As I set this to publish, I’m just back from the Metropolitan Museum here in New York City, where I spent some time with the sensational Eugène Delacroix. Which seems appropriate, as this puzzle reacquainted … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4825, by David McLean — Four-letter word! (But is it art?)”
Author: Guy du Sable
Sunday Times Cryptic 4823, by Jeff Pearce — It’s easy… too easy(?)*
* My desultory research indicates that the first citation of “It’s quiet… too quiet” may be a line in the film Drums Along the Mohawk (1939). This was a moderately entertaining and not very difficult … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4823, by Jeff Pearce — It’s easy… too easy(?)*”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4821, by Dean Mayer — Any eyebrows raised?
I enjoyed this a lot. FOI was DESPOIL, then FAIR-AND-SQUARE, and then, from only the Q and the definition, I got SESQUIPEDALIAN, and was well on my way. The only frustrating LOGJAM occurred with my … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4821, by Dean Mayer — Any eyebrows raised?”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4819, by David McLean — Comma chameleon
It was pleasant looking back over this puzzle, which I recall as a(n) 13ing outing, after a week. In the first edition of this blog, I thought that the one clue where I detected a … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4819, by David McLean — Comma chameleon”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4817, by Jeff Pearce — Like a result in the night
Pretty easy, this one. I filled in most of the acrosses, in order, in record time, and most of the rest came fairly quickly. Four anagrams, and three in a row! I even biffed a … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4817, by Jeff Pearce — Like a result in the night”
Sunday Times Cryptic No. 4815, by Dean Mayer — Yon lone nagaram…!
And it isn’t even the entire clue. My goodness, has this ever happened before? (nagarams)* like this ACROSS 1 Indian dish served in food halls (4) DHAL — Hidden in food halls 4 Boss with … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No. 4815, by Dean Mayer — Yon lone nagaram…!”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4813, by David McLean — Not the end of the world
Rather a mundane vocabulary for this one. I pick as my COD the clever, though quite easy, 7, which is also probably the most interesting word here. But 6 also stands out, as &lit.s have … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4813, by David McLean — Not the end of the world”
Sunday Times Cryptic No. 4811, by Jeff Pearce — talking Turkey
I put in about half of the answers, starting with the extremely easy FLEET, in a desultory manner while watching the last half-hour of a too-long and somewhat preposterous movie (which had a nice twist … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No. 4811, by Jeff Pearce — talking Turkey”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4809, by Dean Mayer — I’m Telling You
A few weeks ago, French citoyen Christophe Février acquired, for €8,000, a mid-nineteenth-century edition (for which Lady Gaga had once made a bid) of Dr. Joseph-Ignace Guillotin’s humane invention. For a month or so now there has … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4809, by Dean Mayer — I’m Telling You”
Sunday Times Cryptic 4807, by David McLean—Idiomatic for the People
Shall we count the UKisms? The idiom that answers 2 down (my FOI), as well as MCC in the clue; the two “T”s in ACTUATE (which are why this was my LOI); BISH for “mistake”; … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4807, by David McLean—Idiomatic for the People”