The Times Crossword Friday Masterclass: 23 August 2024

[@robertberwick3856]

I've never watched a single sudoku video. I'm only here for the crosswords! Please don't stop.

[@danrosendorf4518]

@@robertberwick3856 exactly this. Cryptics and the occasional wordle.

[@megansmith8934]

Best days are cryptic crossword Fridays !!!!!

[@G.Aaron.Fisher]

I like that you're looking up the justification for the answers after you fill them in. It's better viewing than waiting until the end to check the dictionary for everything.

[@B1GB1RDB4G3L]

I'm feeling a bit low today, and seeing this video in my feed cheered me up. You always put a smile on my face Simon, you're such a lovely human. Thank you for these videos

[@silvera1109]

Enjoy watching these and learn a lot - thank you for doing them!

[@kushsinghal1998]

For 7d, dot and pepper are synonymous as verbs!

[@Neopolis3]

Yes, in the sense of "scatter", that's what I was thinking

[@mashpojayde-o]

Tbh I came initially during covid for the sudoku content, and now I predominantly watch the cryptic crossword videos 🙈💜

[@nickr3115]

I love the Friday Cryptic! Keep them coming KZbin!

[@Alex_Meadows]

I'm glad that you really enjoy making these, cos I really enjoy watching them! Well done on the solves, particularly the QC, which you solved in slightly under a third of my 09:00.

[@otterotterottercid]

cryptic crossword fridays have become my favorite content of this channel

[@PeterAnderson-n7x]

Great stuff as ever. Come on algorithm - get with it. Cryptics genius.

[@shellmichael9665]

I’m going to start commenting on each of these to help with the algorithm because I’ve become a huge fan of cryptic crosswords specifically because of this channel teaching me how to do them.

[@Kate-ok5kg]

Thank you for another brilliant crossword video - your videos make cryptic crosswords accessible and I love how you walk us through how you got the clues. As someone who’s never been any good at crosswords, I love watching your videos while knitting and feeling like I’ve learned something, so very relaxing, keep it up!! ❤❤

[@mashpojayde-o]

I absolutely love your cryptic crossword videos! Thank you for continuing to do them 💜

[@jinbe892]

I’ve just started watching these regularly. I’d love to learn to solve cryptics. They’re so fascinating

[@derekwalsh1973]

Without these videos I wouldn’t know it’s Friday 😊 keep them coming please 🙏

[@PaulReinerfelt]

I definitely follow the channel for the Crossword-content.

[@sarabearyt]

loved this once again! english isnt my first language and at first i thought i had no chance with these but youre right: they are entertaining! so i kept watching and now i do usually get a few words in before simon! very satisfying

[@daconor91]

Always watch these videos from start to finish. They have helped me so much. My dad taught me how to do cryptics years ago but I nearly gave up on them when I would only ever get 3 or 4 clues in the Quick Cryptic and thought maybe I’m just not clever enough. I’ve finally reached a point now where I can solve the whole grid fairly consistently - and I put a lot of that down to these videos (and practice!). Hoping to have the confidence to give the main Times crossword a go eventually

[@gordonglenn2089]

Always a delight to see a cryptic crossword maven at work! I am from the USA, so the Britishisms often catch me off guard. The Times Quick Cryptic books are my favorite waiting room companions.

[@ColinMandy1]

Love this video, as with all of this series. ❤

[@puritan7473]

Please keep up these Crossword videos!!!!!!!

[@martinzhang6936]

-rrhoea typically refers to the erroneous and excessive flow of something - diarrhoea, rhinorrhoea (watery nose) :)

[@davidrattner9]

Even when you are traveling Simon, continous thank you for solving these for us! Such a treat to get Fridays going!

[@nsrikand1]

Excellent learning, Simon. Thanks a ton.

[@richardgower2605]

Really enjoy the variety that the Crosswords bring to the channel. Keep it up!

[@esti369]

Highlight of the week! Thanks Simon.

[@annastevenson27]

Nothing better to start off the weekend!

