Solving time: 7:52, and I think this puzzle was very much on my wavelength, almost all of the across answers went in on a first reading, and it was only two sweeps through the clues … Read more “Times 27136 – hope you made it to 12!”
Month: September 2018
Times 27135 – That dog again!
I found this a straightforward job, lots of anagrams and ‘do what it says’ type wordplay, but overall I couldn’t get excited about it. Maybe I was just not in the mood, in the middle … Read more “Times 27135 – That dog again!”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1172 by Teazel
Teazel in the morning, Teazel in the evening, Teazel at suppertime; when Teazel’s on a puzzle, you can solve Teazel anytime! My second straight week of Teazel. I did this puzzle during a conversation with … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1172 by Teazel”
Times Cryptic 27134 – Food, Glorious Food!
Solving time: 38 minutes and the second consecutive puzzle very much at the easier end of the spectrum*. I wondered if the setter was hungry when he compiled it as there seem to be a lot of … Read more “Times Cryptic 27134 – Food, Glorious Food!”
Times Quick Cryptic 1171 by Breadman
A decent time (9:23) but I didn’t find this easy. Towards the end I was faced with gaps in all four quadrants but was relieved that none of these took too long to fall, the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1171 by Breadman”
Times 27133 – A Tribute to Dame Frances Margaret
This was the antithesis to Saturday’s magnificent beast. That’s not to say that it didn’t have merits of its own, but that they were not of the order of mind-bending intricacy displayed by that puzzle. … Read more “Times 27133 – A Tribute to Dame Frances Margaret”
Times Quick Cryptic 1170 by Orpheus
Solving time: 11 minutes. I nearly achieved my target 10 minutes but lost time at the end as I had inadvertently spelt 16ac with EI instead of IE and this delayed solving 15dn as my last … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1170 by Orpheus”
Mephisto 3026 by Tim Moorey with appearances by George and Jim
Unless you’re very experienced you are unlikely to solve a Mephisto without using Chambers. The idea is that you use the precise wordplay to derive an answer that you then verify in the dictionary. 4A … Read more “Mephisto 3026 by Tim Moorey with appearances by George and Jim”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4813, by David McLean — Not the end of the world
Rather a mundane vocabulary for this one. I pick as my COD the clever, though quite easy, 7, which is also probably the most interesting word here. But 6 also stands out, as &lit.s have … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4813, by David McLean — Not the end of the world”
Times Cryptic No 27126 – Saturday, 25 August 2018. Resistance is futile.
I did this in bits and piece during a busy Saturday so I don’t have a time to report. I thought it might have been a little harder than recent Saturdays, but it was a … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27126 – Saturday, 25 August 2018. Resistance is futile.”