Check out this funky 11x9 grid! I tried several different ways to fit this theme set -- with lengths 8, 7, 8 -- into a smallish grid while also leaving room for some decent fill, and this is what came out. Just in case it's not clear, the long downs (3D and 6D) are not  part of the rhyming theme, but I hope they're interesting enough that they add to the solving experience. Let's call this one hard  because of a few clues, but I hope it's enjoyably tricky overall. I also hope you're enjoying these midi rhyme time  puzzles, overall. Looking at the three theme entries here, as an example... I'm just not sure how else I could fit those entries into a larger theme set. So, my thinking is that these puzzles are a way for me to feature some fun, fresh answers while also giving you, dear solver, something thematic to tie it all together. As always, let me know if you have any comments or suggestions about these puzzles. Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Construct...

  A smallish midi themeless puzzle today (8x8), and we're still riding that diagonal symmetry train. I started this one with 9-Across and 2-Down, two entries that I've wanted to put in puzzles for a while. Moreover, 2-Down is doing something awesome today which you can read about in the following link once you're done with the puzzle: SPOILER ALERT . This grid also ended up being similar to some others I've done recently that I can only think to describe as " just shorts and longs " : for instance, this puzzle has sixteen 3 letter entries and eight 8 letter entries. That's a whole bunch at the minimum possible length (3) and quite a few at the maximum possible length (8) in a grid of this size. I wonder what other grids with this property look like... 🤔 Anyway, let's call this one a medium difficulty  overall: I wouldn't say it's easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy, but I don't think there's anything too too tricky, either. Enjoy the solve, and s...

  Happy Pride! This puzzle's title is a descriptor but also a hint to the theme. It was impossible to find matching theme entry lengths so I had no hope for any kind of symmetry in the grid, but I tried to balance that with some fun long fill and easy-to-get short fill, plus some clues you'll learn from. Photo taken June 1, 2021 on Harvey St. near Alewife Station, Cambridge, MA Many, many thanks to Norah and Rasa for test-solving! This puzzle will be more enjoyable for you all, thanks to their helpful comments. Check out Norah's Puzzles , especially this recent one (a collaboration with David Ritterskamp ). And check out Rasa's 7xwords puzzle , as well as a collaboration with Brooke for the  USA Today puzzle . I hope you also try the USA Today  and Universal Daily  puzzles all this month as they feature themes and constructors that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. And you can get more great puzzles, while supporting helpful charities, from the Queer Qrosswords ...

  Time for some rhymes! This one started with 15-Down and 25-Across, and the rest came to mind after. I hope you enjoy the rhyming theme, even with how similar some of them are. There are a few amusing cross-referenced clues that I hope you get a kick out of, as well. Working on the grid here was especially interesting and instructive. With all the possible ways to intersect the theme entries, I explored a ton of different grid sizes and layouts before finally settling on this wide one, with (almost) all of the action in the middle. It's maybe not quite in the "midi" category (17x9=153, which is 68% of 15x15=225), but oh well. Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome. Download links:   [ puz ]   [ pdf ]   [ solution ]        Direct link: [ play online ]