23:15. This was a very fine puzzle, with some real head-scratchers for me. I feel I was at a definite disadvantage being from the US, so I’m interested to hear how you all got on.
Month: December 2023
Times Quick Cryptic 2553 by Teazel
This puzzle struck me as quite difficult, but as I write the blog it doesn’t seem that tough. The QUITCH is over 100, but not particularly high. However, I often have difficulties with Teazel’s puzzles.
Times 28792 – A Shropshire Lad
Time taken: 10:06. I thought I was going to race through this one, but it turned out that the answers I did not see immediately took a fair bit of sorting out. Checking the early … Read more “Times 28792 – A Shropshire Lad”
Times Quick Cryptic 2552 by Izetti
A tricky offering from Izetti, who consistently produces our harder puzzles.
Times 28791 – chewy but not indigestible.
The second of the TCC semi-final puzzles, and I didn’t find it as hard as I’d expected, although there were two rather clumsy unknown words I had to construct and guess were correct.
Times Cryptic 28790
I would have finished this well within my target half-hour but for the fruit at 13ac which added a good 6 or 7 minutes to my solving time.
Quick Cryptic 2551 by Jalna
A very pleasant offering from Jalna to help us get into the holiday spirit.
Times 28789 – In memory of Crisp and Devon Loch
After last week’s BRALESS, we have more ribaldry today, as well as a mild expletive – the less often heard cherubic younger brother of a more meaty expression.
Times Quick Cryptic 2550 by Mara
My solving time of 14 minutes suggests this was not entirely straightforward.
Mephisto 3302 – Thanks, Paul, I needed that!
Yes, for the first time ever, I used one of Paul’s awful puns to complete the puzzle. I was really stuck in the upper right, and needed something to get me searching my Chambers. After checking a couple of possibilities, I saw what was going on.