The Ultimate Crossword Challenge

[@zeeker0315]

I had no idea what was going on the whole time, but Mark’s logic is interesting to listen to. Even if I don’t understand, I still think it’s an incredible solve!

[@Chipplez]

I'm kinda just... dumbfounded at this. Like I'd imagine if I had literal years to solve this I'd not even get the first word.

[@philipisbest]

This was amazing to watch, I don’t think there’s a single clue here that I could even approach.

[@richardfarrer5616]

I'm delighted to say that I got psychopomp as soon as you suggested a guide through hell, and I knew choisya (neither of which the spell checker likes, I see). A shame I wouldn't have got to either without you suggesting the direction and was nowhere near the rest of them. Well done!

[@Ruddigore]

Number of clues I may have managed to solve = 0. Number of these words I have actually uttered in my 66 years of life = 0. I would like to see many more Cryptic Crosswords featured on this channel, not as brutal as this one though. Well done on this by the way, have a huge thumbs up 👍

[@adamcummins9940]

If anyone’s curious the Irish speaking regions have a name pretty similar to the Scottish equivalent, we call it the Gaeltacht. (Bit of a shorter spelling but pronounced pretty much the same, can definitely understand how you’d confuse the two)

[@ChrisSPCs]

Nice one mark. This one something else entirely. I do enjoy you comparing yourself to the others on the times leader board, just brings other names of great solvers to the light a bit more and shows the variance in how top solvers find some puzzles easier than others over time. Are you planning on covering the times crossword championship puzzles soon? After seeing the Sudoku you completed today in 5 minutes, I'd like to see your thinking behind the crossword you did in almost the same time to win. For this one I felt like it sort of had an old/rural language Scottish theme but, the No Irish threw me off a bit.

[@macchubbin]

Crazy puzzle! These crossword solves are definitely my favourite type of video you guys do, although I do also really enjoy the various sudoku variants. One thought: I often wonder what the setter of a puzzle as hard as this would think, watching you solve it. Maybe an idea for a future video...?

[@PhilnoTV]

You are a wizard

[@_MisterG]

I watched this with the dictionary to hand and was amazed t how many "guesses" were spot on! Hats off to you!

[@erickehr4475]

Amazing! The only one I solved quicker than you was “brog”. BTW, I don’t think you actually parsed 4 correctly. A paranym is a euphemism. So “it” is a paranym for “sex”.

[@cycklist]

Wonderful, like watching a master craftsman at work. Thank you.

[@AM4692]

Unbelievable solve. Well done. Please do more If posible.

[@dajoey2198]

I'm from Indonesia, and I never heard heard of rijsttafel ahahah anyways, great video!

[@2beinteresting]

In The Netherlands it's called a rijsttafel (double t, it's spelled wrong in the puzzle). It's based on Indonesian cuisine. But they are not authentic recipes, they are knockoffs. So it's an amazing find by Mark.

[@joedavies1524]

Incredible, and fascinating. Only one I got was Rijstafel, purely as I have eaten it several times. Not sure I have even heard of any of the other answers before.

[@jay1men]

The 2 fares from India m Indonesia : superb! But your Scottish,Irish words in the crossword are a bit too many for my taste. Not too appealing to the overseas solver. Thanks very much, mark, for thinking out loud as you solve this doozy!

[@bachgammon1]

I enjoyed the rare smugness of working out zero coupon bond immediately!

[@vwisse]

Great solve. Though as a Dutchman I am a bit annoyed the puzzle spelled rijsttafel wrong, should have a double t. Rijst is the dutch word for rice and tafel means table.

[@powt0wn]

rijstafel is listed in chambers dictionary, so people must be spelling it that way (technically 'wrong' or not!)

[@vwisse]

@@powt0wn It appears to be the only dictionary that spells it with one t. Every other dictionary spells it correctly with two t's. My personal opinion of course but I think puzzles should use the correct spelling of words and not go with whatever spelling some people are using.

[@powt0wn]

@@vwisse fair enough!

[@mikechappell5849]

@@vwisse the puzzle uses Chambers dictionary as its source, so it has to use whatever spelling Chambers has.

[@legatrix]

@@vwisse it's as specified in the video: Indonesian. I can confirm that it's frequently seen in Indonesia with that spelling.

[@nigelm5777]

So if this is hard for Mark, how many people could do this puzzle? Most of it might as well been in another tongue. Curiously entertaining.

[@bachgammon1]

Indeed. Who is the target market for this crossword if the world's top cryptic solver, by a long distance, finds this so entertainingly painful?

[@bluefloyd1]

extraordinary. i tried to solve along with you, but using the internet to help, and i still couldn't complete it until you did. The gambles you took were interesting, I wonder, when you're in competition, do you fill in uncertain letters, like you would in a sudoku?

[@InviDoll]

Yeees! Love these!

[@Isee-vn4go]

INCREDIBLE!

[@d4r4butler74]

Very enjoyable to watch you solve, as always.

[@joshuaknowles]

I was very entertained. Thanks a lot !

[@G.Aaron.Fisher]

This amazing solve makes me want to know more about Mark's life.

[@Wecoc1]

Me at the disco, 1am - Hey babe, you look so pretty tonight. Do you like pizza? Me at the disco, 4am, drunk & desperate - Normal, some claim ultimately, to get it for sex, say?

[@rabidsamfan]

Good grief. That is incredible.