Author: ulaca

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?”

I nodded off and took a phone call during this one, but the fact remains that it was harder than your average Monday and will, I can confidently predict, have nudged Keriothe’s Monday graph a … Read more “Times 26701 – Right up Fry’s Alley?”

I had all bar three (19, 20, 25) done in less than 13 minutes (or thought I had), but then took ages to finish that corner off, only to find on submission (on the Times … Read more “Times 26683 – Done Like a Kipper”

A very pleasant Monday offering with a smattering of European clues with the potential to stretch the grey matter of those who cry with Aguecheek that they wish they had followed the arts! My favourite … Read more “Times 26677 – Half a Dozen Chappies Looking for an Emperor”

The latest in a run of pretty straightforward Monday puzzles, this crossword is distinguished for me more by its quirkiness in cluing rather than anything else. A swift 16 minutes for me – the Usain … Read more “Times 26,665 – I’ll Take the Fifth”