Fireballs are wonderful.
Birnholz can be good, but I preferred it when there was a variety of constructors, not the same guy every Sunday. Once I learn how a particular person's mind works, it gets less.
― Glasnostradamus (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 30 October 2018 17:29 (five years ago) link
Less fun
Okay, you twisted my arm, so I reupped for Fireball.
The Crossword Jesus wrote today's NYT. Also enjoyed the BIrnholz again.
― Buckaroo Can't Fail (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 November 2018 20:37 (five years ago) link
I just switched from Android to iPhone and one of my biggest regrets is that Crosswords Plus (free NYT crosswords!) isn't in the App Store. What's a good iOS crossword app?
― Captain Hardchord (Leee), Tuesday, 6 November 2018 19:21 (five years ago) link
the nyt app is pretty good, you should just pay for it and support the crossword industry
― iatee, Tuesday, 6 November 2018 21:58 (five years ago) link
the sunday themeless from this week was awesome, I wish NYT would run those more often
― Freda VanFleet (symsymsym), Thursday, 8 November 2018 19:11 (five years ago) link
I never quite know what people mean when they talk about crosswords in the US - are they cryptic, general knowledge or what? I still do the Times every day, even though I can't justify giving money to murdoch.
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Thursday, 8 November 2018 20:59 (five years ago) link
(I also do the Morning Star on a saturday - does that balance it out?)
crosswords in the U.S. are not cryptic
― ( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Thursday, 8 November 2018 21:00 (five years ago) link
But they can be difficult, right?
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Thursday, 8 November 2018 21:01 (five years ago) link
(Was thinking of subscribing to some apps - but I find it hard to do crosswords that aren't on paper.)
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Thursday, 8 November 2018 21:02 (five years ago) link
Mostly I just need something to stop people talking to me in the pub when i'm drinking at 10am.
Cosign the recommendation for the American Values Club crossword, it's just the best.https://avxwords.com/#/
― change display name (Jordan), Thursday, 8 November 2018 21:28 (five years ago) link
Ahem.There are such things as cryptic crossswords in the US, in American English - they were started by Stephen Sondheim!- but they are not too common. Main sources now are the WSJ and Harper’s, once a month. The New Yorker used to have one but it was super easy in a small grid. NYT does them on Sunday once in a while as a extra. Can’t stand doing crosswords on phone any more so don’t really use the apps but didn’t think you could get NYT puzzles without a subscription on any app.Haven’t done the American Values puzzle in a few years, despite (because of?) the fact that Ven Tausig currently lives a block away from me.
― Buckaroo Can't Fail (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 9 November 2018 00:36 (five years ago) link
games world of puzzles magazine (the combined version of games and world of puzzles) also has cryptics
― maura, Friday, 9 November 2018 13:07 (five years ago) link
brendan emmet quigley’s free ones on his site are good too
― maura, Friday, 9 November 2018 13:08 (five years ago) link
I tend to find ‘ordinary’ crosswords are just synonym exercises, but which I don’t find that interesting. Plus I use the times cryptic to keep track of whether or not my meds are dulling me (in the short term they did, but I’m back to my usual level now).
― Leaghaidh am brón an t-anam bochd (dowd), Friday, 9 November 2018 13:17 (five years ago) link
Okay, I have one tiny use for crossword apps. The Standalone app seems to still be going strong whilst the other apps have fallen by the wayside.
― Buckaroo Can't Fail (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 11 November 2018 20:03 (five years ago) link
Some of the rest of the Redds have being doing NYT regularly so I have been dipping back in with caution
― Gottseidank, es ist Blecch Freitag (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 25 November 2018 18:05 (five years ago) link
are there any living people who actually use the term el-hi
― mookieproof, Monday, 26 November 2018 01:50 (five years ago) link
naked indians iirc
we got the observer this week and couldn't get into the rhythm at all. might be a long winter
― old yeller-at-clouds (darraghmac), Monday, 26 November 2018 01:53 (five years ago) link
Today's nyt had an impish gem with the clue "AT hot dog hot dog RA."
― Brian Oenophile (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 3 December 2018 01:28 (five years ago) link
Yup.The WP today has an insanely complex gimmick.
― What is Blecchism ? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 3 December 2018 02:06 (five years ago) link
I was able to solve all the grids, but I don't always care about the metapuzzle shit like rearranging them or whatever, or mailing in what quote it being referenced by anagram in the circled letters or whatever.
― Brian Oenophile (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 3 December 2018 14:35 (five years ago) link
Yup
― What is Blecchism ? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 3 December 2018 14:39 (five years ago) link
(Doesn't mean I am not curious! Feel free to spoil me if you have a chance.)
― Brian Oenophile (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 3 December 2018 14:45 (five years ago) link
WP spoiler: https://crosswordfiend.com/2018/12/01/sunday-december-2-2018/#wp
― Freda VanFleet (symsymsym), Monday, 3 December 2018 15:16 (five years ago) link
Thanks. Not worth it IMO, so I guess I'm not the target audience for that meta exercise.
