Solving time: 38 minutes Music: Shostakovich, Symphony #11, Stokowski/Houston Symphony I thought this was going to be an easy one, as I raced through the top half, only to get rather stuck on the bottom. … Read more “Times 26575 – Drinks and canapes at four”
Month: November 2016
Quick Cryptic 705 by Joker
Back to my usual numbers-ending-in-a-5 slot – thanks again to jackkt for filling in for me whilst I was away. A slightly trickier offering than usual from Joker today, I think, though my view on … Read more “Quick Cryptic 705 by Joker”
Sunday Times 4720 by David McLean
This took me a little over half an hour, which counts as hard for me. I don’t seem to have been alone in finding it tricky, although Magoo and Jason both polished it off in … Read more “Sunday Times 4720 by David McLean”
Mephisto 2933 – Paul McKenna
I was surprised how much of this I managed to get in a pub without access to a dictionary – though some of the last parts took a while to piece together. I had a … Read more “Mephisto 2933 – Paul McKenna”
Times Jumbo 1234
Quite a high proportion of anagrams here. I didn’t find it too tricky, but there were some obscure answers such as 25ac, 27ac and 48ac. As always, * indicates an anagram. Across 1 BAUDELAIRE – … Read more “Times Jumbo 1234”
Saturday Times 26568 (12th Nov)
I forgot to note down my solving time for this, but it was probably around 14-15 mins. The setter must be a bit of a film buff, as we can see two Schwarzenegger films (True … Read more “Saturday Times 26568 (12th Nov)”
Times 26,573: Awesome & Moresome
A rather exemplary puzzle to close out the week, I thought. Consider all the features you may find herein: * Superb cryptic economy, with a many of the clues weighing in at just 3-5 words;* … Read more “Times 26,573: Awesome & Moresome”
Times Quick Cryptic No 704 by Tracy “It’s coming through a crack in the wall….”
Times Quick Cryptic No 704 by Tracy Friday, 18 November 2016 “It’s coming through a crack in the wall…..” Is this week any better than last? And what about the crosswords? You’ll have to decide. … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 704 by Tracy “It’s coming through a crack in the wall….””
TLS Crossword 1148 by Talos – October 28, 2016. Up to the elbow.
One of the better things to have happened this year is that the quality of cluing in the TLS has risen to considerable heights. It’s not just that they bear comparison with the Times, but … Read more “TLS Crossword 1148 by Talos – October 28, 2016. Up to the elbow.”
Times Quick Cryptic No 703 by Orpheus
Having been on holiday for a couple of weeks, this was my first QC in a while, and a very nice one it was too. Average-ish difficulty I suppose, but with lots of satisfying clues … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 703 by Orpheus”