Sunday, May 31, 2020

Puzzle #3: All The World's A Stage


It's Sunday, which can only mean one thing: it's time for a full-sized grid! This puzzle was another collaboration between me and Ross Trudeau and it turns out that neither of us remembers how this puzzle came to be. (To be fair, we've made over 45 puzzles together in the past year). But it involves a topic that is near and dear to my heart and I got to make it with my puzzband, so what more could I ask for? Ross's comments are posted below the puzzle for your post-solve viewing pleasure.

PS: I'm aware that the answer for 1-Across is completely non-gender-specific in the real world. The gendering was simply for the purpose of wordplay ;)

Amanda

.puz file

Ross's notes: "I think it says a lot about my relationship with Amanda that I don't remember the first thing about how this puzzle came to be. On the one hand, it might have been a product of Amanda's theater-addled brain; on the other, it might have been me being a willing participant in her addiction and (ahem) feeding her an idea. Who knows! Either way, I always appreciate the (ahem) fruits of our labor."

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Saturday Midi


Feel like you've been saying 22-Across a whole lot lately? That makes two of us. So much so that it was the seed of this 11x11 grid. Happy Saturday, solvers!

Amanda

.puz file

Friday, May 29, 2020

Friday Minis #3



We've once again made it to the end of that thing called a week, which I hear is still a thing but I've yet to personally see any evidence. Here are two minis to get you through your Friday, with a midi coming tomorrow and a full-sized grid coming Sunday.

Amanda

.puz file 1
.puz file 2


Thursday, May 28, 2020

Theatre Thursday #3


Welcome to one of my favorite days of the week: the day when I get to geek out and make a theatre-themed puzzle that, if I'm lucky, someone else will enjoy too. It's a really tough time to be a person who either loves or works in the arts (I happen to fall squarely in both categories), so my hope is that these puzzles can provide even the smallest connection to this facet of life that we may not be able to experience for a little while. Fun fact: I just discovered the Original Broadway Cast of "Come From Away" did an NPR Tiny Desk concert (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW_IeElzPDQ), so if you need a good heartwarming cry, this is fully available for your viewing pleasure. There is also one for "The Band's Visit" and "Be More Chill" if those appeal to you as well. Happy solving!

Amanda

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Mid-week Mini #2

Hello again :) Enjoy this mid-week mini, and check back tomorrow for an 11x11 installment of Theatre Thursday!

Amanda

.puz file

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Tuesday Mini #2: Take A Side


It's time once again to take a side, and I'm here to ask the important questions. Your time has come and it's been 20 years in the making. Are you team 1-Across or 8-Across? Make your voice heard in the comments or on Twitter.

Amanda

.puz file


Monday, May 25, 2020

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Puzzle #2: Cozy Up


Happy [what I hope is a cozy] Sunday! Look at this perfect little sloth! I hope solving this puzzle makes you feel the way this little guy clearly feels all swaddled up. I'm posting it a bit late...but maybe it's just in time for an evening solve :)

Amanda

.puz file

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Saturday Midi #2

Hey there puzzle people! Welcome to the weekend :) Enjoy today's midi (who's heard of 11-Across?) and check back in tomorrow for a full-sized 15x15 grid that'll make you want to get real cozy.

Amanda

.puz file

Friday, May 22, 2020

Friday Minis #2



Once again, happy Friday to those of you who still have any sense for what day it is at any given time. (The only reason I ever know what day it is is because of the NYT crossword). *shrug* Here are two mini puzzles to close out your week. Midi puzzle coming tomorrow and a full-sized grid coming Sunday!

PS: Does TGI Friday's still exist?

Amanda

.puz file 1
.puz file 2


Thursday, May 21, 2020

Theatre Thursday #2


It's time once again for one of my favorite puzzle days of the week: Theatre Thursday! I've been missing the theater a little extra lately, and have so loved being able to use these puzzles as a way to create a bridge between two things I love the most. I can't wait until it's safe for us all to be back in the audience and on the stage, anxiously awaiting the magic that is live performance. Until then...

Amanda

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Mid-week Mini #1


Is anyone else's sleep schedule totally bonkers during this pandemic? Like "go to sleep at 6 AM and wake up at 2 PM" kind of bonkers? Oy! Well here's a morning puzzle for any of you late-risers, and an evening puzzle for all you lucky folks who have managed to maintain a normal sleep schedule.

Amanda

.puz file


Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Tuesday Mini #1: Take A Side

Happy Tuesday!

Today's mini offering comes with an extra layer: taking a side. 1-Across and 8-Across present you with your two options...which team do you play for?

Amanda

.puz file

Are you Team 1-Across or Team 8-Across? Make your case in the comments or on Twitter!


