Life
Omicron
‘There once was a curate of Kew, / Who kept a young cat in a pew,’ began my husband when…
Above the laws
Fairly early in the pandemic it was widely accepted in scientific circles that the likelihood of outdoor transmission of Covid…
Raising a glass to Grey Gowrie
A group of us had gathered together to raise a glass, tell stories, to laugh and to mourn. It was…
Dear Mary: Your problems solved
Q. We have moved into a terraced house in a seaside town. Our joy is confined, however, by the fact…
Solution to: 2532: Patchy?
The unclued lights are TV detectives and their PATCH: 10/8, 13/5D, 15/39, 26/41, 36/33. First prize Emma Corke, Abinger Hammer,…
2535: Triplets
The unclued lights, all nouns or verb forms (one is a hyphened plural), include a common feature different in all…
Aussie Life
Koalas & babies When Covid first hit the news nearly two years ago the Save the Children Fund ran an…
Aussie Language
The hot political word of the moment has to be faction. In Victoria the anti-corruption body, IBAC, is currently investigating…
Dear Mary
Q. I belong to a fairly intimate private club which is the one reliable oasis of calm and civility that…
The Battle for Britain
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Think about the children
When Caroline and I got married in 2001, having four kids was not only fashionable, it was the socially responsible…
Spanish gold
Piccadilly is losing its patina of dirt, its cadaverous character. It is overpriced and over-renovated,a meeting place for luxury goods.…
High life
Gstaad I have two special girlfriends, Lynne and Fiona, the ladies who guard The Spectator’s entrance against the outraged #MeToo…
Bridge
Succumbing to your emotions at the bridge table can be fatal. Whatever you’re feeling, get a grip! Easier said than…
The turf
Ascot’s image is all champagne and fascinators, high society and high rollers. Said Art Buchwald: ‘Ascot is so exclusive that…
2534: Off-pitch
Eight unclued lights (four of two words) are of a kind. Across 1 False prophet faces interjection, perhaps (12,…
Poor Ole wasn’t cut out for Man U
Manchester United have ended up with a temporary coach before they look for an interim manager. Haven’t we heard that…
Real life
Surprise, surprise. The person who had the shield taken out of the street light so it shone back into my…
Ramp down
Language change outdoes nonsense, just as misbehaviour outdoes satire. In Through the Looking-Glass Alice mentions to the Gnat that, where…
Low life
After checking me in, the receptionist, who was wearing an overcoat, said: ‘There is no heating in the hotel. The…
The world championship
‘Time to say Dubai,’ tweeted Magnus Carlsen, like some wry Bond villain, when he learned that the Russian Ian Nepomniachtchi…
Puzzle No. 681
White to play. Erigaisi–Liem, Tata Steel Rapid, 2021. Here 1 Rxf6? Qd1+ sees White getting mated on the back rank.…
Show time
In Competition No. 3226, you were invited to rewrite, in pompous and prolix style, any well-known simple poem. The seed…
Solution To 2531: Villainy
The unclued lights are VILLAINS encountered by James Bond. First prize Ian Skillen, Cambuslang, Glasgow Runners-up Liz Knights, Walton Highway,…
Aussie Life
You know the royals are in trouble when a prominent member of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy writes an article suggesting…
