Quick SNITCH

A quantitative guide to the degree of difficulty of the Times Quick Cryptic Crossword

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword 2675

Date 14 May 2024
Number 2675
Setter Orpheus
Day of week Tuesday
NITCH 78
Count of ref solvers 73
Ref solvers excluded with errors 5
Link to crossword View Crossword*
Times for the Times Link 2675

* Requires access to the Times Crossword Club

Detailed solving results

Reference, Tracked and Blog solvers with error-free solutions to this puzzle are shown below.

We also show the solver's Personal NITCH, which is their result on this puzzle compared to their average time, and the Wavelength Index of Times Cryptic Hardness, the WITCH, which is the Personal NITCH compared to the SNITCH.

Name TfTT Name Average time This time Personal NITCH WITCH
mohn 02:04 01:39 79 101
Paul Gilbert 02:27 01:56 78 100
cmjhutton 02:34 02:25 94 120
mistigris 02:41 01:50 68 87
aphis99 aphis99 02:43 02:15 82 105
hilarym 02:47 02:23 85 108
Flimmy flammy 03:01 02:24 79 101
markdobell 03:36 03:09 87 111
richard 03:37 02:50 78 100
Heyesey 03:37 02:48 77 98
Topical Tim Topical Tim 03:52 03:35 92 117
glheard 03:58 03:19 83 106
SimonAnthony 03:58 03:16 82 105
chindit 04:02 02:47 69 88
lickert 04:06 03:01 73 93
Kinghedger 04:10 02:34 61 78
Umpire 04:18 04:27 103 132
scrabbler 04:18 04:27 103 132
Tom Stubbs Tom Stubbs 04:22 03:33 81 103
MikeOsborne 04:26 04:27 100 128
Strober 04:30 04:51 107 137
tiggis 04:32 03:33 78 100
canismiser 04:32 03:59 87 111
philjordan1147 BUSMAN 04:34 04:06 89 114
chriswords 04:35 03:47 82 105
tilbee 04:36 04:14 92 117
MK76 04:39 04:07 88 112
alexh 04:40 05:01 107 137
denislaw 04:46 22:46 477 611
andy 04:47 04:52 101 129
lucyg43484 04:48 03:40 76 97
March 04:50 04:33 94 120
Liari 04:50 05:06 105 134
chriss 04:51 03:12 65 83
andrewlake 04:53 03:48 77 98
Paul Bacon 04:53 05:45 117 150
d.middleton 04:56 04:11 84 107
LouWeed LouWeed 04:57 03:55 79 101
pitcaithlie Pitcaithlie 04:57 03:55 79 101
Johninterred 04:59 04:16 85 108
Eddddddd 05:08 05:05 99 126
daulbs 05:09 03:20 64 82
7dPenguin 7dPenguin 05:09 04:42 91 116
Tibthorpe 05:12 04:28 85 108
Zander 05:14 04:01 76 97
M Bennett 05:15 04:09 79 101
Squallaby 05:16 04:00 75 96
ChuckB 05:17 04:15 80 102
cdb_100 05:18 03:39 68 87
grape 05:20 04:19 80 102
footballblue 05:22 05:13 97 124
LuckOfLucien 05:30 04:07 74 94
Finzi 05:38 04:41 83 106
Freemers 05:41 05:29 96 123
Looch 05:42 05:02 88 112
fishernick79 05:43 05:20 93 119
Rabbitoh 05:44 03:43 64 82
Shabbo 05:48 05:07 88 112
SimonB 05:50 06:00 102 130
nina s 05:50 03:40 62 79
mw7000 05:52 04:07 70 89
Encota 05:53 04:08 70 89
mcrossib1 05:55 04:53 82 105
MrChumley MrChumley 05:57 05:40 95 121
Crossiant 06:00 05:06 85 108
Dzhigit 06:03 05:37 92 117
RobR RobR 06:17 04:40 74 94
GMcD 06:17 04:13 67 85
Mike C 06:18 05:33 88 112
hopkinb hopkinb 06:21 07:16 114 146
jimwetzler 06:25 04:03 63 80
Tudds 06:25 04:12 65 83
uvofiz 06:25 05:21 83 106
Curarist 06:26 05:07 79 101
robinh 06:28 05:27 84 107
paul.whitehouse69 06:32 05:41 86 110
ilan 06:35 07:34 114 146
PGooden 06:39 04:53 73 93
Kevin Gregg Kevin Gregg 06:42 04:23 65 83
