Category: Weekend Cryptic

18:26. I hope everyone has had a good Christmas, or as good as possible with Omicron interference. What a bore. At least we have challenging and delightful puzzles like this one to distract us. Lots … Read more “Sunday Times 4986 by Robert Price”

This is not a prize crossword, so the blog can go up on the same day. My biggest hiccup was my ignorance of styptics. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. How did … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28170 – Saturday, 25 December 2021. Merry Christmas, and a relaxing crossword!”

Times Cryptic No 28164 – Saturday, 18 December 2021. Happy Christmas! This blog appears on Christmas Day, so solvers’ attention may be elsewhere! This puzzle should have been a good way to ease into the … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28164 – Saturday, 18 December 2021. Happy Christmas!”

I was watching Saturday Night Live as I worked this (discovered that Billie Eilish’s birthday is the same as mine, the day this will go live in the United States), and the show was a … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4985, by Dean Mayer — Our plastic, 19 language”

Barring rain, day three of the second Ashes test will be underway in Adelaide soon after this blog appears. Never mind last week’s result in the first test, we all enjoyed the Saturday puzzle, I’m … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28158 – Saturday, 11 December 2021. Wot, no cricket clue? 18ac!”

9:46. I didn’t find this puzzle particularly hard but I really enjoyed it. Some clever stuff here including (to take a couple of random examples) the excellent cryptic definition across the top row and the … Read more “Sunday Times 4984 by David McLean”

This flowed easily enough, except for the lingering doubt over 23dn, my LOI. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. How did you all get on? Note for newcomers: The Times offers prizes … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28152 – Saturday, 4 December 2021. Let us pray, like 23dn.”

…and I still didn’t finish this on Saturday night (it wasn’t a 3). As the remaining answers dawned the next day, I had to ask myself why this had seemed the most difficult of Bob’s … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4983, by Robert Price — One more cup of coffee”

This was not my sort of crossword: it had references to things beyond my ken. The most mysterious was the Wystan at 15ac. I know Wyverns are dragons, but had never heard of this other. … Read more “Times Cryptic No 28146 – Saturday, 27 November 2021. Crossword obscura.”

11:39. Another fine puzzle from Dean. Nothing too difficult, but a few unusual words that required attention to wordplay. My last in was 9d, where the answer seemed obvious but the wordplay certainly wasn’t and … Read more “Sunday Times 4982 by Dean Mayer – naughty in My sight”