Hi all. I hope 2026 is treating you well.
Oink typically provides smooth and not too difficult puzzles, and I found this to be such. I expect a wide selection of favourite clues today. Thanks Oink!
Author: Kitty
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1765 – 20 December 2025. Scrappy New Year!
Happy New Year to you all!
This was certainly on the tricky side. I don’t have a proper time as my “solvemate” and I did it together, but it was a good puzzle for sharing, with plenty of cunning tricks and misdirection. Thanks setter.
Times Quick Cryptic 3178 by Teazel – the pay may vary
Hi everyone. As this will be my last Times blog to be published this year, I’d like to wish you all a lovely festive season, however you celebrate or don’t. See you on the other side!
Times Quick Cryptic 3166 by Pipsqueak – pull a cracker?
Hi everybody. This took me a little longer than typical for a Pipsqueak, but not unduly. I was a little surprised but also amused by 13d. Thanks Pipsqueak!
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1760 – 15 November 2025
Hello everyone. I try to delay as little as possible between solving and writing up, but failed to blog promptly this time. Now all I have is a note of my time (59 minutes) and the vaguest of recollections. My time suggests a medium level of difficulty, and the wordplay must have seen me through the couple of gaps in my knowledge, otherwise I’d have noted it. So all good – thanks setter!
Times Quick Cryptic 3154 by Oink – not a piglet
Hello all. This puzzle by Oink was not what I’d call swinish: I didn’t encounter any snags. Thanks Oink!
Times Quick Cryptic 3142 by Pipsqueak
Hi all. Pipsqueak delivers again, with another enjoyable puzzle perfectly pitched for this slot. Thanks Pipsqueak!
Times Quick Cryptic 3130 by Loon
Hello all, and welcome to Loon. I really enjoyed this debut, finding a little more cryptic cunning on display than on some Mondays, but not enough to extend my time too much: I still took a little under my average time for a QC. Thanks Loon!
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1755 – 11 October 2025. One out of three
Hi everyone. I feared this would be a toughie when my first pass of the across clues yielded little. However, I’m often just a bit slow to get going and the downs proved more fruitful. All in all, an excellent enjoyment/time ratio – thanks setter!
Times Quick Cryptic 3118 by Trelawney – International Day for Failure
Hi everybody. Trelawney has taken us on a bit of an international tour, so I sought inspiration for the blog title by typing “international” into a search engine and looking at the autocomplete suggestions. This was when I discovered that October 13th is International Day for Failure. Thanks Trelawney!