Things looked bright when both 1ac and 1dn went in at first glance! From there things went smoothly, until I was left with just 6dn … an obscure foreign phrase clued as an anagram. My … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27822 – Saturday, 14 November 2020. San Fairy Ann.”
Month: November 2020
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1467 – 7th November
I thought this was about a middle of the road Jumbo – maybe slightly harder given my time was nearer an hour than my usual 45 minutes. Several clues went over my head at the … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1467 – 7th November”
The Online Crosswords Championship
Well, we are nearly there. For the first time, those who can’t make it to London will be able to try their skills against the best solvers in the world, even if they have to … Read more “The Online Crosswords Championship”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1749 by Teazel
I find that for the second blog in a row I am treated to a Teazel puzzle to blog. Unlike last time, I didn’t find this on the harder side and sailed through it unscathed, … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1749 by Teazel”
Times 27,827: Pack Up Your Troubles
I detected a touch of the Cryptic Jumbos to the cluing of this medium-strength crossword, lots of “shove x into y to make z” with surfaces erring on just the right side of intelligibility: nothing … Read more “Times 27,827: Pack Up Your Troubles”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1748 by Rongo
Rongo is one of our more occasional setters, having appeared every six months or so for at least the last couple of years. I didn’t bother searching further back than that. Previous puzzles seem to … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1748 by Rongo”
27826 Thursday, 19 November 2020 Hasty to its close ebbs out life’s little day
So. There’s some clever stuff in here which had me casting around long after I’d submitted with a quiet (and, as it turns out, effective) prayer to the gods of greenness. There’s some GK which … Read more “27826 Thursday, 19 November 2020 Hasty to its close ebbs out life’s little day”
Times 27825 – chestnuts and tough nuts to crack.
This took me well over an hour and I’m still wondering about how 2d works. There is a mix of easy or familiar clues, with some oblique definitions and unusual words – 19a and 15d … Read more “Times 27825 – chestnuts and tough nuts to crack.”
Times Quick Cryptic 1747 by Joker
DNF after staring at 2dn for a couple of minutes then giving up. I usually talk myself out of giving up when thinking that it’s a word I just don’t know, as that’s quite unusual … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1747 by Joker”
Times Cryptic 27824
I had most of this done within 40 minutes but three or four answers held out against my best efforts taking me close to an hour when I finally gave up and used aids for … Read more “Times Cryptic 27824”