Paul McKenna’s puzzles are falling into a pattern – plenty of starter words to get things going, and just when you think you’re going to race through the grid, there are some really obscure tough … Read more “Mephisto 2499 – Paul McKenna”
Author: glh
Times 23968 – together we can take over the world
Solving time : 22 minutes. A tale of two halves, the bottom half took me very little time, and I was left with a mostly empty top half. Some guesswork here that I had to … Read more “Times 23968 – together we can take over the world”
Times 23956 – pick your poison
Solving time : 15 minutes The setter seems to have damage on the mind – you can kill yourself with 4D, face madame 11A, or just after a 5D get 19A until a 16D. 1A … Read more “Times 23956 – pick your poison”
Mephisto 2495 – Tim Moorey
I usually find that Tim Moorey pulls out obscure biological terminology, but this one just has a random assortment of obscure words. The right half was considerably easier than the left half, and there are … Read more “Mephisto 2495 – Tim Moorey”
Times 23944 – the Thursday annihilator!
Solving time : 38 minutes! Usually I’d have given up and headed for the solving aids on this one, but that would have meant getting out of my chair and that wasn’t happening. Another Thursday … Read more “Times 23944 – the Thursday annihilator!”
Times 23932 – Phwoar indeed!
I didn’t time myself on this one, I think if I solved it under usual conditions, it would be a 20-25 minuter. Clues were good, some nice wordplay, I solved this one in front of … Read more “Times 23932 – Phwoar indeed!”
Mephisto 2491 – Mike Laws
I found this one mostly straightforward, but Mike Laws has a habit of slipping in a word that completely eludes me (including last time I blogged one of his puzzles), and he’s gone and done … Read more “Mephisto 2491 – Mike Laws”
Times 23920: DD, XX, and trusting one’s instinct
Solving time : 15 minutes, with one unconfirmed guess. Blazed through most of this, some fun and fruity wordplay and two clues that had me outright laughing – not quite Clues in Blue territory, but … Read more “Times 23920: DD, XX, and trusting one’s instinct”
Times Crossword Championship 2008: 2nd qualifier
Solving time : let’s keep this one to ourselves. I found this more difficult than qualifier 1 Across 1 P(e)ACEMAKER 6 WASTE: two definitions 9 DORIS: I in Diana DORS. Is this a sign to … Read more “Times Crossword Championship 2008: 2nd qualifier”
Mephisto 2487 – Paul McKenna
Two new things – this is the first Paul McKenna Mephisto that I’ve blogged (I know he comments occasionally on the Crossword Centre and so may well be looking in here, so “hi Paul”), and … Read more “Mephisto 2487 – Paul McKenna”