19.11 with proper pre-submission checking, so for me the stiffest of the week so far but not oppressively so. What strikes clearly with this is the brevity of the clues, averaging around five words each. … Read more “Times Cryptic 26638 – February 2, 2017 Economy Class”
Author: Zabadak
Times Cryptic 26626 – January 19, 2017 Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs
There were early signs that our setter was about to demonstrate his grasp of the entire alphabet, though I don’t think the assumption made any difference to my speed of solving, which produced a par … Read more “Times Cryptic 26626 – January 19, 2017 Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs”
Times Cryptic 26614 – January 5, 2017 Take two
Much harder than the grid posted on the time warped Club site, at least for me, though I was solving on my smart phone, an experience akin to keyhole surgery. As with next Monday’s puzzle, … Read more “Times Cryptic 26614 – January 5, 2017 Take two”
Times Cryptic 26614/7 – January 5/9, 2017. Not exactly upping the anty
A rather straightforward solve marred for me by an over-exuberant attempt to score a whizzy time, forgoing proper checking and allowing 2 typos. The grid is rather infested with Formicidae, or bits of them, ten … Read more “Times Cryptic 26614/7 – January 5/9, 2017. Not exactly upping the anty”
TLS Crossword 1154 by Myrtilus – December 9, 2016 2016 Survivors Edition
Another very convincing guide to the art of writing proper crossword clues, even when you know the temptation for the solver, with the long ones, is to let the wordplay go hang. Very smooth and … Read more “TLS Crossword 1154 by Myrtilus – December 9, 2016 2016 Survivors Edition”
Times Cryptic 26602 – December 22, 2016. Ni!
Not at my most fluent, so it took 37.14. There are three words that might only ever appear in crosswords at 4ac, 20 ac and 7d, but in each case there’s pretty much generous wordplay … Read more “Times Cryptic 26602 – December 22, 2016. Ni!”
TLS Crossword 1151 by Broteas – November 18, 2016 No Macbeth, no Duncan
If you take it that 16ac is a reference to the William Walton opera based on Chaucer’s poem, there ain’t no Shakespeare in this one, making it a true rarity. It also contains something of … Read more “TLS Crossword 1151 by Broteas – November 18, 2016 No Macbeth, no Duncan”
Times Cryptic 26590 – December 8, 2016 Well, put together
A nice quick solve for me in 14.42, helped enormously by the vast majority of the clues looking like a collection of IKEA assembly instructions: insert part a into part b, attach part c to … Read more “Times Cryptic 26590 – December 8, 2016 Well, put together”
Times Cryptic 26578 – November 24, 2016 5 kilos.
Took my time on this one, finishing in 32.21, though with all of the early runners and riders being in double figures that may be quite a decent time and suggest the puzzle is on … Read more “Times Cryptic 26578 – November 24, 2016 5 kilos.”
TLS Crossword 1148 by Talos – October 28, 2016. Up to the elbow.
One of the better things to have happened this year is that the quality of cluing in the TLS has risen to considerable heights. It’s not just that they bear comparison with the Times, but … Read more “TLS Crossword 1148 by Talos – October 28, 2016. Up to the elbow.”