Welcome, Crossfolks!

It’s another themeless Wednesday! I’ve been experimenting very unscientifically with some weird grid shapes lately and today I submit one for your consideration. My sole criterion is often that it looks fun, and I think the results this time are interesting at the very least!

I am sad to report that there is not a single big cat in this week’s puzzle, but it’s got some fun phrases and plenty of delicious food! May the challenge be sufficiently stiff, the smiles plentiful and the payoff satisfying. I really appreciate you stopping by to solve these things like you do!

And with that, the crossword has landed! Enjoy, take care, and I’ll see you in one week with a themed offering!

Solve Online

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Hello, crossword people!

I’m writing to you in the wake of a stormy first night of the Boswords Fall Themeless league. I was lucky to escape the tricky first puzzle without any errors, even if I was a bit slower to solve it than I would have liked. Naturally, I’m very much in the mood to share my latest themeless puzzle with you.

A couple of entries I’ve wanted to include for a while popped up in the news this week, so I was excited to slide them into a grid. I expect this one to play hard (but fair). As always I’m interested to hear how it was for you!

Thanks for stopping by. Take care, enjoy the solve, and I’ll see you next week with a regularly-scheduled themed crossword!

Solve Online

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Greetings, crossword folks!

Today’s themeless Wednesday has a shape that keeps making me think of the situation pictured above, though it contains no references to anything of the sort. It was fun to try to lay things out a bit differently this time.

Thanks for trying my holiday puzzles out last week! I don’t think I’ll be doing any more this year, because too much of a good thing, but you never know! There will be plenty of fun stuff to come though, which is important to me in these unmistakably heavy times. I’m glad to help facilitate a moment of escape for you.

There it is! Enjoy, take care, and see you in one week with a themed offering.

Solve Online

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Hello, Crossfolks!

I’ve got to be honest, I’m a little overwhelmed by how much excellent indie puzzle content there is out there these days, but how great it is to be so spoiled for choice! Themeless days here always place my puzzles in the company of some excellent puzzle makers and here’s hoping today’s no exception.

This week’s offering afforded me the opportunity to use a lot of fun mid-length entries, and I’m not sure if that’s going to make this one super-easy or super-hard. We’ll just have to see, but either way, I hope it’s a fun one for you.

Take care of yourselves and enjoy! I’ll be back next week with not one, but two holiday puzzles that I’m really excited to share.

Solve Online

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Hello, puzzle people!

It’s hard to imagine this thing at Square Pursuit has been going on for half a year! The original goal was to get a puzzle up every week, but things have gone so much better than that. I’m really grateful for all the folks I’ve met through puzzle-making in the past six months, and believe me, I’ve learned a ton along the way. Here’s to you!

No wordplay this time around, just a nice open themeless. I’m dialing the difficulty back down just a little this week, since we’re out of tournament season. I’m trying for stiff but not brutal! I’ve got great some puzzles planned for the fall and plenty of special things to come as well, and can’t wait to share them with you all.

There it is. Take care, enjoy, and see you in September (yeah, that’s next week) with a cheeky themed puzzle!

Solve Online

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Well met, puzzlers!

We’re just cruising along through the summer crossword tournament season. The only good thing about remote competition is that I get to “go to” pretty much anything I want. This week I’m excited about Lollapuzzoola, which is happening on Saturday, and I’m glad to be able to count friends among the puzzle constructors and fellow solvers!

I solve crosswords for fun, and do so pretty quickly. I am earnest about trying to improve my skills, and will push myself on Saturday to go as quickly as I can. That said, I’m absolutely nowhere near the superhuman solvers that can fly through these puzzles a full minute or two faster than me. I’d like to give a special welcome today to the extra-brave souls that are tackling their puzzles this week downs-only. My sincerest wishes that today’s themeless offering won’t be too rough on you. I also just so happen to have a gentler puzzle running today in the Universal, a great venue that’s of my favorite daily solves!

Take care, folks. Enjoy, see you at the big game on Saturday, and I’ll be back next week with a themed puzzle!

Solve Online

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Hello, puzzle fans!

What a great time last weekend! I really enjoyed competing in the online version of Boswords, where I got to solve puzzles from some of my favorite constructors, and “hang out” with all kinds of cool crossword people. If you’ve never done a tournament online, I highly recommend it. Even the really great solvers are super-friendly and everybody takes the day in stride.

I’m glad to be giving you a tricky themeless offering today, having just tackled the brutal championship puzzle (no, I was not even close to qualifying). It’s fun to get inspired by the deviousness of other constructors when sitting down to write clues.

A few folks have asked for some more wordplay-heavy puzzles, and I’ve got good news! On Saturday I’ll be launching a new monthly feature that’s a bit different and huge on wordplay. If it’s not your bag, I promise some puns in next weeks standard grid.

Take care and enjoy! Back on Saturday with the new thing, and next Wednesday with your regularly-scheduled themed offering!

Solve Online

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Welcome back, puzzle fans!

I’ve been finding the themeless game extremely strong lately in both indie and mainstream outlets. I’m inspired to push and improve and make better ones myself each time I go at it. Let’s just say the learning curve around these parts is STEEP! It’s great to be among these particular peers.

One place to get a bunch of killer themelesses (and themed puzzles as well) is the Grids For Good package. I’m about halfway through solving them myself, and each one is so good that everyone should go pick them up regardless of the charitable aspect. Luckily we also get to put money toward good causes in doing so!

Here’s the puzzle. Enjoy, be safe, and I’ll see you in seven days with a fun themed offering!

Solve online

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Hello puzzle solvers!

It’s another themeless week here at Square Pursuit, and I’ve got a couple of cool celebrities making their debuts (as far as I know) in this grid, as well as a sneaky nod to one of my favorite clues of the year. What a pleasure to hit my 10th themeless blog puzzle in your company today!

I like making these themelesses pretty challenging, though I’m always endeavoring to refine the craft to keep them as fair as possible. My favorite puzzles to solve each week are the hardest ones I can find, but if your tastes diverge a bit from mine in this regard, please remember that GOOGLING IS NOT CHEATING. Whatever way you like to get down, may this week’s grid make you happy!

On another note, Black lives matter. I hope you’ll join me in explaining this to those who still don’t get it.

Enjoy, people! Back next week a summery-themed offering.

Solve Online

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It’s been only five days, puzzle people! I hope you’re not too full on themeless crossword fun!

One of things that I value about the wider awakening surrounding Black Lives Matter is that oppressed people are speaking out for themselves and allies are starting to listen. That’s why I absolutely had to get 4-Across into a grid today. I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, and I’m deeply moved and inspired by her brave and eloquent actions in the past couple of weeks. The other themeless that was supposed to drop this week will make its way to you eventually, and hopefully it’s a nice challenge as well.

Again, crosswords are a sustaining break for all of us, but I hope you’ll join me in continuing the work we’re doing as humans to ensure that this moment of awareness and potential change doesn’t flare out.

Back next week with a playful themed puzzle!

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