Thank you to Joker for what I found to be a medium-difficulty QC. But then I am just recovering from the excesses of the last couple of days (just packed my sister and family back … Read more “QC 2035 by Joker”
Month: December 2021
Sunday Times 4986 by Robert Price
18:26. I hope everyone has had a good Christmas, or as good as possible with Omicron interference. What a bore. At least we have challenging and delightful puzzles like this one to distract us. Lots … Read more “Sunday Times 4986 by Robert Price”
Mephisto 3199 – Don Manley
Greeting barred-grid fans, I was caught a little short – I was not expecting to blog this until next week, but as it has just passed into Boxing Day in the UK, and the cricket … Read more “Mephisto 3199 – Don Manley”
Times Cryptic No 28170 – Saturday, 25 December 2021. Merry Christmas, and a relaxing crossword!
This is not a prize crossword, so the blog can go up on the same day. My biggest hiccup was my ignorance of styptics. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. How did … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28170 – Saturday, 25 December 2021. Merry Christmas, and a relaxing crossword!”
Times Cryptic No 28164 – Saturday, 18 December 2021. Happy Christmas!
Times Cryptic No 28164 – Saturday, 18 December 2021. Happy Christmas! This blog appears on Christmas Day, so solvers’ attention may be elsewhere! This puzzle should have been a good way to ease into the … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28164 – Saturday, 18 December 2021. Happy Christmas!”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1530 – 11th December 2021. Sloop John B
A Very Happy Christmas to you all, whether you are celebrating that, something else or nothing. (For me it’s Catmas, natch, or rather the great Boxing Day Eve.) I hope that you are safe, well, … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1530 – 11th December 2021. Sloop John B”
Quick Cryptic 2034 by Noel
Predictably Christmas-themed and very gentle. 16dn – nice of Noel to include the city I would be visiting next week if it weren’t for all the hysterical politicians. 4 minutes for me. Across 1 Crazy solvers! … Read more “Quick Cryptic 2034 by Noel”
Times 28,169: ‘Twas The Solve Before Christmas
A relatively zippy recording of my live solve of this puzzle (and the concise and QC) can be found here, with added heckling by vinyl1. An enjoyable holiday Friday solve with lots of fun literary/GK-type … Read more “Times 28,169: ‘Twas The Solve Before Christmas”
Times 28168 – how good are you at your licks?
. Solvers of a less Sorry about the late post – I put up a placeholder here earlier. A friend surprised me with tickets to see a TV show taped and the taping ran hours … Read more “Times 28168 – how good are you at your licks?”
Times Quick Cryptic No 2033 by Teazel
Just inside target at near to 15 minutes, with a couple of pieces of esoteric general knowledge, and some parsing issues to get to grips with. This was a fine QC from Teazel, with some … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 2033 by Teazel”