Author: branch

A bit harder than last week I thought, and more exotica, but I got there without ever being driven to desperation. There were lots of clues I liked, but my clue of the day is … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26886 – Saturday, 18 November 2017. It’s an Enigma.”

This was my idea of a perfect crossword! I am a big fan of puzzles that use familiar words in unfamiliar ways, rather than obscurities from foreign places and times, and/or plant and animal names. … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26880 – Saturday, 11 November 2017. Nice clues if you can get them.”

Times Cryptic No 26874 – Saturday, 04 November 2017. Slowed to a crawl. While, we hoped, the stars of the troupe were tripping and twirling their way through a series of competition puzzles, this one … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26874 – Saturday, 04 November 2017. Slowed to a crawl.”

I found this relatively easy for a Saturday, which is of course not to say easy in any absolute sense. I’m back to solving on paper, but I estimate it took me about 40 minutes … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26868 – Saturday, 28 October 2017. Uluru, if you please!”

This was a fairly straightforward solve, although not very quick. I finished the LHS first, then the top right, and finally made sense of the bottom right. I’m always happy when there’s no weird vocabulary! … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26862 – Saturday, 21 October 2017. Straight down the fairway.”

After doing the previous Saturday’s blog, I could see some synchronicity in the minds of that setter and this one. A reappearance of “Devil’s  Island”, and an echo of “cabbages and kings”, this time actually … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26856 – Saturday, 14 October 2017. Synchronise your cluing.”

Lots of obscure references in this one, at 13ac, 3dn and 14dn particularly, but everything was gettable from wordplay or definition so a fair challenge. I am writing this blog belatedly so I don’t have … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26850 – Saturday, 07 October 2017. Devilish stuff.”

For me this puzzle was a delight! No impossible clues, very few “gimme”s, and most hard enough to challenge. I expect the all-star solvers will find it easy, and the journeymen will get there at … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26844 – Saturday 30 September 2017. Slow and steady.”

Apart from 20ac, this was a typical Saturday exercise, I thought at the time. On reviewing the stats, that may have been an optimistic assessment! Average time is well over normal, so perhaps others got … Read more “Times Cryptic No 26838. Saturday, 23 September 2017. Ladies’ day.”