Themeless Crossword #2 (With Brooke Husic!!!!!)

Shanah Tovah all! Hoping to bring back the blog more consistently (aiming for every other Thursday for now!) in 5782. I think today's puzzle is a good way to bring it back, and I'm super excited to share it with you all.

Brooke is one of the absolute greats in the game right now (I am begging you to solve her Lolla puzzle if you haven't yet), and I'm so so lucky to have worked with her on this puzzle. Super appreciative of all her insight, and I really hope the vibe of our process shines through in the grid. She's also just a fantastic person - her latest "Spread the Wordlist" project is exactly what we need to lower the barriers to entry in the hobby, and her most recent themeless drop benefits a great cause. We're super lucky to have her in the crossword community, and I'm super lucky to be featuring her on the blog! More interesting than my kvelling are her thoughts on the puzzle, though:

I have admired David from afar for so long and was soooo honored when he messaged me on twitter and started the convo I was too nervous to start myself!!! I'm so happy with this demi we made together and I think you can find both of our distinct voices as well as some greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts vibes. We tossed around potential seed/clue pairs for a long time before David suggested 1A, which I absolutely love, and after we riffed on clues for it we made the grid and wrote the clues very collaboratively! I adore that 30A is in his wordlist and love his clues for 11A, 15A, and 6D especially.

Enjoy the puzzle, and send any feedback our way! Specifically, feedback along the lines of "26D is beautiful/groanworthy" is very much expected, and feedback in the form of 11A would be very kind (direct both to Brooke!). Grab the pdf here, the puz file here, and the interactive client right below. Thanks to Nina and Will for test solving! Fully recommending Nina's contribution to the Mini Meta Madness at Lolla, and check the blog later this year for my take on Will's randomized themelesses! Enjoy all, and be well!

Themed Crossword #6: What's Two Plus Two?

Getting weird with it today! Not sure whether to call this a 21x21, a 2x2x10x10, or something else entirely. Also not sure if it really counts as a meta, but if you want it to then that's fine by me! Won't say anything more to avoid spoilers. Thanks to Paolo for the test-solve!

I don't recommend the pdf unless you have perfect eyesight, but grab it here if you want; the puz file is here, and you can find the interactive client below. Happy solving!

Blocked Cryptic #12: Lost In Translation

Hi all! Back from another hiatus (sorry! motivation is a rarity these days - hope that everyone is holding up alright) to share some more cryptics. Today's is another mini one, but with some interesting symmetry and a extra-hard twist if you're feeling up to it. Taking one page out of Brooke's book for the setup, and another from Matthew's for the grid: I hope it leads to an interesting solve! Whichever version you solve, let me know how it plays out for you, and feel free to reach out with any feedback.

Lots of links so just gonna put them all up one by one below. Happy puzzling all!

Standard version:  pdf  puz  amuselabs solver

Extra-Hard version:  pdf  puz  amuselabs solver  text file with long entries

Blocked Cryptic #11: Completing the Square (META)

Another meta-puzzle! This time, in standard(-ish) cryptic form. Hard to pick a favorite, but of all my blocked grids, I think this one has my favorite design, and I hope you all enjoy. Grab the pdf here, and the puz file here. In both cases, pretend there are no numbers/clues for the central square. Thanks to Neville for the test-solve!

Barred Cryptic #7: Fillin' Groovy

Happy belated Purim to all those who celebrate! I'm not much of a baker, but I love hamantaschen, so I figured if I couldn't bake them, I'd do the next best thing and make a puzzle about them. Even those who have never tried hamantaschen before should hopefully find this puzzle doable, but it might help to look up some common fillings. Even veteran bakers and enjoyers alike, though, might be taken aback at some of the ones I've included - especially the third (sometimes you gotta introduce some new flavors to make extraction possible!!). Thanks to Steve for the fantastic feedback on the first round of clues, and for an illuminating conversation on the best and most innovative fillings :)

Since the grid is hexagonal, no interactive client, but I've got a Google sheets for online solvers to try out. Let me know how this works, as it's pretty tough to make hex grids on a spreadsheet, but hopefully it's useful for someone :) Find the pdf here and a link to the copy-able sheet here. Enjoy all, and be well!

Edit: 15 Down-Right should be 'Dip! Angry Ru's flipping out for backstreet!' - thanks to Kevan for catching this!

