Times Cryptic 27968

63 comments on “Times Cryptic 27968”

1. I presume that jackkt did the crossword online! The version in the paper has missing and muddled up clues, numbering and errors. Proof reading…? Let Customer Services know in case others may be a tad annoyed!
   1. Yes, I did, and the e-paper seems to be okay too. A cause for concern as I had always understood the e-paper is a facsimile of the printed edition.
2. Or in other words, could not see Data. FOI Snap which made me think this would be a struggle but instead it was a steady and enjoyable solve.
   Thanks to topicaltim for the wonderful story of Tommy Cooper on holiday and to astro_nowt, as always, for the limerick. And to setter and blogger.
3. I’m not used to seeing a hyphen in “cooperate” (I see it’s a variant, not the standard, British spelling, according to at least couple dictionaries), so it never entered my mind for COOPERANTS, a word I may have never encountered before. (Must have a hyphen in “co-opt” though—quite different.)

   Easy one. SNAP(!) and IRAN were my last in. The capital of IRAN has a teasing similarity to the one used in the clue.

   Edited at 2021-05-04 02:00 pm (UTC)

4. One of my quickest times — although I was slow getting started as this was a SE to NW progression for me.
   I would love to be able to say that I finished with “flying colours” — but it was actually “chestnut”.
   Thanks Jack for the blog.
5. Never heard of Melanesia so chose unwisely- I’m genuinely surprised that everyone else bar one has heard of the area…I had …esian but with 3 consonants left had to guess
   Shame really
6. ….despite the dog’s breakfast with clue lengths/numbers, and having to biff two answers. I sorted COOPERANT out quite quickly afterwards, but am indebted to Jack for IRAN.

   FOI FLYING COLOURS (great Jethro Tull track)
   LOI CO-OPERANTS (join my “Save the Hyphen” group !)
   COD SADIST (Mother Teresa was a great guy)
   TIME 8:58

7. A steady solve, spoilt at the death by the confusion over 24ac, Melanesian. Note to self: Don’t assume the letter count is correct. Invariant
8. FOI snap. LOI Melanesian. Was very pleased to complete this, though I had help from my husband with three – leaseback, data and Melanesian. So a team effort in the end. Enjoyable if a bit difficult for me. I found the right hand side going in at first. I had no comment in mind but no idea why. Chestnut cleared that up. Several biffs, e.g. Iran, tambourine. COD saving grace, and even here I did not use all of the clue. Time to solve – ages. Thanks, Jack, and setter. GW.
9. After a total flail (and fail) on yesterday’s main fare and a DNF on today’s QC after 13 minutes this was a bit better. Started at the bottom and worked round anticlockwise ending with DATA which rang a bell so didnt hold me up for too long

   Liked ATTEST

   Thanks Jackkt and setter

   Ps Newcastle are a United as well, so called because they were the result of two smaller teams merging: Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End. Unlike Liverpool Manchester Nottingham Birmingham and many other cities (even Bristol for goodness sake) Newcastle has since then always been a one team town

10. DNF. Just under 16 mins to solve, the rest of the afternoon to kick myself for a typo in leasebakk. I thought the two Georges was rather novel.
11. Six minutes 20 seconds? I quit. It takes me longer than that even to read the darn clues, let alone solve them. I’m very obviously only worthy of a much, much lower league.
    1. I wouldn’t worry about it, sbeginner, if I did I’d have given up long ago. Do your own thing at your own speed and enjoy it.
       1. Thank you, jackkt, that’s just what I needed to hear. And inspired, I have just completed Wednesday’s 27969 in 45 minutes. Yeehaw!
          1. I’m so glad to have been of help. When I first discovered TfTT most of the bloggers and contributors were speed-merchants who took part in the Times Crossword Championships, and as just an occasional contributor (I think I was still ‘anon’) I felt I was in elite company and way out of my league.

             But there was one blogger (long since departed) who I came to realise was a far less experienced solver than most, and his comments inspired me to persevere. Eventually when a vacancy arose for a blogger I thought to myself ‘I think I could do that’ so applied and much to my surprise I was accepted. That was some 12 years ago.

             I hope my skills as a blogger (such as they are) have improved over the years but I’m not sure my solving speeds are much different. I target 30 minutes and probably achieve it a couple of times a week but other days I might take anything up to an hour. That’s usually my cut-off point and if I don’t feel a breakthrough is imminent I may well resort to aids. I never race against the clock for the 15×15 as I want to enjoy it to the maximum. I try speed on the Quick Cryptic but have never managed less than 5 minutes, and that only once I think.

             Edited at 2021-05-06 09:04 am (UTC)

             1. This blog is exceptionally helpful, and intstructional. I think I’m learning nothing, and then solve a clue that I wouldn’t have been able to before, and think, there you go, yes, you are learning. It’s simply a slow and steady process and easy to get frustrated/ demotivated at times. But thanks to kind people like you, it’s still onward! Thank you.
12. I’ve never seen this before, though I suppose it must have happened. It was glaringly obvious if you were doing the physical, paper version, maybe not online, but near the end of listing the questions, someone ‘created’ a non-existent ‘25ac’ (hence 9 letters), so all the following questions are misnumbered. Expected to see a (very small-print!) apology today, but maybe it wasn’t noticed. Enjoyed the puzzle anyway. Julian B-C

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