[@bethchappell5876]

I love the crossword videos. They are why I found your channel. For me the sudoku were the extra content. Pay no attention to the algorithm!

[@yadiracamacho499]

Comment for the algorithm. Thanks for the video

[@coolgirllovespitbull]

Thanks Simon - my favourite part of the week!

[@Ruddigore]

A highlight of my Friday mornings, Even though I'm a seasoned cryptic crossword solver I find these videos a valuable asset. Many more please.

[@mjkluck]

The cryptic solves was the reason I subscribed to this channel.

[@Anne_Mahoney]

I've realized I look forward to this video all week! I pour a glass, gather the grey cat onto my lap, and chill out for an hour of wordplay. Hey, Algorithm, you don't know what you're missing! 😺 🍷

[@kf7872]

I like these videos (and also the longer and elegant sudoku solves)

[@AtoZTrivia]

Another great solve Simon thank you for the assistance... 😊😊👍👍

[@evah4431]

I actually watch these more than the sudoku videos! Not that I don't like those, but for me they get a bit lost in the daily trouble of life, while the Cryptic Crossword is a nice weekend routine to put on while drawing or eating. Thank you for making them!

[@longwaytotipperary]

Always enjoy these!

[@davidrattner9]

Best way to end the week and prepare for weekend. 😀

[@longwaytotipperary]

@@davidrattner9 yes in deed!!! Very ready for weekend!! ❤️🩷💜

[@bristolrovers27]

Friday puzzle is an absolute must

[@louisesuth8141]

Many thanks for continuing these, I just loved 21 across

[@DanielMorris1]

Best video of the week.

[@debrabowen4276]

Simon, thank you for Friday cryptic crosswords!

[@stevenclark1243]

I only watch these, not at all interested in Sudoku. I have always wanted to get better at the Times crossword and I am improving. So thank you for keeping it up.

[@arty9935]

Great solve Simon, keep the crosswords coming!

[@Emmibean77]

My week was incredibly busy, and the only KZbin video I made time to watch was this one! These videos truly are the best, and I would indeed “Like” it twice at the very least if I could. I hope KZbin catches on eventually, but thank you for still making them, even if they aren’t as popular as other videos on this channel.

[@epsilonzero77]

Makes me a better solver. Love these.

[@garethroberts4781]

Love your videos. Thank you. ❤

[@ChairboyRules]

Always look forward to Fridays masterclass thanks Simon

[@heavyecho1]

Please keep doing these crosswords videos.

[@CrackingTheCryptic]

Very kind - thank you so much!

[@jimsmith4907]

First crossword video for me. Don't know why I didn't watch one sooner! Great video 👍

[@joost00555]

First time I watched non-sudoku content, but it was very educational.

[@emilywilliams3237]

"Hopefully it wasn't too awful." You are a funny man - and of course, this is very fun and fascinating.

[@24Kemist]

I love the fast one at the end!!

[@3RBK57]

Thank you so much for these Friday solves. You are a joy to watch and learn from. I’ll never learn all those cricket terms, though.

[@IveeTheVoodooDoll]

I'm happy to report that I found this video through KZbin recommendations :)

[@iamtheproxy]

I have only in the last few months made the transition from someone who found cryptic crosswords weird, inaccessible and silly, to now absolutely adoring them. Im so glad. And now I’ve converted my wife and kids (they seemed to take to them more naturally than I did-that’s for sure)!

[@stephenshipley1066]

logo-rrhoea = flow/rush of words dia-rrhoea = flow/rush through (very apt) dia as in diaphonous = see through Glad I *did* do a bit of Greek ;-)

[@laserlordz]

As someone who is not a native English speaker, I enjoy being able to witness these cryptic crosswords being done every week, because I know I'd never be able to finish one on my own. I like to think my English is pretty good, but these crosswords make me doubt that sometimes (although hearing you mention that you only know some words from doing other cryptic crosswords does help that a little bit). However, I can say that I have started understanding some of the more 'basic' clues in some of the past few weeks, so long they don't require some specific bit of British knowledge. These videos always act as a signal that the weekend is (almost) here, and since I started watching these I've never missed a week! I hope that this comment helps the algorithm understand just a little bit more that these videos really are worth recommending.

