Category: Weekend Cryptic

Solving time 10:11 over a pint while the missus was getting her face threaded. There were a couple I put in on faith though – 9D and 20A had to be checked in the dictionary … Read more “Saturday Times 24371 (Oct 31)”

Solving time 18:48, after a quick start that allowed me to hope for sub-10 minutes. The bad finishing has continued with me all week. Nearly every day I’ve had 4 or 5 at the end … Read more “Saturday Times 24365 (Oct 24)”

Solving time not recorded for some reason. I normally write it alongside the grid in my printout, but I must have forgotten last week. Now I remember why. I solved all but 5D in about … Read more “Saturday Times 24359 (17th Oct)”

Solving time 22:12. Another one lately that’s probably taken me longer than it should have. I got the two 15-letter entries straight away and had it half finished in about 5 minutes, but then just … Read more “Saturday Times 24353 (10th Oct)”

Solving time 10:07. I found this pretty straightforward, although very good nevertheless. I know others struggled with it from comments on last week’s blog, so maybe I was just “in the zone” for a change. … Read more “Saturday Times 24347 (3rd Oct)”

Posts about last week’s Sunday Times and Mephisto puzzles will be up fairly late on Sunday after your reporters have returned from Cheltenham. There should also be at least some kind of report about the … Read more “Late night Sunday Post”

Or 23341 if you printed it off from the website last Saturday (thanks to jackkt for pointing out the error). Solving time 22:47, on the train the following Monday as I didn’t have any time … Read more “Saturday Times 24341 (26 Sep)”

Solving time 14:29. Some interesting vocab and general knowledge required in this one, one of those where what you either know or you don’t makes it easier or harder (e.g. 9A, 12A, 14D, 17D, 19A, … Read more “Saturday Times 24335 (19 Sep)”

Solving time 10:27. A bit of light relief for me after the strain of blogging a run of really tricky Saturday puzzles. Still, there was not much wrong with this apart from being at the … Read more “Saturday Times 24329 (12 Sep)”

Solving time 23:33. Another tricky-but-entertaining puzzle in a long run of good Saturday offerings from the Times. This is what I get up for on a Saturday morning – witty clues, sometimes tortuous wordplay and … Read more “Saturday Times 24323 (Sep 5th)”