Quick SNITCH

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

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword 2940

Date 19 March 2025
Number 2940
Setter Hurley
Day of week Wednesday
NITCH 97
Count of ref solvers 89
Ref solvers excluded with errors 2
Link to crossword View Crossword*
Times for the Times Link 2940

* 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 02:03 01:59 96 98
cmjhutton 02:18 02:21 102 105
Paul Gilbert 02:24 05:32 230 237
Jason 02:34 02:13 86 88
verlaine 02:36 02:37 100 103
mistigris 02:43 02:41 98 101
hilarym 02:47 02:57 105 108
aphis99 aphis99 02:54 03:14 111 114
Flimmy flammy 03:16 03:18 101 104
richard 03:37 03:39 100 103
markdobell 03:39 03:45 102 105
Sheapey Sheapey 03:40 02:43 74 76
Ciolf 03:48 03:11 83 85
Heyesey 03:54 03:18 84 86
AlanS 04:09 03:14 77 79
glheard 04:09 04:21 104 107
SimonAnthony 04:11 03:38 86 88
Amoeba89 04:13 03:06 73 75
Topical Tim Topical Tim 04:16 04:20 101 104
MikeOsborne 04:18 04:04 94 96
lickert 04:23 04:09 94 96
Umpire 04:23 03:53 88 90
chindit 04:25 05:14 118 121
Roscoe 04:26 04:03 91 93
Morphosis 04:28 04:32 101 104
Deane Short 04:31 03:55 86 88
philjordan1147 BUSMAN 04:36 05:20 115 118
MK76 04:40 04:51 103 106
toots 04:43 04:13 89 91
Tom Stubbs Tom Stubbs 04:43 05:02 106 109
tilbee 04:45 04:11 88 90
Honggui 04:46 05:17 110 113
canismiser 04:47 04:59 104 107
alexh 04:48 04:50 100 103
LouWeed LouWeed 04:52 04:14 86 88
lucyg43484 04:53 05:35 114 117
Bluejacket 04:53 03:22 68 70
andrewlake 04:54 04:44 96 98
denislaw 04:54 07:11 146 150
Liari 04:55 04:27 90 92
scrabbler 04:57 05:32 111 114
andy 05:00 05:21 107 110
Freemers 05:02 04:48 95 97
tiggis 05:05 05:11 101 104
March 05:06 05:04 99 102
EricK 05:07 04:47 93 95
McBeakLives 05:07 04:25 86 88
Johninterred 05:17 04:15 80 82
Tibthorpe 05:17 05:55 111 114
JayEm 05:17 05:02 95 97
7dPenguin 7dPenguin 05:18 05:26 102 105
pitcaithlie Pitcaithlie 05:19 06:16 117 120
fshephe 05:21 06:27 120 123
Zander 05:21 04:48 89 91
Ed freshpot 05:21 04:12 78 80
Squallaby 05:24 05:09 95 97
AndyKnott321 05:33 06:02 108 111
rrricharrrd 05:33 05:11 93 95
mcrossib1 05:39 03:57 69 71
Finzi 05:41 05:46 101 104
Penfold_61 05:43 05:10 90 92
Rabbitoh galspray 05:44 06:33 114 117
Adelaider 05:45 05:23 93 95
esmeralda 05:45 07:16 126 129
KET 05:46 05:16 91 93
Riche Riche 05:47 06:12 107 110
Looch 05:51 05:31 94 96
Encota 05:51 05:42 97 100
Paul Hammond Paul Hammond 05:53 05:45 97 100
DunPangolin 05:56 05:58 100 103
RobR RobR 05:58 05:53 98 101
Rosron 05:58 07:10 120 123
KarenR 06:03 04:52 80 82
mw7000 06:03 06:44 111 114
Streaky Bacon 06:07 05:57 97 100
Shabbo 06:18 05:28 86 88
PGooden 06:19 05:49 92 94
Dzhigit 06:24 07:31 117 120
Carol 06:24 06:51 107 110
jimwetzler 06:28 06:16 96 98
SBQuick 06:31 05:47 88 90
Vannyx 06:37 06:31 98 101
Kalakuta72 06:43 06:03 90 92
ilan 06:44 07:54 117 120
Tudds 06:46 06:18 93 95
GMcD 06:48 05:18 77 79
Kevin Gregg Kevin Gregg 06:52 06:14 90 92
drginacoco 06:55 01:40 24 24
Michael Dove 07:01 08:35 122 125
earlylight 07:04 07:55 112 115
James P 07:04 07:23 104 107
robinh 07:07 07:23 103 106
uvofiz 07:15 09:19 128 131
Dvynys Dvynys 07:17 06:56 95 97
