30 minutes (I don’t record seconds. If ever I begin to achieve sub 20 minutes regularly I might start, but this seems unlikely at the moment). Once again I have drawn a long straw on … Read more “Times 25298 – Got off lightly again”
Month: October 2012
Times 25,297 – It’s Not Cricket
A very enjoyable puzzle with an interesting array of devices to tickle and titillate. ACROSS 1 UNSPORTSMANLIKE cd defined by not cricket and alluding to the oft-tried device of diving (or tripping) when tackled, fairly … Read more “Times 25,297 – It’s Not Cricket”
Times 25296: L.O.L.A, Lola
Solving time: 37:44 Didn’t find this very easy at all; or perhaps just out of practice after a few days off? There are quite a few parsings I don’t understand but will try to work … Read more “Times 25296: L.O.L.A, Lola”
Times Jumbo 1000 (29 Sep 2012) – A Grand Offering
Solving time: About 2 hours 40 minutes First of all, my abject apologies for the lateness of this blog. I should have posted this at the weekend, but it completely slipped my mind. If you … Read more “Times Jumbo 1000 (29 Sep 2012) – A Grand Offering”
Times 25295 – A Trip Down Memory Lane
Solving time 25 minutes A great puzzle for people of my age, a bit tough I’m guessing for younger folk. A lot of 1940-1950s slang, a good deal of old pounds shillings and pence, some … Read more “Times 25295 – A Trip Down Memory Lane”
Times 25294 – Haha, Mr Wilson, haha, Mr Heath……
Solving time: 27 Minutes Music: Brahms, Piano Concerto #2, Gilels, Reiner/CSO Another easy Monday puzzle for you experienced solvers. How beginners will fare, I have no idea, because I’ve been at this too long and … Read more “Times 25294 – Haha, Mr Wilson, haha, Mr Heath……”
Sunday Times 4506 (7 Oct 2012) by Dean Mayer
Solving time: 55:37 – I found this quite tough, even by Dean’s standards. There’s quite a bit of devious wordplay in this one, a lot of which I didn’t decipher until post-solve, otherwise I certainly … Read more “Sunday Times 4506 (7 Oct 2012) by Dean Mayer”
Mephisto 2719 – Tim Moorey
Oh boy did Tim Moorey have me crawling all over Chambers to get complete parsing of these clues! This is one of the more challenging Tim Moorey Mephistos I can remember for a long time, … Read more “Mephisto 2719 – Tim Moorey”
Saturday Times 25287 (6th Oct)
Solving time – a sluggish 20:55, although as usual going back over it a week later I can’t remember what slowed me down or why. Still, there were a few with tricky wordplay in amongst … Read more “Saturday Times 25287 (6th Oct)”
Times 25292
Solving time: 62:50 I made very heavy weather over this. This was mostly due to tackling it at night for blogging purposes. Indeed I had to give up and go to bed after about 45 … Read more “Times 25292”