Solving time: 37:06 Apologies for the late blog. I clean forgot about it. Still, better late than never. Most of this I found quite straightforward, but there were a few – PURIM, CURVE and a … Read more “Sunday Times 4440 (3 Jul 2011)”
Month: July 2011
Mephisto 2653 – Paul McKenna
I had a hard time with the last few here, and there are two where wordplay is still escaping me as I get set to write this. Bottom half of the grid considerably easier than … Read more “Mephisto 2653 – Paul McKenna”
Saturday Times 24891 (2nd July) – placeholder
Sorry, busy weekend, no time to write anything up yet. All I can say is I’ll get around to it eventually! Better late than never I suppose. I thought this was quite tough in places … Read more “Saturday Times 24891 (2nd July) – placeholder”
Times 24896
Solving time: 40:47 – with probably 10 minutes spent on the last 3 (14/17/28) all of which were unknown to me and needed working out from the wordplay. As well as these three, the other … Read more “Times 24896”
Jumbo 931 – A Tasmanian Lie-in?
I feel that so far, bar one notable exception, most of my jumbos have been uninspiring and this was another one which was middle of the road. A mixture of various forms of standard fare. … Read more “Jumbo 931 – A Tasmanian Lie-in?”
Times 24895 – What A Treat To Solve
This must be one of the very best Times crossword puzzles with every clue immaculately crafted, polished and presently with wit and humour. I like the very smooth surfaces, appropriately tailored, especially for the long … Read more “Times 24895 – What A Treat To Solve”
Times 24894: Two for Tea
Solving time: 24 minutes. Might have been a bit faster if I hadn’t stayed up last night for that triumph of British cinema: Carry On Abroad and been woken several times by something ‘natural’ scratching … Read more “Times 24894: Two for Tea”
Times 24,893
Timed at 16:33, and very much enjoyed, though, as usual, I was nearly tripped up by assorted stray plants. I am a hopeless gardener, so this happens to me in both real life and in … Read more “Times 24,893”
Times 24892 – $10 a night if you make your own bed; so he handed me a hammer and some nails
Solving time: 35 minutes, give or take the complete obliteration of the puzzle when I hit the spacebar attempting to type the solution to 13ac This seemmed pretty easy, even in the straitened circumstances, but … Read more “Times 24892 – $10 a night if you make your own bed; so he handed me a hammer and some nails”
Sunday Times 4439 (26 Jun 2011)
Solving time: 26:24 after a slow start My son has stopped going to swimming lessons, but had we gone, I would have comfortably finished before him this week. It took me a while to get … Read more “Sunday Times 4439 (26 Jun 2011)”