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
I have to miss the championship to catch my flight home. 😭
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 16:28 (five years ago) link
That’s too bad, it’s always a lot of fun.
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 16:41 (five years ago) link
Did you participate in stuff last night? I always commuted so never did the evening events
Weird to look at the rankings after having been out of it for several years. Seems like the Connecticut contingent is doing well.
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 17:10 (five years ago) link
Yeah, there was a Trivia HQ audience participation thing (which I was typically middling at) after the the Mike Shenk celebration.
Oh and the Dr Fill presentation was a lot of fun, Matt Ginsberg is a funny dude.
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 17:44 (five years ago) link
Yeah, noticed Dr. Fill is doing particularly well this year.
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 18:03 (five years ago) link
Pending any further scoring changes, I came in 119 for rookies, and 531 overall! That’s some stiff competition.
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:30 (five years ago) link
Yeah, it's tough. Saw that a rookie won the C final.
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:32 (five years ago) link
I can at least say I did better than Hinman this year!
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:34 (five years ago) link
Because he didn't compete?
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:36 (five years ago) link
Exactly.
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:36 (five years ago) link
Interesting to look through the list to see who did or didn't compete.
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:39 (five years ago) link
Only 1 wrong square in puzzle 7! That’s actually the one I finished with only 15 seconds on the clock. Damn surprising, though I’m struggling to remember what the clues were.
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 21:46 (five years ago) link
Hah, it’s MARINES and SARDIS. So they gave me too many points.
― LEOPLOD BLOOMPS (Leee), Sunday, 24 March 2019 22:00 (five years ago) link
Might want to put a spoiler alert there on the off chance someone is doing the home version
― Theorbo Goes Wild (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 24 March 2019 22:08 (five years ago) link
Did all this weekend's puzzles for the first time in a while and didn't feel weird.
― Careless Love Battery (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 19 May 2019 16:24 (four years ago) link
Today's NYer is pretty sweet.
― The Worf of Wall Street (Leee), Monday, 15 July 2019 19:54 (four years ago) link
Also I finished my first Puns & Anagrams variety today (I started one at ACTA but didn't complete it)!
― The Worf of Wall Street (Leee), Monday, 15 July 2019 20:41 (four years ago) link
Came this close to last minute signing on to attending Lollapuzzoola 2019, but ultimately just couldn’t do it.
― TS: “8:05” vs. “905” (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 14 August 2019 23:12 (four years ago) link
Today's themeless is hard but satisfying! I went from "There's no way I'm filling out more than half of this grid" to finishing it, it's been a while since I've worked on a puzzle I enjoyed this much.
― Charlotte Brontesaurus (Leee), Saturday, 25 January 2020 18:15 (four years ago) link
Will take a look, thanks
― TS: Kirk/Spock vs. Marat/Sade (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 25 January 2020 19:49 (four years ago) link
That was good, thanks. I used to see Stella every once in a while at a ‘Wichcraft across from my old office.
― TS: Kirk/Spock vs. Marat/Sade (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 25 January 2020 21:15 (four years ago) link
Actually it’s a little weird since I stopped going to crossword tournaments several years back but sometimes see some of the constructors around town, most recently the one who lives a block away from me. I will greet them and they will sort of give me a polite smile and say something to the effect of who are you again?”
― TS: Kirk/Spock vs. Marat/Sade (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 25 January 2020 21:23 (four years ago) link
I love a good hard themeless. Today's took me 12 minutes, a bit over my Saturday average but not too bad.
Did not know the "fancy term for a long prison sentence" but eventually got it from the downs. Nice symmetrical cluing ad 16 / 58.
― Okay, you're an ambulance (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 25 January 2020 22:07 (four years ago) link