This was, I think, the trickiest, but also most fun, Jumbo for quite a while. Lots of witty, deceptive and whimsical definitions and wordplay made for an entertaining tussle.
Author: Johninterred
Times Quick Cryptic No 2379 by Izetti
A fine Quick Cryptic from Izetti today, if a little tricky in parts. 7D, 11A and 21A in particular held me up, taking my up to 6:54. But lots of great clues, my favourite being 1A. Thank-you Izetti! How did you all get on?
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is Phil’s turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword (and news of a London get together in June) here.
Times Quick Cryptic No 2369 by Pedro
Well that was a bit tricky in places, but a great QC from Pedro today. Some super clues including a reverse cryptic and a diverse set geographical references, including one of my favourite towns in Suffolk.
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is my turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword, entitled “A New Season Begins”, (and news of a London get together in June) here.
Monthly Club Special No 20270 – Mar 2023
Yet another cracking puzzle of delightfully unlikely looking words and clever wordplay.
Times Quick Cryptic No 2359 by Felix
Today we have another Quick Cryptic from Felix. I enjoyed it a lot – some great clues, with 19A, 3D and 16D all getting an approving tick on my copy. LOI was 21A and I finished in a just-over-average time for me of 5:47.
Being a Felix Crossword, we again have a Nina to spot. Can you see it? You will need to look at the whole grid…
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is Sawbill’s turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword (and news of a London get together in June) here
Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1602
Oh dear. Maybe I got out of bed the wrong way the day I solved this, but I found this rather less to my taste than usual for a Jumbo Cryptic. “Too easy”, it says at the top of my copy, and I’m afraid I found it, on the whole, rather a processional solve
Times Quick Cryptic No 2349 by Felix
A neat and entertaining Quick Cryptic from Felix today. I have several ticks of appreciation for good clues on my copy but my COD goes to excellent semi-&lit 7D.
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is Phil’s turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword here.
Monthly Club Special No 20269 – Feb 2023
Quintessentially quirky with quite a quantity of Qs, including a queue of them in the middle of a diagonal. Yes it’s the Monthly Club Special providing, once again, cruciverbal entertainment like none other.
Times Quick Cryptic No 2339 by Hurley
I found this even tricker than yesterday’s Joker taking me just under 7 minutes. Lots of letter selection/deletion/substitution clues today, so a good work-out from that perspective. Thank-you Hurley. How did you all get on?
Fortnightly Weekend Quick Cryptic. This time it is my turn to provide the extra weekend entertainment. You can find the crossword, entitled “Death of a Canary”, here. Can you identify the event from 100 years ago this month referred to in the grid?
Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1597 – 28th Jan
A fairly typical Jumbo, I think, with a good mix of easy clues and chewier ones. A couple of unknowns as usual, but all readily gettable from the wordplay. I liked 6D, 33D and 48D best. Thank-you setter. How did you all get on?