This is the crossword puzzle thread

one intriguing = caballer
old = o

Of course.

OHHHHH

i knew "cabal" but never made the connection, "caballer" is a v odd word

Thought so too but, as expected, it is in Chambers.

Who up in this borad is doing LearnedLeague, apart from me and jaymc?

good lord, this last MMMM

he's wrong in the explanation btw - ESTELLA isn't in "ironic", it's in "all i really want", which was like the sixth single from 'jagged little pill' that probably nobody remembers unless they owned the album

and no disrespect to the indigo girls but c'mon, RASPUTIN belongs to boney m forever and ever

I gave up on MMMM on the previous one. At least on the metas.

There is a thin line between a cool meta that you can sort of figure out and one that will turn you into the guy in Dark City in his room painting spirals on everything in sight if you let it. Or maybe not so thin.

And it's hard to complain about the thing being too hard, because "Well, these guys got it. It was supposed to be hard"

Anyone coming to the ACPT in 2014? Not really feeling it this year. I know jaymc's friend and single-time poster Beyond will be attending.

Is anyone working on the MMMM mega-meta, and would you like to trade notes? PM me.

Only one person has solved Gaffney's week 5 puzzle so far. The edited clue befuddles me.

Didn't try it this week. MMMM that just came out is one or yr easier puzzuzzles.

i HAW'ed at this: http://the-toast.net/2014/02/12/crossword-fanfic-erotica-say/

Ha. Working on something like that, although not as ribald, more G-Rated really, as a mnemonic to help me prepare for the contest next month.

ARRRRGGGHHH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!!!

End of an era

Will Shortz playing ping pong with the cartoon editor of the NYer: http://vimeo.com/93017091

http://www.fastcompany.com/3031792/most-creative-people/the-23-year-old-wordsmith-behind-the-hip-new-voice-of-the-times-crosswo

Did not attend the ACPT this year, results are just in: http://www.crosswordtournament.com/2015/standings/rank.htm. The champ successfully defended.

Hm. B and C finalists currently transposed on web page.

Anyone for Lollapuzzoola 8, aka Lollapuzzocho?

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2015/08/19/the_new_york_times_mini_crossword_replied_to_slate_s_takedown_by_ruth_graham.html

RIP Merl Reagle.

http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/merl-reagle-january-5-1950-august-22-2015/?_r=0

http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2015/08/22/merl-reagle-1950-2015/

http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/crossword-creator-merl-reagle-dies-in-tampa-at-age-65/2242415
http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/08/22/will-shortz-on-merl-reagle/

So WSJ now has a daily puzzle, with a meta every Friday!

RIP Henry Hook.

http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/remembering-henry-hook/

Enjoyed theme of today's times. Any takers for this year's ACPT?

http://www.crosswordtournament.com/info/brochure.htm

The judges and referees include leading names in crossword puzzling.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/02/07/opinion/what-74-years-of-times-crosswords-say-about-the-words-we-use.html

Had to check before posting that jaymc didn't write this </xls>

...to be slightly clearer/less creepy, not bcz of the opinions stated, but because, hey, crosswords + ngrams

Tournament is going on now. Not in attendance.

I have never done a tournament because I've never really focused on speed, but it might be fun some time.

BTW the Sunday Washington Post Magazine had a great revolving cast for many years. Not to speak ill of the dead but I was annoyed when it went all-Merl Reagle all the time.

These days, Evan Birnholz is bringing some pretty enjoyable puzzles in that space. Some stretches but not too hard; theme-based but not too cute.

Unfortunately the Post dropped the Post Puzzler, a weekly hard themeless puzzle from Peter Gordon. Fortunately one can still subscribe to Gordon's Fireball Crosswords, which I cannot recommend more highly for those not already aware of them.

Ah, do you do the Fireball, YMP? Good for you. I was wearing my Fireball cap earlier today.

I spent a lot of time on getting faster, finished about 77th one year and then dropped back a little bit, haven't really been doing puzzles a lot the past few years.

Did manage to get to Lollapuzzoola last year, at which I sat next to between Erik A and Evan B, nice guys both.

I don't subscribe to the Fireball but I buy the books. I get AVX and MGWCC, and I do the freebies from WSJ online and PMXwords.

Cool. Have you been submitting the WSJ meta solutions?

Just went over to look at ACPT standings. Must be missing it a little bit.

I'm not eligible for the WSJ prizes since I'm in Canada. I enjoy thinking over metas but my success rate isn't very high.

after more or less thirteen years of practice I'm finally at a point where I can pretty consistently finish the NYT xword Monday to Friday and (of course) the magazine. Is the Saturday arts section that much of a leap forward? I never quite get around to it.

Saturday similar to Friday.

I will try this week!

Please let us know how it goes.

oh in excruciating detail no doubt