Sunday Times Mephisto 3332 Sunday July 7Th 2024

[hypotheses]

A dour struggle today. I'm afraid Mr. Grimshaw and are not on the same page. New setter?  Normally I can knock this off in half an hour or so but not today! Am I being particularly dense or are others finding this heavy going?

[roslyn251254]

What are you stuck on?

[hypotheses]

About half of it but I'm grinding my way there. Wasn't looking for specific help, just general thoughts on whether this is particularly sticky! But thanks for asking. 

[hypotheses]

Phew. What a struggle. Got there in the end. More than usual number of pretty obscure words. 

[ProfessorMaisie]

I agree with you, hypotheses - a real struggle (and not a rewarding one).

I struggle with Grimshaw's puzzles more often than not, and more than any other Mephisto setter I've encountered over the decades.

It takes no great skill to construct a difficult puzzle. Very obscure answers clued by very obscure wordplay will do it, and very long and obscure answers that are anagrams (impossible to get without an anagram solver, they effectively block off vast areas of the grid) in fact Grimshaw's last effort featured this device!

I'll give Grimshaw a miss if it goes on, because I expect to complete Mephisto without aids - checking a few answers in Chambers on completion - that usually works with every other setter. I'm not going to be forced into using technology because the setter refuses to play the game fairly.

[hypotheses]

Couldn't have put it better myself!