Crossword Fiend | Reviewing the best crosswords in newspapers and on the Web

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 10:45* (Amy) 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 5 | 3*: 4 | 2.5*: 6 | 2*: 17 | 1.5*: 11 | 1*: 12 (2.12 avg; 60 ratings)
LAT 11:18 (Gareth) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 3 (2.50 avg; 9 ratings)
Hex/Hook untimed (pannonica) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 (4.17 avg; 3 ratings)
CS 24:11 (Ade) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 (4.00 avg; 5 ratings)

Reminder about Merl’s memorial this Sunday evening: Merl Reagle’s wife, Marie Haley, is hosting a memorial for Merl on Sunday, September 27, 5-8 pm. The gathering will be at the University of Tampa’s Vaughn Center, 9th floor, and all are invited. Patrick Merrell will read excerpts from some of the many fond remembrances that Merl’s friends and fans wrote about him. If you’re not able to be in Tampa this weekend, Will Shortz and Wordplay filmmakers Patrick Creadon and Christine O’Malley will be arranging a lovely tribute to Merl at the 2016 ACPT.

Speaking of Merl: You can find Sam Donaldson’s write-up of this weekend’s classic Merl puzzle, “O Punnish Me,” right here. To find our reviews of the Merl puzzles that are running now, just Google “crossword fiend” “{puzzle’s title}” and you should be taken there in a jiffy.
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brad Wilber, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Jake Braun, Tom McCoy | 27 Comments

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Posted on September 25, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 7:53 (Amy) 4.5*: 5 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 4 | 3*: 8 | 2.5*: 7 | 2*: 3 | 1.5*: 2 (3.12 avg; 33 ratings)
LAT 7:27 (Derek) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 (3.42 avg; 12 ratings)
CS tk (Ade) 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 (2.83 avg; 3 ratings)
Newsday 18:53 (Derek) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 (4.38 avg; 4 ratings)
WSJ untimed (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 5 | 2*: 1 (3.79 avg; 7 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brad Wilber, David Woolf, Don Gagliardo, Doug Peterson, Matthew Sewell | 15 Comments

Friday, September 25, 2015

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 4:40 (Amy) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 9 | 4*: 13 | 3.5*: 6 | 3*: 5 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 2 (3.85 avg; 39 ratings)
LAT 7:10 (Gareth) 5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 6 | 1.5*: 2 | 1*: 2 (2.47 avg; 17 ratings)
CS 9:51 (Ade) 4.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 (3.75 avg; 4 ratings)
CHE 5:13 (with keyboard problems)(pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 2 (3.94 avg; 8 ratings)
Fireball 5:52 (Amy) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 1 | 3*: 1 (4.10 avg; 5 ratings)

The WSJ puzzle for Friday is a meta contest puzzle by Mike Shenk’s alter ego, Marie Kelly. It will be reviewed on this site after the contest closes Sunday evening.
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Doug Peterson, James Mulhern, Michael Wiesenberg, Peter Gordon | 20 Comments

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 4:43 (Amy) 5*: 5 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 9 | 3*: 7 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 (3.64 avg; 33 ratings)
Fireball 14:33 (Amy) 5*: 5 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 3 | 1*: 1 (4.27 avg; 11 ratings)
LAT 4:52 (Gareth) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 4 | 2.5*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 (3.47 avg; 16 ratings)
CS 14:53 (Ade) 5*: 11 | 4.5*: 9 | 4*: 3 | 3*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 15 (3.17 avg; 41 ratings)
BEQ 9:15 (Ben) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 5 | 2.5*: 1 (3.58 avg; 12 ratings)
WSJ untimed (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 (3.71 avg; 7 ratings)

Have you ever looked up a word in the dictionary, keen on learning more about its meaning, only to come up empty-handed? The online dictionary Wordnik, shepherded by able lexicographer Erin McKean, aspires to identify 1 million words that are out there—we are using these words already—but not documented in dictionaries. Wordnik has a Kickstarter to raise funds for the project. If you back the venture, not only are you helping people to find cool words like pandiculation [“yawning and stretching (as when first waking up)”], but you can also become an official adopter of a particular word. There are backer levels from $1 to $10,000. Are you in?
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Alice Long, Bob Klahn, Brendan Emmett Quigley, Frank Longo, Mike Shenk, Peter A. Collins, Timothy L. Meaker | 28 Comments

