Category: Daily Cryptic

Solving time: 58:12 with one mistake Pleased to get under an hour – it felt a bit longer. I was very slow to get started, but gradually worked my way though – the SW and … Read more “23666 – fat chance”

A fairly straightforward Friday puzzle, with a couple of unusual words thrown in to make it a bit of a challenge. Took me just under ten minutes – 9:53 Across 1 UP-STICK-S 9 ANTI-GONE – … Read more “23664 – A Dickens of a puzzle”

Solving time: 14:38 A fast start with the two easy 15-letter downs. Then I slowed myself up pursuing red herrings that probably existed only in my mind. Four easy but good cryptic definitions at 4, … Read more “23663 – No time Toulouse”

Solving time 25:46 As tough for me as for some others….  Across 5 BABYSAT – I nearly slipped into the wrong ‘babysit’ but then saw the significance of ‘minded’, past tense. 9 ELMER GANTRY – … Read more “23,662 – fiendish”

Solving time: 28:30 Needed an eolith to crack a few of these: in particular, I’m not convinced I understand 10A for which I’ve guessed OUTLAWRY. I’ve started sort of recording my times to include seconds … Read more “Times 23631/needed an eolith”

Solving time: 33:40 (recording seconds as well now!) I found this pretty straightforward – lots of fun clues and interesting wordplay, but nothing too difficult.New things: marge=margin, ‘Beau’ Nash; lift=paternosterFavourite clue: 16D, the clue made … Read more “23660 – Our Father’s Lift”

Solving time: 5:34 I don’t know why mistakes in Sunday Times crosswords contain to surprise me, but they do. See 17ac for this week’s gaffe. * = anagram, “X” = sounds like ‘X’. Across 11 … Read more “ST 4233 (Sun 15 Jul) – A cruciverbal revolt”

The title doesn’t refer to my solving time, which was average at best – 12 minutes, but to this blog entry. I have a busy day ahead of me, so this will be short and … Read more “Times 23658 – quick one today”

Solving time: 23:02 My first thought for 1A was that “quite” means FAIRLY, and there is AIR which means “dry”, and so I entered it, resolving to work out how “quarry” could possibly mean FLY … Read more “Times 23657 – Fairly disastrous”

Solving time: 22:51 I found this one pretty tough – there’s almost nothing trivial, and lots of novel clues to keep even old hands sucking their pencils. Based on what looks like a setter’s “signature” … Read more “23656 – very hard but very good”