Quick SNITCH

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

Times Quick Cryptic Crossword 3028

Date 30 June 2025
Number 3028
Setter Trelawney
Day of week Monday
NITCH 69
Count of ref solvers 76
Ref solvers excluded with errors 4
Link to crossword View Crossword*
Times for the Times Link 3028

* Requires access to the Times Crossword Club

Detailed solving results

 

If you would like to help cover the costs of running the SNITCH site, please "buy me a coffee".

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 02:07 01:48 85 123
Paul Gilbert 02:14 01:34 70 101
cmjhutton 02:18 01:53 81 117
verlaine 02:38 01:58 74 107
hilarym 02:50 02:06 74 107
aphis99 aphis99 02:51 01:51 64 92
Flimmy flammy 03:11 02:32 79 114
Ciolf 03:37 02:48 77 111
markdobell 03:39 02:27 67 97
Sheapey Sheapey 03:43 02:55 78 113
Amoeba89 03:55 02:29 63 91
AlanS 03:55 03:24 86 124
Kinghedger 04:01 03:42 92 133
glheard 04:06 03:53 94 136
Topical Tim Topical Tim 04:11 04:18 102 147
Deane Short 04:13 03:33 84 121
lickert 04:15 07:46 182 263
MikeOsborne 04:17 02:55 68 98
toots 04:30 03:43 82 118
Roscoe 04:32 03:38 80 115
MK76 04:35 03:03 66 95
EricK 04:38 02:43 58 84
Bluejacket 04:39 02:59 64 92
tilbee 04:40 03:43 79 114
lucyg43484 04:41 02:56 62 89
Freemers 04:44 03:16 69 100
Tom Stubbs Tom Stubbs 04:46 04:30 94 136
philjordan1147 BUSMAN 04:46 04:43 98 142
LuckOfLucien 04:48 03:50 79 114
scrabbler 04:51 03:29 71 102
Jon Delfin 04:52 02:54 59 85
canismiser 04:52 04:30 92 133
LouWeed LouWeed 04:53 03:07 63 91
andrewlake 04:53 03:57 80 115
andy 04:55 03:27 70 101
fshephe 04:56 03:16 66 95
d.middleton 04:57 03:14 65 94
Liari 04:57 03:31 71 102
cdb_100 05:00 03:31 70 101
JayEm 05:01 02:56 58 84
neilr neilr 05:02 04:12 83 120
March 05:03 03:28 68 98
Ed freshpot 05:04 03:13 63 91
Honggui 05:06 05:24 105 152
Adelaider 05:06 03:22 66 95
Aly Duncan 05:07 03:04 59 85
nina s 05:10 03:44 72 104
DunPangolin 05:14 04:18 82 118
Zander 05:14 03:31 67 97
7dPenguin 7dPenguin 05:16 04:29 85 123
ChuckB 05:18 05:42 107 155
Tibthorpe 05:19 03:38 68 98
babka 05:21 02:52 53 76
cmcnsmith 05:25 05:09 95 137
Vannyx 05:30 04:11 76 110
Riche Riche 05:32 03:46 68 98
rrricharrrd 05:32 03:06 56 81
Streaky Bacon 05:35 03:54 69 100
whichcraft 05:36 03:07 55 79
esmeralda 05:38 03:27 61 88
Finzi 05:39 03:40 64 92
Crossiant 05:42 04:33 79 114
mcrossib1 05:45 03:13 55 79
Encota 05:47 03:13 55 79
mw7000 05:48 03:09 54 78
Rabbitoh galspray 05:49 04:28 76 110
KarenR 05:57 04:14 71 102
Looch 05:58 04:07 68 98
KET 06:02 04:13 69 100
hopkinb hopkinb 06:07 04:47 78 113
Anomalospiza 06:10 06:24 103 149
PGooden 06:15 05:04 81 117
Onelug 06:17 04:32 72 104
Rosron 06:18 04:21 69 100
plusjeremy (Jeremy Weissmann) plusjeremy 06:21 07:55 124 179
andrewfeist96 06:22 04:06 64 92
dr.shred 06:26 03:05 47 68
Shabbo 06:32 04:36 70 101
Adrian Cobb 06:34 04:13 64 92
Dzhigit 06:34 03:50 58 84
paul.whitehouse69 06:34 05:23 81 117
julian_w 06:35 03:47 57 82
Tudds 06:38 05:43 86 124
GMcD 06:38 05:02 75 108
jimwetzler 06:39 05:16 79 114
Curarist 06:42 04:54 73 105
hazyfantazee 06:43 04:57 73 105
mjsaunders9 06:56 05:06 73 105
