Crossword SNITCH

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

Times Cryptic Crossword 29179

Date 17 March 2025
Number 29179
Day of week Monday
NITCH 45
Count of ref solvers 64
Ref solvers excluded with errors 3
Link to crossword View Crossword*
Times for the Times Link 29179

* 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 mohn2 04:34 02:28 54 120
Nathan Panning 05:56 03:41 62 137
Diskus 06:07 03:51 62 137
cmjhutton 06:11 03:41 59 131
lili 06:12 03:14 52 115
Jason 06:16 03:01 48 106
Paul Gilbert 06:52 03:06 45 100
hilarym 06:53 03:42 53 117
aphis99 aphis99 07:15 03:43 51 113
mistigris 07:19 03:27 47 104
boulemiche 08:48 06:23 72 160
fshephe 09:13 04:29 48 106
HoneyBadger HoneyBadger 09:15 04:28 48 106
asaldanha 09:32 04:26 46 102
AlanS 09:54 06:04 61 135
markdobell 10:03 04:06 40 88
tiggis 10:08 05:34 54 120
glheard glh 10:10 07:56 78 173
SimonAnthony 10:32 05:48 55 122
Deane Short Deane Short 10:39 05:02 47 104
chindit 10:46 04:24 40 88
Ciolf 10:52 05:35 51 113
Heyesey 10:53 07:11 66 146
lickert 10:53 06:10 56 124
scrabbler 11:11 06:26 57 126
keriothe_ keriothe 11:14 09:44 86 191
neilr neilr 11:18 06:09 54 120
Topical Tim Topical Tim 11:35 03:30 30 66
chriswords 11:39 06:42 57 126
David Crooks dcrooks 11:39 07:18 62 137
Tom Stubbs Tom Stubbs 11:41 05:55 50 111
john.brassey 11:47 10:51 92 204
Morphosis 11:51 05:50 49 108
MikeOsborne mikeosborne 11:58 04:33 38 84
miked1961 11:59 05:42 47 104
tilbee 12:00 06:06 50 111
Sheapey Sheapey 12:01 04:31 37 82
Amoeba89 Amoeba 12:02 04:22 36 80
njnclarke 12:12 08:53 72 160
Golvellius 12:17 06:08 49 108
aphasic 12:31 06:25 51 113
John Walsh 12:45 08:45 68 151
Stavros Stavrolex 12:48 04:31 35 77
Freemers 12:51 07:17 56 124
canismiser 12:57 07:05 54 120
pitcaithlie Pitcaithlie 12:59 07:11 55 122
grape 13:11 06:56 52 115
Groucho 13:28 07:24 54 120
Silva 13:28 05:56 44 97
March (JeffCollins) mch1 13:34 05:40 41 91
Eddddddd 13:47 08:03 58 128
robertL 13:49 08:36 62 137
GeorgeTz 13:54 09:36 69 153
Rinteff Rinteff 13:55 08:24 60 133
7dPenguin (KenG) 7dPenguin 13:58 06:26 46 102
Peponi13 14:00 08:53 63 140
LouWeed LouWeed 14:00 05:39 40 88
Ed freshpot Ed Freshpot 14:04 04:23 31 68
Semillon 14:16 05:31 38 84
Ben Staveley 14:26 07:52 54 120
Pootle Pootle 14:28 09:24 64 142
Tibthorpe 14:33 08:50 60 133
Adelaider 14:35 07:17 49 108
BlackburnRover 14:45 10:33 71 157
myles 15:03 12:14 81 180
MK76 15:05 04:41 31 68
Looch 15:12 07:19 48 106
JezWoolfrey 15:13 11:24 74 164
Riche Riche 15:13 09:08 60 133
franceslc11 15:13 06:44 44 97
Finzi 15:15 08:53 58 128
zinzan 15:29 08:37 55 122
chriswestontour Chris West 15:40 09:01 57 126
gabrojak 15:43 08:09 51 113
Paul Hammond Paul Hammond 15:47 08:43 55 122
cdb_100 15:48 04:51 30 66
DunPangolin 15:53 11:01 69 153
johninterred Johninterred 16:01 06:03 37 82
RobR RobR 16:03 07:12 44 97
CentralLine CentralLine 16:06 06:39 41 91
TB22 16:12 05:04 31 68
tapbarker 16:22 06:48 41 91
cmcnsmith 16:23 12:09 74 164
Encota 16:23 07:27 45 100
Jeremy S 16:34 10:29 63 140
jimwetzler 16:38 09:03 54 120
Squallaby 16:51 06:37 39 86
LJCN 16:52 07:24 43 95
McBeakLives 17:01 07:09 42 93
ajcauk1 17:03 12:32 73 162
ilan 17:05 13:21 78 173
hopkinb hopkinb 17:29 07:23 42 93
earlylight 17:35 11:36 65 144
Crossiant 17:39 07:06 40 88
Achernar 17:45 10:34 59 131
