Solving time: 4:33 Generally straightforward, largely because of the transparency of the definitions. A couple of quibbles (19ac, 23ac, 22dn), one editing error (I think – 3dn) and one explanation I’m unsure about (25ac) but … Read more “ST 4215 – Stretchered-owski”
Author: talbinho
ST 4214 (4th March) – Chewed up
Solving time: about 9 mins, one mistake (18dn) I thought this was better than some ST puzzles but not as good as last week’s. Most clues were fair, if a little verbose in places, with … Read more “ST 4214 (4th March) – Chewed up”
ST 4213 (25 Feb) – Beetle mania
Solving time: 3:49 I have no idea who’s on the Sunday Times setting panel, but whoever set this one – more please! A vast improvement over recent weeks with some really excellent clues, 21ac being … Read more “ST 4213 (25 Feb) – Beetle mania”
ST 4212 – Ewe what?
Solving time: 8:52, one mistake (6 dn). I didn’t enjoy this much for several reasons, from obscure/invented phrases (11ac, 21ac) to incorrect wordplay (9ac, 18dn) to a frustrating finale when I was left with a … Read more “ST 4212 – Ewe what?”
ST 4211 – Lured down a cul-de-sac and quietly strangled
Solving time: 7:42 If I’d been a bit braver with 1ac I would have done somewhat better with this. As it was, I had a pretty slow start before getting going. 20ac caused me a … Read more “ST 4211 – Lured down a cul-de-sac and quietly strangled”
ST 4210 (Feb 4) – Parrot Fashion
Solving time: About 6 minutes for all but 8dn [corrected from 6dn], 23ac and 24dn, none of which I managed to get correctly in a further 10 minutes or so. Ilan and I have swapped … Read more “ST 4210 (Feb 4) – Parrot Fashion”
Jumbo #681/27 Jan – Fluky
Solving time: 16:38, one idiotic mistake This was probably the easiest Jumbo for some time (though I have missed a few recently); I raced through most of it before being held up by a few … Read more “Jumbo #681/27 Jan – Fluky”
23,511 – The name game
Solving time: 5’04” I had a bad start, making a pig’s ear of the top left and working ‘up and left’ through the grid which is always much slower, so I expect others to have … Read more “23,511 – The name game”
Jumbo 678/Jan 6 – Black and white
Solving time: 17:01 I think my best time for the Jumbo is somewhere in the region 15-17 mins, so this was a pretty quick one. Enough slowness on my part that I’m a bit disappointed … Read more “Jumbo 678/Jan 6 – Black and white”
23,505 – Corridor of uncertainty
Solving time: 23’40” (last 14 mins on 1ac and 2dn) I didn’t solve the first few clues I looked at, but after that seemed to get on pretty well with what felt a trickyish puzzle. … Read more “23,505 – Corridor of uncertainty”