After a too-swiftly-dispatched Friday 15×15, it was great to have this beast to entertainingly fill up the rest of the half-hour. I was repeatedly delighted by the audacity and elan, especially the numerous times the … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,263: Not To Be Confused With Tiny Paul Rudd”
Author: Verlaine
Times 28,385: Atlas Shrugged
I did this in under 5 minutes, so no matter how much I enjoyed some of the clues I am duty-bound to call into question its Fridayishness. And I *did* enjoy the cluing: fun definition … Read more “Times 28,385: Atlas Shrugged”
Times 28,379: Safe As Houses
I found this chewy enough at time of solving, with the bottom half in particular taking a while to yield up its secrets, but parsing it I don’t see anything that looks too advanced, in … Read more “Times 28,379: Safe As Houses”
Times Cryptic Jumbo 1569: Zut Alors!
Pretty much the best Jumbo I can recall in recent times, with loads of truly devious stuff intricately clued. I loved a lot of the hard-to-spot definition parts: takes orders from, fancy that’s wrong, drive … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1569: Zut Alors!”
Times 28,373: I Sukkot Solving
ETA: There is a Nina in here which I hadn’t noticed at all until pointed out to me! Check out columns 1, 3, 6 and 12. A good ‘un, this, that kept me thinking pretty … Read more “Times 28,373: I Sukkot Solving”
Times 28,367: Bible Studies
Woof, this was good and Friday, with a load of clues requiring us to work for our supper. I spent a long time at the end trying to fathom the brilliantly opaque 1ac, and then … Read more “Times 28,367: Bible Studies”
Times 28,361: Less Is More
I liked this although it’s a really odd puzzle: incredibly spare, with the number of clues comprising 5 or fewer words numbering in the double figures; more double definitions than I think I’ve ever seen … Read more “Times 28,361: Less Is More”
Monthly Club Special 20,262: The Compleat Solver
Great puzzle, above-averagely clever things to enjoy in almost every single clue, and some valuable new additions to anyone’s vocabulary. I think my COM might be 4dn, where “unfencing” the yard is a very neat … Read more “Monthly Club Special 20,262: The Compleat Solver”
Times 28,355: Don’t Hold Your Breath While Solving This Puzzle
I thought this was just the ticket for a Friday, full of actually educational moments – I’d never heard of 10ac, and that was far from the only thing with an exotic/international feel in this … Read more “Times 28,355: Don’t Hold Your Breath While Solving This Puzzle”
Times 28,349: My Mate Marmion
I polished this off relatively quickly (video solve here, with bonus Guardian Enigmatist at the end) but it certainly had its tricky bits! The somewhat fusty feel to the vocabulary, two cricket clues back-to-back, and … Read more “Times 28,349: My Mate Marmion”