A rather simple Monday puzzle, but one lacking pizzazz. I really shouldn’t have taken as long as I did.
Author: vinyl1
Mephisto 3226 – Seth would be proud!
It’s always a pleasure to get a Don Manley puzzle – at least I know I won’t be beating my brains out over how the clue works. Manley must know Chambers inside out, because everything he uses can be found in exactly the place you would expect to find it in that big red book.
Times 28327 – With a tiny monster, perhaps?
We have certainly gotten to just about the easiest possible puzzle today – I doubt whether this will break 50 in the SNITCH.
Mephisto 3224 – Wood nymphs? Baboons? Nope!
I found it a little difficult to get started in this one, and was thinking of stopping for the night with only a few solved. But then I started to break through, and got a bit of traction.
Times 28315 – Half way there
I thought this was going to be a very easy one, but I was forced to change my mind about half-way through. The top ones went in easily enough, but there were a few tricky ones in the middle and bottom that held me up.
Mephisto 3222 – “I am a pilgrim, and a…..”
Well, here is the famous puzzle that was supposed to have been published online two weeks ago, but 3223 went up in its place.
Attention Mephisto Solvers!
As you maybe have noticed, The Times is having a little difficulty with their Mephisto puzzles. Due to an error, Mephisto 3223 by Don Manley was posted to both the Crossword Club and The Times online site, while the correct puzzle, Mephisto 3222, was published in the physical newspaper.
Times 28303 – I have found it…..now what?
This was a an outdoor deck solve, so no music – the weather here in Connecticut is very nice. The puzzle did not particularly impress me – there are just too many rather imprecise equivalents and sloppy usages.
Mephisto 3220 – “Where Alph the sacred river ran….”
This Don Manley Mephisto was not terribly difficult, but since I was tired I didn’t finish it all in one sitting, wisely breaking off and going to bed with several undone. When I came back, I found most of them rather straightforward, with only a couple need a trawl through Chambers.
Times 28291 – The site is new, but the puzzles march on!
I found this unusually hard for a Monday, and struggled a bit. It didn’t help that I didn’t know carpet rod and sea loch. Some of the cryptics were quite obscure, and I had to resort to biffing obvious answers to finish the puzzle.