You don’t have to be a Hebrew scholar to finish this puzzle, the wordplay can see you through, but I think our setter must be much more erudite in such matters than I am; I … Read more “Times 27975 – thank goodness for Wikipedia …”
Month: May 2021
Times Quick Cryptic No 1872 by Wurm
Introduction 5 minutes… no, wait, 9:48… grrrrrrrrrrr….. Solutions A brief summary of cryptic crosswords —feel free to skip— : Each clue has at least one “definition”: an unbroken string of words which more-or-less straightforwardly indicates the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1872 by Wurm”
Times Quick Cryptic 1871 by Trelawney
I didn’t get 1ac at first pass so had to dip into the grid. I ended up chasing all around it until finally finishing in the SE with 22ac. There doesn’t seem to be anything … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1871 by Trelawney”
Times Cryptic 27974
Solving time: 20 minutes. Dead easy apart from one unknown answer which relies on an obscure piece of wordplay which I now understand refers to a brand name also unknown to me. I took a … Read more “Times Cryptic 27974”
Times for the Times and Spammers – Everyone Please Read!
We have had some complaints about highly offensive spam. As you may know, we have six administrators scattered around the globe who can delete spam and other inappropriate posts, and keep the blog in order. … Read more “Times for the Times and Spammers – Everyone Please Read!”
Times 27973 – Between a rock and a pretty easy place
I thought this was an ideal challenge for a Monday. Not difficult but with enough misdirection and cunning to give most of us a decent workout. 26 minutes for me, but how did you get … Read more “Times 27973 – Between a rock and a pretty easy place”
Times Quick Cryptic 1870 by Izetti
Solving time: 10 minutes. I was very surprised to bring this in on time if only by a whisker as I felt I was struggling throughout the solve. On blogging it I wondered what had … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1870 by Izetti”
Mephisto 3166 – Oh, what a feeling!
You can’t really say that a Mephisto is easy, or that the answers should be obvious, but of the three setters I find that it is the puzzles of Don Manley where many answers do … Read more “Mephisto 3166 – Oh, what a feeling!”
Cryptic Jumbo 1494: Solved Only Using Techniques I Could Will Should Become Universal Cryptic Law
All done in under the quarter hour, but enjoyable throughout, especially the sciency clues which tickled my GK centres most pleasurably, my favourite being the God particle at 32ac. Late to fall, and excellent penny-drop-moments, … Read more “Cryptic Jumbo 1494: Solved Only Using Techniques I Could Will Should Become Universal Cryptic Law”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4953, by Robert Price — string of pearls
A spectrum of life here, with advice to a weary employee, a nightmarish work scene, a brewery mascot, news in men’s fashions, competitive coworkers in an atmosphere of smouldering tension, and, of course, the uninhibited … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4953, by Robert Price — string of pearls”