Category: Quick Cryptic

Solving time: 10 minutes. Mostly straightforward although I was missing the GK required for arriving at 16ac other than via wordplay. 18dn is probably unknown to some, but I had met it in a previous … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1700 by Hurley”

A neat quick crossword from Mara today with a good variety of clues. Nothing too tricky, I think, but you do need to “lift and separate” a couple of times – COD to one of … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1699 by Mara”

A top-notch QC, pitched towards the easier end of medium difficulty. I came in two minutes under target, about half the time it took for Tuesday’s done just beforehand. But that was without noticing the … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1698 by Felix”

It’s been a while since I blogged an Izetti*, and I solved this one without knowing the setter’s identity (on my phone). I should have guessed, but missed the trademark religious reference (4dn today, I … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1697 by Izetti”

With honourable mentions to 9ac and 10dn, COD goes to 18ac which took some crunching and took me just over my 10 minute target, but did so with humour. In fact, the whole puzzle was … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1696 by Joker”

This week we are back in the nursery with a very easy puzzle. Pretty much all the answers went in in sequence without much thought and the only thing that held me up (as usual) … Read more “QC 1695 by Tracy”

Nice and easy this week. Hard to pick a winner, but I rather like 18dn for its absurd surface. 5 minutes for me. Across 1 Greek character with naughty crime at sea (6) PIRACY – PI + … Read more “Quick Cryptic 1694 by Trelawney”

A good, but chewy QC from Teazel that took every second of my 15 minute target to solve and submit, but with TOILE parsed after submission.  Some general knowledge is required, but nothing too obtuse … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1693 by Teazel”

Introduction 8:59. Was hoping to do better, but I think I will have to get better at doing anagrams without pencil and paper if I’m to improve. Nothing much to comment on. Is there something … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1692 by Oink”

Very fast through this one until the SW slowed me down. A couple of clues I consider tricky crossed – 15ac/16dn which proved to be my LOsI. 9.28. Otherwise lots of fun QC type clueing … Read more “Quick Cryptic 1691 by Hurley”