jon 06:46 05:57 87 111
James P 06:46 04:08 61 78
julian_w 06:47 06:11 91 116
Riche Riche 06:49 05:29 80 102
Kalakuta72 06:59 05:24 77 98
Obrador 07:01 06:09 87 111
Pxspxs 07:01 07:01 100 128
DianeRS 07:02 05:38 80 102
benedick 07:06 05:40 79 101
SlumdogEngineer 07:07 06:15 87 111
KenD51 07:07 05:55 83 106
tds 07:10 06:00 83 106
Puzzleplease 07:11 05:26 75 96
Nangle 07:11 05:02 70 89
chriswestontour 07:12 06:24 88 112
Julian Forbes 07:15 05:24 74 94
Dvynys Dvynys 07:17 05:06 70 89
Mike Harper Mike Harper 07:24 05:38 76 97
1234 07:33 07:18 96 123
ChrisBrea 07:40 06:40 86 110
pc54 07:41 03:37 47 60
endafk 07:46 05:20 68 87
gsriordan52 07:47 08:42 111 142
nigelmzzz 07:54 05:26 68 87
docg 07:58 06:53 86 110
Desdeeloeste Desdeeloeste 07:58 07:20 92 117
John Arnold 08:02 06:33 81 103
Templar Redux Templar 08:07 06:05 74 94
jaraab 08:10 06:59 85 108
crosswordian 08:18 07:10 86 110
timbo 08:21 08:07 97 124
plett11 Plett11 08:22 08:15 98 125
richardCV22 08:23 06:40 79 101
DamienKnapma 08:28 07:10 84 107
Dr_Bob 08:30 06:04 71 91
wwicksteed 08:32 05:41 66 84
johndun John Dunleavy 08:34 06:13 72 92
Doyler 08:34 04:32 52 66
mattindoha 08:38 06:36 76 97
goblin 08:38 07:13 83 106
Mkgnao Mkgnao 08:47 08:32 97 124
vinyl12345 vinyl1 08:48 08:51 100 128
barracuda barracuda 08:52 08:27 95 121
ulaca ulaca 08:56 04:47 53 67
TonyN6 08:57 08:49 98 125
Zabadak3 Zabadak 09:00 05:42 63 80
Yatton50 09:19 06:44 72 92
luxtonj61 09:23 07:21 78 100
joe.mcgrane 09:23 09:29 101 129
smalley552 09:25 08:49 93 119
Mudge 09:26 06:39 70 89
dr.shred 09:29 22:04 232 297
CoxBurglar 09:30 09:49 103 132
Jeeves 09:35 08:37 89 114
hipponym 09:36 08:47 91 116
raincloud 09:41 05:27 56 71
BertieVII 09:55 08:43 87 111
Birdingbob 10:03 09:11 91 116
Chimblet Lyle 10:06 08:42 86 110
iholloway 10:07 11:10 110 141
Pendrov 10:24 10:37 102 130
Troothful 10:41 09:24 87 111
jackk.larg 11:15 15:43 139 178
Nuck_the_king 11:18 08:31 75 96
Cryptique 11:21 10:57 96 123
Dr. Memory 11:23 11:55 104 133
maisiemae 11:27 08:13 71 91
paul.verney 11:34 12:19 106 135
WordPlodder BletchleyReject 11:37 07:30 64 82
Struwa Struwa 11:37 09:43 83 106
simjt simjt 11:38 10:58 94 120
SMSEsq 11:49 14:35 123 157
Romulus66 11:57 12:54 107 137
ezoredfox 12:16 07:46 63 80
tyrotim tyrotim 12:17 09:26 76 97
kapietro kapietro 12:28 10:23 83 106
chabuduo chabuduo 12:55 10:41 82 105
flashman flashman 12:58 09:56 76 97
albrecht1959 13:13 12:50 97 124
alistair.boere 13:25 09:12 68 87
Mendes 14:33 12:28 85 108
Doofenschmirtz Doofenschmirtz 15:03 15:29 102 130
Guy Hatton 15:57 10:57 68 87
intentional rounding 16:29 10:29 63 80
kfb20 16:45 18:23 109 139
thechan 17:01 17:17 101 129
maryht 18:07 24:38 135 173
pfalloon 18:13 07:44 42 53
TonyK 18:57 15:50 83 106
david.14587 19:58 16:27 82 105
The Real Steve Snackman 20:19 14:36 71 91
Geldart 22:19 26:04 116 148
dominic.c-b 23:25 14:04 60 76
winelover 23:55 18:44 78 100
ian.shepherd 26:39 24:15 90 115
ttto 27:40 21:02 76 97
Pompeydave 28:04 22:58 81 103
shankar 29:07 18:24 63 80
prognosticat 31:37 25:24 80 102
42colin 32:20 10:37 32 41
Pudso 36:48 12:39 34 43
youngbaz 72:07 13:32 18 23
hod45pat 102:33 25:51 25 32

