Solving time: 10:15 Not one for the purists this week but nothing too outrageous. I think there might be a misprint in 16dn but it may just be a meaning of the word (PORTFOLIO) with … Read more “ST 4330 (Sun 24 May) – Case study”
Month: May 2009
Mephisto 2543 – Tim Moorey
I found this the most challenging of the Mephistos of the last month or two – and it was all in the wordplay, there are some seldom-seen letter indicators and anagrindicators. I talked myself into … Read more “Mephisto 2543 – Tim Moorey”
Times Jumbo 815 (May 16)
Solving time 33:15, so a fairly straightforward Jumbo as I wasn’t really rushing. I can see from the Tippex on my solution that I originally started 13A off with BET YOUR… (really should know better … Read more “Times Jumbo 815 (May 16)”
Saturday Times 24233 (May 23rd)
12:33, so not too difficult, but a good puzzle nevertheless. I had one minor quibble with 9A, otherwise sound surface readings throughout and a few very good clues. Across 1 MISFIELD – M.I.’S FIELD, where … Read more “Saturday Times 24233 (May 23rd)”
2009 Championship Qualifier No.3
Solving time: About another 10% added to the time for No. 2, which took me about 25% longer than No.1. Others found 2 easier than 1 and just might have found this even easier. Four … Read more “2009 Championship Qualifier No.3”
Times Crossword 24238
Solving time: 14.30 A medium difficulty puzzle, for me at any rate. I got off to a racing start when 1a went in at a glance – always encouraging – but this soon slowed to … Read more “Times Crossword 24238”
Times 24,237
Solving time: 9:46 I had never heard of ROCHET at 12A, and was close to guessing POCHET, on the basis that “going to POT” is somehow related to “decline”. Other words that I knew but … Read more “Times 24,237”
Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword Book 9 – Puzzle Index
For the first time, a published book of Times crosswords includes puzzles we’ve blogged at Times for the Times. Times crossword editor Richard Browne has kindly told me how the puzzles in this book correspond … Read more “Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword Book 9 – Puzzle Index”
24236
Solving time: 8:17 A bit harder than yesterday, with some fairly intricate wordplays. For me it used a few too many “before your very eyes” methods – we have two whole answers which are ‘first … Read more “24236”
Times 24,235
An undemanding 12 minutes in this household; greatest pause for thought given by two words where I wasn’t entirely sure of all the possible meanings but deduced it was plausible that the secondary ones existed … Read more “Times 24,235”