There’s nothing more annoying for a Mephisto blogger than to discover it is time for the blog, and you put the puzzle away on Tuesday with three unsolved, meaning to get back to it. Apparently, … Read more “Mephisto 3206 – “In pious times, ere priestcraft did begin…”
Month: February 2022
Sunday Times Cryptic 4993, by David McLean — Olympics-level performance?
Well, out of 10, I’d give it a 7.5, at least. Maybe an 8.Slick surfaces, indeed.On which we see pattern dances, arabesques, backflips.And these always end with a solid two-footed landing.There are also a couple … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4993, by David McLean — Olympics-level performance?”
Times Cryptic No 28206 – Saturday, 5 February 2022. Pass that red this way.
An epicurean crossword today, with bread, asparagus, salads, fruit, soft drinks and red wine. Difficulty was Goldilocks – not too hard, not too easy, and with no exotic knowledge required. Thanks to the setter for … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28206 – Saturday, 5 February 2022. Pass that red this way.”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1539: The Crossword Your Crossword Could Smell Like
I thought this a very superior specimen of the Jumbonic art, lots of really good lift-and-separates and surfaces with the definition part well and misleadingly concealed within. The first row went pretty much straight in … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1539: The Crossword Your Crossword Could Smell Like”
Times Quick Cryptic No 2069 by Hurley
We end the week of Times Quick Cryptics with one from Hurley. And what a pleasant and, dare I say, gentle end to the week it is. Nothing too tricky or obscure, I think, with … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 2069 by Hurley”
Times 28,211: Forster, Forester, Fortissimo
I did like this puzzle quite a bit though it did seem to have the flaw of a LOT of answers biffable from the enumerations: I’m looking at you, 1ac, 12ac, 22ac, maybe even 9ac. … Read more “Times 28,211: Forster, Forester, Fortissimo”
Times Quick Cryptic No 2068 by Felix
One of those gratifying puzzles that has the feeling of being quite tricky but all goes in smoothly: I came in at 6.35, about a minute quicker than yesterday, helped along by getting all but … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 2068 by Felix”
28210 Thursday, 10 February 2022 Lovely Riita?
Land’s sakes, we have ourselves the entire alphabet, in a puzzle which achieves the impressive feat of not looking as if it’s trying too hard. I was hampered by a rash of typos throughout, pushing … Read more “28210 Thursday, 10 February 2022 Lovely Riita?”
Times 28209 – what about the Wurzels?
A reasonably straightforward Wednesday this week, with some QC type clues and no words with which I was unfamiliar. Even the two French cites were those which most would have heard of, if not visited. … Read more “Times 28209 – what about the Wurzels?”
Times Quick Cryptic 2067 by Breadman
A sting in the tail of this one, as I missed the enumeration of 8ac and was convinced it would end -CIAN, and was flummuxod by the parsing of 24ac. All green in the end, … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 2067 by Breadman”