A wrong guess at the Malagasy native did for me, in what was otherwise a very nice way to get the week going. Onwards and upwards… ACROSS 1 Notice doctor cuddling new arrival (6)ADVENT – … Read more “Times 28177 – Start the way you mean to go on”
Month: January 2022
Times Quick Cryptic 2040 by Joker
Solving time: 15 minutes. I just avoided the red zone on this one by coming in a few seconds under 15 minutes but having written the blog I can’t explain what held me up. I … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 2040 by Joker”
Mephisto 3200 – OK, here’s my mickey!
Mephisto is supposed to be tough, and I thought this one was pretty tough. Instead of a typical 2-hour solve, my efforts spread out over several days. I graduatlly pecked away at it, solving a … Read more “Mephisto 3200 – OK, here’s my mickey!”
Sunday Times Christmas Cryptic 4987, by David McLean — There ain’t no sanity clause!
You can’t fool me! Ha. Having got the long song title at the bottom right away, I expected very smooth sailing… but it turned out not to be a steady breeze. There were a few … Read more “Sunday Times Christmas Cryptic 4987, by David McLean — There ain’t no sanity clause!”
Times Cryptic – Saturday, 1 January 2022. Happy New Year!
Just to remind those who were busy on the day – last Saturday’s puzzle was blogged on Christmas Day. You’ll find the blog here: https://times-xwd-times.livejournal.com/2660654.html As always, please don’t comment here on the current Saturday … Read more “Times Cryptic – Saturday, 1 January 2022. Happy New Year!”
Monthly Club Special 20,255: Creme Brulzie
Apologies for the somewhat delayed blog – this slipped through the net in the 19dn that was 2021’s NYE celebrations. The usual combination of excellent/unlikely-looking words and truly daredevil wordplay, needless to say I loved … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,255: Creme Brulzie”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1531 – Lillie Langtry and Jason Robards in The Twirling Inferno
Happy new year. All the best for 2022 to both my readers. Another 60-minute puzzle, solved and parsed over two sessions during yuletide so I wasn’t in full-on speed mode or stimulant-free. Slightly harder than … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1531 – Lillie Langtry and Jason Robards in The Twirling Inferno”