Category: Weekend Cryptic

Happy Leap Year! I’m glad last month had an extra day, as I needed some time to catch up… What struck me about this puzzle was that among the generally quite straightforward and succinct definitions … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No 4891, 23 II 2020, by David McLean — It’s apposite day!”

I’m sorry this is a half hour late. I’m not sure why. Some weird time zone problem, I suspect. Anyway, the puzzle was not as easy to finish over lunch as last week’s, but was … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27594 – Saturday, 22 February 2020. More food for thought.”

36:54. An absolute stinker from Bob this week. I had most of it done within about 15 minutes but I was left with two or three unsolved in the NW, NE and SW corners and … Read more “Sunday Times 4890 by Robert Price – ouch!”

Another Saturday puzzle easy to finish over lunch, but full of delightful clues. FOI was 4dn, which jumped off the page, followed by 1ac as soon as I read the clue. As a clear sign … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27588 – Saturday, 15 February 2020. Done like a dinner.”

Well, it never fails. My biographical note has been posted with this blog now for only a matter of some weeks, and it will soon be out of date, and in a most distressing way. … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4889, 9 II 2020, by Dean Mayer — Do I have to spell it out?”

An easy solve, finished over lunch. Always nice. I liked the appearance of the brass band instrument, but my clue of the day was the pun at 1dn. Thanks to the setter for a very … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27582 – Saturday, 08 February 2020. Oom-pah-pah.”

20:40. I have left the blog very late this week (I’m typing this on Saturday evening) so I am short of time and don’t remember much about this puzzle. I obviously found it hard but … Read more “Sunday Times 4888 by David McLean”

I think this puzzle was easier than recent Saturdays. I started easily, but then I struggled with 13dn and its crossers – why are foreign language anagram answers so much harder to see? And as … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27576 – Saturday, 01 February 2020. A sadder and a wiser man ….”

A very enjoyable, solid effort, in which the definitions (except those for CDs and &lits) are consistently epitomes of succinctness. The Arab bazaar may be a new word to someone out there, but the Americans … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic No 4887, 26 I 2020, by Robert Price — Quoit the puzzle!”

A meaty puzzle, this one. Many nice surfaces, and lots to mull over. The only answers that were beyond my general knowledge was helpfully clued. My clue of the day was 25ac – lucky lass, … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27570 – Saturday, 25 January 2020. O, I’ll take the low road …”