I solved a London Times cryptic finally

The Game Room
1

I’ve been solving cryptic crosswords my whole adult life. American ones, e.g. the ones made by Cox and Rathvon. Generally I can do them without too much difficulty.

For the last year or so I’ve been working on British puzzles from the London Times. They are far more difficult. They use a lot of obscure words, a lot of obscure meanings of common words, and worst of all a lot of Britishisms I have no clue about. So I’m happy when I can even figure out half the clues.

But yesterday, for the first time ever, I solved a complete puzzle! Allow me to gloat satisfactorily.

2

Brilliant!

3

Congratulations! Care to share a clue?

4

How dare you; isn’t “brilliant” almost a pejorative in England?

5

No, it’s just a marker of the verbal penury of the person giving the compliment.

6

That explains a lot about “Cabin Pressure”.

To the OP: You do know, I hope, that Cox and Rathvon have put their entire archive online.

7

“Study a lot of pupils fit in” (7):

CONFORM

“Fit in” is the definition. “To con” means “to study”. “Form” is a British term for what we American call a school grade.

“What’s missing from front of book? An insect” (7):

KATYDID

“An insect” is the definition. There’s an 1872 children’s novel, which I had never heard of, called “What Katy Did”.

“Father loves taking king inside hotels abroad” (9):

PARADORES

“Pa” “adores” taking “r” inside. “Paradores” are a kind of hotel seen mostly in Spain. I had never heard the term before.

8

Congratulations! I remember solving my first Times. It took me four days, but worth every minute :slightly_smiling_face:

9

Congrats! I don’t think I’ve ever solved more than one clue. My brain just doesn’t seem to work that way. I know, practice, practice, practice. It’s still beyond my ken. Well done!

10

I believe they’re mainly found under the moon.

11

FYI the Guardian’s crossword puzzles, including their daily cryptic, are freely available online

12

I find cryptics depend a lot on the author. I actually find the English ones more consistent with my way of thinking. The Globe and Mail guy loves anagrams but does not really use the full palette of options.

13

I do the Financial Times puzzle. If ever a setter requires a knowledge of Cockney rhyming slang to solve a clue, that setter is ignored by me forever.

Cricket terms I can learn, but “she’s me Barney Rubble” (= trouble = trouble and strife = wife) does not charm me.

14

I just saw this, and a big congratulations! They are incredibly hard, especially with all those Britishisms.

I do have a strong fondness for those. In the 90s, I bonded with a best friend’s parents over many things, including cryptic crosswords. They bought me a book of London Times puzzles, and I keep them in the bedside drawer, and in the last 30 years I’ve completed exactly four of them. Those parents have since passed away, but every time I solve one I sent a note to my friend and let her know I’m thinking of them.