Category: Weekend Cryptic

Solving time 31:08 Toughest one of the year for me so far, but maybe I was just totally out of form last week. I remember going through all the acrosses and all the downs without … Read more “Times Saturday 23958 (5th July)”

Solving time 13:10 – should have been quicker but it took me a couple of minutes to get TIPCAT at the end. Some bits of obscure knowledge may be required, but I don’t think there’s … Read more “Times Saturday 23952 (June 28)”

A rather good ST puzzle.  I didn’t note my solving time as I wasn’t expecting to blog it but I doubt it took me much more than 30 minutes Across 1 MA,RITA,L 5 SEA LANE … Read more “Sunday Times 4282”

Solving time – not noted as I was interrupted half-way through, but I think it was around 20 minutes in two sessions. Quite a few bits of general knowledge required, as is more common on … Read more “Times Saturday 23946 (June 21)”

Solving time 13:05 Sorry this is a bit late – I had a busy weekend, but now I can’t sleep so here I am doing the blog at 4am on Monday morning! Across 1 IN … Read more “Times Saturday 23940 (June 14th)”

Solving time 26:30 I found this a hard slog, despite getting the two 15-letter downs straight away, which made me think it was going to be a doddle! Maybe I just wasn’t with it last … Read more “Times Saturday 23934 – a bit tougher than the last few!”

Solving time 8:46 – very easy for a Saturday, although the tricky wordplay for 1A took much longer for me to understand than the whole puzzle did to solve! Across 1 LA(CON)IC – took me … Read more “Times Saturday 23928 (31 May)”

Apparently this Sunday’s edition (8th June) will include a shortened version of Don Manley’s “Chambers Crossword Manual”. For UK solvers who don’t yet have a “how to solve cryptics” book and think it might help, … Read more “Free book in Sunday Independent (UK)”

I was away on a walking weekend in the Malverns last week, but had a gout attack and had to sit out the 9½-mile walk the rest of them suffered through, which meant I was … Read more “Times Saturday 23922”

Solving time: 4:21 Very little to say about this puzzle: the clues were generally accurate, if uninspired, while the statutory mistake came in 19ac. I’m not sure a “pie chart” would be appropriate for the … Read more “ST 4277 (Sun 18 May) – Coati Sunday”