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Times for The Times: Times and comments on The Times crossword from a team of solvers

Author: petebiddlecombe

24033

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 1st October 2008 at 8:59 AM10 September 2025Categories Daily Cryptic

Solving time 11:08 I enjoyed this puzzle for some original and well-chosen wordplay. This is my last blog before the Championships, so good luck to all bloggers and commenters past and present who are subjecting … Read more “24033”

View29 Comments on 24033

Jumbo 23:02 – easy but good

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 25th September 2008 at 11:54 PM10 September 2025Categories Jumbo Cryptic

Solving time 23:02 I’m pretty sure this is my post-op best for a jumbo. I had a flying start in the NW corner with 1A rapidly followed by all its ‘dangling’ down answers, and all … Read more “Jumbo 23:02 – easy but good”

View1 Comment on Jumbo 23:02 – easy but good

24027 – bra and pants

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 24th September 2008 at 9:06 AM10 September 2025Categories Daily Cryptic

A puzzle of “average plus” difficulty I think – though I can see a couple of answers that I might possibly have got sooner. Last few solved were 28, 24 (writing in the answer I’d … Read more “24027 – bra and pants”

View33 Comments on 24027 – bra and pants

24021 – a rum do?

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 17th September 2008 at 9:10 AM10 September 2025Categories Daily Cryptic

Solving time 17:45 Very slow start to this – got all the way to TOPI at 21A before getting started. Then a couple more of the bottom acrosses and several bottom half downs went in. … Read more “24021 – a rum do?”

View42 Comments on 24021 – a rum do?

Mephisto 2506 – Mike Laws

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 14th September 2008 at 5:19 PM10 September 2025Categories Mephisto

Mephisto 2506 – Mike Laws Solving time 29:15, no books Mike Laws is maybe the hardest Mephisto setter, but sometimes writes quite easy puzzles, and this seemed to be one. I’ve only written about a … Read more “Mephisto 2506 – Mike Laws”

View5 Comments on Mephisto 2506 – Mike Laws

24015 – all human life is here …

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 10th September 2008 at 7:33 AM10 September 2025Categories Daily Cryptic

… which you could say about many Times xwds, but here we’ve got Mr. Punch and Dick Turpin, books and TV, farming, music, hats, football and skiing, and much else. I enjoyed this puzzle with … Read more “24015 – all human life is here …”

View38 Comments on 24015 – all human life is here …

The Chambers Dictionary – 11th Edition

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 9th September 2008 at 9:22 PM10 September 2025Categories Announcement

ISBN 978-0-550-10289-8, £25 on the initial special offer, cover price is £35. Doubtless cheaper at online bookshops. Many crossword solvers will buy this simply because by about the end of the year it will be … Read more “The Chambers Dictionary – 11th Edition”

View4 Comments on The Chambers Dictionary – 11th Edition

Jumbo 773

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 9th September 2008 at 9:30 AM10 September 2025Categories Jumbo Cryptic

Solving time: 53 mins Maybe a little bit more difficult than an average Jumbo, but I think I’m still a bit slower with these than usual.Plenty of novel answers and clues, from which I hope … Read more “Jumbo 773”

View1 Comment on Jumbo 773

24003

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 27th August 2008 at 8:01 AM10 September 2025Categories Daily Cryptic

A nicely tough work-out. For me the tricky clues were at the bottom, with the last few saolved being 22/24, 17, 16,27,15. COD for me was 5D. A very minor weakness is that one=1 and … Read more “24003”

View35 Comments on 24003

Jumbo 770

Author   petebiddlecombePosted on 23rd August 2008 at 10:53 AM10 September 2025Categories Jumbo Cryptic

Which was indeed 770, not the 771 I originally stated. This seemed like hard work at the time (73 mins) though there are quite a few clues that seem to merit explanation. Across 1 A … Read more “Jumbo 770”

View13 Comments on Jumbo 770

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