Not at all easy. My solving time was 58 minutes.
Month: December 2023
Times Quick Cryptic 2545 by Teazel – a prickly one
Hello everyone. This took me over my outer target time, so I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that you found it tough. If you in fact did well then well done! Thanks Teazel.
Times 28783 – “To statesmen would you give a wipe….”
This was not a terribly difficult puzzle, although some of the cryptics were obscure. Since I had decided to solve the puzzle as fast as possible, and then blog it as fast as possible, I pushed ahead. Obvious answers were entered without parsing, so I had quite a few biffs by the end of my solve – these are noted in italic type.
Sunday Times 5088 by Dean Mayer – anax woz here
13:36. The usual fun from Dean, with a couple of particularly nice clues. My favourites were ‘Ham producer’, the CD at 18dn, and the initially utterly bamboozling and then quite brilliant 28ac. How did you … Read more “Sunday Times 5088 by Dean Mayer – anax woz here”
Mephisto 3301 – Tim Moorey
Greetings, barred-grid fans. I enjoyed this one – the wordplay is excellent all-round, and can be trusted to get to the unusual answers readily. Pretty brisk solve. In Mephisto puzzles, definitions can be confirmed in … Read more “Mephisto 3301 – Tim Moorey”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1645 – 25 November 2023. Fear of Santa
Hi all. I can’t give any real assessment of this as crosswording has had to fit around life. Solving was done in pre-bed sleepy snatches, and blogging done later in a bit of a rush. I have a dim memory of using aids anyway, I think for 34d and maybe another. Thanks to the setter – I hope to be more awake for your next one!
Times Cryptic 28776 – Sat, 2 Dec 2023. She’s the cat’s mother.
I still don’t really understand what She’s up to at 26dn. Otherwise I flew through this one.
Quick Cryptic 2544 by Wurm
A chewy Wurm today
Times Cryptic No 28781 — Bravo!
15:09. Every once in awhile, a puzzle comes along that is so good that you almost can’t believe somebody created it. Like a great piece of music you can listen to over and over again, or a gripping novel you can’t put down. For me, this was one of those puzzles. I would solve one clue and marvel at the witty wordplay — only to find the setter outdid themselves on the very next clue. All I can say is, bravo.
Times 28780 – a hidden pearl
Time taken: 11:07 From the times of the first few people to finish, I suspect this is on the more difficult end of things. In my first run through the across clues I only got … Read more “Times 28780 – a hidden pearl”