― Brian Oenophile (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 3 December 2018 16:13 (five years ago) link
Full disclosure: I burned out on doing puzzles around the time the ACPT moved from Brooklyn back to Connecticut. Until then I was doing pretty much every single puzzle mentioned on that blog, including the metas, which I was never great at. I sometimes worry if this is just a matter of sour grapes, but also think I really just don’t care enough about spending the extra time to chase down the metas, it’s like a glorified acrostic maybe.
― What is Blecchism ? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 3 December 2018 16:29 (five years ago) link
I sympathize, JRatB.
A while back I burned out on themed, gimmick, and rebus puzzles generally, after decades of faithful adherence.
I loved the tough themeless Post Puzzlers, but those petered out. Some of the Fireballs captured that magic, but even then there was a lot of diagramless or otherwise un-fun stuff that did not constitute voluntary leisure activity for me.
I've become interested in the current NYTs due to a boring office job, but I am fully aware that it's a phase.
― Brian Oenophile (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 3 December 2018 18:18 (five years ago) link
Ahem.
There are such things as cryptic crossswords in the US, in American English - they were started by Stephen Sondheim.- but they are not too common. Main sources now are the WSJ and Harper’s, once a month. The New Yorker used to have one but it was super easy in a small grid. NYT does them on Sunday once in a while as a extra.
Interesting.
― ( ͡☉ ͜ʖ ͡☉) (jim in vancouver), Monday, 3 December 2018 18:22 (five years ago) link
Thanks, YMP.Cryptics I took a break from as well, but still actively enjoy. This weekend’s WSJ puzzle was fun.
― What is Blecchism ? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 3 December 2018 19:34 (five years ago) link
I'm thinking of going to the ACPT next year... any tips (more accommodation-wise than anything else)?
― From Damage Inc. to Metallica Inc. (Leee), Friday, 7 December 2018 00:37 (five years ago) link
Don’t you just want to stay in the hotel where the contest is? Maybe you can get a roommate to share
― What Do I Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 7 December 2018 00:50 (five years ago) link
It's a Marriott though (but the strike's over so I guess it'd be ok?).
― From Damage Inc. to Metallica Inc. (Leee), Friday, 7 December 2018 01:02 (five years ago) link
ooh i’d go to this
― maura, Friday, 7 December 2018 01:06 (five years ago) link
Maura: FACT (fancy a crossword tournament)?
― From Damage Inc. to Metallica Inc. (Leee), Friday, 7 December 2018 01:12 (five years ago) link
The Nation is a good source of free US cryptic crosswords: https://www.thenation.com/admin-taxonomy/crossword-puzzle/
― fetter, Friday, 7 December 2018 11:41 (five years ago) link
Just got an email from Pete Muller about the year end round up of the Vitameatamegameta puzzle. Haven’t participated in that stuff in years. Wonder if I am missing anything
― Spirit of the Voice of the Beehive (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 1 January 2019 17:20 (five years ago) link
I'm signed up for ACPT!
― Siouxie Sioux Vide (Leee), Wednesday, 2 January 2019 19:00 (five years ago) link
todays nytimes crossword puzzle was too hard for a wednesday.
― Trϵϵship, Wednesday, 2 January 2019 19:04 (five years ago) link
I agree that trickery like the theme clues is more Thursdayish.
That said, I was able to work it out just by focusing on the down answers and stubbornly ignoring the theme until the last possible minute. It took me 9:10 (vs. my Wednesday average of 7:57).
― I was working as a waitress in an oxygen bar (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 2 January 2019 22:27 (five years ago) link
27 down / 47 across gave me the most trouble.
― I was working as a waitress in an oxygen bar (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 2 January 2019 22:30 (five years ago) link
the peter muller meta from September, "Borderline Crazy", has a ballsy meta that I found clever. the mega-meta is also easy this year if you want to try to find it yourself. in general i enjoyed reading the meta solutions but I didn't enjoy try to solve them myself.
― adam the (abanana), Thursday, 3 January 2019 00:09 (five years ago) link
I just don’t have the energy these days to chase down metas, sorry.
― Spirit of the Voice of the Beehive (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 3 January 2019 03:37 (five years ago) link
peter muller has launched his monthly music meta for 2019: https://pmxwords.com/
also avcxword sent out the first inkubator crossword last week—i have yet to do it but it's waiting in my queue!
― maura, Wednesday, 23 January 2019 16:31 (five years ago) link
https://imgur.com/gallery/HEqVZ39
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Saturday, 23 March 2019 15:44 (five years ago) link
good luck!
― iatee, Saturday, 23 March 2019 16:28 (five years ago) link
Whew, the time limit is a new dimension for my solving, and by new I mean diabolical. With the exception of puzzle 5, I managed to at least finish all the puzzles (6 by the skin of my teeth, ie with 15 seconds left).
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 15:09 (five years ago) link
No worries. I left giant holes in Puzzle 5 the first time I did it. Are you staying for the championship?
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 15:24 (five years ago) link