I found the last Izetti I blogged really hard but, by contrast, this one proceeded calmly and smoothly. Each sector filled in by turn from NW, NE, SE to SW finishing with LOI 14ac on … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1571 by Izetti”
Month: March 2020
Times 27613 – Vive la révolution!
I started this one off like loo rolls flying off the shelves of Tesco, but was held up by a few pesky ones that the setter had shoved in to keep the speed merchants humble … Read more “Times 27613 – Vive la révolution!”
Times Quick Cryptic 1570 by Mara
Solving time: 10 minutes. I was a bit slow on the uptake on some of the ideas here but overall found it reasonably straightforward. As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1570 by Mara”
Mephisto 3106 – A new blogger, a new style
Good evening, all. As most of you now know, Jim Biggin is no longer able to blog Mephisto due to health problems. Having become a Mephisto enthusiast, I decided to take over the alternate Sunday … Read more “Mephisto 3106 – A new blogger, a new style”
Sunday Times Cryptic No 4893, 8 III 2020, by Robert Price — Literally amazing
Bob was in great form with this outing, giving us no less than three well-crafted &lits (some puzzles don’t even give us a slightly clumsy one), and some diabolically devious cluing (21 and 2D stand … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No 4893, 8 III 2020, by Robert Price — Literally amazing”
Times Cryptic No 27606 – Saturday, 07 March 2020. Of imaginary beasts and fanciful fractions.
This puzzle took me several times longer than the week before. No walk in the park here! I wrote in 1ac at a glance, and then there was a long interlude before I solved 20ac. … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27606 – Saturday, 07 March 2020. Of imaginary beasts and fanciful fractions.”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1427 – 29th February
Well adult elephants can’t jump, but we have a leap Jumbo today. A middle-of-the-road (or maybe even easier) difficulty Jumbo, I thought. It took me less than 40 minutes of which about 10 were on … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1427 – 29th February”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1569 by Marty
I didn’t find this particularly easy and finished in 6:12, my slowest QC time for a while. Nothing too tricky, I think, but some clever clues that took me a bit of deciphering. I particularly … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1569 by Marty”
Times 27,611: Roll Over Rawlplugs, We’ve Got Wealthier Sponsors Now
Much of the wordplay in this was just brilliant, I thought, and every surface reading a belter. MER at product placements for both Apple and Nintendo but my house is full of their tech so … Read more “Times 27,611: Roll Over Rawlplugs, We’ve Got Wealthier Sponsors Now”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1568 by Trelawney
After attempting both of yesterday’s puzzles with varying degrees of failure, I was starting to feel like patient zero in the latest twist to the zombie apocalypse whereby the brain is rendered down to a … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1568 by Trelawney”