Quick SNITCH

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

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword 2828

Date 08 November 2024
Number 2828
Setter Oink
Day of week Friday
NITCH 84
Count of ref solvers 73
Ref solvers excluded with errors 5
Link to crossword View Crossword*
Times for the Times Link 2828

* 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
Paul Gilbert 02:27 02:04 84 100
cmjhutton 02:28 01:33 62 73
Jason 02:33 03:12 125 148
verlaine 02:34 01:56 75 89
mistigris 02:40 02:01 75 89
hilarym 02:46 02:38 95 113
aphis99 aphis99 02:47 02:48 100 119
Flimmy flammy 03:21 03:10 94 111
Sheapey Sheapey 03:25 02:58 86 102
SGHanson 03:29 02:49 80 95
markdobell 03:39 06:13 170 202
Heyesey 03:43 03:42 99 117
michaelbell53 03:47 03:58 104 123
Topical Tim Topical Tim 03:54 02:13 56 66
Ciolf 03:55 03:23 86 102
Umpire 04:02 02:58 73 86
Golvellius 04:06 03:45 91 108
SimonAnthony 04:07 03:44 90 107
chindit 04:10 03:46 90 107
Roscoe 04:11 05:01 119 141
glheard 04:13 03:47 89 105
MikeOsborne 04:16 03:58 92 109
Glencairn 04:17 03:50 89 105
lickert 04:22 05:15 120 142
Tom Stubbs Tom Stubbs 04:25 04:07 93 110
tilbee 04:27 04:25 99 117
philjordan1147 BUSMAN 04:30 03:27 76 90
canismiser 04:31 03:49 84 100
Honggui 04:32 04:02 88 104
lucyg43484 04:36 03:47 82 97
tiggis 04:37 05:13 112 133
MK76 04:38 05:48 125 148
andrewlake 04:42 03:28 73 86
March 04:49 04:01 83 98
LouWeed LouWeed 04:49 04:13 87 103
andy 04:53 06:46 138 164
trux 04:53 04:13 86 102
neilr neilr 04:55 06:07 124 147
Eddddddd 05:01 04:16 85 101
LuckOfLucien 05:04 04:02 79 94
scrabbler 05:05 03:51 75 89
chriswords 05:07 04:12 82 97
Liari 05:07 05:14 102 121
Tibthorpe 05:08 04:15 82 97
Ed freshpot 05:10 04:39 90 107
Zander 05:14 05:19 101 120
McBeakLives 05:14 04:59 95 113
Squallaby 05:15 04:56 93 110
ChuckB 05:16 05:40 107 127
Rabbitoh 05:16 04:36 87 103
fshephe 05:17 03:14 61 72
7dPenguin 7dPenguin 05:19 04:49 90 107
cdb_100 05:19 03:44 70 83
MrChumley MrChumley 05:35 06:24 114 135
Penfold_61 05:35 06:24 114 135
rrricharrrd 05:35 04:18 77 91
pc54 05:39 08:13 145 172
Looch 05:41 05:06 89 105
GeorgeTz 05:42 05:41 99 117
Encota 05:43 05:53 102 121
Finzi 05:44 05:15 91 108
Rosron 05:45 04:26 77 91
JayEm 05:45 02:56 51 60
Streaky Bacon 05:51 05:16 90 107
Freemers 05:55 04:00 67 79
mcrossib1 05:58 04:01 67 79
Carol 05:58 05:06 85 101
mw7000 06:01 07:17 121 144
Shabbo 06:01 05:28 90 107
KET 06:04 05:40 93 110
Adelaider 06:06 06:32 107 127
Jeremy Weissmann plusjeremy 06:12 04:02 65 77
chriswestontour 06:14 04:45 76 90
Tudds 06:17 05:39 89 105
SBQuick 06:17 04:37 73 86
Adrian Cobb 06:17 05:33 88 104
Riche Riche 06:18 05:17 83 98
Dzhigit 06:21 05:43 90 107
PGooden 06:25 05:49 90 107
hopkinb hopkinb 06:26 04:02 62 73
jimwetzler 06:27 05:24 83 98
robinh 06:28 06:00 92 109
Kevin Gregg Kevin Gregg 06:31 08:48 135 160
tom.healey 06:32 06:00 91 108
