Author: plusjeremy

26:22, although I spent far too long dithering over my last two entries, not really being able to parse them. I’m filling in for William this week, writing this blog from the misty woods of Phoenicia, NY, where we are enjoying cooler than usual weather. I found this puzzle to be gentle, though not without interest. A fitting conclusion to a week of hiking and board games with friends and family.

DNF. Most of this puzzle was easy, but to finish it required a bunch of UK-specific knowledge. In the end, two clues in the upper-right corner undid me. I solved this puzzle in the throes of Covid, but I don’t blame the virus for my poor performance!

11:58, reflecting a gentler offering which was much appreciated after both the heat wave this week, as well the difficulty of my last several blog puzzles. I enjoyed this greatly: excellent clues through and through! Though now that I’ve had my rest, I feel ready for a challenge again!

100 minutes for this very hard puzzle! Sunburnt and tired from a day at the beach (it was Independence Day here in the US), I pushed myself to finish this puzzle far beyond what seemed reasonable.

DNF, consisting of 13 minutes to solve all but one clue, and then 15+ more minutes to not solve that clue.

DNF is an understatement.

32:09. Well it is a British puzzle, after all! Needed to take my time with several particularly UK-centric answers, which led to a slower solve. But a great puzzle overall, I thought, for a Friday. Some of these clues are among the finest I’ve seen.

DNF (but close to 90 minutes). I have few words that can express the experience of having wrestled with this puzzle. I found this very, very difficult, barely putting in a single answer in 25 minutes. Perhaps I was just off the wavelength, but I think not. I can’t fathom how the setter was able to hide their meaning so cleverly.

30:32, a time which includes a short nap. Let me make clear that the nap in no way reflects the quality of the puzzle: I found this to be a nice challenge, a tasteful mix of easier and more difficult clues.

35:27. Distinctly off the wavelength here, and I had the sense throughout that this was a particularly British puzzle.