Themed Crossword #5: Unfit Pip Input (META)

Hello all! Today's puzzle is my first attempt at a meta, and I hope that it's an interesting one! It didn't turn out as elegant as I'd like it to, but hopefully still makes for a fun solve. Grab the puz file here, the pdf here, a solution checker here, and the interactive client below. I'm more than happy to provide any hints needed - my email is in the sidebar and my DMs are open on Twitter. Hope that you all are staying safe and warm!

Thanks to kormad and Paolo for test solving!

Blocked Cryptic #10: Proper Amazing

Hello all! Sorry for the long gap between puzzles - I recently moved back to campus which has changed my schedule quite a bit. Hoping to resume weekly puzzles from here on out though.

I know that proper names aren't always everyone's favorite in cryptics, but today's is full of them. This is thanks (in part) to this great new resource that we all (as constructors and solvers) should be grateful for. Add these names to your puzzles! Do research on them! Learn about their lives! Also, thank @ewojcik (and all those who contributed!) for this great resource!!

As always, enjoy the puzzle in pdf form, puz form, or below in the online solver. Would love any feedback on this puzzle (or on the new website index + the slew of solutions I've slowly been putting up)! Be well all.

Error to be fixed: 17a clue should be [Comeback used by Io and Ea? (2, 3)]. Fixing in PDF and PUZ file asap. Edit because im forgetful keep stanning uswnt but also stan paolo for being a great test solver

Blocked Cryptic #9: Kangaroo Court

Not much to say today, just a fun little bonus puzzle as promised! We helped to hit 400 donors here, but if you've yet to donate and if you have the means, there's more work to be done - every dollar counts. Also, if you like cryptics and enjoy putting good into the world, make sure to check out (and donate on behalf of!) a recent puzzle from Neville benefitting the Premier Ultimate League. Many thanks to Neville for testsolving today's cryptic and for spreading word of another great cause. Enjoy the solve, and don't hesitate to reach out with any feedback you might have. Grab the puz file here, the pdf (recommended) here or solve online in the client below. Be well all!

Update February 2021: Find the solution here!

Themeless (!!!) Crossword #1: Buns, Hun (with Izzy Culver)

Hello all! Super excited to share a first attempt at a standard themeless with you all, especially since it was a collab between me and one of my best friends Izzy Culver (make sure to follow her and give her a warm welcome to crossword Twitter!). We've constructed a few puzzles together, and we think that this one is super fun (huge thanks to Paolo for test solving). A lil' blurb from Izzy about the puzzle:

Hi all :) I’m Izzy (she/her) and I’m a sophomore at Brown. I've been solving crosswords for about two years now, and I’m just getting into constructing! Please reach out if you want to talk Veep, powerlifting, anything that Sacha Baron Cohen has ever done, or if you wanna see pictures of my labradoodle (my pride and joy). Hope you enjoy solving our puzzle as much as we enjoyed making it!

Grab the puz here, the pdf here, and the interactive solver below. Happy solving all - and keep your eyes open for a bonus cryptic tomorrow!

Blocked Cryptic #8: A Slice of Pie(t)

Welcome to 2021, all! Hope the start of the year has been filled with some fresh puzzles, and that you all are staying safe and well. Starting off the new year with a bit of a ridiculous puzzle: I hope that the novelty of the grid shape can excuse the double unches (and if not, blame et tu etui for inspiring me to make this). Many thanks to Steve for test-solving and providing me with fantastic feedback. Find the puz file here, the pdf here, and the interactive client below. Also, I'm going through my old posts and adding solutions, so keep your eyes out for new additions to them over the next two or three days. Enjoy!

Update February 2021: Find the solution doc here!

Themed Crossword #4: Scout's Honor! (with Malaika Handa)

Hello all! Wrapping up the year with a cute standard American puzzle. Was super lucky to collab with Malaika on this one! In case you hadn't heard the great news, her new site will feature a 7x7 grid six days a week (!!) in 2021, and if you keep up with it, I can guarantee you'll see some familiar names and faces :) Paraphrasing her quote about this puzzle, she had this to say: "no specific quote but... :D" which sums up the joy of this grid.

In non-this-puzzle news, I'm hoping to put out solutions for my whole backlog of old puzzles sometime before New Years. Sorry for the long delay, school and life have kept me busy recently. Wishing everyone a safe and happy end to 2020, and I look forward to sharing more puzzles with you in 2021!

