Author: mctext

Solving time: 34:27 As the time suggests, far too difficult for me. Gives me even greater admiration for the folk who complete the Prelims (let alone the Grand Finals) all correct and in the given … Read more “Times 25625: First Prelim, Puzzle 3 — GENA, MEG AND RON (x2) HUG?”

Solving time: 22:24 There’s no way in the world I could have finished this under 20 minutes. Hence my usual conclusion at this time of the year (when they start publishing the Championship puzzles on … Read more “Times 25613: First Prelim, Puzzle 1”

Solving time: 28:45 Then a fair while after that sorting out my missing parsings: IN SUM, MASSEUSE and VOUCHSAFED. So a puzzle where a lot of the literals (sometimes with checking letters) give a reasonable … Read more “Times 25601: Long time parsing”

Solving time: 27:52 Happy to have managed this under the 30 today. Thought it was going to take much longer with, as yesterday, lengthy hold ups in the SE. It took the longish 15ac, 13dn … Read more “Times 25589: Getting “difficult or awkward treatment””

Solving time: 23:44 Sorry this blog is up a bit late. So was I. But not too much trouble, especially on the left-hand side which seemed easier to me than the right. A few long … Read more “Times 25577: (Y)es, French art”

Solving Time: 21:47 — including all the parsings Not a hard puzzle with quite a few going in on the literals alone — “Like mules”, “one anticipating the worst”, etc. Which just left a few … Read more “Times 25565: Two fine rulers”

Solving time: 18:08 Phew! Got an easier one on blogging day after harder than usual puzzles on Monday and Tuesday. A pretty standard effort I found with a few bits of tricky wordplay holding me … Read more “Times 25553: Anything but a 1dn”

Solving time: 21:48 Taking a leaf out of Jack’s book, I decided to take this one as slowly as possible. But it wasn’t all that difficult. There’s still one I can’t parse (26ac) and await … Read more “Times 25541: Don’t fret”

As the convention has it, no specific time for this. Simply to say, I found this the hardest of the three by far. This may have to do with completing the 1973 puzzle first and … Read more “Times 25523: Third Qualifier”

Solving time: 27:44 Third puzzle this week I’ve found quite difficult; particularly, in this case, on the left-hand side — though with a few simpler clues on the right to compensate. Wonder if it’s the … Read more “Times 25529: Voici l’Anglais avec son sang-froid habituel*”