Thirteen minutes on the nose to solve this puzzle: unlucky for some, but not for me, as being an inveterate classicist I was as happy as an Ithacan pig earmarked for a homecoming feast. Guest … Read more “Times 26,075: Column By Column In A Cloud Of Dust”
Month: April 2015
Quick Cryptic No. 289 by Orpheus
Well this was a stroll in the park – duck soup again – after Wednesday’s Cryptic from 1948 which gave your blogger and most of us a reality check after living in our comfy Ximenean … Read more “Quick Cryptic No. 289 by Orpheus”
26074 What’s French for “raining cats and dogs”?
16.27 to place all the available letters in the correct order, so pretty much my average. After yesterday’s amusing diversion (I was amused, anyway) we’re back to the convention of actually having definitions for every … Read more “26074 What’s French for “raining cats and dogs”?”
Times Quick Cryptic No 288 by Hurley
Hello everyone and thanks to the guest blogger for covering last week when I was flung off to hospital. I am still going each day and have written this one at silly o’clock! Hurley is … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 288 by Hurley”
Times Cryptic – 15 April 2015 – online offering
I see 26073, the first qualifying puzzle of the Championship, has been published today in the paper and as a PDF, so no doubt it will be blogged after the closing date for entries. Online, … Read more “Times Cryptic – 15 April 2015 – online offering”
Quick Cryptic Number 287 by Rongo
One or two minor obscurities, including for me a type of (horse) racing that required a guess and a legal term, but plenty of fun wordplay and a decent mix of clues. I settled in … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 287 by Rongo”
Quick Cryptic No 286 by Teazel
Something of a teaser from Teazel. Quite a lot of work to do in some of the parsing, a few cryptic definitions and then we get onto old letters. If you’ve got a good grasp … Read more “Quick Cryptic No 286 by Teazel”
Times Cryptic 26072
I was off the scale with this one and gave up counting once an hour had passed. As I was on blogging duty I tried to understand all the wordplay as I went and in … Read more “Times Cryptic 26072”
Quick Cryptic 285 by Joker
Another enjoyable Quicky with nothing in the way of obscurities. I did spend a while on 23A because of going down a blind alley that I was reluctant to reverse from, but I’m sure many … Read more “Quick Cryptic 285 by Joker”
Times 26071 – Up the ladder in a Chelsea tractor!
Solving time: 38 minutes Music: Purcell, Dido and Aeneas, Davis/AOSMITF This seemed pretty tough for a Monday puzzle to me. There are some obscure words and acronyms, and some tricky wordplay. I was only able … Read more “Times 26071 – Up the ladder in a Chelsea tractor!”