I am very tired and threw the towel in with 13dn outstanding and a couple unparsed.
Author: william_j_s
Times 28883 – are you ruminating in the cool shade?
Thinking cap firmly on for this tester, but all straightforward enough to explain after the fact.
Times 28871 – *that* distill’d by magic sleights
Pretty hard. I worked from outside in, and had most of it done in just over 30 minutes. But then I got stuck in the SE, and submitted forgetting to go back to an answer I promised myself to revisit.
Times 28859 – and me, a poor competitor
I made heavy weather of this, but I don’t think it’s too hard.
Times 28847
I was almost beaten by this puzzle, which proved to be the hardest on my blogging watch for a while.
Times 28835 – first, pardon me
I think I made heavy weather of what will turn out to be an average difficulty puzzle.
Times 28823 – many a time and oft, but not today
Easy to start and rather harder to finish.
Times 28811
I think this is as hard as I’ve had it for a while, but found myself on the wavelength for a change. Enough unusual words, plenty of witty constructions (my favourite: 13dn), and a few gimmies.
Times 28799 – not sickness should detain me
I’m glad for another on the gentler side for Friday, as I’m fighting a cold and not in the mood for thinking too hard. Lots of witty clues, but I really liked 17ac.
Times 28787 – puff’d and reckless
Nothing too scary in here, with the long across answers holding out satisfyingly until the end. The stone monument was a half-guess for me; the tea and glasses I know only from this blog.