**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Happy New Year, cryptic fans!

Thanks for stopping by one day early this week. I’ve got a holiday challenger for you in the cryptic spot for September. There’s a wide range of difficulty in the clues to this puzzle, but if the toughest ones leave you scratching your head, I’ve got a gentler quiptic coming in two days, as well as this fun cryptic 7xwords puzzle that dropped over the weekend. Thanks again to Malaika for having me as part of such a cool puzzle project!

Thanks so much to David Gold and k0rmad for test solving!

Take care, enjoy, and see you on Thursday with that quiptic!

solve online / puz / pdf / solution & explanations

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, cryptic solvers!

It’s time for this month’s blocked puzzle. This one is fairly challenging and lightly themed. I hope it’s just right for you. Thanks to k0rmad for the test solve!

I’ll see you next week with a super fun guest crossword and your monthly themeless offering. Take care and enjoy!

solve online / puz / pdf / solution & explanations

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, cryptic fans!

I’ve got a themed puzzle for you on this fine summer day. It should be a decent challenge. I hope it’s lots of fun!

Thanks to k0rmad for the excellent test solving, as always!

We’re getting pretty close to 100 puzzles on Square Pursuit! Number 99, a non-cryptic themeless, will drop next Wednesday.

Take care, enjoy the puzzle, and see you in a week!

solve online / puz / pdf / solution & explantions

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello again, cryptic lovers!

Well, it’s been one day, and we’re back with a stiffer challenge. No theme or funny business here, just pure cryptic goodness (I hope you agree)!

Speaking of which, one of the beautiful parts of cryptic land is that folks don’t always agree on what’s fun! At this point in my cryptic journey I’d say I’ve become a mostly Ximenean setter, but my feeling is that if I don’t try to push things a bit, then I’m missing out on a creative opportunity.

Some things that folks have loved and hated in my puzzles (mild spoilers here) include that tiny hidden indicator, the trick with the chemical symbol, the reverse clues, the double letter homophone that time, and the general use of vernacular terms in my wordplay. I promise that when you see a clue that works in an unfamiliar way, it’s been crafted with care and consideration!

I’m so lucky to have had Will Nediger, Paolo Pasco, and k0rmad test solve this one. Thanks all!

Take care, enjoy, and see you next week with a non-cryptic themeless!

solve online / puz / pdf / solution & explanation

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, puzzle buds!

It’s variety cryptic day! I’m always so happy to make and share these with you. It looks like this one may be a bit tougher than some of the others, but I still feel it’s on the easier side of what’s out there for this sort of puzzle. If it’s giving you too rough a ride, may I recommend one of my intro-level quiptics here on this site?

I want to give my gratitude to the cryptic setting and solving community on all continents! Special thanks to Hayley Gold, Nate Cardin, and k0rmad for the test solve — I can assure you this puzzle was way more wicked (and not as shiny) before they got their hands on it.

Up next week we’ve got a themed non-cryptic with some personal significance. I’m feeling a bit of a creative swell for the non-cryptics right this minute. We shall see what comes of it. The following week I’ll be back with a blocked cryptic that I hope stretches your brain and makes you laugh.

Thanks for stopping by. Take care and enjoy!

solve online / pdf / solution & explanations

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, cryptic people!

Thanks for stopping by. Today’s puzzle has no title, no theme, just a bunch of ahas and laughs (or so I hope). Since the last bunch of puzzles have been on the easier side, I’ve taken the opportunity to throw you some harder stuff here, though I’d left plenty of footholds around the grid as well. It will probably play a touch harder than most North American puzzles, but I’ve been known to be strikingly wrong about difficulty level before.

As always, thanks for stopping by! Thanks also to k0rmad and Nate Cardin for the test solve. If this one’s too opaque to be fun, I recommend one of the variety cryptics on the site, or if you’d rather start off more gently, perhaps one of the quiptics (which have been so fun to make). If you’re looking for a non-cryptic offering, there’s a fun themeless collaboration coming next week!

Take care, enjoy, and see you in 7 with that themeless!

solve online / puz / pdf / solution

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, Cryptic Friends!

It’s that special time of month again! I’m so excited to have this variety cryptic for you to solve and hope it’s full of laughs and ahas. Let’s call it a 1.5/5 difficulty compared to other variety cryptics in the North American style.

Many thanks to k0rmad and Hayley Gold for the awesome test solving, as usual. It was so fun talking to folks about cryptics and other puzzles at this year’s ACPT this past weekend! Feeling lots of love for the cryptic community and crossword community at large. Thanks for coming by today and thanks for the awesome hang!

Take care, enjoy, and see you next week with a themed non-cryptic crossword!

solve online / pdf / solution and explanation

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello puzzle people,

I’m thrilled to be sharing this month’s blocked cryptic with you! So glad you stopped by to give it a try. Since I’m practicing writing puzzles of varied difficulty, I’ll be gauging the puzzles at these levels for the time being:

Quiptics – .5-1/5 (relative to blocked standard cryptics worldwide)

Blocked Cryptics – 2-2.5/5 (relative to blocked standard cryptics worldwide)

Variety Cryptics 1-2/5 (relative to North American variety cryptics)

Let’s cautiously call this one a (2/5). If it gives you too rough a ride I recommend the Quiptics on my site! Special thanks to Nate Cardin and k0rmad for test solving. I’m very grateful for my cryptic community!

Take care, enjoy, and see you on Wednesday with a non-cryptic themeless!

solve online / puz / pdf / solution & explanations

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, cryptic friends!

It’s my favorite time of month again! Today’s variety cryptic is relatively gentle, as usual. I hope you enjoy it!

The cryptic fun just keeps coming! I’ve been plugging away at several UK puzzles daily and I’m starting to experience much smoother solves, and with them, a lot of joy. I’ve been getting a lot of practice constructing as well, and I must say it’s pretty cool to have you folks along with me solving my puzzles.

I’m thankful for several test solvers this time. Hayley Gold, who has an interactive crossword graphic novel coming out that I’m really excited to see (Kickstarter here), Nate Cardin, who keeps crushing the cryptic game over at The Browser, and k0rmad, who has given an excellent eye to my cryptics for over half a year. Thanks, folks!

Back at you with a bit more variety next week, and a whole raft of themed, themeless, and cryptic crosswords in April! Take care and enjoy!

solve online / pdf / solution and explanations

**Hello! You’ve found one of my cryptics from before I figured out how to make cryptics well! Please enjoy the diamonds in the rough, but expect neither elegance nor fairness. It takes a while to learn how to do it right!**

Hello, cryptic folks!

It’s the first cryptic Wednesday at Square Pursuit, and I’m super excited to share this one with you. It’s been a really long time since I’ve been to the deli, and reader, I miss it. If you find yourself dreaming of Ashkenazi soul food like me, this may just be the puzzle for you. Even if it’s not your thing, this should be a typically approachable blocked cryptic with maybe a tiny bit more of a challenge than usual.

I’m super grateful for all my friends in the cryptic scene on both sides of the Atlantic, and today my special test-solving thanks go to Nate Cardin and k0rmad. If you’re hungry for a non-cryptic crossword, I’ve got one coming in another venue this weekend as well as the themeless next Wednesday here on the site.

solve online / puz / pdf / solution & explanations