Solving time – 25 mins This is my first post in this blog, and I think I struck it lucky. This was a fairly straightforwardMephisto for which I had a slight advantage – a couple … Read more “Mephisto 2414/Tim Moorey – My first Mephisto in a while”
Sunday Times 4201/mistakes
Apparently this puzzle was published online with more than a couple of mistakes. I think I’ve been able to identify them… Across 1 BLUESTOC+KINGS – (close but)* followed by KINGS for “top blokes”, I suppose … Read more “Sunday Times 4201/mistakes”
Times Saturday 23462 – easiest Saturday for a while?
I forgot to make a note of my solving time last week, but I know it would have been sub-10 minutes but for a daft mistake at 5d which stopped me getting 5a for a … Read more “Times Saturday 23462 – easiest Saturday for a while?”
Jumbo 670 – Planes, trains and automobiles
Solving time: 18:58. No mistakes, but I dithered at the end over 30ac, 55ac and 21dn, none of which I was totally confident about. I think this was the most straightforward Jumbo for a while, … Read more “Jumbo 670 – Planes, trains and automobiles”
23,467 – some much-loved favourites
Solving time : 5m40s – remarkably just about my slowest this week, though it felt like a good time for this puzzle. Again almost a pangram (just K & V missing, and they’d have been … Read more “23,467 – some much-loved favourites”
23466: no cricket, no queue
Solving time : 11:27 Lots of interesting words in an almost pangrammatic grid. I suppose “bicycle quip” is not a common phrase. I am not very good at sporting references, but for some reason there … Read more “23466: no cricket, no queue”
23,465 – hurrying too much? / Puzzle difficulty
Solving time: 5:08 This could, and probably should, have been a sub-5 time, but I was delayed by first writing AMEND at 4, and by initially guessing SA(LIE)NT at 25, with part of the wordplay … Read more “23,465 – hurrying too much? / Puzzle difficulty”
23,464 – Not caught out; if only Flintoff, Jones et al could say the same…
Solving time: 8:46 A mixed bag today, including a few old chestnuts, but I seemed to look at the harder clues first – on two or three occasions I spent 10-15 secs on a clue, … Read more “23,464 – Not caught out; if only Flintoff, Jones et al could say the same…”
23463 – Gracious me…
…did you get the picture of a gang of chimps reclothing Caratacus in old, perished underwear? Solving time : 58 minutes. Quite happy with that time. I was left with two to get and was … Read more “23463 – Gracious me…”
Sunday Times 4200/hang on – not so fast
The SE corner held me up: took me as long to solve as the all the rest of the puzzle: total 1/2h. All in all, not as easy as last week’s and slowed down my … Read more “Sunday Times 4200/hang on – not so fast”