DanSolo 17:54 10:38 59 131
rrricharrrd 17:55 06:08 34 75
Galspray (Rabbitoh) galspray 18:08 06:55 38 84
Pxspxs 18:13 07:36 41 91
Gallion Fish 18:17 10:34 57 126
daniel.faith 18:20 10:25 56 124
Zander 18:28 07:41 41 91
Jeremy Kenyon 18:36 09:06 48 106
Craven 18:40 12:01 64 142
GMcD 18:40 08:48 47 104
Dzhigit dzhigit71 18:49 08:34 45 100
pc8 18:53 09:59 52 115
John Arnold 19:06 13:24 70 155
SeamusX 19:06 07:26 38 84
Colin2355 19:06 10:27 54 120
whichcraft 19:07 10:01 52 115
Curarist Curarist 19:09 09:54 51 113
drginacoco 19:15 01:57 10 22
uvofiz 19:30 11:06 56 124
valerian1967 19:34 09:40 49 108
pterodactyl 19:35 09:39 49 108
Nangle 19:45 15:05 76 168
tonym 19:50 13:04 65 144
Astonvilla.1 19:56 08:21 41 91
Zabadak3 Zabadak 19:58 11:41 58 128
Astonvilla1 20:13 08:21 41 91
george.garlick 20:38 12:08 58 128
hugh schofield Leskoffer 20:38 13:59 67 148
stainl665 20:41 13:15 64 142
Rowlie26 Rowlie26 20:54 09:39 46 102
Kalakuta72 20:55 08:51 42 93
Waterloo 21:12 14:17 67 148
Hamish.S 21:18 07:40 35 77
Rosey6 21:23 10:19 48 106
Dvynys dvynys 21:31 08:49 40 88
goblin 22:08 12:00 54 120
Rod B 22:16 12:28 55 122
david_ch 22:26 10:20 46 102
DianeRS 22:29 08:50 39 86
JayEm 23:09 10:56 47 104
The Caffeine Kid 23:21 16:56 72 160
Brian McNamar 23:35 15:32 65 144
Tudds 24:25 09:24 38 84
Coffell 24:44 11:51 47 104
JohnDun (johndun) john_dun 24:50 11:17 45 100
infinitejest 24:53 17:04 68 151
mjsaunders9 24:54 09:21 37 82
Brenk Brenk1 24:54 09:25 37 82
chris661554 24:58 11:21 45 100
rjcassidy rjcassidy 25:09 09:53 39 86
Mkgnao Mkgnao 25:25 15:42 61 135
SlumdogEngineer 25:31 15:27 60 133
ratterz 25:37 09:41 37 82
Deezzaa Deezzaa 26:08 12:50 49 108
En Cee 26:33 12:35 47 104
barracuda barracuda 26:34 13:23 50 111
ulaca ulaca 26:45 11:54 44 97
Dr_Bob 27:01 09:29 35 77
Edprof 27:26 12:04 43 95
Mike Harper Mike Harper 27:32 12:39 45 100
Yatton50 27:42 12:40 45 100
eniamretrauq eniamretrauq 27:50 10:36 38 84
Jamie Fox 27:52 07:35 27 60
David Luke 27:59 11:47 42 93
Aldus 28:05 12:57 46 102
Kevin Gregg Kevin Gregg 28:19 13:23 47 104
td349 28:33 08:30 29 64
Charpentier 29:19 35:46 122 271
Manveru 29:30 14:28 49 108
gbestanley 29:49 19:04 63 140
wimpoldo 30:07 24:17 80 177
simjt simjt 30:12 10:59 36 80
Mudge Mudge 30:57 13:13 42 93
dosbarth 31:28 18:31 58 128
tyrotim tyrotim 32:45 21:56 66 146
JGP 32:45 15:40 47 104
piltdown man 33:05 14:57 45 100
vinyl12345 vinyl1 33:24 09:32 28 62
boltonwanderer 34:00 14:00 41 91
BertieVII 34:01 19:46 58 128
koro kororareka 34:28 17:00 49 108
Cryptique 34:35 12:22 35 77
kapietro kapietro 35:10 16:46 47 104
Jax74 35:11 38:29 109 242
Rookie 35:14 15:00 42 93
MalcolmD 35:58 15:57 44 97
Shushannah 36:07 17:02 47 104
Maggot 36:21 21:22 58 128
clivejharlow 36:54 18:21 49 108
starstruck starstruck_au 37:56 14:38 38 84
WordPlodder BletchleyReject 38:01 20:08 52 115
The Real Steve Snackman 39:22 15:28 39 86
rv_1 39:25 18:41 47 104
HanS 41:37 30:47 73 162
Aidleys 41:51 26:12 62 137
E Bradford E Bradford 41:54 20:57 50 111
Steve Wood 44:36 28:00 62 137
hydrochoos hydrochoos 44:36 22:00 49 108
empty 46:16 33:56 73 162
MartinP MartinP1 50:35 23:02 45 100
frecks 54:33 05:20 9 20
paulmcl paulmcl 55:50 17:35 31 68
profsjpayne 59:02 13:36 23 51

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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