Category: Daily Cryptic

Solving time: 45’-1h (didn’t properly time myself). Another first-class and, to my mind, hard puzzle. The SW corner was the most challenging – nothing fell there until quite late. As per usual a couple of … Read more “Times 23613/dogs, hogs and pigs”

Solving time: 41 minutes Another Bank Holiday, another straightforward puzzle. There was nothing too tricky today: a few words I didn’t know but I wasn’t held up for too long. There were quite a few … Read more “23612 – I spy a mysterious smorgasbord of pandowdies and spam”

After finishing last week’s puzzle in what turned out to be an impressive time, I really struggled with this week’s effort. There are a few words which I barely know and some I didn’t know … Read more “Times 23,610 – Not feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!!”

Solving time: 10:10 There are two question marks in the clues, indicating outrageous indicators. Relatively mildly, 5D relies on Chicken Little’s autobiography being called “Little by Little”. Much more strangely, 16A relies on us treating … Read more “Times 23609 – at last”

I found this one quite easy. Solving time: 15 mins (very fast for me for the Times) * = anagramACROSS4 CUPID’S BOW As well as the bow of mythology, it describes curly lips.9 EX ONE … Read more “Times 23608 23 May 2007”

Solving time: 55’ The last 7 or 8 clues (2 in each quadrant basically) slowed me down considerably: in particular, RECLAME, POTTER (oddly enough), HIERATIC (quite hard), CASINO, DISMAY, AIT. I did spot a slight … Read more “Times 23607/wizardry”

Solving time: about an hour (average for me these days) I enjoyed this – nothing too tricky but lots of places to get side-tracked.NE corner held me up – came back to after a break … Read more “23,606 – good fun, average difficulty”

Solving time: 6:18 Oh dear, another Sunday shocker I’m afraid. I may be wrong, but I’m pretty sure 20dn has incorrect wordplay, while 10ac, 23ac and 28ac are all questionable. Clarifications or corrections welcome. * … Read more “ST 4224 (Sun 13 May) – Peaky”

I don’t have a lot to say about this puzzle. It was generally fair, had a good mix of clues and clean surfaces, a couple of words that were unfamiliar to me, but it wasn’t … Read more “23,604 – easy except for two”

Solving time: 11:15 No major hold-ups, but I found the long answers less tractable than the short ones, and that slowed up filling the grid. Strange to see pen meaning contain appearing in the clue … Read more “23603 – all very well off”