Solving time: 62:19 I found this a very easy solve. Indeed this is probably a record time for a jumbo for me, almost under the hour. There does appear to be a mistake at 39a, … Read more “Times Jumbo 1015 (1 Jan 2013) – New Year’s Day Special – One monkey or two”
Month: January 2013
Times 25,372
28:08 on the Club timer. Sometimes you find yourself absolutely in tune with a puzzle, and can hardly write the answers in fast enough; other times you realise you’re just not on the setter’s wavelength, … Read more “Times 25,372”
Times 25371 – May the Fours Be With You
The presence of two recondite words at 4 across and 4 down means that this puzzle is going to find a few out – including me. I ‘resorted to aids’, as the saying goes, pleased … Read more “Times 25371 – May the Fours Be With You”
Sunday Times 4519 (6 Jan 2013) by Tim Moorey – Toughest of the year so far!
Solving time: About an hour of solving time. I started this online at my desk at work on Friday lunchtime, but printed it out after about half an hour and went to the kitchen for … Read more “Sunday Times 4519 (6 Jan 2013) by Tim Moorey – Toughest of the year so far!”
Mephisto 2732 by Paul McKenna – Easy-osy
I just don’t know what to say about this puzzle. I was reading clues and writing in answers and that just shouldn’t happen with a Mephisto. I never once referred to Chambers and solved it … Read more “Mephisto 2732 by Paul McKenna – Easy-osy”
Times Jumbo 1014
I’d wondered whether the Jumbo for the weekend between Christmas and New Year would be tougher than uual, as a holiday bonus, but that didn’t seem to be the case; I managed to time myself … Read more “Times Jumbo 1014”
Saturday Times 25364 (5th Jan)
Solving time 12:56. First Saturday puzzle of 2013, and it’s a largely straightforward solve apart from a couple of very intricate bits of wordplay to unpick (I’m thinking of 3D and 8D). Across 1 TUMBLEDOWN … Read more “Saturday Times 25364 (5th Jan)”
Times 25369 – Yet another sting in the tail
Time taken to solve: 30 minutes for all but 16dn which I never heard of and took some working out. I also spent extra time considering an alternative at 26ac but plumped eventually for my … Read more “Times 25369 – Yet another sting in the tail”
Times 25,368 – Supporter of Women
A very enjoyable morning’s mental work-out after my early morning run to shed more baggage picked up during the festive season. The only term new to me was 2Down but this was compensated by the … Read more “Times 25,368 – Supporter of Women”
Times Crossword 25,367 – Homophony
Solving Time: about 20 minutes, in other words about averagely hard. I thought it a pleasant, well constructed crossword, with some clever cluing – a model Times cryptic. Unfortunately I managed to include a typo … Read more “Times Crossword 25,367 – Homophony”