Category: Jumbo Cryptic

I found this an entertaining Jumbo of about average diffculty; (almost) nothing to frighten the horses and a number of clues that had me smiling. I was finished all bar 1 in about 37 minutes, … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1522 – 16th October”

I did this puzzle across a few sessions, probably just over an hour in all.  It was easier during the sessions when I hadn’t had a drink than during those when I had. First in … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1521 – The one with three reverse cryptics”

Hello, and Happy Caturday. This was a DNF for me, thanks to CUT CAPERS, but I was very pleased to get the rest without aids.  After a good start I ground to a crawl for … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1520 – 2nd October 2021. Initially Identical Iterations”

It’s my birthday! Happy birthday to me! 29 today! Or thereabouts. I did this a while back and can’t remember much about it now but it looks to have been a straightforward one, taking myself … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1519: Tender-Handed Solve A Crossword”

Hello again. This Jumbo I really liked; it has some clever and original clues, and some well-disguised definitions. Overall mostly straightforward, though I need help with 38ac struggled with 38ac.. What did you think? Please, … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1518 – 15 September 2021”

I think this excellent Jumbo crossword is a great demonstration that a crossword doesn’t have to be full of trickery to be fun and satisfying. I was all but finished in under 30 minutes but … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1517 – 11th September”

All being well, as this write-up magically appears on LJ, I’ll be in the land of nod in a lovely spa hotel on a Mallorcan clifftop.  So I’ll field any comments as and when I … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1516 – anyone fancy having lunch for lunch?”

Hello all, I hope you enjoyed the bank holiday.  What bank holiday? I hear you say.  Yes, two weeks can be a long time, especially in crosswordland. I wouldn’t win any prizes for time with … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1515 – Monday 30th August 2021. My 21a is flagging”

A quarter hour of really, really good fun. I was impressed by a great number of the clues: some lovely cryptic and double definitions and I loved the Cockney homophone, the SLIM SLAM, and the … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1514: Show Me First Your PDM”

Hello again. This Jumbo I thought was harder than some we have seen lately; a bit of a pig in fact, though in a nice way, of course. It took me two sessions to solve, … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1513 – 21 August 2021”