Category: Weekend Cryptic

With the rain pouring down non-stop on the Emerald City, I wouldn’t have minded if this puzzle had been more challenging. As it turned out, it was accessible to journeyman solvers like me, and probably … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27930 – Saturday, 20 March 2021. Wet or dry?”

14:19. Good fun, as usual. Lots to enjoy, and I particularly liked ‘near waterworks’. There were a few unknowns in here for me but the wordplay was sufficiently helpful. Definitions are underlined, anagrams indicated like … Read more “Sunday Times 4946 by Dean Mayer”

Times Cryptic No 27924 – Saturday, 13 March 2021. A satisfyingly “Saturday” puzzle. All doable, but not much easy. An obscure term at 22dn, but clear from the wordplay. The best cricketing clue ever at … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27924 – Saturday, 13 March 2021. Down the middle of the fairway, or into the rough?”

I (obviously) don’t know anything about the UK version of Monopoly, but was confident enough of what was going on in 1A that I only now (Friday night) got around to checking it. On the … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4945 by David McLean — Pass Go, collect £143.68?”

Well, that was fun. I got started in the NE corner, and finished in the SW. There was a scattering of words I had to look up post solve, but nothing to stop one finishing. … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27918 – Saturday, 6 March 2021. How do you spell that?”

17:34. An absolute corker of a puzzle from Bob this week, with a bonus theme. As well as the explicit references to the comedians at 14ac and 23dn, there are three references to their work … Read more “Sunday Times 4944 by Robert Price”

Well, I want to give very special thanks to the setter this week. The crossword was full of answers I didn’t know, but could get from the very precise wordplay. Particular mention goes to 22ac, … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27912 – Saturday, 27 February 2021. How do you spell that?”

and I am sure I could’ve cracked the fifteen-letter 5 first of all, if Saturday Night Live had not just come on and if the first thing I saw when glancing at the newly printed … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4943, by Dean Mayer — No major hurdles…”

I was stuck on this for ages, with three clues unsolved. To clear my mind, I started preparing the blog. Joy – all three jumped out after the break! It’s not an easy puzzle, but … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27906 – Saturday, 20 February 2021. What mental block?”

7:21. A pretty straightforward puzzle this week from Harry, but a quirky one, with some unusual vocabulary (1ac, 18ac, 4dn) and some quite oblique definitions. I remain puzzled by one clue – 6dn – where … Read more “Sunday Times 4942 by David McLean”