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I know that I bang on about this subject, but today's claim by Pickles to have completed in 1.12 is simply risible. I took 24:12 and Magoo (a top notch solver) could only manage 4:41 - the slacker!

I don't think anyone who calls themselves "pickles" can be trusted.

Worth looking up SNITCH and neutrino if you're interested.

There is, for whatever reason, a community that uses the crossword as a touch typing speed test, having found the answers in advance; it may be to impress someone somewhere.

They are detected by having essentially the same solving time no matter the relative difficulty of the crossword, as calibrated by known reference solvers [Verlaine, Magoo etc]

Just had a look at The Times Cryptic Crossword 29277 (today) results.
Average solving time was 20 minutes and 48 seconds.
Pickles is top of the pops with 1 minute and 13 seconds!
A likely story!

guys - please stop. Everyone knows these times are merely typing in the answers - no need to mention it every day

I'm enjoying reading about the super-speedy/allegedly super-speedy solvers. I wouldn't like a daily update, but I don't think that's going to happen here.

I don't think that comparing solving times is very helpful. I never time myself, and find it a negative step that the Observer Everyman now gives my solving time when I do it online! Perhaps I should print it, but I can never find it on the computer connected to the printer.

I never time myself either.
I do the Times cryptic every day, and some days it takes me hours, because I do a little bit, then have a break, or head out for a while, and resume the head scratching when I return.
But everyone's different!