Author: Zabadak

Was there perhaps a hint of a more relaxed style of setting here? A touch of the not-quite-Ximenean? There is certainly one laugh out loud clue and a couple where the definitions are hardly precise. … Read more “Times Cryptic 25739 Bright Maharajah, long producing problems for his guardian? (4,9,6)”

A rather exciting sub-10 for me, and even then I wasn’t the first on the board having started at midnight local time. I’d like to suggest there’s a bit of an outdoor party theme trying … Read more “Vanilla? Chewy toffee? Tutti Frutti? Neither, but a pleasant enough picnic. Times 25727”

Stopped the clock after a smidge over 20 minutes. Probably should have been quicker, but decided still to do this on the night shift after a long day pottering around northern France with my 10 … Read more “Times crossword 25715: All you have to do is get all the letters in the right order”

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”