Author: mctext

Solving time: 34 minutes. So confirming I’d have Buckley’s at the Championships. An interesting mixture today of business, theatre and religious vocabulary, with a smidge of music and politics. Don’t like cryptic defs in general … Read more “Times 25002 … as the thespian said to the Cardinal”

Solving time: 54 minutes. As noted yesterday, I’ve lost my crossword mojo. Finished the puzzle but don’t understand one clue(*). All help appreciated . Across  1 HE,A,RING-I’M,PAIRED.  9 LOOK SMART. OKs and MAR inside LOT … Read more “Times 24996: A moist ooze”

Solving time: 43 minutes. Fine, fine, fine. Across  1 STRA(WBER)RY. Anagram of BREW inside STRAY inc R (river).  6 S,PEW.  9 DEC{k}LINE. ‘Go through cases’ as in grammar. 10 MARENGO. MARE (horse), N, GO. A … Read more “Times 24978: Tie me polo down sport”

Solving time: 19 minutes. So getting quicker by the day this week. Slight hold up in the top right where I failed to know the ducks or spot them from the (as it turned out) … Read more “Times 24972: Four or five Johns?”

Solving time: Not recorded. A slow first 3/4 in one session; the rest thinking about them in the car on the way home. Suspect my head was in a mangle today because this really isn’t … Read more “Times 24966 … the word is ‘Pitch and Pay:’ Trust none …”

Solving time: 54 minutes. <—— How I felt this morning. Had the dickens of a job getting my head around a half-dozen or so of these: 9ac, 12ac, 15ac, 20ac, 5dn and 14dn. The last … Read more “Times 24960: Sei indizi in cerca d’analisi”

Solving time: not recorded. Couldn’t record a time. Done in various places including a panel-beater’s shop and on the bus home. But I felt this could have been a good half-hour puzzle under STP. Most … Read more “Times 24954 — “Interruptus”, as the priests said to the hesitators”

Solving time: 27 minutes. Back on the horse after taking my Spring break. Made heavier weather of this than was necessary. Out of practice? My Lack Of Intelligence this morning extended DEEP DOWN. But my … Read more “Times 24948: Queer as a butcher’s hook”

Solving time: see below. Uncle Yap is away so I’m blogging after a late call from Linxit. It’s a rushed job and I hope to be forgiven for errors. 42 minutes for most of the … Read more “Times 24943: Look, look, see A CAT RUN”

Solving time: 37 minutes. After yesterday’s nightmare, there was much relief chez McText this morning. Not sure that my parsing of 7ac and 18dn are correct but. Across  1 CHAIRPERSON. C (cape), HAIR (fur), PER … Read more “Times 24942”