This was a three-ring circus of delights, even including elephants. But seriously, folks, elephants are gradually achieving liberation from their long servitude to the spectacle. Perhaps we can still manage to save these magnificent creatures, … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4971, by Robert Price — cheeky as ever”
Month: September 2021
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1514: Show Me First Your PDM
A quarter hour of really, really good fun. I was impressed by a great number of the clues: some lovely cryptic and double definitions and I loved the Cockney homophone, the SLIM SLAM, and the … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1514: Show Me First Your PDM”
Times Cryptic No 28074 – Saturday, 4 September 2021. Mini Mysteries.
This puzzle was rich in general knowledge unknowns, at least for me, including: an order of monks, a flowering plant, an obscure foreign language, both the handle and the peak at 6dn, and more. I … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28074 – Saturday, 4 September 2021. Mini Mysteries.”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1959 by Izetti
Another Izetti Quick Cryptic for me to blog today. It took me just over 7 minutes, so, as with my last QC blogging duty 2 weeks ago, it is somewhat on the harder side of … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1959 by Izetti”
Times 28,079: He Who Controls The Spice
No complaints about insufficient Fridayness today – lots of chewy stuff to think one’s way through here. “Mela” seemed a bit hard but then again “Kumbh Mela” does ring a bell, now I think about … Read more “Times 28,079: He Who Controls The Spice”
Times Quick Cryptic No 1958 by Pedro
A bit on the tricky side today from Pedro, with a generous dose of originality that made it great fun. It would be easy to get bogged down with the harder clues, so a good … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1958 by Pedro”
28078 Thursday, 9 September 2021 Stuck in reverse
The first word in this crossword grid gives a hint of what is to come, a veritable cornucopia of reverses, backing, turning, upward motion and the like almost persuading me it would be advantageous to … Read more “28078 Thursday, 9 September 2021 Stuck in reverse”
Times Quick Cryptic 1957 by Marty
Not too much to say about this, except I enjoyed solving it. Only the cat and a bit of Latin are somewhat obscure, but they’re very familiar words to regulars here. I stumbled with the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1957 by Marty”
Times 28077 – where the mountains of Mourne sweep where ?
A middle of the road puzzle for me, it took half an hour while watching US tennis. 11a has the same unusual word answer as 4d in 28065 which I blogged 2 weeks ago, so … Read more “Times 28077 – where the mountains of Mourne sweep where ?”
Times Quick Cryptic 1956 by Wurm
I didn’t get the long anagram at 1ac until towards the end so worked round the grid finishing up in the NW. Last 3 were 1ac, 2dn and LOI 10ac which had a, to me, … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1956 by Wurm”