Puzzleplease 07:20 09:41 132 136
FraserH 07:20 07:57 108 111
thewanderingeditor 07:21 06:58 94 96
valerian1967 07:32 08:28 112 115
janesa 07:32 07:04 93 95
Corymbia Corymbia 07:33 07:50 103 106
Mike Harper Mike Harper 07:35 08:06 106 109
edwards.robert1 07:37 09:26 123 126
endafk 07:40 07:27 97 100
ChrisBrea 07:43 08:50 114 117
DamienKnapma 07:51 07:25 94 96
Desdeeloeste Desdeeloeste 07:54 05:43 72 74
1234 07:57 08:49 110 113
CrystalPip 07:57 07:57 100 103
td349 08:04 09:10 113 116
plett11 Plett11 08:16 10:37 128 131
TomHerbert 08:17 06:41 80 82
ulaca ulaca 08:25 07:43 91 93
John Arnold 08:28 10:45 126 129
Templar Redux Templar 08:34 09:42 113 116
jaraab 08:35 07:36 88 90
ratterz 08:36 08:31 99 102
steve.laverock 08:37 09:20 108 111
vefatica vefatica 08:38 08:10 94 96
OldSolver 08:41 07:10 82 84
johndun John Dunleavy 08:41 09:09 105 108
Edprof 08:42 08:34 98 101
goblin 08:42 07:59 91 93
Jeeves 08:45 08:22 95 97
m5harp 08:47 13:15 150 154
vinyl12345 vinyl1 08:48 07:28 84 86
mattindoha 08:50 11:21 128 131
john.brassey 08:58 08:27 94 96
Cuppa378 09:01 10:12 113 116
kath 09:02 10:14 113 116
smalley552 09:04 10:32 116 119
gsriordan52 09:07 10:01 109 112
mjsaunders9 09:09 05:32 60 61
hemantyd 09:11 09:00 98 101
Mkgnao Mkgnao 09:14 07:41 83 85
raincloud 09:22 08:40 92 94
barracuda barracuda 09:28 11:33 122 125
Manuel1 09:33 06:27 67 69
mamster 09:42 08:30 87 89
Deezzaa Deezzaa 09:43 09:39 99 102
mich_punk 09:46 15:45 161 165
Coffell 09:50 10:17 104 107
cerds 09:57 13:56 140 144
Word Psmith 10:09 10:40 105 108
Poff 10:09 13:07 129 132
moirconsult 10:17 03:56 38 39
Pendrov 10:20 12:19 119 122
annikins 10:26 07:24 70 72
piltdown man 10:37 10:36 99 102
maisiemae 10:38 19:49 186 191
TonyN6 10:57 10:49 98 101
Cedric Statherby 11:17 13:14 117 120
phatman 11:29 08:02 69 71
Dr. Memory 11:36 11:54 102 105
BertieVII 11:57 12:02 100 103
Corbo 12:17 14:57 121 124
chabuduo chabuduo 12:48 10:07 79 81
flashman flashman 12:52 12:00 93 95
kapietro kapietro 12:57 15:11 117 120
tyrotim tyrotim 13:03 15:06 115 118
martinr486 13:13 12:05 91 93
The Real Steve Snackman 13:52 13:17 95 97
Doofenschmirtz Doofenschmirtz 14:35 08:46 60 61
Jax74 14:59 18:14 121 124
Mendes Mendesest 14:59 15:38 104 107
Merlin_55 Merlin 15:08 30:00 198 204
kfb20 16:01 13:41 85 87
Xebeq 16:21 14:53 91 93
thechan 16:32 23:42 143 147
Mark from Ipswich 16:43 17:04 102 105
RPE10538 RPE10538 16:48 12:18 73 75
david.14587 16:49 20:41 122 125
Steve Wood 16:54 12:44 75 77
New Driver 18:18 16:39 90 92
TonyK 19:40 23:52 121 124
Tired_commuter Tired_commuter 20:55 44:08 210 216
Hazelnut 21:17 27:03 127 130
ian.shepherd 21:22 18:55 88 90
pfalloon 21:24 22:31 105 108
bangsar DearHector 21:27 21:09 98 101
maryht 21:32 23:00 106 109
philby 21:52 26:23 120 123
Jean in Oxford 22:39 17:00 75 77
paulmcl 23:38 16:41 70 72
pamelalewis51 24:31 20:55 85 87
shankar 25:35 31:55 124 127
jlloyd4424 26:18 34:08 129 132
Askani 26:42 21:38 81 83
DrAnatomist 30:25 33:20 109 112
IanV IanV 33:27 36:23 108 111
Jay_W 38:02 30:51 81 83
mcfarl 46:44 34:19 73 75

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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