Life
When push comes to shove
One thing that surprised every-one during lockdown was how many people derived unexpected pleasure from living under imposed restrictions. Can…
Scallop
‘You say scallops and I say scallops,’ sang my husband in his best Ginger Rogers accents. Since we both pronounce…
Anyone for Dennis?
In Competition No. 3223, you were invited to supply an acrostic poem in which the first letter of each line,…
Short fights
If you play chess like a wet rag, sooner or later you will be made to regret it. In Nigel…
Deliver us from vinegar
Rich men often look out for bargains. I suppose that is why they are rich. But there can be problems.…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. I will shortly be attending a major social gathering in London at which I can look forward to seeing…
Sky’s the limit
When I promised my 13-year-old son, Charlie, that we would go to as many QPR games as possible in 2021-22…
Solution to 2528: Not to Lose
The unclued lights are all phrases in Chambers meaning ‘HURRY UP — or No T(ime) to Lose’. First prize Andy…
Puzzle No. 678
White to play. Short-Ye, Sanjin Hotel Cup 2004. A snappy finish from a game in Winning. Which move allowed Short…
High life
There’s a narrow stretch of Chelsea, south of the King’s Road from Oakley Street to Ormonde Gate, that reminds me…
Low life
The day after Catriona was fitted with a plaster cast and crutches, her elder sister arrived from the UK for…
Kiwi Life
Lorde vs Lana People who live in glass houses really shouldn’t get changed with the lights on. Doubly so, one…
Aussie Language
When New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet announced the re-opening of the state he said: ‘We can’t remain a hermit…
Real life
‘My phone says I can’t go out until Tuesday, so I can’t come and meet you,’ said my friend. And…
High life
New York I find most films nowadays as fascinating as a lengthy history of orthodontics but then I’m spoilt rotten,…
Group think
In Competition No. 3222, you were invited to supply a dystopian short story that incorporates as many collective nouns for…
The Battle for Britain
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Dear Mary
Q. Our two daughters often bring friends down for the weekend. These friends are more than welcome; we enjoy their…
Why the Reds have got the blues
Not so much the hair dryer: more a gentle home perm. Contemplating the increasingly less youthful visage of Ole Gunnar…
Why lockdown sceptics lost the argument
I’m optimistic that the government won’t implement ‘Plan B’, let alone impose another lockdown — but not because sceptics like…
Faking it
Whitcomb’s is in The Londoner hotel on the south-west corner of Leicester Square. The Londoner calls itself ‘the world’s first…
Witch
‘No, darling, I certainly wouldn’t call you a witch,’ said my husband. ‘You’re not thin enough.’ The Oxford English Dictionary…
to 2527: The main dilemma
The question posed by the song is 11A/ 22A/37A. Suggested by 37A, other unclued lights were anagrams of words meaning…
Puzzle no. 677
Black to play. Turner–Jackson, Hull 4NCL GM Tournament 2021. Which move did James Jackson play to ensure a decisive advance…
2530: Ups and downs
Clockwise round the grid from 2 runs a quotation (5,3,3,5,6,4,3,4,3,3,4,5) followed by the poet’s first name. Her second name is…
