Solving time 20 minutes Largely straightforward artisan’s puzzle with no real obscurities or major gripes and a smattering of good clues. Across 1 TIPPLE – TIP-P(L)E; piece of advice=TIP; gym=gymnastic=PE; “the usual” is the rather … Read more “Times 24,815 Average Fare”
Author: dorsetjimbo
Mephisto 2638 by Tim Moorey
Another excellent puzzle that would have been harder if 1A SUPPRESSING hadn’t been rather easy. That opened up the top half making the whole thing no more than of average difficulty. It is distinguished by … Read more “Mephisto 2638 by Tim Moorey”
Times 24,803 – no, not Brahms and Liszt
Solving time 25 minutes An interesting puzzle with lots of “lift and separate” to be seen through plus a couple of tricky wordplays. We have an astronomer and a modern science – wow! No poets … Read more “Times 24,803 – no, not Brahms and Liszt”
Mephisto 2636 by Paul McKenna
A fun puzzle that manages to get Buzz Aldrin, Marilyn Munroe and Calvin Klein tittupping together, so to speak, with a Pearly and a bottle of port. It’s not often one gets to write sentences … Read more “Mephisto 2636 by Paul McKenna”
Times 24,791 Give Me Pigalle Anytime
Solving time 25 minutes I never quite gelled with this setter and found myself working ant-clockwise from NW to NE. My last in was 17A where I can only see STAUNCH as an answer with … Read more “Times 24,791 Give Me Pigalle Anytime”
Mephisto 2634 by Paul McKenna
The second puzzle in a row to be on the hard side of average without being fiendish. I thoroughly enjoyed wrestling with it. Oddly I was off to a good start with the first three … Read more “Mephisto 2634 by Paul McKenna”
Times 24,779 You Need Flare
Solving time 20 minutes Reasonably straightforward puzzle spoiled a little by the rather weak clue to the long central down light. 1A may cause some problems with “source of report” as the definition for a … Read more “Times 24,779 You Need Flare”
Mephisto 2632 by Mike Laws
A puzzle on the easy side of average I would say. A great deal of it will be very familiar to experienced solvers who will barely have needed Chambers. Across 1 CLIO – C-(OIL reversed); … Read more “Mephisto 2632 by Mike Laws”
Times 24,767 All About Strikers
Solving time 20 minutes A straightforward enough puzzle with some good wordplays but lacking any clever or really misleading definitions. The old sailing ship may not be so well known but other than that it’s … Read more “Times 24,767 All About Strikers”
Mephisto 2630 by Tim Moorey
An essentially easy Mephisto with a smaller than usual quota of obscure words solved in 40 minutes with almost no need to reference Chambers. It is frustrating therefore to report that I have been unable … Read more “Mephisto 2630 by Tim Moorey”