These Monday puzzles with lots of long words and long clues look intimidating at first, but with a few crossing letters they can be easily tamed.
Author: vinyl1
Mephisto 3356 – A motley one?
I had a little trouble getting started, but I made tolerable progress until the nearly the end. However the last few were pretty tough, and requited an extensive dictionary trawl.
Times 29107 – Cruel setter? Not in my prime, for sure!
This puzzle had one brilliant clue after another. Unfortunately, that does not make for easy solving, and I was not really at my best. The mechanical methods you can use to solve an easy Quickie have to go out the window here.
Mephisto 3354 – A felony, I would say!
This one was pretty easy for a Mephisto, and I found little to hold me up. I actually knew most of the answers, unlike some Mephistos I have done.
Times 29095 – In my beginning is my end…..
This did not feel like an easy Monday at first, as I struggled to get started in the grid. After five minutes, I only had a few answers here and there. But once I had a sufficient quorum of crossing letters, I started to speed up dramatically.
Mephisto 3352 – But Love has pitched his mansion in…..
This week we have a rather easy Mephisto from Robert Teuton, which is not always the case with him. There is nothing wrong with varying the level of difficulty, or mixing easy clues with difficult ones in the same puzzle. I was able to solve most of this in one sitting, but then ended up completely stuck on two of the easiest clues.
Times 29083 – Knowledge is instrumental!
I found this puzzle a bit difficult, and felt like I was working at the extremes of my skill level.
Mephisto 3350 – Small Latin, but a heck of a lot of Greek!
Well, John Grimshaw is back, but in a tamed version. I was able to solve this puzzle, and parse every answer, but it was not exactly a pushover. I would say this is exactly the right level of difficulty that most Mephisto solvers would find enjoyable.
Times 29071 – Just as the Tide was a-Flowing
This was a mixed bag. There were quite a few write-ins and chestnuts, yes, but some of the answers kept me guessing.
Mephisto 3348 – No Agony, it Fits!
After a difficult week, we are back to normal. I solved this one in a single two-hour session, and only had to check something in Chambers a few times.