Quick Crossword 559 by Tracy
Nothing too controversial in this Friday's offering, and for once the number (22a) was a number and not something that numbs!Thank you to Tracy.Across1Defend comic, pro: STAND UP FORComic = stand-up,...
View ArticleTimes 26399 - “Take eloquence and wring its neck.”
Eloquence will be lacking today. Not the cheering hirsute face you're used to on a Friday, with lurid tales of bacchanalia and lightning solves in the wee small hours; I'm here for Monsieur V as he's...
View ArticleJumbo 1202 April 16, 2016 - Something for everyone?
Just under the hour for me, so medium difficulty I would suggest. A couple of leaps of faith with EUPHORBIA and MICRODOT, but nothing too controversial as I recall. Unless you want to get into a...
View ArticleSaturday Times 26394 (23rd April)
11:25 for this one, solved online on the Sunday morning as I didn't get a chance to do anything crossword-related last Saturday. This seemed to have a lot of GK in it - nearly half the clues seemed to...
View ArticleSunday Times 4691 by Jeff Pearce
I find that quite a few of Jeff's puzzles share the same overall characteristics - a significant number of nicely constructed but eminently gettable clues, laced with two or three where the answer is...
View ArticleMephisto 2904 by Don Manley - Here's Looking At You Kid
Middle of the road puzzle incorporating the most often married Queen of England with possibly the most misquoted film actor (who didn't say "Play it again Sam") and a Norfolk town many will not have...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 560 by Mara
I've found some of Mara's puzzles on the tricky side in the past but glancing back at recent ones they have seemed easier of late and this one continues that trend. I shall be interested to read what...
View ArticleTImes 26,401
This will be as minimal as a Derek Jarman film, I'm afraid, as it's Labour Day here and we are going out for yum cha. 43 minutes, good enough for last place on the leaderboard at the moment, but only...
View ArticleTimes Cryptic 26402 - y'ere 'tis
Some of this was quite hard. I solved all but one clue (28ac) in 30 minutes but after a further 10 I gave up and cheated to find a word that I have never heard of and has not come up before. It's a...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 561 by Joker
Not much time to blog today so this is about as brief as it gets. A good, accessible crossword though - there should be plenty of completers today. My time was 13 minutes. Hopefully other bloggers can...
View ArticleTimes 26391 - first Championship Qualifier published 20 April 2016
Apparently as the regular Wednesday blogger I am in line to blog this as well as the 1963 retro puzzle 230363 which appeared that day. Now the answers are published I expect there is little call for...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 562 by Hurley
Don't know about you, but I found this a bit of a strange experience. Quick first whizz down the Across clues only yielded a couple, and I started to get worried! Then a quick whizz through the Downs...
View ArticleTimes 26,403: Going To Hull In A Handbasket, Or Thereabouts
I will keep it brief for once as between covering for Pip this week and doing a TLS blog next week, in addition to my regular Fridays, you'll get sick of me otherwise. A mostly straightforward little...
View ArticleTimes 26404: people, places and things!
Solving time : 22:30, which has me first on the club timer, though it is early days. I struggled mightily with this one and was on the verge of looking up a few of the less likely-looking answers when...
View ArticleQuick cryptic No 563 by Hawthorn
Some very nicely compact cluing today, with a nice mix of double definitions, anagrams, hidden and reverse hidden clues, using most of the weapons available in the Setter’s arsenal. This took me 18...
View ArticleTLS Crossword 1121 by Myrtilus Can you '&lit?
Aren’t I lucky? I get Myrtilus again to unravel, and as before there are plenty of delights along the way and no errors either in arty facts or artefacts to complain about. There are more clues where...
View ArticleQuick Crossword 564 by Flamande
I found this one to be nearer the easier end of the spectrum, but enjoyable nevertheless, with some nice pictures conjured up by the surface readings (1a, 8a and 12a particularly). A couple of possible...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Times 26,405: A Word In Your Cochlea
It might have had its thunder stolen somewhat by yesterday's fabulous (and fabulously hard) puzzle, but I thought this was a really good crossword with some very ingenious cluing. I only managed a par...
View ArticleCryptic Crossword Research by Kathryn Friedlander and Philip Fine
I received this from Kathryn Friedlander yesterday.Many of you kindly helped us in our research by completing a very detailed survey of personal background and solving habits, advertised via this board...
View ArticleJumbo 1203
Fairly straightforward, with a couple of nice clues and a couple of solutions to check. Nothing controversial to my mindAcross1 SCOFF - double definition4 MIAOWED - DE = of, French, AIM = train, all...
View Article