Category: Daily Cryptic

Solving time: 20.20. With quite a few answers going in at a glance (4A, 11A, 8D, 13A, 15A, 16A, 20A, 22D, 10A) I seemed to be off to a reasonable start, with bits and pieces … Read more “Times Crossword 24597”

A very solvable set of clues employing many varied devices. Not too challenging but entertaining and scrupulously fair. ACROSS1 JUST THE JOB Cha of JUST (fair-minded) THE (definite article) JOB (calling)7 FACE dd9 CHAPLAIN Ins … Read more “Times 24596 – GBS’s Female Officer”

Solving time: 14:30 A nicely chewy puzzle which taught me a new word at 13. The grid is only a Q short of a pangram – not a good puzzle for imagining Q’s in unchecked … Read more “Times 24595”

I went to check my time and found I hadn’t started the watch, but I’d guess average time +20%, as I made a quick start to this, but found there was more deception than I’d … Read more “Times 24,594 – sending the keeper the wrong way”

Now bought on paper, and solved in 6:22. Full report within the hour by early p.m. – forgotten appt – chip in now if you don’t have time to wait, as you would have done … Read more “24593”

Solving time: lost… …but I don’t think it was very good. If I remember correctly I got nothing much in the top half, having wasted a lot of time at 1dn trying to remember what … Read more “ST 4389 (Sun 11 Jul) – Scarlet fever”

Solving time: 26:58 (1 wrong) I started reasonably well, but as usual slowed dramatically and finished up needing to make a number of guesses, one of which (KATY PARR instead of KATY CARR) turned out … Read more “TLS 838 (25 June)”

This very tricky puzzle gave me endless problems in the solving as I fell for every misdirection. I think my brain is a bit addled this morning. In many cases I came up with the … Read more “Times – 24591 – Pangram”

Solving time: about 11 minutes – interrrupted for a spell that I couldn’t time exactly. I think there’s just enough tricky stuff in this one to get a fairly wide range of times – seeing … Read more “Times 24589”

Solving time 25 minutes A very entertaining puzzle with something for everybody ranging from Euclid to Nat King Cole. A lot of well crafted clues and a range of anagram indicators. I don’t think there’s … Read more “Times 24,588 The Fogg Clears”