Crossword SNITCH

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

Times Cryptic Crossword 29323

Date 01 September 2025
Number 29323
Day of week Monday
NITCH 65
Count of ref solvers 63
Ref solvers excluded with errors 5
Link to crossword View Crossword*
Times for the Times Link 29323

* Requires access to the Times Crossword Club

Detailed solving results

 

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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 04:33 04:15 93 143
Nathan Panning 05:40 03:21 59 90
Magoo 05:58 04:48 80 123
Paul Gilbert 06:10 04:05 66 101
lili 06:27 03:53 60 92
verlaine Verlaine 06:32 04:18 65 100
cmjhutton 06:36 04:30 68 104
Diskus 06:38 04:39 70 107
hilarym 06:54 05:33 80 123
Jason 06:58 05:33 79 121
Alexis Johansen 07:45 04:59 64 98
aphis99 aphis99 07:48 05:45 73 112
DeLilith 07:53 04:41 59 90
HoneyBadger HoneyBadger 08:27 08:56 105 161
Umpire 09:01 08:46 97 149
markdobell 09:57 06:27 64 98
AlanS 10:04 07:16 72 110
tiggis 10:04 08:45 86 132
Ciolf 10:14 08:43 85 130
LoreleiBill 10:37 06:42 63 96
Kinghedger 11:05 06:50 61 93
toots 11:10 09:59 89 136
Freemers 11:20 12:43 112 172
Deane Short Deane Short 11:24 05:50 51 78
lickert 11:26 07:45 67 103
neilr neilr 11:27 08:47 76 116
scrabbler 11:33 12:07 104 160
Tom Stubbs Tom Stubbs 11:38 09:46 83 127
miked1961 11:41 06:20 54 83
keriothe_ keriothe 11:43 08:08 69 106
Heyesey 11:48 07:00 59 90
David Crooks dcrooks 11:49 05:58 50 76
SimonAnthony 11:58 06:10 51 78
Morphosis 11:59 11:04 92 141
philjordan1147 BUSMAN 12:08 07:10 59 90
Amoeba89 Amoeba 12:17 10:17 83 127
aphasic 12:27 10:41 85 130
andy 12:30 09:07 72 110
Groucho 12:39 08:06 64 98
chriswords 12:44 09:19 73 112
canismiser 12:59 08:35 66 101
Paul Bacon 13:02 09:42 74 113
njnclarke 13:06 09:04 69 106
Sheapey Sheapey 13:08 05:45 43 66
MikeOsborne mikeosborne 13:15 09:02 68 104
Silva 13:19 09:56 74 113
March (JeffCollins) mch1 13:29 13:36 100 153
Topical Tim Topical Tim 13:36 06:17 46 70
Peponi13 13:39 11:15 82 126
Secondbass 13:42 08:55 65 100
Riche Riche 13:46 11:10 81 124
7dPenguin (KenG) 7dPenguin 13:49 11:42 84 129
Ed freshpot Ed Freshpot 13:53 07:24 53 81
alexh 14:02 13:27 95 146
Eddddddd 14:17 11:36 81 124
LouWeed LouWeed 14:22 09:18 64 98
CentralLine CentralLine 14:23 14:52 103 158
Aybee 14:28 09:30 65 100
Semillon 14:29 10:02 69 106
Tibthorpe 14:31 11:44 80 123
Stavros Stavrolex 14:44 10:29 71 109
MK76 14:46 11:36 78 120
jimwetzler 14:49 13:57 94 144
gabrojak 14:56 11:15 75 115
benbush 14:59 10:28 69 106
Pootle Pootle 14:59 12:33 83 127
Finzi 15:02 12:24 82 126
Looch 15:07 09:43 64 98
DunPangolin 15:08 18:34 122 187
JezWoolfrey 15:09 11:08 73 112
Paul Hammond Paul Hammond 15:14 07:39 50 76
Rinteff Rinteff 15:16 09:33 62 95
BlackburnRover 15:20 15:35 101 155
Carol 15:44 08:53 56 86
cmcnsmith 15:45 12:56 82 126
myles 15:45 16:15 103 158
robertL 15:47 14:09 89 136
Ben Staveley 15:51 09:37 60 92
tapbarker 16:13 09:25 58 89
andrewlake 16:17 09:37 59 90
hopkinb hopkinb 16:22 12:38 77 118
RobR RobR 16:24 08:16 50 76
chriswestontour Chris West 16:39 12:53 77 118
ajcauk1 16:40 17:35 105 161
Valance 16:57 09:39 56 86
Achernar 17:05 13:30 79 121
Vannyx 17:08 09:54 57 87
