The Times Quick Cryptic Crossword book 1: 80 challenging quick cryptic crosswords from The Times (The Times Crosswords)

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BLUE MOON - first published in 1934, this song is the unofficial anthem of Manchester City, whose hapless defending in what should have been the final minutes of their match against Madrid means that Liverpool may win the quadruple. For a lifelong Manchester United fan, I can't tell you how painful that prospect is. PIGEON - PIG iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry. EON=age.

MYOPIA– PI (private investigator) in [unruly] ( Mayo)*. Short-sightedness. Did you think the definition was just problem. If so, Wurm might say “gotcha”.Another SCC appearance, soon I think I might need a regular membership. Can’t keep signing the book as a Guest. CROSS-POLLINATE - CROSS (mongrel) + POLL (parrot) + IN (at home) + ATE (upset, as in "his failure ate away at his confidence" or similar) RED ALERT– RED (ginger) ALE (beer) RT (right). Fun surface. There I was I thinking it was a nice cup of tea that was called for in such circumstances. I found Peridot’s first puzzle to be approachable, taking 13 minutes. I was slightly slow at first, getting used to his / her style, but accelerated through with few difficulties. Welcome to the team Peridot, and I hope to see you again soon.

I usually solve online, but this time I had to grab some paper to scribble out the long anagrams and try to decipher them. Since I've been following the elections in the US, Australia and the recent ones in France and the UK, 21 across is one of my favorite clues in a long time, well put setter! To enter the contest, one has to complete the crossword and take a print out the same. This has to be sent to The Times registered office with all your personal details attached. The entry to the contest can also be submitted online for members of the Crossword Club PRANCER - RAN + C(old) inside PER (for each, every). Prancer supposedly being one of Santa's reindeer. UNSTRAP—“Suntrap” with the S fallen to third place. …I didn’t know “suntrap,” though I’ve long been addicted to sunbathing. It’s for plants.CARP– I think this is a double definition. I tried to convince myself that ‘grouse’ and ‘beef’ make this a triple, but they are basically the same meaning of ‘carp’, to complain. ENCUMBRANCE - (k)EN(t) (middle of Kent, where I live) + CUMBRIA NICE, with all the Is removed. Quite a neat clue! These cryptic crosswords are sure to keep you engaged for a long time and be your best partners in your solitary times. The clues are twisted and they make you think about a hundred possible options making your brain work at lightning speed. This exercise makes your brain sharper and enhances your memory power. I use the standard TfTT conventions like underlining the definition, CD for cryptic definition, DD for a double one, *(anargam) and so forth. Nho = "not heard of" and in case of need the Glossary is always handy APHORISM– O (old) R (Rex; king) in [horrible] ( mishap)*. Not the meaning of saw you might think of at first.

POLITICAL - I [electric current] "input" to (LOCAL PIT*). The def is specifically "government's", as in "of government" This is a rare one where the H is dropped from the middle of the word. I had ARMLESS, which is a valid word according to the OED, and means “Without weapons”, I guess on reflection that Harmless doesn’t quite mean “suffering no hurt”, but putting this in caused much grief in this corner. On Saturdays there is also a Prize Jumbo cryptic, similar in style to the daily puzzle but using a 23x23 grid. crosswords, which are often particularly difficult due to their word puzzles. This type of crossword puzzles was

Current Times Crossword Setters

INNER TUBE – When talking about London, central and INNER are almost synonymous, and TUBE is the mass transit system of choice in that location. The cryptic definition completes this neat clue. STAR{e} (look hard for) [missing English - e]. 'Stare meaning 'look hard' is fine but I'm having a problem equating it with 'look hard for'. Perhaps there's a context I haven't thought of? OESOPHAGUS– [riotous] ( House as GOP)*. The house will be the American House of Representative… GOP is Grand Old Party, a name for the Republican party. Food delivery route – ho ho. APOCALYPSE– CALYPS{o} (ballad) without the last letter, [short], in A POE ( Edgar Allan Poe; writer).

RETIE - (Gaul)EITER, rev. Gaul has not been a province for quite a while, but it was big in its dayARCHIVAL - The ARAL sea is, sadly, no more. Once the fourth largest lake in the world, it is now, in one of our largest environmental tragedies, the Aralkum desert. For the purposes of this clue it contains CHIV, which is slang for a knife. Nho, but did know chivvy, which has the same root. Notes for newcomers: The Times offers prizes for Saturday Cryptic Crosswords. This blog is posted a week later, after the competition closes. So, please don’t comment here on the current Saturday Cryptic. CAMOMILE - LIMO (large car) rev., in CAME, advanced. Its restorative powers are unproven. It is being investigated for possibly helping to relieve anxiety. In which case it is probably best not to read the Wiki article At The Times, Richard Rogan has been responsible for editing and creating the Cryptic crosswords since 2014.