Author: ulaca

A very Mondayesque outing this, with not much to frighten the palaminos, even if a couple of the literals (1d and 9a) were a little opaque and the cryptic definitions a little, well, cryptic definitiony. … Read more “Times 26833 – Prélude de l’après-midi d’un Python?”

I rather think they got last Friday and today’s muddled up, or maybe the editor just wanted to give the V an inkling of what it is like to strut one’s stuff when the material … Read more “Times 26821 – Quirkus Maximus”

As if the cruciverbal gods sought to wreak vengeance on those who have attempted to incite rebellion against the Order of Things, this second-day-of-the-week offering presented more difficulty than the average Monday puzzle – an … Read more “Times 26809 – There are that raise up strife and contention”

A slightly tougher than normal Monday, which I think would be borne out by the Snitchometer, if it hadn’t gone into dock for a migration-induced overhaul. I’m doing this write-up on the iPad, unusually, so … Read more “Times 26797 – Time to hang out the washing?”

This was a pleasant Mondayish sort of offering, where the main hurdle to overcome for those not possessing the needed history, spelling, memory or Cockney Rhyming Slang skills was the spelling of the old Egyptian … Read more “Times 26785 – blue, coal, crested, long-tailed or great: they’re all here”

I was going along swimmingly (not Mark Spitz, exactly – more like a middle-aged bloke with a dodgy crawl stroke) on this one until I hit a wall at the 9d/18a crossing. Now, if I … Read more “Times 26773 – Double Cross”

It’s good to be back after my three-week sojourn in England and Germany, a trip that went pretty well all things considered, even if I did book the family into a pension in Leipzig for … Read more “Times 26761 – No reel problem”

A pretty standard Mondayesque offering, with a bit for everyone, including a mathsey bit which I’ve heard of but would be hard pushed to explain. But that’s pretty much me and maths in a nutshell. … Read more “Times 26731 – The Lonely Sea and the Sky”

I enjoyed this but my scientophobia proved justified as I failed to get the excellent 14 across without cheating. 40 minutes, so perhaps at the harder end of the Monday spectrum. K-triangulation is expected to … Read more “Times 26725 – Had I but followed the sciences!”

I always feel a certain degree of pleasure when a film that has been slated by [most of] the critics is subject to what people around these parts like to call a revised verdict: Michael … Read more “Times 26713 – Well did you evah?”