Category: Weekend Cryptic

17:35. Due to an oversight at the Times this puzzle didn’t appear until Monday, and I didn’t get round to solving it until a day or two later. I found it quite tricky, for reasons … Read more “Sunday Times 4866 by Robert Price – slight return”

This was relatively straightforward for a Saturday, particularly the wordplay. The fun came from the many cunning definitions, like 17ac, 22ac, 5dn, 8dn and 21dn. I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks to the setter … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27444 – Saturday, 31 August 2019.”

If memory serves, this wasn’t heavy lifting. But we were reminded (at least twice) of a topical matter so weighty it might make one want to resort to OPIUM or at least pay a visit … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4865, 22 August 2019, by David McLean — Remain in Light”

That was a challenge. It took me a long time to get more than the odd answer here and there around the grid. Then I reflected on what a problem in hierarchies might be, and … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27438 – Saturday, 24 August 2019. Above my pay grade?”

14:35. This was pretty much the perfect Sunday puzzle: not too easy, not too hard, full of concise and witty clues. Just what I wanted with my coffee on a Sunday morning before a full … Read more “Sunday Times 4864 by Dean Mayer”

Another nice Saturday challenge. 9ac puzzled me greatly, although I never have trouble deciding what to eat. I still feel I may have missed something about 7dn. My LOI was 3dn – a word I … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27432 – Saturday 17 August 2019. What’s for dinner?”

This was very enjoyable, and maybe a bit harder than the last one by Bob that I blogged. My COD is 5, can you see why? My title is a (loose) reference to the clue … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4863, Aug. 10 ’19, by Robert Price — “I can do that time standing on my head!””

Another neat puzzle. Some from the Style Monitoring Section (definitely not from The Ministry of Truth!) thought it might have been the work of the same setter as the week before. That thought didn’t occur … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27426 – Saturday 10 August 2019. Big brother is watching you.”

5:48. The easiest Sunday puzzle I can remember. I didn’t really mind: I’ve been on holiday and have been far too busy doing nothing to find time for crosswords. In fact as I finally sit … Read more “Sunday Times 4862 by David McLean”

Lots of lovely clues here. Well done, setter. My favourite was the unusual wordplay in 28ac. I also liked the disguise in 3dn, which was my LOI although it’s not that hard in hindsight. For … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27420 – Saturday 3 August 2019. Where there’s a will there’s a cryptic pilot.”