Category: Weekend Cryptic

15:33. Quite a tricky one from Harry this week, and all the more enjoyable for it. Some fun and quirky definitions, a number of very good cryptic ones, and a particularly brilliant &Lit at 16dn. … Read more “Sunday Times 4996 by David McLean”

After a busy week that left me with a backlog of daily puzzles, I was pleased to get through this one without problems. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. How did you … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28224 – Saturday, 26 February 2022. Painless puzzle pleases.”

Maybe it’s because Bob is one of our fellow commenters on this blog (regularly providing an erudite and apt literary citation) that his puzzles rarely, if ever, occasion any MERs, let alone controversy over definitions, … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4995, by Robert Price — Turn that frown upside down!”

The answers here seem to come from a vast array of subject matter areas, but none of them beyond the solver’s ken, I hope. I found the north-west corner much the hardest. Thanks to the … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28218 – Saturday, 19 February 2022. Eclectic but not eccentric.”

17:51. A tricky puzzle, up to Dean’s usual very high standard. I had one error, having been over-hasty to bung in my first thought at 13ac which proved to be wrong. I was a bit … Read more “Sunday Times 4994 by Dean Mayer”

Quite a lot of drinking references today, but luckily you should be able to solve it despite any 24ac. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. How did you all get on? Notes … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28212 – Saturday, 12 February 2022. Bottoms up.”

Well, out of 10, I’d give it a 7.5, at least. Maybe an 8.Slick surfaces, indeed.On which we see pattern dances, arabesques, backflips.And these always end with a solid two-footed landing.There are also a couple … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4993, by David McLean — Olympics-level performance?”

An epicurean crossword today, with bread, asparagus, salads, fruit, soft drinks and red wine. Difficulty was Goldilocks – not too hard, not too easy, and with no exotic knowledge required. Thanks to the setter for … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28206 – Saturday, 5 February 2022. Pass that red this way.”

10:41. Another absolutely cracking puzzle from Bob this week. Not particularly hard, but great fun. A couple of particularly brilliant ones I’ve highlighted in the comments. Definitions are underlined, anagrams indicated like (TIHS)*, anagram indicators … Read more “Sunday Times 4992 by Robert Price – what rough beast”

Someone asked last week how Saturday puzzles compare with weekdays. I think in general they occupy middle ground between Mellow Mondays and Fierce Fridays. What do you all think? This puzzle though might be an … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28200 – Saturday, 29 January 2022. Smooth sailing for a Saturday.”