I really enjoyed solving this one at the time and found it difficult to really get going. It took around 42 minutes in all which, even allowing for my final 5 minutes spent on 28d … Read more “Jumbo 889 – 18 September 2010”
Month: September 2010
Times 24656 – Fair to Middling
A fair-to-middling kind of puzzle today which should not trouble regulars. ACROSS1 JOUNCE J (first letter of Jellicle) OUNCE (cat)4 CRIBBAGE Ins of RIB (josh) & B (first letter of Billings) in CAGE (prison)10 SUDORIFIC … Read more “Times 24656 – Fair to Middling”
24655 – a cliché is born?
Solving time: 10:48 A curious mixture this one – a bit old-school in having five double definitions, which some may say is too many – I didn’t mind, as only one of them had a … Read more “24655 – a cliché is born?”
Times 24,654
Solid, mostly straightforward, solve, which was nothing like as testing or (with all due respect to today’s setter) entertaining as yesterday’s offering; though as I try not to damn with faint praise on such occasions, … Read more “Times 24,654”
Times 24653 – Between a rock and a Harrods place
Solving Time: DNF A difficult puzzle for me on a Monday. It all became too much after an hour; wines, parts of London, French authors, the Just So Stories… this particular blogger’s bêtes noires. Our … Read more “Times 24653 – Between a rock and a Harrods place”
ST 4399 (Sun 19 Sep) – Francly, Mr Shankly
Solving time: 7:41 This was a forced late-night solve and the result was what felt a poor time for a not particularly difficult puzzle. This was mostly accurate and there were some very good clues … Read more “ST 4399 (Sun 19 Sep) – Francly, Mr Shankly”
Mephisto 2612 by Tim Moorey
Another well crafted puzzle of middling difficulty. My only query is at 25D UNETH where I suspect an indirect anagram of “the” has been used. On the subject of Ximenean rules we can’t let today … Read more “Mephisto 2612 by Tim Moorey”
TLS 846 (3 September)
Solving time: 21:16 (1 wrong) I’d no idea about CHLOE, never having either seen or read Back to Methuselah. Apart from that, this was mostly plain sailing, with the unknown answers readily guessable, though I … Read more “TLS 846 (3 September)”
Saturday Times 24646 (September 18th)
Solving time 29:09, and I felt pleased to get under the half hour. Is it just me, or was this a bit of a stinker? There was no unfamiliar vocabulary for me, but a lot … Read more “Saturday Times 24646 (September 18th)”
TIMES 24651 – Not quite so easy
Another slow solve for me today at a little under an hour though I spent longer working out the wordplay as I went along than I would on a non-blogging day. Once again I don’t … Read more “TIMES 24651 – Not quite so easy”