jon 06:38 05:11 78 92
GMcD 06:39 06:35 98 116
ilan 06:39 06:03 90 107
Vannyx 06:42 05:07 76 90
Onelug 06:45 07:18 108 128
James P 06:48 06:31 95 113
uvofiz 06:49 05:33 81 96
Puzzleplease 06:52 04:55 71 84
Nangle 06:55 04:48 69 82
DianeRS 06:56 05:40 81 96
valerian1967 07:00 06:07 87 103
tds 07:04 04:17 60 71
andrewfeist96 07:04 04:43 66 78
adamhanley71 07:17 05:40 77 91
Corymbia Corymbia 07:20 05:46 78 92
ChrisBrea 07:23 08:42 117 139
1234 07:28 07:10 95 113
Mike Harper Mike Harper 07:31 07:09 95 113
DamienKnapma 07:36 07:34 99 117
CrystalPip 07:44 06:20 81 96
Desdeeloeste Desdeeloeste 07:48 07:03 90 107
wwicksteed 08:01 06:38 82 97
ulaca ulaca 08:06 09:16 114 135
John Arnold 08:06 08:13 101 120
plett11 Plett11 08:06 07:35 93 110
endafk 08:10 07:50 95 113
Templar Redux Templar 08:13 05:14 63 75
Zabadak3 Zabadak 08:15 08:36 104 123
nigelmzzz 08:19 08:34 103 122
jaraab 08:20 08:31 102 121
mattindoha 08:23 06:25 76 90
Dr_Bob 08:23 09:43 115 136
OldSolver 08:30 06:09 72 85
richardCV22 08:31 07:53 92 109
m5harp 08:33 12:04 141 167
goblin 08:40 07:52 90 107
Edprof 08:40 06:30 75 89
vefatica vefatica 08:40 09:50 113 134
luxtonj61 08:41 07:29 86 102
Jeeves 08:43 07:28 85 101
Rowleyrag 08:46 08:41 99 117
gsriordan52 08:46 08:11 93 110
Deezzaa Deezzaa 08:53 07:16 81 96
Mkgnao Mkgnao 09:03 09:05 100 119
smalley552 09:04 10:32 116 138
GMB 09:05 07:27 82 97
Poff 09:20 08:43 93 110
barracuda barracuda 09:26 07:19 77 91
Cryptique 09:39 09:30 98 116
maisiemae 09:55 11:31 116 138
starstruck starstruck_au 10:10 10:34 103 122
Birdingbob 10:13 07:22 72 85
annikins 10:15 09:54 96 114
TonyN6 10:17 07:35 73 86
home.bright 10:30 07:51 74 88
Chimblet Lyle 10:47 08:36 79 94
Nuck_the_king 10:47 10:52 100 119
horners1974 11:09 06:50 61 72
simjt simjt 11:22 10:45 94 111
paul.verney 11:57 12:47 106 126
martinr486 12:28 09:29 76 90
intentional rounding 12:28 05:32 44 52
tyrotim tyrotim 12:30 12:37 100 119
chabuduo chabuduo 12:42 10:36 83 98
flashman flashman 12:59 12:33 96 114
Sonofjim 13:06 08:33 65 77
rlowin2 13:09 08:50 67 79
kapietro kapietro 13:32 12:48 94 111
Merlin_55 Merlin 14:13 08:02 56 66
Doofenschmirtz Doofenschmirtz 14:13 16:13 114 135
Mendes 15:07 13:38 90 107
RPE10538 RPE10538 15:18 21:58 143 170
The Real Steve Snackman 15:23 13:50 89 105
trish_tang 15:47 19:35 124 147
Xebeq 16:18 19:41 120 142
Steve Wood 16:29 15:24 93 110
thechan 16:45 14:27 86 102
david.14587 18:26 15:16 82 97
140 Mandak 262 Jamuna 18:43 12:38 67 79
TonyK 18:49 23:30 124 147
New Driver 18:58 12:51 67 79
moirconsult 20:13 13:19 65 77
Jean in Oxford 20:14 47:58 237 282
pfalloon 20:37 14:31 70 83
Hazelnut 20:48 18:16 87 103
ian.shepherd 21:37 15:38 72 85
maryht 22:15 25:41 115 136
deebeeem 42:16 11:00 26 30
mcfarl 44:51 41:38 92 109

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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