Once again the best cryptic workout of the month, because biffability has been all but subtracted from the equation – if you could readily define more than half a dozen of these words without resort … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,237: I Fought Scots Law, And Scots Law Won”
Month: June 2020
QC League Table of difficulty by Setter (June 2020)
Nobody has asked for it this time round, but undeterred I bring you an update of my analysis of QC difficulty levels by Setter. It’s based entirely on my own solving times and whether or … Read more “QC League Table of difficulty by Setter (June 2020)”
Times Cryptic 27704
Solving time: 36 minutes. This is my 450th blog of 15×15 puzzles – the first having been posted on 23rd November 2007. I remember sweating blood over the early ones but the process became much … Read more “Times Cryptic 27704”
Times Quick Cryptic 1646 by Orpheus
Add a few names, a fair few abbreviations and the odd composer then mix cleverly. 9 minutes for this enjoyable QC with a mind-blank on the two longer downs – 6 and 9. All questions … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1646 by Orpheus”
QC 1645 by Breadman
This was another straightforward crossword which, unusually for a quickie, employed no full anagrams as far as I can see. In fact by my counting there were only two clues that involved an anagram at all … Read more “QC 1645 by Breadman”
Times 27703 – The Making of the English Solving Class
Time: 34 minutesMusic: Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um I found this more difficult than expected, although the two long entries were simple enough. I finished the whole right-hand side without much difficulty, but the left … Read more “Times 27703 – The Making of the English Solving Class”
Sunday Times 4908 by Robert Price – back to school
DNF. I found this very tricky, and had spent a little over 20 minutes on it when I came to 18ac. I have somehow never come across the Roman name for Ireland (if anything I … Read more “Sunday Times 4908 by Robert Price – back to school”
Mephisto 3121 – Don Manley
If you do the Mephisto and the Listener, you gor a double dose of Don Manley last weekend – I found the Listener enjoyable as well (and if you are looking to try out the … Read more “Mephisto 3121 – Don Manley”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1445 – 13th June. Come hell or high water
Hello and happy Caturday. Sorry this blog is a little later in the day than usual. I always have good intentions to do things IN TIME, but invariably end up where such intentions lead … … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1445 – 13th June. Come hell or high water”
Times Cryptic No 27696 – Saturday, 20 June 2020. Fast start.
This looked for a while like an opportunity for a personal best. I wrote in clue after clue … then, two-thirds of the way through, I hit the wall. How do you all go? My … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27696 – Saturday, 20 June 2020. Fast start.”