Weekend Quick Cryptic 19 - by Phil Jordan

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's turn.

You can find  the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT, or via email to Phil at 1147philjordan@gmail.com.
[Solution]

Weekend Quick Cryptic 18 - A Fine Romance by Johninterred

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn. As the title suggests there is something related to Sunday's date in the crossword and to construct the "romance", such as it is, you need to start with a down clue (not answer), which is followed by a Nina in the unchecked letters, and then 2 across answers

You can find links to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT.
Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help in finding the Nina, click the label below.
[Hint...]
The Nina is hidden in the complete outer ring of unches, one square in from the outside ring of answers, running clockwise. You can start reading it from either the SW corner or the SE.
The clues to combine this with ar 16D, 1A and 25A... and may they live happily ever after.
And click on this label to get the solution.
[Solution...]

Weekend Quick Cryptic 17 - by Phil Jordan

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's turn.

You can find  the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT, or via email to Phil at 1147philjordan@gmail.com.
[Spoiler (click to open)]

Weekend Quick Cryptic 16 - When The Snow Lay Round About... by Johninterred

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn. As the tite suggests there is a bit of a seasonal theme.

You can find links to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT.
Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional hints and tips, click the label below.
[Hints and Tips...]
A few tips if you are stuck...

  • The theme may help with many of the answers

  • It helps if you know your Christmas carols to complete the title with three of the words to be found in the grid

  • You will also find reference to a Christmas song in a combination of two answers

  • You need to know french for "here" for one answer

  • When I was working I always hated meetings about meetings such as the one referred to, but they went with the territory of large projects and proposals

  • "High on a hill was a lonely goatherd..."


And click on this label to get the solution.
[Solution...]

Weekend Quick Cryptic 15 - by Phil Jordan

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's turn.

You can find  the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT, or via email to Phil at 1147philjordan@gmail.com.
[Spoiler (click to open)]

Times Cryptic Jumbo 1472 - 12th December

Compliments of the season to you all!   A fairly gentle Jumbo here from two  weeks ago but with a bit of sting in the tail.  34A had me scratching my head and resorting to aids.. an unknown word with less than obvious wordplay crossing with a word, 26A, I wouldn't have spelt that way. Otherwise all good stuff, all done in less than 40 minutes. Favourites included 1A, 15A and 25D.

( Collapse )

Weekend Quick Cryptic 14 - Season's Greetings from Johninterred

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn. As it's our last of the year I've included a bit of a seasonal theme.

You can find links to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT.
Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional hints and tips, click the label below.
[Hints and tips...]

  • The grid includes the names of 5 members of a famous team and their manager. One of the names is in a less usual spelling, but trust the wordplay to get to the correct version.

  • In the spirit of the QC of introducing solvers to different clues types and setters' tricks, there are a couple of clues that introduce some play with punctuation. In one of them you need to ignore it completely, but in the other it is really quite important.

  • And, finally, a piece of general knowledge which I hope is familiar - there is reference to the singer of "When a Man Loves a Woman".

Enjoy!

And click on this label to get the solution.
[Solution...]

Online Crossword Championship Puzzles 2020 Unofficial Results

From the data collected and reported on the SNITCH site, I have captured the times for all tracked solvers who finished each crossword correctly and merged and summed the results. If I've done this right, of 182 solvers (including me) who finished one or more, there were 53 who completed all 3 correctly. [Edit: updated 17/12 for later solvers] Ranking by total times over the three puzzles (on 2nd, 9th and 16th December), the (unofficial!) results are:

Weekend Quick Cryptic 13 - by Phil Jordan

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's Phil's turn.

You can find  the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT, or via email to Phil at 1147philjordan@gmail.com.
[Solution (click to open)]

Weekend Quick Cryptic 12 - Let's go to the Zoo by Johninterred

My fellow TimesforTheTimes contributor and expert solver, Phil Jordan, and I are continuing to produce crosswords to fill the gap left by the Saturday Times not having one. The plan is for us to alternate, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn.

You can find links to the crossword here and the answers below. Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on TfTT. [Update: Explanation of wordplay included with solution now]
[Solution (click to open)]

Some brief notes on the wordplay in the clues (I omit the definition parts):
Across
1. PRESS (reporters) [after] E (Ecstasy; drug) [in] DIVE (sleazy joint)
8. (lax)* [at sea] around [catching] O (=0, nothing) LOT (much).
9. GO (depart) [after] DIN (loud noise).
10. Double definition.
11. Homophone [we hear] of TORE (raced) TOYS (Barbie and Mr Potato Head).
13. Triple definition.
14. [Return] BIG -> GIB, B (book) ON. Author of Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.
17. (lad ropes)* [wandering].
19. Reverse [about] hidden [restraining] in Have NO ILlusions.
21. TIER (row) [about] [head of], i.e. first letter of Giant.
22. GAFFE (blunder) [about] IR (Ireland).
23. TOME (book) [about] FOOL (dessert) [on] RY (railway).
Down
2 E (Internet) MOTION (movement).
3 Double definition, the second a cryptic hint
4 SALt [incompletely] (season) MON (my in French).
5 Anagram of [most of] (intel laid)* [out].
6 First letters of [leads to] Endless Nights Nursing Unbearable Insomnia.
7 (can never go)* [wrong].
8 (elitism as a)* [corruption].
12 HEX (cast spell) A G (good) RAM (sheep).
15 Double definition.
16 A GI (soldier) [in] ADO (trouble).
18 bOUGHT (purchased) [unopened].
20 Hidden in [not entirely] fOR ALl.