"We Demand to be Taken Seriously!" a 2020 Hanukkah Cryptic Extravaganza

original artwork by yours truly

Hello all! Apologies for the lack of posts in the last two weeks, but hopefully the next eight days (!) of puzzles can make up for it. For Hanukkah 2020 (slash 5781), I'll be posting a cryptic-like puzzle for the first six nights, a bonus on the seventh as a brief intermission, and it'll all culminate with a meta on the eight night. I've tried to make these puzzles accessible and interesting to folks who are new to cryptics and experienced solvers alike, and as always there are more than a few whacky/novel cluing angles to be found throughout. Find the set-up/story here (yes i am well aware the theme is ridiculous), and the list of puzzles below! Chag Sameach, and have fun!

Many thanks to those who helped me develop/edit the set, especially Pacho and Story of the NPL for inspiring the two non-cryptic puzzles as well as the slew of test-solvers who caught various mistakes and help clean up some clues. Full acknowledgements to be posted with the wrap-up, which I'll put up with the solutions + full puzzle pack (for those who'd prefer to binge solve) in eight day's time. For now, keep checking this post for updates every day, usually around 5-6pm. Enjoy the puzzles, and please feel free to reach out with any questions, comments, feedback, complaints, or anything of the sort!

List of Puzzles (updated daily):

1. The Semicolony (Dec 10)
2. hack/slash (Dec 11)
3. The Carat Cake Bakery (Dec 12)
4. Dotty and the Line Dancers (Dec 13: error found 9:00pm, the down arrow with a 9 should actually have a 12. will fix asap)
5. Space in Vaders In case the crossed-out text is hard to read, here's the list below the clues. (Dec 14)
6. The Tarot Bang Inn (Dec 15)
7. Bonus: PUNctuation Mark (Dec 16: error found 9:30pm, had a wrong letter, fixed in file now!)
8. Meta: We Demand to be Taken Seriously! (Dec 17)

New as of December 15: Fancy answer checker! If you wanna make sure you have the right answers, hop over here and follow the instructions. Also, if you have feedback or want hints, there's an option for that too!

As a final note, if you enjoy the puzzles, please consider donating to one of these charities to make the world a better place. Hopefully eight free puzzles warrant at least a tiny donation to a good cause, especially during the Holiday season. Specifically, I'll hop on this train of fantastic people: if this GoFundMe reaches 400 backers, I'll put out one more cryptic before the new year. Every dollar counts, and it'd be great to put some good into the world right about now to make up for the long year we've all had.

Barred Cryptic #6: Themes and Variations (plus Variety-ish Cryptic-ish #1!)

Hello all! Two thematically related puzzles today - one of a genre I've been meaning to try out for a while, and one that's less of a crossword and more of a "here's a list of clues, have fun!" type puzzle. Thanks for kormad and Ra for test-solving. I'd recommend solving the Themes and Variations first, just because the second puzzle (name witheld) might spoil the nature of the thematic entries. I absolutely adore Themes and Variations-type puzzles, but they can be tricky, so I've included an example set as well as three hints for the actual puzzle, so hopefully it's decently accessible. Onto the explanation!

In the puzzle, there will be 3 "Themes" that have something in common. Each of these will also have 3 variations (only two in this example), that are derived from/related to/have something in common with the theme in some way. For example, were the 3 theme words SNAP, CRACKLE, and POP, the variations may be:

1. PANS: STOP and REMIT (reversals of kitchen tools)
2. CRACKLE: CACKLER and RECLACK (anagrams)
3. POP: SIS and MOM (palindromic family members)

In general, it might help to think of the different forms of cryptic wordplay you use in general when solving. If you get stuck, there’s three levels of hints (all ROT-13’ed) below the interactive solver that might give you the push you need. Find the pdf here and the PuzzleMe client below. Once you've finished, enjoy a smaller variety puzzle with pdf here or a copy-able Google Sheets here. Hope you all are staying safe and enjoying the puzzles!

Hint 1: Bar tebhc vf pbaarpgrq ubzbcubavpnyyl, bar jvgu “cersvkrf," naq bar jvgu qryrgvbaf.

Hint 2: Gur ubzbcubar tebhc vf “zvffvat” sbhe jbeqf. Gur qryrgvba tebhc qryrgrf gur yrggref C, B, L, naq L. Gur cersvk tebhc sbezf n purzvpny grez, n yvathvfgvp grez, naq n gurbybtvpny grez.

