Author: branch

Much easier than last week. All done, checked and submitted in 33:16. LOI was 11ac, for no good reason – the concept came to mind quickly, but the answer hid itself in the recesses of … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26982 – Saturday, 10 March 2018. A tasty number.”

Setter, take a bow … what a delight! At first pass, I could barely see how to pass a single clue, far less see any answers. All up it took me over two hours – … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26976 – Saturday, 03 March 2018. Happiness is a hard crossword.”

In the middle of another hectic weekend this took me 35-40 minutes, so fairly easy, I think. Interestingly, as I now start the blog, I can identify all but two of the definitions at a … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26970 – Saturday, 24 February 2018. Up the river without a paddle?”

I did this in bits and pieces in the middle of other activities, so I can’t give a time or a difficulty rating. All I can say is it came together in the end. My … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26964 – Saturday, 17 February 2018. No style points for the blogger.”

For me this puzzle was hard to start, but once I had a foothold it flowed fairly smoothly. Once I saw 1dn, the NW corner gave up its secrets easily. Hardest was probably the long … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26958 – Saturday, 10 February 2018. Once begun, half done.”

After the mystery clues of the previous Saturday, this was a straightforward solve. I took a wild stab at the botany clue, and took the setter at his word for the geography clue, but everything … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26952 – Saturday, 03 February 2018. Normal service has now resumed.”

Well, that was hard. After about two and a half times as long as last week, I finally felt reasonably sure I knew all the answers, but now as I submit the blog five days … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26946 – Saturday, 27 January 2018. Everything old is new again.”

This puzzle appeared on the first anniversary of the inauguration of the current US president, and not a single reference! Such restraint. I finished this in a bit over 20 minutes on the timer, so … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26940 – Saturday, 20 January 2018. The anniversary waltz.”

This puzzle may have set a record for the number of double definition clues – five out of 29. I found it relatively straightforward – 36 minutes on the timer. I put in 24ac on … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26934 – Saturday, 13 January 2018. Double the fun!”

This might have been a “typical” Saturday puzzle, if I hadn’t foolishly biffed a wrong answer to 25ac, and so made 23dn impossible until I eventually gave up and went back to check the helpers. … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26928 – Saturday, 06 January 2018. All right bar my plight.”