Solving time: 40 minutes for all but the unknown 8dn and 20dn. This had an old-fashioned feel to it with several somewhat obscure words or references. As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions … Read more “Times Cryptic 26936”
Month: January 2018
Times Quick Cryptic 1006 by Alconiere
That Alconiere is having some fun with us is not in doubt for this is a pangram without the letter ‘V’ which, research tells me, is a pangrammatic V-lipogram. The question is how much fun? … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1006 by Alconiere”
QC 1005 by Grumpy
A mine of double definitions today, a couple of them very pleasing to the crossword-solving senses (whatever they are) as described below. I found this of medium difficulty (if I give you a scale of … Read more “QC 1005 by Grumpy”
Times 26935
Time: 47 MinutesMusic: Mahler, Symphony #9, Levine/Philadelphia Orchestra When I started at 1 across, I thought this was going to be very easy indeed. I did go at blazing speed for a while, only to … Read more “Times 26935”
Sunday Times 4780 by David McLean
14:52. My first reaction when I opened this puzzle was panic: on the basis of the usual rotation I was expecting a Jeff Pearce puzzle, but for some reason we got another David McLean. My … Read more “Sunday Times 4780 by David McLean”
Mephisto 2993 – Tim Moorey
Another tricky offering from Tim Moorey this week, with some cunning wordplay for unfamiliar terms. I am writing this up a little bit in advance of the solution appearing (hopefully it will work, I tend … Read more “Mephisto 2993 – Tim Moorey”
Times Cryptic No 26928 – Saturday, 06 January 2018. All right bar my plight.
This might have been a “typical” Saturday puzzle, if I hadn’t foolishly biffed a wrong answer to 25ac, and so made 23dn impossible until I eventually gave up and went back to check the helpers. … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26928 – Saturday, 06 January 2018. All right bar my plight.”
Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1302 – 1 Jan 2018, What was this blogger’s first New Year’s Resolution?
This being published on New Year’s Day, it behoves me to wish you all the best for 2018, even though you wont get to read this until after the answers have been published on 13th … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1302 – 1 Jan 2018, What was this blogger’s first New Year’s Resolution?”
Times Jumbo 1301
I spent over an hour wrestling with this puzzle that appeared during Twixtmas, so I guess it gave me something to do. My time suggests it was on the trickier side of average and it … Read more “Times Jumbo 1301”
Quick Cryptic 1004 by Wurm
Something of a gothic feel to this what with all the vampires and eternal damnation. Heavy use of the double definition. It took me 9 minutes, though looking back I seem to have made unnecessarily … Read more “Quick Cryptic 1004 by Wurm”