Category: Daily Cryptic

This one took me about 40 minutes, the last 10 being spent in the SW corner where 12, 18d and 27 put up some resistance, but it was much more my level of puzzle than … Read more “23885 – A bit more like it”

Solving time : 27 minutes (edit: and one error! Defeated!). Unfamiliar circumstances, having to solve (and blog) this without a paper copy. I found this a real slog, had to take a rehydration break in … Read more “Times 23884 – in which we take the knife to Wales”

Solving time 8:32 A minute or so on RETRENCH at the end made up for earlier luck on ANCESTRAL and TRIERARCH. Speed and commentsI was pleased to see a comment on yesterday’s puzzle from Times2 … Read more “23883”

Solving time : 35 minutes A reasonable and enjoyable puzzle with no particularly outstanding features Across 1 GARFIELD – (red flag)* US President James Garfield assassinated 1881 5 WHOLLY – W(ine-merchant)-HOLLY 8 AIM – A1 … Read more “Times 23882 Goodfunsy”

Solving time: 38 minutes I finished up in the NE corner, which I found the most difficult – and I spent quite a bit of time on 5D – the last to go in.I am … Read more “Times 23881 – reaping the whirlwinds”

Solving time: 10:22 A bit slow on this, especially in the bottom left. A mixture of good clues and bad, and a couple of synonyms I’m not convinced by, but no outright mistakes that I … Read more “ST 4270 (Sun 30 Mar) – Diplomatic immunity”

Solving time – 11:13  Did the bulk of this in about 7 minutes but the NE corner proved something of a stumbling block. Eventually got 1d and the others followed fairly quickly after that. 1a … Read more “23879”

Solving time : Egads! with a few frustration breaks and a search for coffee, 95 whopping minutes, and that includes using some google and Bradfords This is the most difficult crossword I’ve encountered in the … Read more “Times 23878 – don’t forget your toothbrush”

Solving time 9:43 After putting up the placeholder, I forgot that my e-mail inbox would still receive the comments. So from subject lines, I got the idea that this had been a struggle for some. … Read more “23,877 – a bit easier than I expected”

I had one major difficulty here, as will become apparent. 17 minutes of which the last five were spent inwardly debating, and then externally checking, 9 across. Across 5 BRAHMS – as in half of … Read more “Times 23,876 – X marks the spot”