Author: ulaca

He’s had a go at that awful Kennedy fellow, but is Oliver Stone up for the challenge of his – or anybody else’s – lifetime, attempting to get to grips with the mother and father … Read more “Times 26305 – None Dare Call It Conspiracy”

This will be up in a couple of hours – depending on my ability to solve the thing, of course. Which turned out to be prescient words, indeed, as I failed on the tricky 5a. … Read more “Times 26293 – A win for the setter”

Looking at the early times posted on the Crossword Club, I have to say that this was a puzzle where a holiday taken in Bulgaria 35 years ago made all the difference between a Did … Read more “Times 26281 – A Stink in the Tale”

Simpler even than your average Monday, so long as you trust the wordplay for an Irish nationalist and a boiled sweet – or happen to know them from real and/or cruciverbal life. Sadly, my time … Read more “Times 26275 – Unhinged Treachery”

Standard Monday fare, with a somewhat loose definition cum somewhat tricky anagram indication at 6d holding me up at the end and causing a brief panic, as I considered I might be in unknown word … Read more “Times 26257 – Period Piece”

A trickier than usual Monday number, in which the right-hand side gave up its secrets before the somewhat more recalcitrant left. Lots of nice stuff, if rather a plethora of insertion-style clues, but my COD … Read more “Times 26245 – Health and Efficiency Issue”

A gentle way to ease into the new week with a weird dance and a weird painting, but little else to bother the seasoned solver. Talking of which, many congratulations to Mark Goodliffe for snaffling … Read more “Times 26233 – The Referee’s Decision is Final”

Thank you for your patience. I know some people will be champing at the bit to give their comments – and perhaps a word or two about the puzzle as well. 24 minutes for this … Read more “Times 26221 – Don’t mention the rugby…”

I’m still in mourning. Thank goodness I didn’t watch the match. Gaskets would have been blown. Maybe the Australia of the northern hemisphere will fare better against their southern counterparts. As to the crossword, a … Read more “Times 26,215 – Gwlad, gwlad, pleidiol wyf i’m gwlad!”

Definitely a notch or two up on your average Monday, with some nice misdirection and one or two clues where the definition is not at the end you might expect. Feeling as bemused at times … Read more “Times 26209 – My goddess, my dear creature, my dearest life”