smiffy

Plenty of Flimsy whimsy in evidence today, although I thought that a couple of clues (12A, 19A) were, in part, too lazily self-referential.  On the plus side, I learned a geographic factoid courtesy … Read more >>

Much of this flowed pretty readily from an instantly-solved 1A.  Ended up with a slight lack of “20-20” vision, as I was unfamiliar with the answers at 20A and 20D; both were generously … Read more >>

Something of a comme ci, comme ca puzzle.  Some plaudit-worthy surfaces and definitions, but also some pretty low-hanging fruit. Across 1 QUICKFIRE – this clue put me in mind of the motor-mouthed sergeant … Read more >>

One of those strange puzzle that took longer than average to gain an initial toehold, but then offered decreasing levels of resistance thereafter as the answers seem to flow with continual acceleration.  A … Read more >>

A real bran tub today.  Our ports of call range from the dangerously shallow (yes, I’m talking about you, five-letter answers!) to almost uncharted waters (C19th operatic minutiae). Across 1 PENCHANT – p{oet} … Read more >>

Please excuse the later than usual post; a plumbing emergency kiboshed my morning routine.  But now that an 18A has been successfully issued and implemented on the pipe in question, I got to … Read more >>

To avoid being too sycophantic, I’ll simply list a smattering of the clues that I relished for one reason or another; 1A, 16A, 19A, 27A, 7D, 8D, 22D.  If you’re not a regular … Read more >>

That was then, this is now…perhaps Sleuth is feeling a tad nostalgic, what with the three separate wordplay elements (13A, 28A, 6D) harking to times past.  Two major sticking points for me;  firstly … Read more >>

Another bout of Falconry for the Thursday slot.  Progress seemed a little too easy in parts, with the gradient never getting beyond a gentle slope, but I did particularly enjoy 9A and 19D … Read more >>

Quite probably the most anodyne set of grid-entry words I’ve ever encountered (21A is the only answer that could even remotely be considered specialist or unfamiliar).  But that by no means necessitates a … Read more >>

One of those puzzles where I found the longer answers came very readily, which provided a solid skeleton from which to flesh out the rest without too much anguish.  Didn’t (or still don’t) … Read more >>

I found this to be a real variety show of both easy and elusive answers, with some intermittent channelling of Sid James or Frankie Howerd to keep us amused (“titter ye not”). Across … Read more >>

If it waddles like a Falcon and quacks like a Falcon then it’s probably a Falcon.  An engaging solve, while it lasted, but ultimately a short-lived skirmish. Across 1 BRASS BAND – brass … Read more >>

The usual quotient of merry mischief, to keep us on our toes.  Plenty of contenders for ‘clue of the day’ status.  I have 15A and 27A still playing out an unresolved Isner vs … Read more >>