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

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Posted on January 31, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 11:48 (Amy) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 10 | 3.5*: 11 | 3*: 6 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 (3.49 avg; 34 ratings)
Reagle 7:08 (Amy) 4*: 6 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 4 (3.59 avg; 11 ratings)
LAT 6:26 (Andy) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 3 (3.92 avg; 6 ratings)
Hex/Hook 11:21 (pannonica) 3*: 1 (3.00 avg; 1 rating)
WaPo 10:58 (Sam) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 (4.00 avg; 11 ratings)
CS 34:44 (Ade) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 1*: 2 (3.25 avg; 10 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Bob Klahn, David Steinberg, Gail Grabowski, Henry Hook, Jeffrey Harris, Merl Reagle | 28 Comments

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Posted on January 30, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 9:28/1 Google (Amy) 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 7 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 4 | 2*: 4 | 1.5*: 1 | 1*: 3 (3.05 avg; 31 ratings)
Newsday 7:02 (Amy) 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 (3.67 avg; 3 ratings)
LAT 4:51 (Amy) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 (3.58 avg; 13 ratings)
CS 8:44 (Ade) 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 (3.38 avg; 4 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Anna Stiga, Ned White, Stanley Newman, Tim Croce, Tony Orbach | 36 Comments

Friday, January 30, 2015

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 3:56 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 5 | 4*: 9 | 3.5*: 5 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 4 | 2*: 2 (3.59 avg; 29 ratings)
LAT 9:52 (Gareth, paper) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 1.5*: 1 (3.69 avg; 13 ratings)
CS tk (Ade) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 (3.38 avg; 4 ratings)
CHE 5:12 (pannonica) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 2.5*: 1 (3.56 avg; 9 ratings)
WSJ (Friday) 10:44 (pannonica) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 (3.71 avg; 7 ratings)

R.I.P., Bernice Gordon. Deb Amlen’s written an obituary for the woman who was the oldest living crossword constructor. Bernice was making puzzles right up till the end, and about 40 years ago she made X-rated crosswords for Xaviera Hollander (!). Spunky dame. She was the first to come up with the rebus-square concept in an NYT puzzle.
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged David Phillips, George Barany, Marcia J. Brott, Nancy Cole Stuart, Paolo Pasco | 17 Comments

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 5:27 (Amy) 5*: 8 | 4.5*: 18 | 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 5 | 3*: 6 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 2 | 1*: 1 (4.00 avg; 46 ratings)
LAT 8:52 (Gareth, paper) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 6 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 4 (3.97 avg; 19 ratings)
CS 6:48 (Ade) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 | 2*: 1 (3.21 avg; 7 ratings)
BEQ 5:14 (Ben) 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 5 (3.14 avg; 7 ratings)

The Fireball is a contest puzzle. Write-up after the deadline … though I don’t feel compelled to work out the meta answer.
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, John Farmer, Marti DuGuay-Carpenter, Martin Ashwood-Smith | 22 Comments

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 4:36 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 4 | 3*: 9 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 6 | 1.5*: 5 | 1*: 4 (2.88 avg; 41 ratings)
AV Club 4:22 (Amy) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 1 (3.50 avg; 7 ratings)
LAT 5:13 (Gareth, paper) 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 3 | 2.5*: 1 | 2*: 1 (3.25 avg; 10 ratings)
CS 10:31 (Ade) 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 2.5*: 2 (3.80 avg; 10 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Donna S. Levin, Gary Cee, Jeffrey Wechsler, Tyler Hinman | 27 Comments

MGWCC #347

Posted on January 27, 2015 by joon

crossword 5:49
meta about 5 minutes 5*: 5 | 4.5*: 8 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 (4.50 avg; 16 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Contests | Tagged Matt Gaffney | 31 Comments

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

Jonesin' 3:33 (Amy) 4*: 2 | 3*: 1 (3.67 avg; 3 ratings)
NYT 3:18 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 7 | 2.5*: 4 | 2*: 3 | 1*: 1 (3.11 avg; 23 ratings)
LAT 3:00 (Amy) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 3 | 3*: 1 | 2.5*: 2 (3.44 avg; 9 ratings)
CS 11:09 (Ade) 4.5*: 2 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 1 | 3*: 2 | 2*: 1 (3.56 avg; 8 ratings)
Xword Nation untimed (Janie) 5*: 1 | 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 1 (4.17 avg; 3 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Alan Arbesfeld, Ed Sessa, Elizabeth C. Gorski, James Tuttle, Matt Jones | 11 Comments

Muller Monthly Music Meta, January

Posted on January 26, 2015 by Matt Gaffney

puzzle — 6:54; meta — 8-10 minutes (Matt) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 6 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 1 (4.32 avg; 11 ratings)

Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged contests, Muller Monthly Music Meta, Pete Muller | 10 Comments

Monday, January 26, 2015

Posted on January 25, 2015 by pannonica

NYT 3:16 (pannonica) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 7 | 3.5*: 7 | 3*: 3 | 1.5*: 1 (3.70 avg; 22 ratings)
LAT 3:26 (pannonica) 4*: 5 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 2 | 2*: 2 (3.36 avg; 11 ratings)
CS 6:49 (Ade) 4*: 1 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 (3.50 avg; 4 ratings)
BEQ 5:14 (Amy) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3.5*: 2 | 3*: 1 | 2*: 1 (4.04 avg; 12 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Brendan Emmett Quigley, Clement McKay, Doug Peterson, Ian Livengood | 4 Comments

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Posted on January 24, 2015 by Amy Reynaldo

NYT 8:04 (Amy) 5*: 2 | 4.5*: 5 | 4*: 4 | 3.5*: 7 | 3*: 4 | 2.5*: 4 | 2*: 5 (3.39 avg; 31 ratings)
Reagle 6:44 (Amy) 5*: 1 | 4.5*: 3 | 4*: 2 | 3*: 3 | 1*: 1 (3.65 avg; 10 ratings)
LAT 4:59 (Andy) 4.5*: 1 | 4*: 4 | 3*: 1 (3.92 avg; 6 ratings)
Hex/Hook 8:48 (pannonica) 3*: 1 | 1.5*: 1 (2.25 avg; 2 ratings)
WaPo 11:29 (Gareth) 5*: 3 | 4.5*: 4 | 4*: 3 | 3.5*: 3 | 2*: 1 (4.11 avg; 14 ratings)
CS 22:00 (Ade) 4.5*: 6 | 4*: 4 (4.30 avg; 10 ratings)
Continue reading →

Posted in Daily Puzzles | Tagged Alan Arbesfeld, Byron Walden, C.C. Burnikel, Emily Cox, Henry Rathvon, Lynn Lempel, Merl Reagle | 26 Comments

Sunday, February 1, 2015

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Friday, January 30, 2015

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

MGWCC #347

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Muller Monthly Music Meta, January

Monday, January 26, 2015

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Search

Blogroll

Recent Comments

Archives

Tags

Meta

For Bloggers