Author: Guy du Sable

I really enjoyed this. There are no answers shorter than five letters, and (but of course, it’s Bob!) many slick surfaces evoking amusing images that may distract you so much that you skate right over … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4959, by Robert Price — strength in numbers”

Ah, I’ve missed traveling lately, as a second spring has passed without my leaving the country. A few months ago, I discovered YouTube videos shot from the engineer’s cab of trains passing through exotic climes—hours … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4957, by David McLean — strange games”

…wins the race! The week before, I had been out of ink, so Saturday saw me working the five weekday 15x15s, plus test-solving two for my former Nation team, before looking at this stunning offering, … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4955, by Dean Mayer — slow and steady”

A spectrum of life here, with advice to a weary employee, a nightmarish work scene, a brewery mascot, news in men’s fashions, competitive coworkers in an atmosphere of smouldering tension, and, of course, the uninhibited … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4953, by Robert Price — string of pearls”

The last time I blogged, there was a bit of discussion about Cryptic Definitions, in which both the setter and the editor joined in. I just sat back with some popcorn (so to speak). An … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4951, by David McLean — CD-aRAMa”

As with the last puzzle I blogged, I spotted an easy long one first, 14. But 17, the answer with which it is 23, eluded me for a while, though it now seems pretty obvious. … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4949 by Dean Mayer — coir practice”

I flashed on the answer to 13 on first glance, so decided to take the time then to work out the long anagram in 16, which made it possible to finish everything below that pretty … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4947 by Robert Price — Yo-’o-’o, and a bottle of rum ♫”

I (obviously) don’t know anything about the UK version of Monopoly, but was confident enough of what was going on in 1A that I only now (Friday night) got around to checking it. On the … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4945 by David McLean — Pass Go, collect £143.68?”

and I am sure I could’ve cracked the fifteen-letter 5 first of all, if Saturday Night Live had not just come on and if the first thing I saw when glancing at the newly printed … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4943, by Dean Mayer — No major hurdles…”

Nothing much very convoluted here, but all quite engaging for the smoothness of the surfaces and the uncontrived craftiness of the wordplay. Not saying I ripped thru this in 5, but I got the first … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4941, by Robert Price — circling the square”