Category: Quick Cryptic

This was a relatively easy solve (12 minutes for me) but with a couple of pieces of chewy parsing along the way.  Not too much esoteric general knowledge required, although 11a, 1d, 4d may cause … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1853 by Pedro”

Introduction 5:58, with a minute spent on my last one in (2 Down). Solutions A brief summary of cryptic crosswords —feel free to skip— : Each clue has at least one “definition”: an unbroken string of … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1852 by Jalna”

I found this quite tricky and finished just outside target of 10 minutes. There’s a rash of double definitions and anagrams to enjoy. Definitions are underlined. Across 1 Hit second vehicle (6) STRUCK – second … Read more “Times Quick Ctyptic 1851 by Joker”

I completed all but 15ac within 7 minutes but then needed another 2 minutes, eventually resorting to an alphabet trawl, to come up with the answer. FOOTNOTE: I recommend that anyone who has their sights … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1850 by Oink”

At the time of writing the setter of this puzzle wasn’t declared in the online version, but jackkt tells us in the comments it is Tracy. I thought it on the whole a very pleasant, … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1849 by Tracy”

On the gentle side of things today from Trelawney, at least I think so – for some unknowable reason I’ve been on a run of decent form of recent, and at 5.20 this is my … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1848 by Trelawney”

I had a pretty hard time with this – hopefully it’s just me. Couldn’t see what was going on at 1ac (my LOI), NHO 5ac or 15dn, and thrown by the Guardian-esque 2dn. There are … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1847 by Orpheus”

An old school Izetti full of cunning, deviousness, unusual terms, double definitions, cleverness, marvellous surfaces and long answers – in short, I’d rate this as hard (I took just over 15 minutes). Old hands will, … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1846 by Izetti”

Went through this pretty quickly and almost sequentially. Thank you Hurley for an enjoyable puzzle although it was marred I think by 5D at which my eyebrow went so far up my forehead that it … Read more “QC 1845 by Hurley”

This was a five-minute romp, and very wecome given my post-birthday hangover. It’s probably the easiest one I’ve ever blogged, despite the slighly unhelpful grid. Loads of double definitions. I did enjoy the freak of nature … Read more “Quick Cryptic 1844 by Mara”