Pxspxs 17:13 10:26 60 92
Jeremy S 17:17 16:16 94 144
rrricharrrd 17:17 13:25 77 118
Crossiant 17:17 11:24 65 100
phthisis 17:18 12:26 71 109
Mike C 17:25 11:26 65 100
PGooden 17:29 11:06 63 96
Upfisher 17:58 12:32 69 106
Squallaby 18:09 09:56 54 83
Jeremy Kenyon 18:13 14:35 80 123
cdb_100 18:20 10:21 56 86
KET 18:53 14:53 78 120
Dzhigit dzhigit71 19:03 16:44 87 133
John Arnold 19:15 13:44 71 109
Zander 19:16 12:04 62 95
robinh 19:27 13:29 69 106
brian.richards1 19:44 14:59 75 115
LJCN 19:47 10:35 53 81
GMcD 19:47 16:09 81 124
babka 20:02 10:07 50 76
hugh schofield Leskoffer 20:09 15:10 75 115
KarenR 20:09 10:33 52 80
daniel.faith 20:09 10:53 54 83
Curarist Curarist 20:26 12:34 61 93
Nangle 20:32 18:26 89 136
Gallion Fish 20:42 18:08 87 133
gsriordan52 20:43 13:34 65 100
valerian1967 20:54 16:09 77 118
pc8 20:56 10:28 50 76
Dvynys dvynys 21:05 12:10 57 87
Aldus 21:08 12:04 57 87
Zabadak3 Zabadak 21:09 12:28 58 89
Anomalospiza 21:13 11:21 53 81
Waterloo 21:16 22:59 108 166
george.garlick 21:22 14:32 68 104
UisceTe 21:22 15:24 72 110
alwsn8 21:55 11:43 53 81
infinitejest 22:13 20:33 92 141
david_ch 22:20 12:15 54 83
Rod B 22:24 13:31 60 92
Tudds 22:25 26:48 119 183
Rosey6 22:40 15:22 67 103
Corymbia Corymbia 22:56 18:29 80 123
goblin 23:01 13:46 59 90
Hamish.S 23:26 11:27 48 73
Crippens1 23:56 19:01 79 121
En Cee 24:47 17:41 71 109
Mkgnao Mkgnao 24:55 20:01 80 123
Brian McNamar 25:13 25:55 102 156
medodd 25:27 32:21 127 195
ulaca ulaca 25:30 10:45 42 64
Deezzaa Deezzaa 26:18 18:20 69 106
Brenk Brenk1 26:20 23:00 87 133
Yatton50 26:39 17:21 65 100
Mike Harper Mike Harper 27:18 22:13 81 124
barracuda barracuda 28:06 17:27 62 95
eniamretrauq eniamretrauq 28:57 20:00 69 106
Jamie Fox 29:02 13:36 46 70
Gussie 29:02 12:11 41 63
Grumpole Grumpole 29:06 23:45 81 124
wimpoldo 29:21 23:18 79 121
Manveru 29:22 26:40 90 138
gbestanley 29:24 20:34 69 106
simjt simjt 29:29 25:23 86 132
Dr_Bob 29:33 19:35 66 101
nekabue 29:34 16:48 56 86
Jonathan O 29:45 18:35 62 95
Mike Mansbridge 29:50 51:21 172 264
laurence_da 30:12 15:43 52 80
Pendrov 30:30 20:27 67 103
tyrotim tyrotim 31:09 30:29 97 149
vinyl12345 vinyl1 31:29 17:31 55 84
birthday girl 32:13 23:36 73 112
The Real Steve Snackman 32:16 17:49 55 84
BertieVII 33:07 20:46 62 95
NAPASAI napasai 33:08 18:02 54 83
Kernowdoc 33:23 20:59 62 95
Rookie 33:57 22:54 67 103
Mudge Mudge 34:03 26:47 78 120
JoeyC 34:06 16:49 49 75
Bossbutbee 35:21 30:29 86 132
Lloyd 35:28 48:53 137 210
Alias Noble 35:38 22:58 64 98
rv_1 35:48 26:51 75 115
Pelforth 36:08 29:52 82 126
koro kororareka 36:16 21:12 58 89
dosbarth 36:29 24:26 66 101
kapietro kapietro 36:39 25:02 68 104
boltonwanderer 37:12 22:00 59 90
Balawo 37:24 26:43 71 109
E Bradford E Bradford 38:11 22:57 60 92
Shushannah 38:56 23:19 59 90
Dr Dolittle 39:26 17:00 43 66
JGP 39:59 19:19 48 73
WordPlodder BletchleyReject 40:17 22:18 55 84
Steve Wood 41:39 19:17 46 70
baronrob 43:03 16:23 38 58
hydrochoos hydrochoos 43:14 18:54 43 66
Aidleys 44:58 24:01 53 81
MichaelE 45:59 19:22 42 64
profsjpayne 57:38 50:22 87 133

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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