Author: piquet

I thought this was an excellent, but not difficult, puzzle, with some fine surfaces to the clues, such as 29a 6d, 20d, and 27d. It took me 22 minutes, with a ‘must be that’ for … Read more “Times 28251 – well polished surfaces here.”

I romped through 90% of this in good time, then spent another ten minutes sorting out 20d, 28a and my LOI 13d, and trying to understand 23d before I wrote up the blog. I liked … Read more “Times 28245 – answer the riddle, or die.”

A biffer’s paradise, this one, I thought, with some convoluted and at times ponderous wordplay to be unravelled for full satisfaction with the answers. I liked the brevity and misdirection at 18a, the thing in … Read more “Times 28239 – marmalade compiler (6)”

A bit easier than last Wednesday, I thought, no really obscure words and a couple of chestnut clues. My CoD is a toss up between 22a (nasty Brexit) and 26a (no swimming costume). 20 minutes … Read more “Times 28233 – nothing too complex for a Wdnsdy.”

Well, after last Wednesday’s SNITCH-bitch, this was a pleasant twenty minute stroll with some clever clueing, I thought. I liked the French island and the Indian mountain, but wasn’t so keen on the Australian cooking … Read more “Times 28227 – normal service resumed; alors, Milou.”

Perhaps I have been too ready, on recent Wednesdays, to say too otfen that the puzzles were fun but lacked challenge or obscurity. Anyway, this one was hard and had several obscurities, as far as … Read more “Times 28221 – the setter’s revenge?”

As a Q, an X and a Z appeared quite quickly, I was thinking this might be a pangram, but I can’t see a J, so it isn’t. I romped through it in 15 minutes … Read more “Times 28215 – boom boom.”

A reasonably straightforward Wednesday this week, with some QC type clues and no words with which I was unfamiliar. Even the two French cites were those which most would have heard of, if not visited. … Read more “Times 28209 – what about the Wurzels?”

Not as tough as last Wednesday’s, I thought, but still quite chewy in places. Some I liked – notably 21a, 15d, 17d. Some evoked a mild eyebrow raise, such as 14a; one – 3d – … Read more “Times 28203 – no Bette Davis eyes for me.”

Solving this was a demanding task; parsing some of the answers fully was even more so, a wee dram of finest malt was required to soften my headache. I think I have unravelled all but … Read more “Times 28197 – is this a museum piece?”