Category: Daily Cryptic

Solving time : 10:30 I think this puzzle should be fairly straightforward. There are no very difficult individual clues – the last ones I solved were 2D and 13A -, and no obscure words. I … Read more “23,4591 – rev rev”

Solving time: 12:27 – last to go in were the 5/16 crossing, then 17 which took 2 or 3 minutes to puzzle out. Across 1 CANDLEWICK – 2 meanings – candlewick is that stuff that … Read more “23,590 – Seeing double”

Solving time : 39’54” Typical – my first post and one of my slowest solves for quite some time. Having BLEARY as a poor homonym at 19D didn’t help either. Across 1 PEP,PERMI(N)T 11 CIRCUS … Read more “23589 – SLEEPY and SLIPSHOD”

Solving time : 2 hours + a bit (in a few sessions) I really struggled to get into this and spent a long time staring at the paper, questioning my ability and my sanity. I … Read more “23588 – got in a MESS and took AGES”

This was the most difficult of the Friday puzzles I have blogged since I joined the Times team. I started off well enough, but the right-hand side of the grid just wouldn’t come for me. … Read more “Times 23,586 – too many mistakes!”

Solving time: 14:25 Thanks to Magoo for filling in the last three Thursdays while I was away. Now we are back to double-digit solving times. Lord of the Flies at 14A was the first one … Read more “23585 – Any old iron duke”

Solving time 13:10 Slow progress at first, with most of my answers at the bottom. Then gradually got going. Quite a few two-word phrases to be given the “lift and separate” treatment. Lots of interesting … Read more “23,584 – tough for me”

Solving time: 25’ Any time under half an hour is rather quick for me, though there are a couple of wordplays that I’ll leave for my betters to gloss. Words almost all longish (except for … Read more “Times 23583/Pussy Galore!”

Solving time : just under 40 minutes. I had a really slow start, only getting a few clues on first read-through. Then I seemed to fall into crossword mode and whizzed through the rest. I … Read more “23,582 – Puzzle protocol? Snap out of it”

Solving time : 5m01s – Seemed an easy puzzle, though with some surprising words. The finish of 20 and 24 are such to suggest that 28 FOREVER is placed deliberately for some secret Nina purpose … Read more “23,579 – Roedean forever?”