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 4:19 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 8 | 3*: 12 | 2.5*: 5 | 2*: 2 | 1*: 1 (3.31 avg; 39 ratings)
AV Club 10:49 (Ben) 5*: 6 | 4.5*: 12 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 (4.53 avg; 20 ratings)
LAT 3:37 (Gareth) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 6 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 (3.05 avg; 11 ratings)
CS 8:23 (Ade) 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 (3.25 avg; 4 ratings)
WSJ untimed (Amy) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 (4.00 avg; 4 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Gerry Wildenberg, Jim Peredo, Michael S. Maurer, Patrick Jordan | 10 Comments

MGWCC #381

Posted on September 22, 2015 by joon

crossword 3:46
meta 2 days 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 5 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 (4.23 avg; 13 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Contests | Tagged Matt Gaffney | 17 Comments

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Posted on September 21, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 3:32 (Amy) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 15 | 4*: 13 | 3.5*: 5 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 | 1*: 1 (4.04 avg; 39 ratings)
Jonesin' 6:50 (Derek) 4.5*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 1*: 1 (3.13 avg; 4 ratings)
LAT 3:09 (Derek) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 4 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 4 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 (3.23 avg; 20 ratings)
CS 11:15 (Ade) 5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 (3.75 avg; 6 ratings)
Xword Nation untimed (Janie) 5*: 4 | 4.5*: 5 | 3*: 1 (4.55 avg; 10 ratings)
WSJ tk (Sam?) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 1 | 1*: 1 (2.88 avg; 4 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Elizabeth C. Gorski, Frank Virzi, Martin Ashwood-Smith, Matt Jones, Tom Pepper, Victor Barocas | 18 Comments

WSJ Contest – Friday, September 18, 2015

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Evad

untimed (Evad) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 5 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 2 (3.42 avg; 12 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Contests | Tagged contests, Matt Gaffney | 8 Comments

Monday, September 21, 2015

Posted on September 20, 2015 by pannonica

NYT 3:15-ish (pannonica) 5*: 8 | 4.5*: 9 | 4*: 8 | 3.5*: 5 | 3*: 6 | 2.5*: 3 | 2*: 2 | 1.5*: 2 | 1*: 6 (3.44 avg; 49 ratings)
LAT 3:09 (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 5 | 2.5*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 2 (2.94 avg; 18 ratings)
CS 6:33 (Ade) 3*: 4 (3.00 avg; 4 ratings)
BEQ 6:11 (Amy) 4.5*: 6 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 (4.04 avg; 13 ratings)
WSJ tk (?) 4.5*: 3 | 3*: 1 (4.13 avg; 4 ratings)

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Bruce Haight, Bruce Venzke, Scot Ober | 19 Comments

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Posted on September 19, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 8:30 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 10 | 4*: 8 | 3.5*: 8 | 3*: 3 | 1*: 1 (3.91 avg; 32 ratings)
LAT 4:49 (Andy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 6 | 3*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 (3.72 avg; 16 ratings)
Hex/Hook 10:10 (pannonica) (no ratings)
CS 26:50 (Ade) 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 2 | 1*: 1 (2.94 avg; 8 ratings)

Two Sunday-friendly announcements I’m reposting from Saturday of last weekend:

Merl Reagle’s wife, Marie Haley, is hosting a memorial for Merl on Sunday, September 27, 5-8 pm. The gathering will be at the University of Tampa’s Vaughn Center, 9th floor, and all are invited. If you’re not able to make it to Tampa, Will Shortz and Wordplay filmmakers Patrick Creadon and Christine O’Malley will be arranging a lovely tribute to Merl at the 2016 ACPT.

Hayley Gold, creator of the Across and Down NYT crossword webcomic, is changing her posting schedule. It’s still once a week, but on Sundays regardless of which day’s puzzle is featured. The new schedule launched last Sunday at 6 pm Eastern. Hayley welcomes feedback ([email protected]) and encourages you to subscribe (it’s free) to get exclusive teasers and whatnot. You can also “like” the Across and Down Facebook page.
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged C.C. Burnikel, Emily Cox, Henry Rathvon, Jason Mueller, Jeff Chen, Tony Orbach, Zhouqin Burnikel | 21 Comments

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Friday, September 25, 2015

Thursday, September 24, 2015

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

MGWCC #381

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

WSJ Contest – Friday, September 18, 2015

Monday, September 21, 2015

Sunday, September 20, 2015

Search

Blogroll

Recent Comments

Archives

Tags

Meta

For Bloggers