Author: william_j_s

Not quite a stroll for me, with plenty of clues I struggled with. 16ac was my first one in and even once I got going I was held up by one or two unusual or … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 135 by Teazel”

Another eminently solvable puzzle for learners like me, in which most of the word play is straightforward. A couple of answers (17dn & 19ac) required a bit more thought on my part, but there is … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 125 by Mara”

A fairly straightforward puzzle with some super anagrams, only one double definition, and a couple of less familiar words to keep you on your toes. Most of the across clues went in on the first … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 115 by Hurley”

I found this pretty meaty and I didn’t manage to finish it on my commute (my daily aim) despite the continuing signalling faults. I need help for 3dn from anyone who understands the wordplay! 13ac … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 95 by Mara”

A good, balanced crossword containing several clues with which to find a way in. There are a few testers in the mix too, though, including one bit of general knowledge that I had to cheat … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 85 by Tracey”

Off to a quick start in the NW corner, but found the rest a bit more of a struggle. There was one piece of vocabulary that was unfamiliar to me (13dn), but I was relieved … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 75 by Mara”

There is a lot to enjoy in this chewy little crossword, which feels a bit more grown-up than some of the others we have had recently (no criticism of this or former puzzles intended). Too … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 65 by Juno”

I almost completely forget my blogging duties today! A commentary will appear once I’ve had a chance to solve it… …as quickly as possible! I was held up by 16dn (don’t know why), 18ac (as … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 55 by Teazel”

A lovely puzzle to round off the week. I thought it was going to be very quick, as most of the top half went in without a hitch, but I slowed down considerably in the … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 45 by Rongo”

Without the grid-width 1ac, and with only 3 of the 6 first down clues, I found this a bit of challenge to get into. And had a lot of fun as a consequence! Very satisfied … Read more “Quick Cryptic 35 by Oran”