Solving time: 5:30 The solving time includes some despairing head-shaking at the clearly flawed 2dn (where ABELIA is apparently an anagram of ‘I label’), plus further bemusement at 25ac which I also don’t understand so … Read more “ST 4390 (Sun 18 Jul) – Abelia bloomer”
Month: July 2010
Mephisto 2603: Tim Moorey
The first piece of difficulty came when I woke up last Sunday, went to download the Mephisto and the crossword club was down, denying me both the Sunday Times and the Mephisto. So I couldn’t … Read more “Mephisto 2603: Tim Moorey”
Saturday Times 24592 (July 17th)
Solving time 12:38, one mistake. With the electricity out last weekend I had to go and buy the paper, but didn’t get round to solving it until the Sunday afternoon. Not being much of a … Read more “Saturday Times 24592 (July 17th)”
TLS 839 – close but no cigar
I came very close to solving this completely on the train without any help from books or Internet, but fell just 5 short. I fell foul of the almost weekly enumeration error at 8D, which … Read more “TLS 839 – close but no cigar”
Times Crossword 24597
Solving time: 20.20. With quite a few answers going in at a glance (4A, 11A, 8D, 13A, 15A, 16A, 20A, 22D, 10A) I seemed to be off to a reasonable start, with bits and pieces … Read more “Times Crossword 24597”
Jumbo 879 – 10 July 2010
I found this one a real toughie and limped in at around 53 minutes. There was some really good stuff but overall I found it a little lacking in something or other. There was my usual … Read more “Jumbo 879 – 10 July 2010”
Times 24596 – GBS’s Female Officer
A very solvable set of clues employing many varied devices. Not too challenging but entertaining and scrupulously fair. ACROSS1 JUST THE JOB Cha of JUST (fair-minded) THE (definite article) JOB (calling)7 FACE dd9 CHAPLAIN Ins … Read more “Times 24596 – GBS’s Female Officer”
Times 24595
Solving time: 14:30 A nicely chewy puzzle which taught me a new word at 13. The grid is only a Q short of a pangram – not a good puzzle for imagining Q’s in unchecked … Read more “Times 24595”
Times 24,594 – sending the keeper the wrong way
I went to check my time and found I hadn’t started the watch, but I’d guess average time +20%, as I made a quick start to this, but found there was more deception than I’d … Read more “Times 24,594 – sending the keeper the wrong way”
Saturday Times 24586 (July 10th) – better late than never!
Sorry this is late, but I had major problems at the weekend, not least of which were a leaky immersion heater and a resultant power outage. The plumber couldn’t fix the leak on Saturday and … Read more “Saturday Times 24586 (July 10th) – better late than never!”