Author: talbinho

Solving time: can’t remember, but I think I had to have a sanity break halfway through. Dreadful, again. There was a definite mistake in the clue to ATHENS at 22dn (in the online version, at … Read more “ST 4370 (Sun 28 Feb) – 8dn to the 4dn”

Solving time: 5:18 I solved this online; sometimes I think it might be faster that way, but with this puzzle it was definitely slower because I spent about the last 90 seconds on the anagram … Read more “ST 4369 (Sat 21 Feb) – Jumble Sales”

Solving time: 4:25 Pretty good this week with the anagrams at 21ac and 4dn being my favourite clues. There was some difficult vocabulary, of which I didn’t know or couldn’t remember 29ac (MASSETER, a muscle … Read more “ST 4368 (Sun 14 Feb) – Muscle memory”

Solving time: 4:24 (solved online) A solid puzzle without too much difficulty, although I wasted time on 18ac. There are one or two unusual constructions, e.g. 19dn, as well as a hatful of double definitions … Read more “ST 4367 (Sun 7 Feb) – Spanner in the works”

Solving time: 20 mins Two clues, 1ac (FORWARD) and especialy 1dn (FRISIAN), took up at least half of my time on this. The alternative spelling at 1dn was the main reason, though I should really … Read more “ST 4366 (Sun 31 Jan) – Frisian battle”

Solving time: 4:40 A much better puzzle this week, as the schedule suggested, plus a couple of slight quirks (not inaccuracies) that probably give away the compiler’s identity. I didn’t know the Brazilian state of … Read more “ST 4365 (Sun 24 Jan) – Pará lacks”

Solving time: Lost, but about 6 or 7 minutes, I think, with the last few on STRETCHER, CONCRETE, RETRENCH and finally KISMET. No howlers that I spotted, but a few strange ones. * = anagram, … Read more “ST 4364 (Sun 17 Jan) – Smike analysis”

Solving time: 6:30 Some strange ones this week, e.g. 22ac (EXPO), 2dn (UNIT), 7dn (GET THE CHOP), 12dn (GRIM REAPER), 14dn (POST-WAR) and 15dn (SOAP OPERAS); corrections and clarifications welcome. I was held up by … Read more “ST 4363 (Sun 10 Jan) – Poe faced”

Solving time: 6:12 Not too bad overall but I have doubts over ‘of power’ in 4dn (YIELDING) and ‘documents’ in 5dn (TOTEMS). I think EMOLUMENT caused me the most trouble because of the dodgy use … Read more “ST 4362 (Sun 3 Jan) – Power corrupts”

Solving time: 4:59 Reasonably straightforward this week with accurate clues, although I think there is a mistake at 1dn. The four long (13-letter) answers are all decent anagrams. * = anagram, “X” = sounds like … Read more “ST 4361 (Sun 27 Dec) – Sofa so bad”