Category: Weekend Cryptic

There was some very clever wordplay here, but nothing to stretch the solver’s general knowledge. So, I expect success stories, perhaps achieved slowly. The number of exotic wordplay indicators struck me as unusual, with particular … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27900 – Saturday, 13 February 2021.”

Nothing much very convoluted here, but all quite engaging for the smoothness of the surfaces and the uncontrived craftiness of the wordplay. Not saying I ripped thru this in 5, but I got the first … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4941, by Robert Price — circling the square”

This was a delight. Clever definitions, challenging wordplay, and some amusing surfaces. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. My definition of the day was 12ac closely followed by 27ac, and wordplay of … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27894 – Saturday, 6 February 2021. Slip, slap, slop.”

14:16, but with a silly error. A fun puzzle though with some lovely clues. A few unfamiliar things – the lizard, one of the meanings in 7dn, 24dn – but all clearly indicated. Four cryptic … Read more “Sunday Times 4940 – in the soup”

This was a smooth and quick solve until I was left only with the red at 20ac and the reference to the underworld at 7dn. Unlike the reference last week to Trotsky, this week’s red … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27888 – Saturday, 30 January 2021. The red flames of Hell.”

As I’m sure was had by all 23ing the codes here! Some of you 23 solvers may have even made 23ing good time. Mine was more of a 6’s pace, but I was savoring the … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4939, by David McLean — A 23ing good time!”

There were at least five clues here where I thought, well that must be the answer, although I can’t explain it! I’ll put it in and look up how, who or why before I write … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27882 – Saturday, 23 January 2021. Crosswords in the mist?”

12:15. A fun puzzle that didn’t cause me many problems. My only real pause was over 7dn, where I couldn’t figure out how the wordplay worked. In the end I just bunged it in and … Read more “Sunday Times 4938 by Robert Price”

We have a famous communist in today’s grid. It reminded me of an exchange in the 1983 Australian election campaign. Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser said that if a Labor government was elected, “people would be … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27876 – Saturday, 16 January 2021. Reds under the bed?”

This time I’m writing this up almost a week after the working. The character of my marks indicates that I filled it in pretty quickly—when there’s a tough one, I like, for some reason, to … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4937, by Dean Mayer — Crumbs of comfort”