed!”
Free book in Sunday Independent (UK)
Apparently this Sunday’s edition (8th June) will include a shortened version of Don Manley’s “Chambers Crossword Manual”. For UK solvers who don’t yet have a “how to solve cryptics” book and think it might help, … Read more “Free book in Sunday Independent (UK)”
23931 – Gateway and cocker shocker
Solving time 9:43, two mistakes I got to the end of this with 21D left to solve. ?O?K?R for “Fishing boat, one that heels”. I inked in an E to make ?O?KER and then, lacking … Read more “23931 – Gateway and cocker shocker”
Times 23,930 Your Diligence Awaits
Solving time : 35 minutes I couldn’t access the Times on-line this morning so had to go rushing off to Tesco to get the paper. A truely extraordinary website. This is a fun puzzle, not … Read more “Times 23,930 Your Diligence Awaits”