Category: Quick Cryptic

Significantly gentler than the last couple of days, I thought, but it had some challenges. Never felt quite on the wavelength, so I probably struggled a bit more than I should have done. An unusually … Read more “Quick Cryptic No. 83 by Teazel”

I’ve been away from crosswords for a couple of weeks so maybe that is why I found this really tough or maybe it’s just really tough. Please check the time/comments of the regulars to get … Read more “Quick Cryptic 82 by Mara”

Here’s the link to today’s puzzle currently missing from the Times button: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20140630/195/ This is Flamande’s 8th puzzle and after his (?) first three I had him down as one of the more demanding setters. … Read more “Quick Cryptic 81 by Flamande”

A fine, well balanced puzzle from Joker again, IMO easier than Wednesday’s blog although that might be down to a lack of hangover today. Nothing obscure and a few to make you smile when the … Read more “Quick Cryptic No. 80 by Joker”

Time taken: Middling (Longer by NHS!) Apologies for the delay. Poking and prodding (and tweaking) took longer than expected. Enjoyable stuff from our setter with some nice clues to tease the mind. Favourite clue is … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 79 by Marty”

This took me eleven minutes with a fuzzy head from last evening’s festivities. It seems to me that the Quickies are approaching the easier main puzzles in degree of difficulty, with fewer really obvious clues … Read more “Quick Cryptic No 78, by Hurley – not that quick I’m afraid.”

Solving time: Easier end of scale Greetings everyone. Standing in today after a late-night email from the boss! A nice straight forward quickie from Orpheus that should provide a pleasant solve for most new solvers. … Read more “Quick Cryptic No 77 by Orpheus”

The puzzle can be found here: http://feeds.thetimes.co.uk/timescrossword/20140623/183/ This is Izetti’s sixth Quick offering, I think, and has all the smoothness experienced solvers will know from his many guises in other newspapers. 21A may cause some … Read more “Quick Cryptic 76 by Izetti”

Off to a quick start in the NW corner, but found the rest a bit more of a struggle. There was one piece of vocabulary that was unfamiliar to me (13dn), but I was relieved … Read more “Quick Cryptic Number 75 by Mara”

Solving time: Medium. I found this quite a challenge today, with a couple of definitions that were new to me and had to be verified by my dictionary (the trusty Big Red Book – Chambers … Read more “Times Quick Cryptic No 74 by Teazel – Double Trouble!”