Category: Jumbo Cryptic

A well above average Jumbo, I felt, with the usual preponderance of straight-down-the-line clues pleasingly peppered on this occasion with a nutritious selection of &lits, reverse cryptics and just plain quirky meta-offerings. Many things in … Read more “Times Jumbo 1374: Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas?”

Nothing unusual to report in this one apart from a couple of definitions that I was unaware of. I am not sure whether the date of publishing this puzzle was intentional given 28A. Apologies for … Read more “Jumbo 1373”

I enjoyed this Jumbo a lot. A good smattering of gentle, easily digestible, clues to provide some helpful checkers but with some tasty chewier morsels too.  Thank you, setter, for 38 minutes of enjoyable solving. … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1372 – 23rd March”

Hello again.  This puzzle kept me occupied for over an hour so I’d put it at the trickier end of the scale.  I needed aids to check some of the more obscure stuff. There was … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1371 – From the mountain tops, down to the sunny street.”

A fun and fairly straightforward puzzle with a few odd words and constructions to spice things up. Though it’s not something that necessarily affects the solving experience, there did seem to be a larger proportion … Read more “Jumbo 1370”

A gentle giant, this one, that I tore through in not much more than the time it would take to do a toughish 15×15. Lots to enjoy though, with some very chucklesome surfaces (5ac, 4dn) … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1369: I Bless The Rains Down In Africa”

Nothing contentious here although parts of 2D may have caused issues for overseas solvers. No clue stands out as a particular favourite, but if I had to choose one it would probably be 36A or … Read more “Jumbo 1368”

Although one of the advantages is that I have 2 weeks to complete the blog, one of the difficulties in blogging the Jumbo is the 2 weeks delay between publication of the crossword and publication … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo No 1367 – 16th Febuary”

Hello again.  A puzzle of average difficluty I’d say with enough in the way of unknowns to provide some education. I’ll be en route to Tenerife for the best part of today (Saturday) so it … Read more “Times Cryptic Jumbo 1366”

An even briefer blog than usual, I’m afraid, as my computer is on the blink and I’m hoping to get this published before it completely packs in. This one was of average difficulty, with a … Read more “Jumbo 1365”