Friday was a really smooth solve with albeit with some traps to be dug out of.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 4 February 2022 04:26 (two years ago) link
yep
― i cannot help if you made yourself not funny (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 6 February 2022 03:17 (two years ago) link
liked saturday's a lot, kameron austin collins makes great crosswords
― symsymsym, Sunday, 6 February 2022 03:26 (two years ago) link
Doing cryptics on my lunch break and then finishing them right before heading home has helped make it so I now average doing one a day. It helps that there are 5 (soon to be 6) weekly US/Canadian publications releasing cryptics now.
― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 6 February 2022 04:21 (two years ago) link
what are they? I do the weekly ones in the globe and mail and the new yorker
― symsymsym, Sunday, 6 February 2022 06:46 (two years ago) link
KAC is one of my favorites, he consistently makes hard and chewy but fair puzzles, wish he showed up more in NYT though.
― Jadzia Dachshund (Leee), Sunday, 6 February 2022 09:01 (two years ago) link
in general i liked it but i was not happy about the non-proliferation answer
― Tracer Hand, Sunday, 6 February 2022 15:41 (two years ago) link
symsymsym, besides G&M and NY-er:
Saturday National Post by Cox & Rathvon (available free here: https://natpostcryptic.blogspot.com/)The Browser (UK-based, but all the setters are American: thebrowser.com, need to subscribe for access)Out Of Left Field (the guys who used to do The Nation cryptic, $4/month, https://www.patreon.com/leftfieldcryptics)
AVCX is starting a weekly cryptic later this month or so too
― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 6 February 2022 16:40 (two years ago) link
thank you so much! I'm looking forward to the AVCX cryptic starting. My perception is that G&M on NY-er are on the easier side (because I can usually get close to finishing them). do you think the other ones are more challenging?
― symsymsym, Sunday, 6 February 2022 17:19 (two years ago) link
AVCX Cryptic? Tausig keeps his cards pretty close to his chest!
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 6 February 2022 17:59 (two years ago) link
It was announced in their recent successful kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/avcx/avcxpansion-embiggening-an-indie-puzzle-outlet
National Post cryptic is usually at the same level as The Globe & Mail. The Browser is a step up but is a bit more modern, and Left field is a further step up from that.
― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 6 February 2022 19:32 (two years ago) link
Cool. Just noticed the name of an ex-ILX0r on there. Maybe had some dim awareness he was doing that. Are they doing variety cryptics or just regular? Was making a bad joke about Tausig since he literally lives a block away from me. I sometimes have a very brief chat with him when we cross paths but I don’t really know him.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 6 February 2022 20:00 (two years ago) link
NYT with an unusually clever themed Monday today. Not difficult, just unexpectedly charming.
― Bill Kristol Meth (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 7 February 2022 14:05 (two years ago) link
OTM. Had almost forgotten about Hägar the Horrible's wife, maybe that's for the other thread. Assuming this is not the Rebecca Goldstein that wrote The Mind-Body Problem and married Steven Pinker.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 7 February 2022 15:34 (two years ago) link
this is very cool
Fun little trick in the Sunday New York Times crossword yesterday: the central theme clue was "The better of two sci-fi franchises", and regardless of whether you put Star Wars or Star Trek, the crossing clues worked pic.twitter.com/NS4LDxwxxl— ℳatt (@matttomic) February 7, 2022
― frogbs, Monday, 7 February 2022 20:43 (two years ago) link
Great stuffthink they did something similar in the 90s for the presidential election winner
― nxd, Monday, 7 February 2022 20:55 (two years ago) link
Yes, Tuesday, November 5, 1996. There was one before that, earlier that year, and so far there have been 17 of these Schrödinger, or quantum, crosswords, as they are known, including this latest.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 7 February 2022 20:59 (two years ago) link
for the diverse among us: Apply to The New York Times Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship
― mookieproof, Monday, 7 February 2022 23:07 (two years ago) link
Erik A. also has a Friendbook group you can join.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 7 February 2022 23:14 (two years ago) link
I hate how much the NYT crossword leans on Star Wars shit
― west elm girls (Whiney G. Weingarten), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:28 (two years ago) link
I feel like I was born on some kind of cusp where everyone (or so it seems) born younger than me is obsessed with Star Wars and the entire Star Trek franchise, whereas I only ever really cared about TOS.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:39 (two years ago) link
I don't remember it being a factor other than being the theme of one recent puzzle
― Dan S, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:41 (two years ago) link
have no idea what TOS stands for
― Dan S, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:48 (two years ago) link
lotsa SW words show up as fill with some regularity (REN, LEIA, SITH, SOLO). hate ARTOO whenever i see it
― donna rouge, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:49 (two years ago) link
The Original Series
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:50 (two years ago) link
JEDI has been in there 42 timesYODA 56 timesHAN SOLO 22 times, not to mention the related partials
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:54 (two years ago) link
HANSOLO, I meant
ARTOO 53 times!
