Solving time: 12:58 Lots of fish around. Well, three at least. HOKI was the last clue I solved, but it is nice to see a fish that I know from the fishmonger that is unfamiliar … Read more “23,789 – fishy”
Author: richardvg
23,771 – well beaten
Solving time: 21 minutes with six missing; 24 minutes with aids A slow start going through the across clues. Nothing until 23A. Then steady progress from the bottom up, helped by the two, straightforward, long … Read more “23,771 – well beaten”
Times 23,759
Solving time: 15:10 Lots of clever and funny clues. I might choose the simple 14D as clue of the day. No obscure words, though some less than obvious meanings. One I don’t understand altogether, namely … Read more “Times 23,759”
23,753 – better than never
Solving time: 16:06 I don’t know whether to blame my cold for my slow time, or to accept that it was a difficult puzzle for me. I found lots of the clues quite hard to … Read more “23,753 – better than never”
23,747 – poppycock
Solving time: 8:40 I had noticed CODSWALLOP and BALDERDASH as I worked down the crossword (though I didn’t spot TOMMYROT as part of the set), and so I was pleased to find the cross-reference in … Read more “23,747 – poppycock”
23,741 – lean and fit
Solving time: 13:34 Although there are some very clever and tricky constructions here, most of the clues are very economical with few padding or link words, meaning that the structure tends to be easy to … Read more “23,741 – lean and fit”
23,735 – a game of two halves
Solving time: 12:51 The right hand side went fairly fast, with its easy SHRINKING VIOLET at 6D. But the clever cryptic def of AUTOBIOGRAPHIES at the other long down held me up on the left … Read more “23,735 – a game of two halves”
23,729 – seven-eighths
Solving time: 11:23 Chewy stuff. I have commented on 28 of the 32 clues. Do ask if you want to know about any of the other four. And lots of good stuff too, including neat … Read more “23,729 – seven-eighths”
23,723 – Mornington Crescent
Solving time: 11:24 A welcome allusion to everyone’s favourite radio show at 16D. A choice few of Humphrey Lyttleton’s comments on Samantha’s activities are given in the ISIHAC Wikipedia article (I have just looked at … Read more “23,723 – Mornington Crescent”
23,717 – Vicious but fair
Solving time: 21:31 Alarming to take more than 20 minutes with Cheltenham looming. It was the North West corner that held me up. It would have been much faster if I had cracked the obvious … Read more “23,717 – Vicious but fair”