Author: rolytoly

11 minutes, with four of those spent – for no good reason – on 9ac, 7d and correcting 12ac. A fine puzzle with good clues aplenty, my favourite I think being 18ac – many thanks … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1878 by Teazel”

A gentler one today from Teazel, if you’re prepared to do a bit of shrugging-and-entering along the way. Three cryptic definitions and two cryptic hints felt a touch excessive (and I do like a good … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1868 by Teazel”

I had one of those frustrating solves – not often a fault of the setter – where you rattle through most of it before getting stuck on the last one or two clues: here I … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1778 by Orpheus”

Bit of a chewy one today from Izetti: I did yesterday’s just beforehand in 7 minutes and this in 13. I was held up slightly at the end at 6d/16ac, but the grid was half … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1768 by Izetti”

A couple of tricky bits in this very neatly-worded puzzle from Teazel – at nine minutes it took a minute longer than Tuesday’s done just beforehand. Good, concise clues with smooth surfaces made for a … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1758 by Teazel”

Rongo is one of our more occasional setters, having appeared every six months or so for at least the last couple of years. I didn’t bother searching further back than that. Previous puzzles seem to … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1748 by Rongo”

Gentle enough from Hurley today – it’s been a while since I’ve blogged a puzzle and have come in under 7 minutes, so that was nice if not especially diverting. Slight hold up at the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1738 by Hurley”

I’d say this was pitched at middling difficulty today from Orpheus, but I was held to two minutes over target with a tip-of-the-tongue moment (or two) at 20ac and then a longer pause at the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1728 by Orpheus”

I found this a very different type of solve to yesterday’s QC, despite a fairly similar time: with that one I chugged along at an ok pace before grinding to a halt for the last … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1718 by Teazel”

A bit of a trickier one today from Teazel – at a minute-and-a-half over target this took a touch longer than yesterday’s 15×15, with five fewer clues. That was also with several unparsed until post-solve, … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1708 by Teazel”