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:55 (two years ago) link
:)
― Dan S, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:59 (two years ago) link
And then of course there is ENDOR. 29 Shortz Era appearances, 143 total, although of course it is sometimes clued as, especially in the Before Times, “Home of a Biblical witch.”
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 01:59 (two years ago) link
Tomorrow’s puzzle okay, but not as good as today’s.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 03:26 (two years ago) link
James Redd +tB is posting from the future
― Bill Kristol Meth (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 03:41 (two years ago) link
(Psst, puzzle drops at 10PM on weekdays, earlier on the weekend)
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 03:45 (two years ago) link
Yeah and that has messed up my streak sometimes. Late in the evening, I go to what I think is current - and by default it gives me tomorrow's puzzle. Unless I check carefully, this means that I might not get credit (in this particular arbitrary and probably stupid niche-world) for today.
With a halfway-decent time machine I bet I could kick all your asses at Wordle. Anyhow carry on
― Bill Kristol Meth (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 03:49 (two years ago) link
agreed, but at least i mostly know the star wars shit -- the harry potter shit, however
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 06:22 (two years ago) link
feeling that post
― assert (matttkkkk), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 06:37 (two years ago) link
Me too. Feel like it don't see it that often but when I do it I get a litle antsy.
― Tapioca Tumbril (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 14:21 (two years ago) link
Should have capitalized that: ANTSY.
oh yeah, ugh @ HP stuff in xwords
― donna rouge, Tuesday, 8 February 2022 17:02 (two years ago) link
knowing the bare basics of all fandom is a wise research topic though tbf i would better spend my time learning basic geography
― i cannot help if you made yourself not funny (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 8 February 2022 19:53 (two years ago) link
Ha, mistakenly thought there was a Star Trek TOS reference just now.
― Ferryboat Bill Jr. (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 9 February 2022 03:27 (two years ago) link
Wondering if I should come back into the fold and subscribe to Fireball once more
― Ferryboat Bill Jr. (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 12 February 2022 22:05 (two years ago) link
I re-upped last year, jr+tb, and the quality level of Fireball is still strong.
― imam and apple pie (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 13 February 2022 00:40 (two years ago) link
Thanks!Tomorrow’s puzzle seems to be late.
― Solaris Ocean Blue (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 16 February 2022 03:50 (two years ago) link
Oh wait, just showed up as I was typing that.
― Solaris Ocean Blue (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 16 February 2022 03:51 (two years ago) link
Anyone going? https://crosswordtournament.com/info/brochure.htm
― Gary Gets His Tonsure Out (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 2 March 2022 03:38 (two years ago) link
I've been getting AVCX puzzles via email but don't know how to open them in any of the android apps I've tried (alphacross and Shortyz), any help would be appreciated.
― Mobile Suit Gundam Style (Leee), Wednesday, 2 March 2022 06:09 (two years ago) link
Have you emailed Ben yet?
― Gary Gets His Tonsure Out (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 2 March 2022 12:43 (two years ago) link
Do you need his email?Also, friend says he uses puzzazz for those
― Gary Gets His Tonsure Out (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 2 March 2022 12:47 (two years ago) link
On iPad though but surely puzzazz is on Android as well
― Gary Gets His Tonsure Out (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 2 March 2022 12:48 (two years ago) link