[@danielsaper8264]

I love that how over the course of watching so many of these, I'm finally starting to grasp how to read some of the clues. Not enough that I can actually get the answers typically, but I felt good about understanding that "capitalist's margins' meant "ct" (Though I was trying to read the clue as "remove CT from some other word"). These videos are a great change of pace from Sudoku (though I love those), and I'm looking forward to your new series as well.

[@sue3458]

Dot and pepper can both mean scatter

[@KrisCadwell]

I'll never be able to solve one of these but I watch and enjoy every week.

[@elizabethL8n]

Love these solves!

[@johnciolfi5085]

As an American, I can attest that I immediately got 4-down because of the Superman connection. My Americanness certainly didn’t help me with other aspects of this puzzle, though (never heard of 5-down or 6-across - had to bust out the dictionary for the latter). But hey, now I’ve learned two more words. Thanks, as always, for doing these videos!

[@johnciolfi5085]

And enjoy your stay in Portugal! Lovely country, can’t wait to go back. Don’t forget to grab some pasteis de nata!

[@timshaw9627]

Cryptic Friday and the great Art Pepper in a clue. What a time to be alive!

[@seanpetersen4897]

Hi, Simon. Excellent video as always - your explanations and thought processes are always insightful to hear! One suggestion regarding the algorithm... it might be that since the crossword videos are, on average, a bit less popular than the sudoku videos among your subscribers, it's not pushing the video out to as many people. KZbin generally doesn't seem to know what to do with content that appeals to different subsets of a channel's audience. So one thing to consider might be making a separate channel just for crossword videos so that they're more likely to reach other cryptic fans

[@danielchadwick-hh3cn]

I'm now caught up with all these videos and I'm gutted that I now only get one a week. Thank you so very much for the entertainment and education.

[@Revenant77x]

another fantastic masterclass.

[@ahope1]

I subscribe to your Patreon and watch all your content EXCEPT the sudoku stuff!! (Damn the algorithm!) Loved this video, as usual! Thanks, Simon! Thanks, Mark!

[@oak3001]

I wondered if the Kent player might have related to the Canterbury Tales, and the Reeve's tale, but the explanation given in the video is much more sensible... Also - if you enjoy making the videos, then make the videos! Why not do something you enjoy :-) I appreciate them greatly. A lovely end to the week.

[@vinyl1Earthlink]

As an American solver, I supposed that Reeve was a cricketer from Kent - but fortunately, the cryptic is rather obvious. Logorrhoea is from Greek, not Latin - although the -oe- is a Latin rendering of omicron iota. I thought at once that dot means pepper as a verb. I did know godown, as it often appears in Mephisto. Meccano was more obvious to me than it was to Simon, even though it is a British toy, and not really even a toy at that. I wasted a lot of time on an anagram of girl and Don, as the letters do support ignor-, but the remaining letters put the kibosh on that idea. My time, at 44 minutes, was similar to Simon's, although he probably could have finished in around 20-25 minutes if he solved at speed.

[@jimbothefuzzy]

One thing I learned is that on some early typewriters, they did not have separate keys for 1 and 0. The font they chose had you use the I and O keys (which is why those are positioned next to each other on the QWERTY layout). Just in case you need ANOTHER reason for 1 and 0 to be synonymous with I and O, respectively.

[@joshuatomalin8616]

Lovely Video - RE Logorrhoea, i'm fairly sure its from Greek, you might recognize the ending from diarrhoea, and logos means Word. So together you have a word that sort of literally means "a Diarrhoea of Words" which is wonderfully descriptive!

[@VonBlade]

57:40 I watch ALL the video, beginning to end. This is why I'm here. But then I'm a writer not a mathematician. I like them _before_ watching them. Perhaps stop thinking that one day a crossword video will do "miracle sudoku" numbers, and accept that on day 1 you'd have killed for 10000 views of an hour long video, and be more accepting of the numbers you get. After all, the sudoku's are still wildly popular. This is seeing our favourite artist when they've moved from stadiums and large clubs to more intimate settings. Still brilliant, just our own private brilliance. On that subject I enjoyed the video game videos too.