valerian1967 06:56 05:06 73 105
KenD51 06:57 06:24 92 133
uvofiz 07:01 05:14 74 107
James P 07:05 05:51 82 118
Nangle 07:08 04:55 68 98
Gussie 07:08 05:15 73 105
Kevin Gregg Kevin Gregg 07:13 07:28 103 149
robertL 07:13 05:51 81 117
Jamie Fox 07:15 05:37 77 111
robinh 07:18 06:06 83 120
Aldus 07:23 04:40 63 91
earlylight 07:24 05:02 68 98
Puzzleplease 07:27 05:06 68 98
DamienKnapma 07:29 04:28 59 85
Mike Harper Mike Harper 07:35 05:14 69 100
garsoli 07:42 04:29 58 84
Dvynys Dvynys 07:45 07:12 92 133
Corymbia Corymbia 07:47 07:15 93 134
Doyler 07:49 04:31 57 82
mjwiseman 07:53 05:05 64 92
nigel 07:54 04:01 50 72
docg 07:56 06:14 78 113
martinede 08:01 05:23 67 97
John Arnold 08:12 08:37 105 152
plett11 Plett11 08:14 04:58 60 86
Templar Redux Templar 08:30 04:55 57 82
alex.scordellis 08:34 04:49 56 81
Jeeves 08:38 06:34 76 110
johndun John Dunleavy 08:40 06:13 71 102
goblin 08:43 06:34 75 108
m5harp 08:46 05:11 59 85
alastair52 08:50 05:01 56 81
RPY 08:52 08:41 97 140
vefatica vefatica 08:56 07:23 82 118
Peloton 08:59 06:18 70 101
kath 09:02 04:59 55 79
Mkgnao Mkgnao 09:04 05:57 65 94
dec 09:07 05:54 64 92
Kernowdoc 09:08 06:18 68 98
gsriordan52 09:08 06:10 67 97
raincloud 09:25 05:44 60 86
barracuda barracuda 09:28 07:00 73 105
Deezzaa Deezzaa 09:31 05:28 57 82
Solfynn 09:39 05:03 52 75
hookyt 09:39 05:24 55 79
Word Psmith 09:43 06:52 70 101
annikins 09:51 06:31 66 95
phatman 10:02 06:22 63 91
Alias Noble 10:29 06:22 60 86
starstruck starstruck_au 10:49 06:51 63 91
russellcannon 10:51 05:55 54 78
The Mighty Salmon 10:56 06:25 58 84
rlowin2 11:21 07:45 68 98
simjt simjt 11:21 12:18 108 156
paul.verney 11:23 06:27 56 81
Cedric Statherby 11:34 07:56 68 98
The Real Steve Snackman 11:38 07:36 65 94
maisiemae 11:43 08:31 72 104
maggiema 11:48 09:01 76 110
Captain Burnaby 11:50 07:32 63 91
WordPlodder BletchleyReject 11:52 09:04 76 110
BertieVII 12:14 09:09 74 107
Richard the First 12:20 07:42 62 89
chabuduo chabuduo 12:22 07:07 57 82
youngbaz 12:41 08:11 64 92
Hugster 12:49 08:15 64 92
suethepotterer 12:51 08:55 69 100
martinr486 13:02 12:05 92 133
tyrotim tyrotim 13:07 07:34 57 82
trish_tang 13:12 07:09 54 78
nick.wilson 13:19 08:00 60 86
Mendes Mendesest 14:04 08:17 58 84
Charpentier 14:13 07:17 51 73
Steve Wood 14:31 09:21 64 92
Merlin_55 Merlin 14:50 13:13 89 128
kfb20 14:58 08:57 59 85
pfalloon 15:15 07:56 52 75
domski 15:17 06:01 39 56
Holly O 15:34 08:41 55 79
david.14587 15:55 09:36 60 86
thechan 16:27 08:21 50 72
RPE10538 RPE10538 16:35 09:24 56 81
danielbluebisson Blue92 16:40 09:59 59 85
tomtom2 17:47 17:37 99 143
david 19:23 10:14 52 75
ian.shepherd 19:50 12:41 63 91
Damien Grover 21:14 08:21 39 56
Askani 21:15 22:43 106 153
SilleG 21:52 13:17 60 86
maryht 23:25 13:55 59 85
paulmcl 24:28 22:31 92 133
Tired_commuter Tired_commuter 24:33 12:39 51 73
Flora Garden 25:01 15:01 60 86
IanV IanV 31:11 26:06 83 120
shankar 33:03 13:49 41 59
revolting tonic 38:45 19:51 51 73
stephenpmars 44:52 32:27 72 104
mcfarl 46:44 25:00 53 76
crossworder 48:57 16:45 34 49

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.

Loading...
Loading...
Back