Mephisto 2951 - Tim Moorey
I found this one very very difficult - very few that went in without a trip to the dictionary. And even then I was digging myself into a hole, by confidently putting in IN CASE for 16 across and...
View ArticleSunday Times 4738 by David McLean - irreverence tempered by competence
17:08. I made slightly heavy weather of this one, putting GO OFF ON A TANGENT at 8dn and then not reconsidering it for far too long. This made 17ac difficult. I eventually sorted that out but never...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 795 by Flamande
I always find Flamande's puzzles entertaining, even if they are rarely at the difficult end of the spectrum, and this was no exception, with an enjoyable set of surfaces and little to quibble with in...
View ArticleTimes 26683 - Done Like a Kipper
I had all bar three (14, 20, 25) done in less than 13 minutes (or thought I had), but then took ages to finish that corner off, only to find on submission (on the Times website puzzle page) that I had...
View ArticleTimes 26684
I thought this was going to be quite straightforward but time started to run away as I progressed around the grid and after about 40 minutes I came to a grinding halt with several incomplete answers in...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 796 by Alconiere
Early solving of the two long clues at 3 and 8dn could produce a quick solve of the whole. This is only theoretical as I struggled with both, came in at 13 minutes and found it all rather tricky.Having...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 797 by Tracy
Thankfully the bottom half was straightforward, as the top (and particularly the NW corner) caused a bit more head scratching. My FOI was 15ac, which conveniently alerted me to the possibility of a...
View ArticleTimes 26685 - stars of stage, screen and statue. And a Scottish word.
I found this tough. The lower half went in slowly but the upper part took an age, in spite of having the longer answers quite early on. It requires significant general knowledge as well as some...
View ArticleTimes Cryptic 26686 - March 30, 2017 Now we're Tolkien!
Just as some people don’t like Dickens, Shakespeare or the Bible, so is it with me and the Lord of the Rings, both the book and the interminable films. I tried to read the Hobbit once, and gave up when...
View ArticleTimes Quick Cryptic No 798 by Orpheus
Well well, Orpheus got the better of me this week. It was Rongo last time round, where I gave up at the 15 minute mark after a blank stare at two unyielding clues. This time it was 20 minutes and three...
View ArticleQuick Cryptic 799 by Joker
Possibly a relief for some after the last two days? Dunno, but it took me just under 5 minutes. I hesitate to offer an opinion on the relative ease or difficulty of the puzzle, but I think it's fair...
View ArticleTimes 26,687: That's When I Reach For My Winchester
This was a truly wonderful puzzle that I ripped through with great enjoyment in seven and a half minutes dead, only to find my experience soured by having ended 4dn with HH instead of the requisite TH....
View ArticleClub Monthly 20198 March 2017 - Harder than your average crossword..
I found this difficult, more so than the past several months. It appears from the Forum that I was not the only one, though the two Usual Suspects both managed it in under 30 minutes, dammit. I on the...
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TLS 1166 by Myrtilus
Myrtilus stopped by the forum to apologise for delaying some solvers rather longer than intended with this one. Apology unnecessary, of course. If it didn't hurt, what would be the point? Which sounds...
View ArticleJumbo 1255
A puzzle of about average difficulty, with nothing particularly obscure for seasoned solvers, though I felt there were rather more unobvious definitions and deceptive surfaces than usually crop up in...
View ArticleTimes Saturday 26682 - March 25, 2017. A walk in the park.
That was a delight. I expect fast times for sure, and I certainly had a new personal best. As usual some answers from the world of nature were unfamiliar, but the cluing was clear enough. My only...
View ArticleSunday Times 4739 by Jeff Pearce
I managed to romp through the first three quarters or so of this puzzle without too many alarums and excursions, but was then left with a handful of clues that put up stout resistance and took an age...
View ArticleMephisto 2952 - Paul McKenna
Quite a mix of GK here with an old tennis player, a racecourse near Glasgow, a Dutch astronomer, an old film, and a cigar smoking dictator.Good puzzle I thought which represented a fair...
View ArticleTimes Quick Cryptic 800 by Hurley
Today the Quick Cryptic has reached #800 having started life on Monday 10 March 2014. These milestones always occur on my watch so I come to them half expecting a NINA in the grid or something in the...
View ArticleTimes 26689 - Paging General Knowledge!
Solving time: 28 minutesMusic: Steve Turre, ViewpointAs I was driving out of the grocery store parking lot this morning, the car immediately in front of me had a bumper sticker "I Love My Coton de...
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