Hello, crossword folks!
I hope everyone who wants to has been able to get some grilled goodness lately. I found myself inspired to do this puzzle while enjoying an absolute bounty of meats and other delicacies. This non-cryptic crossword is about as gentle as they come on Square Pursuit, and I hope it treats you right.
Thanks to my wonderful partner Arielle and Brooke Husic for the test solve!
Take care and enjoy. Next week is a cryptic week. See you then!
solve online / puz / pdf / solution
Welcome back, cryptic buds!
Just dropping off a little puzzle today in the middle of some summer vacation fun! As usual, the wordplay of almost every clue has only one step to work out, and the helpers version lets you know which device is being used. I’m hoping it’s fun for new and experienced solvers alike.
Thanks to Will Eisenberg and teamcrazymatt for the test solve this time around.
Take care and enjoy! I’ll see you next week with a themed crossword, and the week after with a blocked cryptic. I’ve got some cool puzzles coming in different venues as well this summer.
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, cryptic friends!
It’s always a joy when variety day rolls around, and I hope today’s offering doesn’t disappoint! It’s easy-moderate in difficulty. International solvers, you’ve probably got this on lock, but you may need to peek at a reference at a couple points. Americans, you have no excuse (I kid, I kid).
Thanks to Nate Cardin and Hayley Gold for the test solve this time around!
Take care and enjoy the puzzle! Next week is a fifth Wednesday, and I may be taking it off or might have something cool to share. If not, see you on the 7th of July with a themed crossword!
solve online / pdf / solution and explanation
Hello, Crosspeople!
I haven’t made a themeless puzzle by myself in a while! So many people do it so well these days, it begs the question: what is there to add in this golden age of indie crosswords? I’m not sure I know the answer, so I decided to just go with things that make me smile and try to apply my style honestly. I hope it’s as fun to solve as it was to make! I hear it’s pretty challenging, so if you’d prefer a gentler ride, there’s a version with a few of the hardest clues changed.
Thanks to Brooke Husic for the insightful test solve and for recommending I make a gentler version. Any bad decisions in either puzzle are entirely mine!
I appreciate you coming by! Take care and enjoy. I’m back with variety cryptic in one week!
harder: solve online / puz / pdf
gentler: solve online / puz / pdf
**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, cryptic folks!
Since I’ve got a stiff challenge coming tomorrow with the monthly blocked cryptic, I thought I’d do a gentler quiptic appetizer for you today. As usual, there’s a smaller grid, more common words, and most clues use just one cryptic device, but I still try to hide the meanings to make things smooth and entertaining. Also, as usual, there’s a version with “helpers” that tell you which device to look for in each clue!
My gratitude to everyone for coming by, and to the two mighty test solvers Will Eisenberg and Nate Cardin for the help!
Take care, enjoy, and see you tomorrow with the tougher blocked cryptic!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello crossword folks!
Thanks for coming by! Today’s crossword is pretty specific, and dedicated to a gem from a generation before mine. If this theme misses you, I hope the rest of the puzzle is plenty of fun. If you have an ironic or unironic love for the topic matter like I do, I hope it’s extra fun!
Thanks so much to Brooke Husic and David Gold for the test solve!
Take care, enjoy the puzzle, I’ll see you next week with a tricky unthemed cryptic.
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, 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, cryptic lovers!
Nice of you to stop by! How about an appetizer for this week’s variety cryptic? Today’s quiptic gave me a chance to play with a pretty grid shape I’ve never tried. This one’s for everyone, especially newer solvers. If you really need a push, check out the version with “helpers,” which lets you know what kind of device is being used in each clue.
Thanks to Will Eisenberg for test solving!
Take care, enjoy, and see you the day after tomorrow with a slightly crunchy variety cryptic!
plain: solve online / puz / pdf
helpers: solve online / puz / pdf
Hello, crossword folks!
I’m pleased as punch to share this new themeless puzzle that Brooke and I made! She pitched me 33-Across as the seed, and I agreed it was a valuable thing to give real estate in a grid. Brooke is a great friend and collaborator, and it’s always a learning experience when we work together. She’s a great role model in terms of intention and rigor when it comes to construction, and I think her influence is apparent in the way a lot of folks in our community are making puzzles these days. I’m sure you already know this, but in addition to her published work and other collaborations, Brooke posts a very hard experimental puzzle every 27th of the month at her own site, which I highly recommend.
Here’s Brooke:
Collaborations with Steve have invariably been supremely fun and this was no exception — he set up this architecture around our seed entry (or, as my friend says, “anchor entry”) and I love all the great stuff we got in there without sacrificing Steve’s trademark hyper-cleanliness. I super love our cluing teamwork on 44D and Steve’s fresh takes on 12D and 42D. As always, I’m extremely grateful for Steve’s friendship/support and for all the extremely thoughtful 57A and discussions we have when creating puzzles together. Beyond this puzzle, I’ve so far shied away from cryptics but I really enjoyed Steve’s first quiptic, which I was able to finish!
Thanks to Will Nediger for the thoughtful test solve, and to you for taking the time to try our puzzle. I’ll be back in a week with a variety cryptic (and a gentle quiptic) and in two with a themed non-cryptic puzzle. Don’t forget to visit Brooke next week as well for an innovative challenge! Take care and enjoy!
solve online / puz / pdf / solution
Square Pursuit 