A guide to the solver status

Legend
 Reference solver used for SNITCH
 Other Reference solver
 Tracked solver
 Blog solver

Blog Solvers

Blog Solvers are those who have allowed their times to be taken from the Times for the Times blog.

Notes for Blog Solvers:

  • the most reliable format for reporting times is with format "mm:ss" or as "x minutes" in the title or at the start of the entry
  • only the first main comment for each blogger is used; responses to other comments or a second comment is ignored
  • to report errors, include "n errors" just after the time
  • If you just have a time it is assumed you have no errors unless you mention DNF or pink squares or giving up, etc, in the text
  • Examples of good time notifications are "38:30, 0 errors" and "39 minutes, 0 errors" in the comment title or as the first part of your comment

Notes

The definition of Reference and Tracked solvers is described on the Neutrinos page.

The results for Reference solvers are normally used to calcuate the SNITCH. When this happens they are shown in the list with a solid blue line to the left. In the previous SNITCH results listing for each crossword, these were the only entries shown.

The most common causes for Reference solver results not to be used are: (a) that they did not meet the criteria this month to be used as a reference (e.g. they may not have completed enough puzzles on each day of the week) or (b) they have been pushed out of the top 100 on the leader board. In these cases, the results are now shown, but their data is not used for the SNITCH calculation.

Where there is data for Tracked solvers, I show them also in this table. The solving data is not always available, as the Crossword Club site only shows the top 100 solvers to everyone. Logged-in users get their own leaderboard position and those around them, but this is not available to everyone. So the SNITCH site only gets data for those who have made the top 100 in the leaderboard at some point during the day.

As a result there are a few geographically advantaged solvers; those of us who solve early in the day (e.g. we in the Antipodes, those in Asia and those staying up late in North America) are more likely to hit the leaderboard even with slower times. Solvers who are just as capable but solve later in the UK day might not make the top 100 and I have no way to capture their results.

You may wonder why there are Tracked solvers (in red) with low average solving times, mixed in with the Reference solvers (in blue). These are usually those that, while they don't seem to be Neutrinos, are not well aligned to the SNITCH. So I don't use them as Reference solvers in the SNITCH calculation, but still show their overall results.

You might also notice that there's some inconsistency at the tail end of the Reference solver list. My cutoff point is an average solving time of 45 minutes. But if someone around this mark is chosen as a Reference solver, their next month's results might end up being over 45 minutes and they will still be used. Alternatively, a Tracked solver might creep in under 45 minutes on the next calculation, but didn't make the cut for the prior Reference list. It's on the to-do list to see if I can make this a bit more predictable.

Stored SNITCH Values

Here are the SNITCH values (stored on the day) from the crossword.

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