I have spent every day this week with my daughter and it has been absolutely wonderful. Heading into 2022 has me feeling introspective and, admittedly, sometimes dismayed, but every moment spent with her is truly joyous, which also has me feeling optimistic. And this puzzle was inspired by a chat about rhyming words with her today. I hadn't planned on posting a puzzle at all, but I mentioned 9-Across, and she came back with 15-Across, and eventually... it's almost midnight, but I made it: one last puzzle for 2021! I hope it gives you some joy, somehow. 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 ]

I hope you enjoy this silly puzzle! It all started when I was listening to a song by 26-Across and thought, "There's gotta  be a way I could use this name." After 34-Across came to mind, it was only a matter of figuring out how to fit everything into a grid, and I somehow ended up with this wide, short, mirror-symmetric oddity. Some of the corners and pockets may play like a tough themeless, but I hope the puzzle being "lightly themed"  overall will help you assemble everything together. I think this puzzle is a good example of something that could only ever appear on a crossword blog. Where else are you going to see a theme set consisting of just a 25 and a 15? (Speaking of which, I think the only possible connection I could make to the current holiday season is that one of the theme entries here is 25 letters long, and there's a holiday on the 25th this month. There's no special reason to run this puzzle this week; it's just what I happen to have r

Minimal commentary this week as I'm in the midst of wrapping up a busy semester. This is a tough themeless puzzle that started with 16-Across and 19-Across, and then developed into an asymmetric grid to keep those two entries intact, and then became a real challenge when I wrote the clues. Hope it gives you a good mental workout. 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 ]

I've posted a lot of midi-sized themeless puzzles on this blog, and a handful of 15x ones (see here and here and here ), but this one feels like the first "proper themeless"  to me, for some reason. Maybe it's because I spent a little more time than usual on the fill and the clues. Maybe it's because, looking back at those other 15x puzzles, I realize I would do things differently now, even though they're not from all that long ago. Regardless, all of this is to say: I'm starting a new "Themeless" series right now with #1. I think this will be hard by my blog's standards because of some entries and clues, so I'll label it as such, but it might be much easier for you speed-solving whizzes out there, considering it has 74 words and not a ton of tricks. In other news: there's a few weeks left to support the Kickstarter campaign to expand the American Values Club Crossword (AVCX) . Even if you don't know what that is, just check