Category: Daily Cryptic

Solving time – 9:37  An easy end to what (I think) has been an easy week for the Times. No standout COD but I liked 21 so I’ll go for that.  Across 5 CHASER – … Read more “23903”

Solving time : 26 minutes. On a first read-through of the across clues I didn’t get a single one, and I was sure we were in for a dose of impossible Thursday. I fared a … Read more “Times 23902 – wordplay goes bumph”

Solving time 8:54 Slower than the last couple, though I missed out on one trick for quick solving. After guessing SWEEPSTAKE from the def at 1A but not seeing the wordplay, I should have written … Read more “23901 – getting a bit more tricky”

As is my wont, total time a little over 20 minutes, but an inexplicably long part of that spent spotting the last two (9 down went in very slowly, after which I slapped my forehead … Read more “Times 23,900 – Temporary word blindness and an old friend”

I received an email from the Crossword Club yesterday, saying that the site would be down today. I had planned to do the crossword later today, but finding it online this morning, I had a … Read more “Times 23899”

Solving time: 10:30 A rare gem from the Sunday Times, the like of which crops up about every three to four months. Some inspired clues, very tight wordplay and first class surface readings throughout. I’ll … Read more “ST 4273 (Sun 20 Apr) – O tempora! O mores!”

I struck lucky with an easy one today and polished it off in about 20 minutes which is as good as things get for me. I can’t see there’s much that could cause others problems … Read more “23897 – Winding gently down for the weekend”

Solving time:13:49 This was good but seemed quite tough, with lots of answers that are on the borders of the level of obscurity one would expect in a daily puzzle. Fortunately, I have recently re-read … Read more “Times 23,896”

Solving time 5:40 Started quickly and hoped to dip under 5 mins for a while, but didn’t quite make it. Maybe easier for the geographically savvy, with three place names. Across 1 HORS(D)E,COMBAT = “to … Read more “23895 – toponyms”

Solving time : 25 minutes A largely straightforward, enjoyable and very fair puzzle unusually without homophones or a hidden word but several multiple meaning clues. Nothing held me up although I guessed ESURIENT and for … Read more “Times 23894 Spencer Thingumabob”