Author: william_j_s

I got off to a good start with this (and even chucked 10ac into the grid from the wordplay alone) but slowed down in the bottom half. And I’m very glad I did – the … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 387 by Mara”

I consistently struggle with the main cryptic to the point of failure, so I enjoy these Quickies best when they’re testing, and this certainly was a stretching but satisfying crossword. I suspect the other novices … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 377 by Izetti”

This detained me slightly longer than normal on account of the SW corner mostly. All of the wordplay is very precisely indicated, as usual, with just a tiny amount of sporting general knowledge required (not … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 367 by Pedro”

Plenty of double definitions and well signposted charades here, alongside one or two chewier clues. I did not know the archaic term, and got held up for too long on 14dn. Definitions underlined. Across 1 … Read more “Quick Cryptic 347 by Mara”

This was entertaining and on the easy side. A few easy-to-get chemical symbols, enough anagrams, and some chuckles along the way – thanks setter! A couple needed sorting out for the blog after the event, … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 337 by Joker”

A mainly straightforward solve, with just a couple of clues at the end requiring a bit more rumination. I especially liked 13dn for its mental imagery! Most seemed very succinct clues, too, with economical indicators … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 327 by Mara”

I’m standing in for Chris today, who’s escaping the weather. Elegant misdirection and wit abound in this challenging little puzzle; great surface meanings forced some careful lifting and separating. A couple of unknowns for me, … Read more “Quick Cryptic 321 by Izetti”

I hope I’m not alone in finding this one quite tricky. There is plenty to get you started, including several short answers and two hidden words (although one is cleverly obfuscated by brackets), and yet … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 317 by Tracey”

I was slow to get into the SE corner having been held up slightly by 6dn and 13ac. Overall, a puzzle of average difficulty, I thought. For a favourite, it was difficult to choose between … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 307 by Mara”

This was quite a grown-up crossword, which for me felt in equal parts frustrating and revelatory – just as it should be! I had difficulty with some vocabulary at 16ac and 18ac, and one last … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 297 by Teazel”