Life
Real life
The lodger looked at me blankly and pronounced wearily, as though intoning something he was tired of parroting, that I…
Solution to 2544: Fives
First prize Leigh Hughes, Bootle, Merseyside Runners-up Francis Wheen, Pleshey, Essex; Robin Jolly, Selsey, Chichester, West Sussex Got something to…
A life in limericks
In Competition No. 3240, you were invited to tell the life story of a well-known figure in three limericks. In…
Low life
Catriona has a commission to paint the 17th-century façade of the chapel of St Joseph’s. She’d made a start when…
Aussie life
There’s nothing like a war and a flood to ease pretend problems like exaggerated viral outbreaks off the front pages.…
2546: Picture book
43 (two words) created 1A (four words) and 3 10 14 (seven words). The latter inspired 17 30, whose work…
Real life
‘This is my father, and his pronoun is he,’ said the builder boyfriend, checking his dad into Accident and Emergency.…
Embolden
The most emboldened man on earth must be Vladimir Putin. Everything seems to embolden him. Treating Russia as a pariah…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. Rory Sutherland recently wrote about high-end takeaways (Wiki Man, 19 February). In the last London lockdown, I was fortunate…
The waste land
I was going to be jolly this week, for variety and denial, but I changed my mind. Instead, I wonder…
Time for rugby to sort itself out
If you were one of the sharp-suited head honchos at CVC Capital Partners, the private equity megalith that has ploughed…
Puzzle No. 693
Black to play. Shirov-Kramnik, Groningen 1993. Shirov threatens Rg3-h3+ so Kramnik forced a draw: 1…Rxg7+ 2 Rxg7+ Kh6 3 Rg8…
Bridge
The Lederer Memorial Trophy was carried off this year by my lovely friend Jonathan Harris, albeit with a little help…
My three straight weeks of saintliness
I’m currently standing at the top of Brownie Point Mountain, having spent the past two weeks looking after our three…
High life
Gstaad This is my last week in the Alps and I’m trying to get it all in – skiing, cross-country,…
Solution to 2543: Parts of Speech
Unclued lights are the many parts each man plays, from the ‘Seven ages’ speech by Jaques (29D) in As You…
Bookish
In Competition No. 3239, you were invited to submit political manifestos inspired by literary heroes. Sajid Javid loves Ayn Rand:…
Taking risks
I do not, as a rule, go looking for a fight on a Sunday morning. Chess, if it must be…
The Battle for Britain
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Wild life
Kenya During Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 I got a close look at Moscow’s troops and their kit. These…
Low life
I thought, or anyway hoped, that once I’d finished the chemotherapy I would spring back to vitality. Seven weeks on…
Aussie Life
I’m thinking about acquiring a drug habit. As a New South Wales Seniors Card carrier I may have left it…
Aussie Language
We are used to words being banned – but now it seems the word police are coming for the word…
Low life
‘We’re at war!’ said the taxi man as I installed myself for the long drive to Marseille. I put a…
Russia in check
The Champions League final has been moved from St Petersburg to Paris and the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi cancelled.…
