Well, I was an epic fail in 40 minutes on what is not a particularly hard test. My major problem was 10a, in spite of having been one once. Too clever for me. I imagine … Read more “Times 28189 – Winds moderate, doing their thing from the north”
Month: January 2022
Times Quick Cryptic 2050 by Oink
Solving time: 9 minutes. I hope this puzzle will suit all solvers. As usual definitions are underlined in bold italics, {deletions and substitutions are in curly brackets} and [anagrinds, containment, reversal and other indicators in … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 2050 by Oink”
Mephisto 3202 – Golden symbols flashing….
This was a very straightforward Mephisto, and for once nearly all the answers were words I had heard of, in two cases from puzzles within the past two weeks. When Homer introduces an unusual word … Read more “Mephisto 3202 – Golden symbols flashing….”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4989, by Robert Price — With wit and cunning
…this puzzle is constructed. No exotic vocabulary, no CDs (not that I mind either), no stretchy definitions, all quite clear and no questions or quibbles left after solving… and yet I had to look at … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4989, by Robert Price — With wit and cunning”
Times Bank Holiday Cryptic Jumbo 1535 – 3 January 2022. Happy New Rhubarb
Hello everyone. The year is becoming less new, but I hope it is proving happy for you. I solved this on my phone in bed, gently falling asleep, but still the grid was full in … Read more “Times Bank Holiday Cryptic Jumbo 1535 – 3 January 2022. Happy New Rhubarb”
Times Cryptic No 28182 – Saturday, 8 January 2022. Short and sweet.
I was struck by the number of terse definitions in this puzzle – often one word, sometimes just two letters. I didn’t know the old county – and probably don’t know many current ones! – … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28182 – Saturday, 8 January 2022. Short and sweet.”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1534: To Those Who Wait
I honestly don’t know what happened to me at New Year’s 2022 – possibly alien abduction. This was a very straightforward puzzle though, unlikely to exacerbate any hangovers. My COD was 29ac – actually I … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1534: To Those Who Wait”
Times Quick Cryptic No 2049 by Orpheus
You may have seen in last weekend’s Times Puzzles newsletter from David Parfitt that Wadham Sutton has completed 50 years as a Times crossword setter, and that he sets Quick Crosswords under the name of … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 2049 by Orpheus”
Times 28,187: When Are We Going To See Petroleum V. Nasby In A Puzzle?
An odd puzzle where I started off very very fast but was never going to finish in record time, thanks to Very Hard Words like 4ac and a couple of 4-letter-words with tough cluing, probably … Read more “Times 28,187: When Are We Going To See Petroleum V. Nasby In A Puzzle?”
Times Quick Cryptic No 2048 by Felix
Another Quite Challenging QC, made a bit easier if you were prepared to trust the wordplay and consider some unlikely-looking letter combinations, such as 8ac. Also made a bit easier if you’re the observant sort … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 2048 by Felix”