Author: Zabadak

This one turned out to be a ten minute romp, which allowing for my clumsy and inattentive typing techniques is about as fast as I can go. A couple of words were not that familiar … Read more “25703 They don’t come much easier”

14′ 41″, which turned out to be just under 2 Gilhams, but then I was taking it steady and trying to make sure everything made sense. No artists, no cricket, no poets, no painters despite … Read more “25691 Delightful from top to bottom”

I managed 23′ 31″ and had to check to confirm that the unlikely collection of letters that I had battered 9 down into was indeed a recognised piece of vocabulary. Not much in this one … Read more “25679 Many paths in my garden – lead me down any number of them.”

Completed in 27′ 34″ but with one wrong, which looks as if it might be my advanced spelling of GAL-NGALE, a plant which I have definitely eaten in Thai restaurants. Perhaps if I find out … Read more “25667 Boxing day bubble and squeak with cold meat and with ginger (and a spliff on the side?)”

In the frame within a gnat’s crotchet of 20 minutes, in a bit of a hybrid puzzle that mixed the pretty straightforward with some arcana. There’s definitely some stuff I didn’t know in here, and … Read more “Time crossword 25656 Hands up if you knew all the answers.”

Knowing I’m supposed to be able to explain all this definitely slowed me down, but I came through in 24.33, which I hope is going to look like a decent time. I think there’s some … Read more “Times Cryptic 25644 One out of left field.”

27.02, but then I did do a thorough post-solve check before submitting to make sure everything was in order. Still makes me 3 Andy Gilhams again, but this time I’m solving with a head full … Read more “25632”

27.39 for this, so for me on the hard side, and a rather daunting 3 Andy Gilhams worth. Having only just returned from White Hart Lane, where at the tenth time of asking Spurs managed … Read more “25620 One off the top shelf, perhaps.”

This took me 26′ 46″, so rates about a 7 on my personal Mohs scale, though some of that may be bloggers nerves, A third or more of that time was spent in the Home … Read more “25608 How many Northern towns can you think of?”

In this case, my first attempt at blogging the solution, and I think the first time I’ve tried solving at midnight. Since it took 17’14” on the timer, it might show that’s a propitious time, … Read more “Puzzle number 25596: A first time for everything”