Category: Weekend Cryptic

13:18. Nothing too hard this week. The bird at 4dn has come up before, including in a puzzle I blogged some time back, and I remembered it. This is perhaps fortunate because the wordplay strikes … Read more “Sunday Times 4826 by Jeff Pearce”

This was fun. I worked steadily up and across from the bottom right until I found myself gazing at 1ac, 1dn and 4dn. All done over lunch, as is normal now daylight saving has arrived … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27204 – Saturday, 24 November 2018. A good test here.”

As I set this to publish, I’m just back from the Metropolitan Museum here in New York City, where I spent some time with the sensational Eugène Delacroix. Which seems appropriate, as this puzzle reacquainted … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4825, by David McLean — Four-letter word! (But is it art?)”

I found lots to like in this rather challenging puzzle. 26ac caused me most grief, but my clue of the day was 16ac. I’ve always been a fan of Frank! Thanks to the setter for … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27198 – Saturday, 17 November 2018. He did it his way.”

9:33. This was unusually easy for a Dean Mayer puzzle, as far as I was concerned anyway. There’s been some discussion of the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon (also known as the frequency illusion) here lately, and the … Read more “Sunday Times 4824 by Dean Mayer”

On a hectic Saturday, I found this a struggle. I was slow to get the sailor, and slow to recognise the music. Pity, as there were many delightful definitions and wordplays. I hope others had … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27192 – Saturday, 10 November 2018. Off the wavelength.”

* My desultory research indicates that the first citation of “It’s quiet… too quiet” may be a line in the film Drums Along the Mohawk (1939). This was a moderately entertaining and not very difficult … Read more “Sunday Times Cryptic 4823, by Jeff Pearce — It’s easy… too easy(?)*”

Well, that was a breeze. I was finished in about 30 minutes, which for me rates as a gentle canter. Perhaps they decided to give the rest of us a bit of a break, while … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27186 – Saturday, 03 November 2018. Better the devil you know.”

Good morning all. I have been travelling for most of the last week so I have had little time to solve, comment or write my blog. As I result I am typing this on Saturday … Read more “Sunday Times 4822 by David McLean – everything else is obsolete”

This was a very interesting mix of clues. There were some lovely definitions, like 1ac and 2ac for a start. There were also some clues that would only appeal to me if the puzzle was … Read more “Times Cryptic No 27180 – Saturday, 27 October 2018. Open book exam?”