Category: Weekend Cryptic

I did this puzzle in snatches during a busy Saturday, so I don’t know how long it would have taken under normal conditions. The standout clue for me was 1dn. I had no idea what … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27840 – Saturday, 5 December 2020.”

…comme on dit. At 12 we have a bittersweet reminder of when we used to go out and get together; at this state of the siege, there may be more than one 17 (virtually) among … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No 4931 by Dean Mayer — The 5 across the merrier!”

This puzzle had some delicious clues. The guardian angel has a Spanish tinge in 17ac, and the politicians are still dealing ineptly with the concept of hardship in 4dn. And as for 24ac: who, me? … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27834 – Saturday, 28 November 2020. Someone to watch over me?”

DNF. I found this quite hard and ended up with a blank at 1ac. I could see that ‘police’ corresponded to what turned out to be the answer but I couldn’t see anything in the … Read more “Sunday Times 4930 by David McLean – ‘Allo ‘Allo ‘Allo!”

As a gentle warm-up for the Online Championships, this should have hit the spot perfectly! I hoped those who tried the championship would have fun, though I wouldn’t be one of you! Neither time zone … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27828 – Saturday, 21 November 2020. On your marks. Get set. Fizz.”

I’m still 8 by the state of my nation,But there’s one cause for wild celebration!Dial the amps to “11,”Have some 12 or some 7Or whatever’s your favorite libation.Bottoms up! There are some 20 in this … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No 4929 by Robert Price — Santé !”

Things looked bright when both 1ac and 1dn went in at first glance! From there things went smoothly, until I was left with just 6dn … an obscure foreign phrase clued as an anagram. My … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27822 – Saturday, 14 November 2020. San Fairy Ann.”

20:34. I found this hard overall, but most of the difficulty was with a relatively small number of clues. I got badly stuck in the NE corner with the unknown LOGIA, the slightly odd 6ac, … Read more “Sunday Times 4928 by Dean Mayer”

This was a smooth solve. I printed it after 11am, and finished before noon (while watching reporting on the US Election, moving along about as fast as grass grows). There were only a few vocabulary … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27816 – Saturday, 7 November 2020. Nice and easy.”

This one was worked the night of Halloween,Quite the most eerie I have ever seen.For months we’d gone about our daily tasksWith tout le monde already wearing masks.There was no jubilant parade this year,As make-believe … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No 4927 by David McLean — Trick or tweet”