Author: richardvg

Solving time: 11:15 No major hold-ups, but I found the long answers less tractable than the short ones, and that slowed up filling the grid. Strange to see pen meaning contain appearing in the clue … Read more “23603 – all very well off”

Solving time: 18:58 Maths, Physics, Latin, French, English, History. Although I have six Highers, I didn’t spot that “exam” meant “HIGHER” in 1A until I thought to subtract JACK from HIGHJACKER. There was self-kicking. The … Read more “23597 – Excelsior”

Solving time : 10:30 I think this puzzle should be fairly straightforward. There are no very difficult individual clues – the last ones I solved were 2D and 13A -, and no obscure words. I … Read more “23,4591 – rev rev”

Solving time: 14:25 Thanks to Magoo for filling in the last three Thursdays while I was away. Now we are back to double-digit solving times. Lord of the Flies at 14A was the first one … Read more “23585 – Any old iron duke”

Solving time : 16:05 I made heavy weather of this, though I am not entirely sure why. I knew most of the unfamiliar answers, the exception being BRAT-PACKER, which is not really unguessable. I have … Read more “23561 – optimist misses out”

Solving time : 14:07 Hidden messages or tricks, sometimes referred to as Ninas, are routine in the Times2 non-cryptic puzzle, but rare in the cryptic. Today the bottom and top rows celebrate Helen Ougham’s status … Read more “23555 – Well done, Helen O”

Solving time : 8:26 This started well, with no real hold-ups in the top half. Bottom half took a bit longer, with the linked 17D and 24A going in last. Rather than blaming my stupidity … Read more “23549 – symptom of daftness”

Solving time : 12:13 The top half went fairly quickly, with only a couple of gaps, but then I couldn’t see SHARPSHOOTER, and despite the easy anagram for OUTER MONGOLIA the bottom half dragged a … Read more “23543 – there was no Adèle Forsyte”

Solving time : 12:16 – with one wrong A really good crossword with interesting words and approaches to cluing. And I was feeling quite pleased when I had only three to go after less than … Read more “23537 – CORNERED”

Solving time : 7:00 A quick time for me. I felt lucky to know “proa” and “ophicleide” without thinking. And the Hittite is probably the second Uriah one would think of. But otherwise I didn’t … Read more “23531 – another easy Thursday”