Life
To 2199: TV Comedy
The unclued lights can be arranged to give: ‘I decided to sell my Hoover … well, it was just collecting…
Charlie Young, football star
My son Charlie was scouted by QPR last week. I say ‘scouted’, but that’s not quite accurate since he’s only…
Battle for Britain
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Is that Green or red?
Few people know this, but hidden within the FedEx logo, between the E and the x, there is a small…
Your problems solved
Q. A wonderful and generous woman invites me, on a regular basis, to dinner parties at her house. What is…
From puppy to Pinot
Meeting to taste wine, we started by talking about dogs. Roy Hattersley is good on the subject, which ought to…
Negatively impacted
Maureen Finucane of Richmond, Surrey, wonders whether there is any branch of public service not infected by Orwellian Newspeak. In…
Bright blues
The boat race for the brain, as it has become known, took place at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall,…
From puppy to Pinot
Meeting to taste wine, we started by talking about dogs. Roy Hattersley is good on the subject, which ought to…
Is that Green or red?
Few people know this, but hidden within the FedEx logo, between the E and the x, there is a small…
High life
The secret of eternal youth, according to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, is arrested development, and the penny dropped last week. The…
Low life
Frantic chewing of sugar-coated nicotine gum had caused my left lower molar to go irretrievably rotten, and the dentist finally…
Real life
My request to see my medical notes was granted in the end. I honestly don’t know why I wanted to…
Long life
The Oldie magazine — of which, until otherwise advised, I appear to be the editor — runs an occasional article…
Size matters
‘I don’t want to seem unromantic,’ said Mrs Oakley as St Valentine’s Day approached, ‘but this year please don’t buy…
Bridge
What a week it’s been. On Thursday night the incomparable Terry Hewett held her annual charity bonanza Night of the…
Varsity
On Saturday 7 March the annual Varsity Match between the teams of Oxford and Cambridge takes place. The contest is…
No. 352
Black to play. This is a variation from Chandler-Whiteley, Brighton 1979. Here Black can bring his attack to a successful…
Heaven and hell
In Competition No. 2887 you were invited to describe your idea of heaven or hell in verse. Nietzsche famously said…
2201: Facility
In each of eleven clues there is an added letter in the definition part. These letters, in clue order, spell…
To 2198: Tuck in
Corrections of misprints in clues give BETWEEN THE SHEETS, the name of a COCKTAIL (1A) whose contents (11, 18/34, 29…
The nailbiting run-up to Question Time
I was invited on Question Time this week, which gave me a few sleepless nights. Natalie Bennett’s disastrous interview on…
Battle for Britain
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Sacré Bleus! At least the food is good
It used to be such a treat of a winter weekend, sitting down to watch France against Wales in Paris…
Dear Mary
Q. A close friend is dating a renowned decorator. Meanwhile, on a limited budget, I am trying to smarten up…