[@loshadkinloshadkin725]

The final quick cryptic was absolutely wild

[@toxicara]

Been watching these for over a year and it's the first time I've gotten an answer before Simon... It's edamame Simon!

[@toxicara]

Keep on doing these, or start a second channel for the crosswords.

[@bsleepy]

Same, I think my love of cheese and Japanese food helped

[@creaghant]

Very nice solves Simon - thank you 👍

[@thetricondon]

I recently made my own attempt at a cryptic crossword, having been inspired by the dozens of videos you've put out on the subject. Been hacking away at it for five days now and I'm still not even close to completion; most of the answers I've found are hidden anagrams. But the part I find most bemusing is that, in the back of my mind, I could hear Simon gently guiding me through the solution, patiently explaining the wordplay and laying out the thought process behind the answer.

[@andrewkitching9339]

Brilliant analysis as always Simon. I found that I got a good start on this one, but struggled in the bottoms half. Finished it yesterday afternoon, and submitted but got one letter wrong on the ‘toy’, which I hadn’t checked properly. Still, felt pleased, as it had a decent SNITCH rating.

[@michaelpdawson]

Nice to see jazz great Art Pepper in the clues.

[@stephenmccarthy1795]

So great to learn that the word “godown” is not based on English etymology 😇. Fascinating, must remember to bring it up at my next party.

[@dankelz]

I love watching these videos so much, they're definitely a friday staple for me now. That being said, I made up my own crossword clue for you to try: "One inside car drifts into female bottoms" (6 letters)

[@TiagoMorbusSa]

Portugal mentioned!! Hope you're enjoying your time 💚❤

[@beemini3374]

I only watch the cryptic videos as I don't do sudoku. They're very entertaining!

[@grahamross1422]

Perspective helps. When I have travel difficulties I always ask "What would the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower have thought about my problem - a horseless carriage not being available on the very day I asked for it to be ready?"

[@dekbrown]

These videos are priceless. I learn every week. Darn that algorithm. Computers don’t get the subtleties of the English language. Or is the cryptic crossword becoming a forgotten art?

[@deane1980]

Highlight of my Fridays

[@GeorgeFrideric71]

'Allo 'Allo at the London Palladium was the only 'theatre' my parents ever took me to; I must have been about 8. An interesting choice.

[@iaincook5835]

Dame Vera sang a superb rendition of the Eskimo national anthem: "Whale meat again, don't know where, don't know when...."

[@andrew_hulme]

Re the surface of 7 down, Art Pepper was a jazz saxophonist. A friend lent me his autobiography in 2008 and I haven't read it yet.

[@Cthulhus_Mum]

I know what Worsted means from following the menswear guy on twitter 🤣 Lovely to listen to your solve, as always - my dad used to do the Australian Cryptic (he could get through some of an English cryptic, but having been only 6 when he left England in 1950 he didn’t have all the cultural touchstones for it), and in his final days we’d do them together in the hospital. Listening to these on a Friday night brings me back to those days 💕

[@peterdunlop7691]

Brilliant

[@filkube8540]

going dotty trying to link Dot and Pepper had me giggling - they're truly just verb synonyms.

[@jakstrike1]

Great cracking big dog

[@MultiNacnud]

Learning new words every Friday, it's like not seasoning the food in Gordon Ramsey's kitchen but the language is cleaner.

[@bibliopolist]

Simon trying to spell logorrhoea from scratch is hilarious.

[@walterxplinge3867]

always a Friday highlight.

[@Byron418]

Friday is here 🎉🎉🎉

[@ThecrystalwizardCoUk]

Commenting to boost the dancing seaweed we hear.

[@mariusnafe26]

I started watching ctc because of sudoku, but now I'm only here for Fridays crossword

[@missioncardiac7599]

Yay. Crossword time.