This puzzle was a strange mixture of perfectly straightforward, quite simple clues with a few that were almost impossible. I nearly managed to finish, but got stuck in the end, and had to phone a … Read more “Mephisto 3176 – The turning of the screw!”
Author: vinyl1
Times 28027 – Rodent infestation – get the cat!
Time: 11 minutesMusic: John Coltrane, Coltrane Jazz This was definitely very easy, and I was hoping to break 10 minutes. Unfortunately, my last two, Berliner and newsagent, held me up for several minutes and I … Read more “Times 28027 – Rodent infestation – get the cat!”
Mephisto 3174 – Let’s keep those birds rare!
This was not too tricky, and I finished all but a few in about an hour. I was about to go to bed and mop up in the morning, but I was texting with Jeremy … Read more “Mephisto 3174 – Let’s keep those birds rare!”
Times 28015 – A bit peckish, perhaps?
Time: 30 minutesMusic: Stan Getz, Sweet Rain I must admit I found this puzzle a little strained. There were some good ideas, but some of the definitions and wordplay were just a little off, not … Read more “Times 28015 – A bit peckish, perhaps?”
Mephisto 3172 – Tall tales? Not here!
I didn’t find this terribly difficult, and finished most of it before going to bed. Don Manley’s cluing is very precise, and if you just trust the cryptics completely you will get the answers. The … Read more “Mephisto 3172 – Tall tales? Not here!”
Times 28003 – Yes, another man’s Persian.
Time: 23 minutesMusic: Natalie Merchant, Tiger Lily This was interesting. I had to look around for my first one, and unfortunately my first entry turned out to be wrong, as I found out when I … Read more “Times 28003 – Yes, another man’s Persian.”
Mephisto 3170 – The evangelical bloc!
Although I made fairly good progress at first, there was some tough stuff here. After two hours I had all but one, and decided to go to bed. In the morning, the phrase ‘ledger beam’ … Read more “Mephisto 3170 – The evangelical bloc!”
Times 27991 – A pencil with a big eraser, actually!
Time: 61 minutesMusic: Mendelssohn/Schumann Piano Trios, Casals/Thibaux/Cortot I certainly did not do very well with a puzzle that should not have been very difficult. Yes, there are tricky bits, but we have seen most of … Read more “Times 27991 – A pencil with a big eraser, actually!”
Mephisto 3168 – Neil Young plays a Gibson, but Eric Clapton….
I found this one very tricky. It was easy enough to get started, and to find Paul’s usual outrageous pun, but actually chasing down the last few was pretty tough. Once found, they were not … Read more “Mephisto 3168 – Neil Young plays a Gibson, but Eric Clapton….”
Times 27979 – It’s no secret, but you may not know it!
Time: 30 minutesMusic: Paul Simon, Rhythm of the Saints This one proved tougher than usual for a Monday – a lot of knowledge required. If you are an experienced solver, you will just follow the … Read more “Times 27979 – It’s no secret, but you may not know it!”