Small-sized cryptic crosswords at a beginner difficulty. One device per clue 99% of the time, with a helper versions that tell you which sort of clue to look for. Simpler in terms of mechanics than other beginner puzzles like The New Yorker or New York Times, but more challenging in terms of deception.
Hello Quipsters!
Happy midsummer! You know the drill — one device per clue, which the helpers version will let you know about up front. This should be on the harder end of my quiptics, so hopefully it’s more of a savor than a suffer for you! Thanks to Will for the test solving.
Take care, enjoy the puzzle, and I’ll see you next month with more quiptics, Square Chases, and a Browser cryptic to boot!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Quipsters!
I hope you folks are enjoying the summer. I’ve been taking it easy on puzzle construction these past couple weeks but am happy to share this quiptic with you today. It has one device per clue, which is revealed early in parentheses in the “helpers” version. I hope newcomers and seasoned solvers enjoy it alike. Thanks to Will for the test solve.
I’ll be back in two weeks with another quiptic and a Square Chase in the meantime. Take care and enjoy the puzzle!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello Quipsters,
Happy summer! Thanks for stopping by. I’m kicking off a pretty dense 10 days of crosswords with the easiest of the bunch. It’s got one device per clue, and the helpers version tells you which device to look for each time. I hope it’s fun for both the beginners and the daredevils who time themselves and race each other alike! Thanks, as always, to Will for being a great quiptic test solve guy.
In seven days there will be the twice-yearly alphabetical jigsaw cryptic, which should be one of the hardest things to date this site but also one of the most rewarding. Then, on the first of July I’m dropping a really unusual Square Chase variety cryptic that I’m also pretty excited about. Add a Saturday Stumper somewhere in that mix and it’s going to be good times.
Take care and enjoy the puzzle! See you with that challenge next week.
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Quipsters!
Thanks for stopping by. I made you a one-device-per-clue quiptic with a helper version to tell you which device is being used. It may be a teensy bit harder than some others, but we’ll have to see what you think. I hope it’s fun! Thanks to Will for test solving.
I’ve still got that alphabetical jigsaw on its way this month as well as another little quiptic, but I think I’m going to push it to the 29th, as I don’t want to overshadow the Square Chase puzzle dropping next Wednesday. If you’re looking for something quite hard (though non-cryptic) in the meantime, my Saturday Stumper from the other day might occupy you for a while!
Square Chase vc next Wednesday, Quiptic in 14 days, Alphabetical Jigsaw in 21 days!
Take care and enjoy the puzzle!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Quipsters!
Today’s puzzle is 95.54% one-device-per-clue, which is to say I mistakenly put something extra into 1-Across and liked it too much to get rid of it. This darling lives! The rest is as straightforward as usual, and the “helpers” version will give you a boost by telling you what to look for. Thanks to Will for test solving. We’ve got something cool appearing elsewhere soon!
I’ll see you in two weeks with another quiptic, followed by a special cryptic treat the following week. If you’re looking for a stiffer challenge in the meantime, my Browser puzzle from this past weekend was a bit of a workout, or if you want to get more playful and do a variety cryptic, I’ve got something fun coming at Square Chase in one week.
Take care and enjoy the puzzle!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
So good to see you. I’m back with another one-device-per-clue quiptic for you today. If you’re bewildered, why not try the “helpers” version, which tells you what to look for? I’d also like to take a quick moment to normalize revealing answers we can’t get to gain footholds in the grid. It’s absolutely how I learned to solve these puzzles, and thank goodness! I love cryptics so much. Thanks to Will Eisenberg for the test solving.
Speaking of getting into cryptics, Will Nediger and Hayley Gold will be streaming a variety cryptic solve-a-long with special celebrity guest noob solvers tonight at 9 PM ET. They’ll be solving a Margaret Farrar themed cryptic to tie into Hayley’s graphic novel Letters to Margaret (available now here) and the sequel which teaches the reader how to solve cryptics and Will is puzzle editor on. I’ll be hanging in the chat, and hope to see you there!
No puzzle next week, but if you’re hungry for more, I’ll have a Browser cryptic and another variety cryptic coming at Square Chase in the interim. Take care, enjoy, and see you in two weeks with another quiptic!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Quipsters!
Nice to see you again. Today’s quiptic contains, as usual, only one device per clue. The “helpers” version reveals which device to look for in each. I hope it’s fun for newer folks and seasoned solvers alike. Thanks to Will for the test solve.
I’ll return next month with more quiptics and other crosswords, here and elsewhere. The fun also continues over at Square Chase, which is becoming a pretty lively community of variety cryptic solvers. It’s an honor to keep making those puzzles for everybody!
Take care and enjoy! I’ll see you next week with something completely uncryptic.
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Cryptids!
Thanks for dropping by. This week’s quiptic is a little funky. In an honest mistake, one of the clues contains (gasp) two wordplay devices: charade and letter deletion in one! I think it might actually be a cool thing to try for folks who have yet to venture beyond the quiptic realm. Generally speaking, most cryptic crosswords I solve involve more than one device in the majority of the clues. I hope this one proves more fun than frustrating. One more thing: sometimes a pair of cryptic clues will be joined in the surface… …like this. It’s there just for fun, and will have no bearing on how you solve each of them.
Thanks so much to Will for test solving, Marlowe for cat solving, and Chandi for helping to set up his modeling gig!
I’ll be back next week with a blocked, themeless cryptic, which should play a little harder than my Square Chase, Browser and AVCX+ puzzles — more like a mid-week UK cryptic.
Take care and enjoy the solve!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Quipsters!
This puzzle marks a whole year of quiptics at Square Pursuit. Thanks for being along for the ride — it’s been marvelous to hear from all the folks who have actually learned to solve cryptic crosswords using my puzzles!
In case you don’t know the deal, each clue in this puzzle uses only one cryptic device, and the “helpers” version will tell you which to look for. Keep your eyes peeled for a reverse hidden clue. I’ve been on the fence for a long time about whether it’s one or two devices. Since it’s an anniversary, we’re going to give it a try today. Thanks to Will for the test solve!
Next week is the fifth Wednesday of the month, which I’ll be taking off from posting here. If you’re hungry for more cryptic content I’ve got a couple of exciting ones dropping soon at Square Chase next week. In the meantime I’ve got the AVCX cryptic tomorrow! If you haven’t had a chance to subscribe over there, I highly recommend it. It’s a fantastic venue that’s recently expanded into a great publisher of cryptics among all kinds of other great stuff. I’m also looking forward to being at the ACPT in Stamford, CT in 10 days, and if you’re there too I hope you’ll come say hi!
Take care and enjoy the puzzle! I’ll see you in April with something themed.
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, Quipsters!
Thanks for coming by. I’m back at you today with another one-device-per-clue quiptic. While these are never gimmes, they’re geared toward newer solvers looking for a way into more difficult daily cryptic puzzles. The helpers version tells you exactly which device to look for each time. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks to Will for test solving.
Take care and enjoy the puzzle. I’ll see you next week with a surprise VC collaboration, and the week after with Quiptic #25 (which I can’t believe).
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Square Pursuit 