This will be a brief one as I only got back from the Championships mid-afternoon yesterday and was immediately confronted with an impressive laundry list of family problems that had somehow managed to pile up … Read more “Quick Cryptic 955 by Oran”
Month: November 2017
Sunday Times 4770 by Dean Mayer
31:30. I thought this was pretty tough, although I was very tired last Sunday when I attempted it and very nearly dropped off a couple of times. Perhaps because I was half-asleep when solving it … Read more “Sunday Times 4770 by Dean Mayer”
Mephisto 2983 – Don Manley
I remember solving this in a single session last Sunday, and my grid only had a few question marks and one scribble out so I didn’t find it too difficult. I rather liked the grid … Read more “Mephisto 2983 – Don Manley”
Times Cryptic No 26868 – Saturday, 28 October 2017. Uluru, if you please!
I found this relatively easy for a Saturday, which is of course not to say easy in any absolute sense. I’m back to solving on paper, but I estimate it took me about 40 minutes … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26868 – Saturday, 28 October 2017. Uluru, if you please!”
Jumbo 1290
This one was on the easy side from a solving point of view, apart from an old nemesis at 35D, but there are a couple of parsings that could do with a second opinion. I’ll … Read more “Jumbo 1290”
Times 26,873: 1ac and 1dn inevitable, when we go 9dn in tomorrow’s 12ac?
Friends, I regret to inform you that you’re going to have to end the essentially wise and benevolent reign of the tyrant Magoo yourselves tomorrow: after the York binge last weekend and a similarly raucous … Read more “Times 26,873: 1ac and 1dn inevitable, when we go 9dn in tomorrow’s 12ac?”
Quick Cryptic 954 by Teazel
Perhaps the easiest quickie I’ve blogged for, came in at just over 5 minutes. I think my favourite is 11dn, mainly because I was pleased with myself for knowing the word, as a result of … Read more “Quick Cryptic 954 by Teazel”
Times Cryptic No 26872 2nd Nov 2017 Quark? That’s cheese, isn’t it?
I crave your indulgence, having arrived as recently as Monday on the red eye from Jo’burg and having endured this very day appalling traffic (though travelling by coach) and the even more appalling wheelchair access … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26872 2nd Nov 2017 Quark? That’s cheese, isn’t it?”
Times Quick Cryptic No 953 by Mara
I managed to whizz through this inside 8 minutes, which is my fastest time for a QC for a while, although there was lots of subtlety and fine surfacing here. I think I was helped … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 953 by Mara”
The Official Crosswords Championship Chat Thread
Here is a special thread for the week of the championships. I expect we will hear excited anticipation in the days leading up to the championships, followed by live reports from the site of the … Read more “The Official Crosswords Championship Chat Thread”