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.

The Times crossword puzzles can be easily completed in the printed daily newspaper. Help with solving The Times YODELLING -YELLING has the alternate letters of OdDs inserted. Debatable whether yodelling is singing - then again, remember Frank Ifield? 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.

EPONYM - ME reversed around PONY (25 quid); the vacuum cleaner is named after Mr Hoover (not J Edgar) guy_du_sable : Sunday Times Cryptic 5005, by Robert Price — Take 2 puzzles and call me in the morning (just once!) [+19] THREADBARE - AD (promotion) + BAR (pub, though I would not say they were the same thing) inside THREE, your number, Enjoyable puzzle elsewhere that I was merrily biffing my way through before 15ac, and a bit of a pause at 18ac and 16d. 8.30ish for when I limply decided to throw in the towel, for what it’s worth. Poor show from me, good show from Alex, for which many thanks! Across connected words. Today, he puts that love of puzzles into The Times Crossword, where he publishes his own

LOHENGRIN - RHEINGOL[d] N*; Lohengrin is not part of the Ring Cycle, as Rheingold is - just another opera from Wagner. Me, I care little for the music or the man. SS for “Direction repeated” seems a bit weak. Maybe “ Casual about Motorway Nazis (6)” might have been a bit much. I don’t think I have come across this as a verb: but the participle “estranged” is quite familiar. I thought it might be an unpaired word like “Disheveled” or “unscathed”, but no, it is valid. A regulation Saturday challenge, done in perhaps slightly under regulation time. 11D stretched my knowledge of Covent Garden – do they sell roses there? 14A amused me, and 15D stretched my vocabulary. Thanks to the setter for a very enjoyable puzzle. How did you all get on? Hi everybody. Despite a good start this took me two minutes over average time, so I clearly had to think a bit. I didn’t know the Wyoming city and had to trust the wordplay, but have no other issues to report. My COD is 15a. I could imagine someone of that name procrastinating by doing this crossword and their reaction on reading that clue. Thanks Izetti!

Current Times Crossword Setters

I don’t usually like Spooner clues, but this one was excellent. I’m sure Rev Spooner, who was an academic for 60 years thought he would be remembered for his works such as The Moral Philosophy Of Aristotle. Soldier slang for marching/drilling. Surprisingly recent, the OED can’t find any usage before 1943. DUAL MONARCHY - (CLAMOUR HAYDN)*. The Austro-Hungarian Empire apparently was a dual monarchy, and Haydn of course was Austrian.. A 90 minute DNF as I couldn’t get HAILSTONE. Saw STONE and still couldn’t get it. That is off the scale incompetence!!! PIGEON - PIG iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate product of the iron industry. EON=age.