Category: Quick Cryptic

Solving time: 10 minutes. A milestone puzzle but I can’t find anything to mark the occasion other than a customary excellent offering from Wurm. As I always note on these occasions (they always fall on … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1600 by Wurm”

A lovely quickie from Mara today, mostly quite straightforward, I thought, although the SE corner held me up a little. It wouldn’t surprise me, though, if others didn’t find it very easy as one or … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1599 by Mara”

A middling-difficulty puzzle from Oink that I managed two minutes under target. I found this good quality and fun when solving but a couple of the clues look a bit shaky on closer inspection (I’m … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1598 by Oink”

Apart from a couple of slightly unsatisfying clues in the downs (I’m looking at you 4 and 18), I found this a fair and enjoyable mid-week test. There are lots of clues with self-referential definitions … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1597 by Teazel”

I wasn’t quite on Hurley’s wavelength today, so this was a rather bitty solve. Last one in 4ac was entered at 12 minutes matching yesterday’s time. 3dn probably held me up the most as described … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1596 by Hurley”

Sorry, I have absolutely nothing to say today, as I fell asleep after cooking dinner (whilst taking on board the customary amount of chef’s ‘inspiration’) and woke up in the middle of the night realising … Read more “QC 1595 by Tracy”

Straightforward I think, but I have a thumping headache. 9 minutes for me. Across 1 Thread or line attached to card (4) LACE – L + ACE 3 Meatiest stews producing round figure? (8) ESTIMATE … Read more “Quick Cryptic 1594 by Rongo”

This was an absolute delight from Joker, all done and dusted in 13 minutes, so a perfectly targeted quick cryptic as far as I was concerned.  From the very first clue there was much to … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1593 by Joker”

Introduction 12:52. There was always something that could go in easily, but I found myself scratching my head at several clues that I could only get on a second pass. My slow-ish time was due … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 1592 by Izetti”

A tough one which I only just completed thanks to some unlikely memory retrieves (1ac, 20ac, 13dn) plus a fingers crossed LOI at 10ac. 13 minutes. Beginners on the cryptic crossword road do need to … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic 1591 by Wurm”