You’d be well advised to bewareAnd cross this terrain with due care.The surface is calm,But maybe a bombIs lurking not far under there… This entry is dedicated to the American pullout from Afghanistan. I indicate … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4973, by Dean Mayer — Try to see… watch your step!”
Month: September 2021
Times Cryptic No 28086 – Saturday, 18 September 2021. What a shame!
Dear me! I’ve seen the joke at 1ac before, in another context, but it still raised a smile. Everything else was gettable with due effort. I biffed 10ac, and put off parsing it for the … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28086 – Saturday, 18 September 2021. What a shame!”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1517 – 11th September
I think this excellent Jumbo crossword is a great demonstration that a crossword doesn’t have to be full of trickery to be fun and satisfying. I was all but finished in under 30 minutes but … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1517 – 11th September”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1969 by Breadman
A gentle end to the week compared to the last couple of days (and my last couple of Fridays) with this Quick Cryptic from Breadman. It is a curious grid with no answers more than … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1969 by Breadman”
Times 28,091: LAMS to the Slaughter
Most enjoyable, and not too time consuming, though I was held up awhile at the end wondering how LAMS could possibly mean “radioing” until the shiny penny dropped. “First to move” is utterly brilliant at … Read more “Times 28,091: LAMS to the Slaughter”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1968 by Corelli
I was 8 minutes yesterday and 12 today, done straight after, so either this was a(nother) tough one or my wavelength is all over the show. My major holdups were having to write out the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1968 by Corelli”
28090 Thursday, 23 September 2021 A whiter shade
My steady 30 minute solve has a typo, so doesn’t properly count, but indicates that I found some of this on the tricky side. By my reading, we have two clues which could have alternative … Read more “28090 Thursday, 23 September 2021 A whiter shade”
Times Quick Cryptic 1967 by Izetti
A fairly difficult puzzle that pushed me comfortably over my target time. I couldn’t see the setter’s name when I solved it (on my phone), and wouldn’t have guessed – it seemed to lack his … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1967 by Izetti”
Times 28089 – when is a wall not a wall?
After last week’s 155-snitch corker, I found myself zipping through this one in less than twenty minutes, until spending a couple on the 18d – 25a crossers, my LOsI. Nothing too scary, although I’m not … Read more “Times 28089 – when is a wall not a wall?”
Times Cryptic 28088
Solving time: 34 minutes with the last 10 of those spent on two clues, 5dn and 10ac. I had a wrong answer which we shall get to in due course. As usual definitions are underlined … Read more “Times Cryptic 28088”