Solving time: 47’ No need to time myself to the hundredth of a second today: I was held up by 6D, 10A and 23D for about 15 minutes. The last two being subtraction clues (can … Read more “Times 23535/must watch more TV”
Author: ilanc
Times 23529/Fear and loathing
Solving time: 45’ Maybe it was my mood or maybe the setter’s, but there seemed to be a lot of anxiety and worry in this puzzle: engineers feeling uncertain in a nation gripped by fear, … Read more “Times 23529/Fear and loathing”
Times 23528
[I’m posting this on behalf of David Hogg…]My first go at blogging a Times crossword. A certain amount of literary knowledge was required to complete the puzzle – two across clues required you to know … Read more “Times 23528”
Times 23523/not opera again
Solving time: 55’ Made pretty good time on this at first since I guessed the long anagram at 10A quickly but really slowed down at the end: struggled with 1D, 13A, 20A, 27A (still not … Read more “Times 23523/not opera again”
23517/Cheeky revolutionary
Solving time: 1:20 (hours not minutes) After a diet of Sunday Times, there’s no doubt that the Times is both more rigorous and more challenging. Lots to commend this puzzle – but I wonder if … Read more “23517/Cheeky revolutionary”
Sunday Times 4209 – Had a ball rumbaing
It feels like the quality of Sunday puzzles has improved: this one was both harder than the run of the mill, and almost all the clues were solid. RUMBAING is a new word for me … Read more “Sunday Times 4209 – Had a ball rumbaing”
Sunday Times 4208 – Y, oh, why?
This was a lot harder for a Sunday puzzle compared to those I’ve seen since I started writing these notes. Not sure whether the clues overall were just more challenging or because a couple of … Read more “Sunday Times 4208 – Y, oh, why?”
Sunday Times 4207/Yellow goo
The only thing that I wonder about is why yellow goo is lemon curd (see 14D) – is this along the lines of “yellow matter custard”? Across 5 LA-D,[a]I-DA – Verdi’s Aida is probably the … Read more “Sunday Times 4207/Yellow goo”
Sunday Times 4206/Carnauba
Not a typo in sight and nary a bad clue. One new word that had me guessing and quite a few doubled-letters (SSx4, BB, DDx2, EE, TT, RR, LL). Across 1 D[own],RIBBLE – “River” Ribble … Read more “Sunday Times 4206/Carnauba”
Sunday Times 4205/Dec 31: New Years Resolution
A brilliant anag &lit at 4D to end the year and a Scots celebration to usher in the new at 16D. Not a bad puzzle overall but marred yet again by a missing S in … Read more “Sunday Times 4205/Dec 31: New Years Resolution”