Hint 3 (essentially the explanation of each theme group): Gur inevngvbaf bs gurzr jbeq N pna nyy cerprqr gur gurzr jbeq gb sbez arj jbeqf. Gurzr tebhc O vf znqr hc bs snzbhf qbtf zvffvat gurve ynfg yrggre ynfg yrggre qryrgvbaf (n yn FABBCL > FABBC). Gurzr jbeq P naq vgf frg bs inevngvbaf vf znqr hc bs jbeqf gung ubzbcubavpnyyl znxr hc 2/3 bs fbzr bgure snzbhf gevbf, jvgu zvffvat jbeqf crnpr, ynetr, ba, naq cnepry.

Blocked Cryptic #7: Odd Ones Out

Hello all! Sorry for the long wait between puzzles, it's been a rocky few weeks recently. Trying out my hand with a themeless puzzle today, with some fun 15s in the mix. A couple of odd clues (ba dum ksh), especially 19A and 8D, but I hope they're fun - would love to hear any feedback or thoughts, as always. Hope that you all are staying healthy, both mentally and physically, and enjoying the puzzles!

Grab the puz file here, the pdf here, and the interactive solver below. For anyone tired of blocked grids, don't worry: some fun barred ones to follow in the coming weeks!

Guest Cryptic #2: A Snack from the Cookie Jar (by Nate Cardin)

What's this? A Wednesday cryptic? It sure is! Brought to you by the one and only Nate Cardin, fantastic constructor/human whose puzzle I am honored to host here today :) Nate claims to have nothing interesting to say here, which I doubt, but fair enough: he's been busy these past few weeks! A few of my quick thoughts/praises before the puzzle:

I solved this puzzle over breakfast last week and it made the start of my day absolutely radiant. There's so much to love here: 2D and 13A were laugh out loud moments for me, 1A and 10A have some of the cleanest wordplay I've seen in a while, and 25D is probably just overall my favorite clue I've seen all month. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did, and make sure to tell Nate how great it is on Twitter! The more puzzles he writes the better the world will be :) Find the puz file here, the pdf here, and the interactive grid right below.

Finally, another all-call to my friends in the crossword community: if there are any LGBTQ+ folx (or allies, or anyone who cares about crosswords and equity in any way) who are interested in collaborating on any type of puzzle, please reach out! DMs always open, and my inbox could use more crossword content, so drop a line! Enjoy the puzzle, and stay well, all.

Blocked Cryptic #6: Lucky Number 7!

Short post today! Dropping a puzzle that is just a bit over the top. Feel free to just solve the puzzle and ignore everything else (except my beautiful drawing in the pdf): this weekend was Conline 3, so I felt like just going all out with a very extra cryptic in classic NPL style. Even if you choose to ignore the "variety" parts of it, there's some fun fill going on, so I hope it's a fun solve!

For those brave enough to tackle the whole thing, here's the pdf! For those who just wanna solve the cryptic (good choice), peep the online solver below. Any feedback is welcome! If this puzzle doesn't tickle you, though, I can promise that the next one is very exciting and will come early - later this week ;)

Barred Cryptic #5: Tag Yourself! (with Amanda Rafkin and Finn Vigeland)

Very special puzzle today, for a variety of reasons! First of all, I got to work with two incredibly talented constructors, and we had a blast writing a bunch of whacky, weird, and fresh cryptic clues. Second, it's a super pretty grid (keep reading to find out why)! Third, and most importantly, today is National Coming Out Day, and since it falls on the same day as Matt Bomer's my birthday, I'm using it as the perfect time to come out as bi to my family, and to the crossword community. Obviously the only way to do this is with a cryptic: more specifically, a very meme-y queer qryptic, which you can find below.

Before the puzzle, I have many a thank (and a request!) to give. I can't begin to describe how lucky I am to have worked with Finn and Amanda: they're such great people, both way more talented than I am at writing puzzles, and they're also just generally hilarious. I hope the fun we had while writing the clues is obvious from the puzzle. Also, this puzzle wouldn't have happened without Queer Qrosswords' Nate Cardin, who inspired me to make this puzzle, set me up with my two co-constructors, and made this a reality. Sending love and gratefulness to you all ♥ Here's some quick thoughts from Amanda and Finn:

Hey all, I'm Finn (he/him). I've written many crosswords but proud to be marking my cryptic debut on this auspicious day. Follow my twitter if you like crosswords, transportation, or Survivor.

