Very good surface readings in the admirably brief clues in this puzzle. I thought it was an excellent puzzle overall. Solving time: 19 mins (fast for the Times for me). * = anagramACROSS1 C(IT)ADE Lenin … Read more “Times 23,547 – lecher, trollop, Madonna (of old) to compensate”

Solving time : Just over an hourI didn’t get off to a great start today. I smiled at a few clues and learnt a few pieces of useless information along the way. The NE corner … Read more “23,546 – Well, nobody’s perfect”

Solving time: about 9 mins, one mistake (18dn) I thought this was better than some ST puzzles but not as good as last week’s. Most clues were fair, if a little verbose in places, with … Read more “ST 4214 (4th March) – Chewed up”

Solving time : 12:13 The top half went fairly quickly, with only a couple of gaps, but then I couldn’t see SHARPSHOOTER, and despite the easy anagram for OUTER MONGOLIA the bottom half dragged a … Read more “23543 – there was no Adèle Forsyte”

Solving time 11:08 – with one crass error I started out with hopes of a third sub-5 on the trot, but these soon evaporated. Eventually I was left with 2 and 9. I gradually found … Read more “23542 – Swift? Yes and No – I took a knock”

Solving time: 40’ I did this on and off between interruptions in an hour and a bit but don’t understand two wordplays – probably a net of 40’. Lots of words starting with O (seven) … Read more “Times 23541/nOt sOlved at full tilt”

Solving time: 42 minutes, but with a mistake I made a flying start and began to think that I’d break the half-hour mark for only the third time in my Times Crosswording life. Then I … Read more “23,540 – Guys and Dolls”