Ariadne’s Crossword Library, February 2026

ACL Grid: 8 mins, Meta: 30 minutes (on-and-off) [4.72 avg; 9 ratings] rate it

G’day folks! Ben here with another release from Ariadne’s Crossword Library. And it’s a new guest constructor and a meta debut to boot! The puzzle title is “Fairy Rings”, constructed by Madison Shultz, and we are looking for a literary character.

As I was filling in the grid I didn’t notice anything other than the symmetrically-located asterisked entries:

• 22A {*Baltimore bird} ORIOLE
• 28A {*Performing without backup} SOLOING
• 36A {*Cuddles and kisses} CANOODLES
• 51A {*Like dark clouds or silent woods} OMINOUS
• 59A {*Makes a decent living} DOESOK

If there’s an additional hint in the grid, I didn’t spot it. Given we are looking for a literary character, maybe there are characters hidden in the themers?

• RIO in ORIOLE?
• (HAN) SOLO in SOLOING?
• NOODLE (is this even a character?) in CANOODLES?

OK, perhaps not. Fairy names? That might require some googling, so leave that aside for the moment. Going with the “rings” idea, do we put the themers on a circle to join up the end to the beginning and then find something? Not really. Chain the themers together? No.

Oh, I see: each themer has two Os – these must be the fairy rings! Now what to do with them? Letters between the Os? No, that won’t work with CANOODLES. Drop the Os? Yes, indeed!

• ORIOLE > RILE
• SOLOING > SLING
• CANOODLES > CANDLES
• OMINOUS > MINUS
• DOESOK > DESK

There’s no way that’s a coincidence! And presumably now we play “alternate answers to other clues”? Yes, indeed!

• RILE > 1A {Provoke, with “up”} FIRE
• SLING > 15A {What David used to kill Goliath} ROCK
• CANDLES > 21A {Some aromatherapy paraphernalia} OILS
• MINUS > 44A {-} DASH
• DESK > 51D {Workspace} OFFICE

… which means the literary character is FRODO – with two Os in his name and a definite association with rings! That’s a strong meta mechanism with a very nice click. Great debut, Madison!