Hi! I’m Amanda (she/her), here to represent the UHAUL category 😉. I’ve been solving cryptics for about a year, but this was my first time participating in the creation of one, and I have to say it was a lot of fun! Not to mention an amazing opportunity to do something for such an important and meaningful day. Thanks for putting this together, David!

Finally, if you enjoy the puzzle (or if you've enjoyed any of my puzzles!) and have the means, please consider donating to an LGBTQ+ charity today - I know I can't provide as much fun as the full Queer Qrossword packs, but now more than ever, these communities need support. My blog will always be free, but I hope the enjoyment it's given you is worth at least a small donation to one of these very worthy charities.

Time for links! Two versions of the puzzle: one that's fairly normal, and one that's "disastrous, functional, and distinguished," with clues all mixed up (and a few more antics to be found). Also, you can grab the pdf in full color or in black and white. For online solvers, just keep scrolling and you'll find the "normal" version in interactive form below! Here are the standard versions, in color and black and white; and here are the "disastrous" ones, again in color and black and white. Enjoy the solve, and a happy NCOD to the whole LGBTQ+ crossword (and non-crossword!) family.

Themed Crossword #3: Pullin' a Fast One

Hello all! No cryptic this week - got a very exciting collab dropping next Sunday though :) This week, we've got a standard, themed puzzle that I've had sitting around for a bit! It's a silly little theme, and I hope it's enjoyable. Some whacky clues thrown in, some attempts at question mark devilry, and (hopefully) not too many abbreviations - let me know what you think!

Find the puz file here, the pdf here, and the interactive solver below! Best of luck, and enjoy the solve!

Blocked Cryptic #5: Three of Hearts, Eight of...

The cryptic zoo is expanding! No shenanigans going on in this one though: all wordplay is normal (or, at least normal for my style of puzzles), but there’s a “nina” - cryptic slang for a hidden set of words/phrases/anything that’s relevant to the puzzle or somehow thematic. Hope that the puzzle is fun to solve, and that the hunt for the extra layer is rewarding.

For pencil-and-paper solvers, enjoy the pdf here, and for online solvers, check out the interactive tool right below. Sadly, puz files don't allow for fancy colors, but if you wanna solve in Across Lite, here's the download link. Enjoy!

Solutions document to come hopefully soon. Wishing an easy fast to anyone celebrating today - g'mar chatimah tovah!

Guest Puzzle #1: A Cryptic with a Purpose (by MentalPlayground)

Hello all! Wishing a Shanah Tovah to all those who celebrated the past weekend! Read to the end of the post for a relevant (and hopefully sweet!) bonus puzzle :)

We've got a special guest on the blog today! MentalPlayground is one of my favorite people to co-solve (and co-construct!) puzzles with. From the true home of cryptic crosswords, he's been blogging (and cryptic-ing in general) for longer than I have, and it's always fun to get a British twist on things, so I'm sure you'll enjoy his offering. Here's his commentary on the puzzle:

I've been enjoying avid's puzzles for a while now - so I'm delighted to appear as a surprise guest on his site! This grid may not have any funky rules, but I hope the theme is enjoyable! It's a passion of mine, but I can't tell you what it is for obvious reasons. Also avid apparently likes it too - which is great! I hope you enjoy the solve!

I had an absolute blast solving this puzzle: 22-Down is very funny, 13-Across is super interesting (and slightly wicked - worth it though!), and 9-Down has a hilarious surface. Find the puzzle below in interactive form, or here as a pdf!

Lastly (and leastly), here's the "snack" I promised above, in cased you missed it! Solution right below, so don't scroll too far. (Minor error: first enumeration should be 3 4, not 4 3)

it’s b-side is “revolution” [4 3; first letter]
mp3 player discontinued in 2017 [4 4; last letter]
where parts of bereshit take place [6 2 4; last letter]
___ adams (brie larson character in ‘scott pilgrim’) [4; first letter]
home of stonewall inn [3 4 4; last letter]

— David G (@d_avidgold) September 18, 2020

Solution: hey jude, ipod nano, garden of eden, envy, and new york city are all APPLES (sorta) dipped in HONEY, my way of wishing all of you a sweet 5781 :)