Author: Merlin

A fair outing from Orpheus, which I completed in good time without too much trouble.

Are are the QCs getting harder? This one was also outside my target time of 20:23, with 12a taking me over the top. Two NHOs for me today, one anatomical, one culinary.

This QC shouldn’t scare the horses, middle of the road time for me. Well- balanced with good surfaces.

My time, 14:31. Timeline: Execution of Joan of Arc, 1431. Bang on average for me these days.

Hardest QC I’ve ever seen. By miles.
Not sure what Orpheus is trying to do here. Some of the clues and vocabulary are Mephisto level.

A very clever new device made this an interesting puzzle. Even then I found it challenging in several places, and yet again, missed my target time on by Blogday.

When does a great clue become a chestnut? For newer solvers, the first time they come across a great cryptic, they want to cry “Bravo, Setter”, but old hands dismiss it with “Chestnut”.

I’m sure there is a typo at 7d, where “with” should be “within”. What with the backwards usage of “without”, which actually means “within”, I’m calling today St Withins Day.

A challenge from Mara which uses one word that I can’t find in the OED or Collins. My time 14:28.

Oink is our setter today with a well-balanced puzzle, about medium level of difficulty as I see it.