A pleasant puzzle from Orpheus which I personally found to be at the easier end of the spectrum, although these things are always somewhat subjective. For those very new to this game, this puzzle contains … Read more “Quick Cryptic 692 by Orpheus”
Author: nick_the_novice
Sunday Times 4717 by David McLean
Thoroughly enjoyed this offering from Harry, which I tackled in a couple of sittings of about an hour each – which by my standards is not too bad for this particular setter, who I generally … Read more “Sunday Times 4717 by David McLean”
Quick Cryptic 682 by Hawthorn
As ever, a delightful little number from Hawthorn characterised by elegant and witty clueing, with no obscurities but plenty to give the grey matter a bit of a work out. The whole thing was an … Read more “Quick Cryptic 682 by Hawthorn”
Sunday Times 4715 by Jeff Pearce
After the last couple of weeks’ offerings from the DMs that were enough to drive a man to drink even more than usual, it was a pleasant relief to get something that was significantly more … Read more “Sunday Times 4715 by Jeff Pearce”
Quick Cryptic 677 by Rongo
A pleasant, gentle offering from Rongo today. Nothing too tricky and no obscurities. Thanks to our setter. Definitions underlined: DD = double definition: anagrams indicated by *(–): omitted letters indicated by {-} Across 1 Conventional … Read more “Quick Cryptic 677 by Rongo”
Sunday Times 4713 by Dean Mayer
When the first three across clues all went straight in, I began to wonder if Dean was in a remarkably generous mood or (even less likely) whether I’d finally made a breakthrough to a new … Read more “Sunday Times 4713 by Dean Mayer”
Quick Cryptic 662 by Mara
As usual, Mara leads us a merry dance with this puzzle. Plenty of straightforward stuff, but some quirky and tricky ones as well. I was undone by 10ac (see comment below) and also struggled to … Read more “Quick Cryptic 662 by Mara”
Sunday Times 4711 by David McLean
I found this one a real challenge, and took an age to grind my way through the intricacies and density of the clueing. Lots of very clever stuff, particularly with well disguised definitions and misdirections … Read more “Sunday Times 4711 by David McLean”
Quick Cryptic 652 by Hawthorn
Some lovely stuff from Hawthorn (again), with smooth surfaces in abundance and some very neat clues. 9dn is an absolute gem. Personally I found it a mix of some straightforward fare (e.g. 7ac, 15ac, 1dn … Read more “Quick Cryptic 652 by Hawthorn”
Sunday Times 4709 by Jeff Pearce
An enjoyable puzzle at the gentler end of the spectrum this week – and none the worse for that! Some very nice wit and whimsy on display at 16d and 17d, and several neat and … Read more “Sunday Times 4709 by Jeff Pearce”