Monday, May 18, 2020

Monday Midi #1

Getting off to a bit of a late start this now-afternoon (or evening for you east coasters), but it's still Monday, which means we're still on schedule! Enjoy this 8x8 offering to kick off your week!

Amanda

.puz file

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Sunday Puzzle #1: Finding Peace


I spent a good amount of time thinking about what puzzle I wanted to put out on the first Sunday of this site’s existence, since Sunday will be the day I put up full-sized grids moving forward. After looking through the various options, none stood out to me in this moment more than this one, made with my forever collaborator Ross Trudeau. I will put constructor notes by me and Ross below the puzzle in order to help avoid spoilers, but as some of you may know, I worked as a therapist (mental health) for quite some time, so the world this puzzle lives in is close to my heart. I have some things to say regarding the topic of this puzzle as it pertains to the current circumstances we are collectively living through, but I will post those below so you can have the option to read them or not. Happy solving! PS: Ross’s brilliance really shines through in so many of these themer clues.

Amanda

.puz link



Ross's notes:  Two winters ago, Amanda and I started corresponding about crosswords after she messaged me about grids on Instagram. It felt like kismet from the start, and after a few weeks of corresponding I flew to L.A. and found myself building grids in the lobby of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel at midnight with my new best crossword friend.


One of the best reasons to work with Amanda is that she sets a wonderful example for following your heart, creatively. The topic is near and dear to her, given her therapy background, and she wouldn't take no for an answer when I suggested there there was no way to generate a viable theme given the constraints. But she wouldn't put the project aside, so eventually the mirror symmetrical grid you see here was born. And it has Amanda's fingerprints all over it: WEIRDO, KEN DOLL, LOVE HATE, and *especially* the clues for KOALA [Asocial marsupials that sleep up to 20 hours a day] and KEN DOLL [Toy made with no plastic junk?]

Amanda's notes: You don’t need me, or anyone for that matter, to tell you that we are currently living in unprecedented times that are inundating our brains with data and experiences that many of us have yet to encounter before in our lives. As such, many people are either consciously or subconsciously experiencing some or all of the stages of grief, as various elements of our lives are different or absent and we have no sense for when they might return to the manner in which we are accustomed. We are all trying to find different ways to cope with the various changes that have occurred in our lives – for some, that may look like hyper-productivity; for others, it may look like an inability to access parts of ourselves that once felt integral to our identity. Maybe you’re experiencing both of those things. 

If you’re find it challenging to do things that once felt effortless, please remember that the process of adaptation and the experience of stress depletes us of cognitive, emotional, and interpersonal resources. Expecting our baselines to be maintained when the environmental circumstances have changed so drastically isn’t fair or realistic to do to ourselves. I hope that whatever your circumstances are, you’re finding ways to cope that make sense for you and that provide you with some sense of well-being or relief. And maybe, if I’m lucky, this puzzle can a tiny kernel of that process. Be well, and please feel free to reach out if you need an ear. 


Saturday, May 16, 2020

Saturday Midi #1


It's a sunny day here in Los Angeles, and I have once again slept entirely too late because time has recently taken some inspiration from Mr. DALI (4).




On Saturdays, I plan to post midi-sized grids that are seeded with some sort of modern-day interesting bit of language. Specifically something I may or may not be able to put in a puzzle for other outlets (though I can assure you it will NOT stop me from trying). I'm curious...who's heard of 10-Across? I know I learned about it from "The L Word: Generation Q", but I'm probably in the minority on that ;)


Amanda
.puz file

Friday, May 15, 2020

Friday Minis #1

Happy Friday to those of you still living a life where the delineation of days has meaning! Let's end the week with a double dose of mini puzzles to send us into the weekend. Tomorrow I'll be posting a midi-sized grid and Sunday there will be a full-sized grid up for your solving pleasure (I hope). [The hope is in reference to your enjoyment...the puzzle will be here regardless ;)]

Amanda

.puz file Mini #1
.puz file Mini #2

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Theatre Thursday #1

Those who follow me on social media may have noticed that I've been posting midi-sized puzzles with a Broadway theme with some regularity. I'm very excited to continue that here with "Theatre Thursdays", where I'll be posting a Broadway-themed midi once a week. Hopefully it's a good mix of things that theatre fans will be familiar with and things that are gettable by all solvers.

And a huge thank you to everyone who was so supportive yesterday around the launching of this site. I hope it brings you as much joy and entertainment as it brings me!

Amanda

.puz link

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

How Did You Do That: Puzzle #1

Let's kick things off with a topic we could all perhaps use a little bit more of right about now. Fingers crossed! Happy [checks calendar] Wednesday. Basically.

Amanda

.puz link

Welcome!

Well well well...here we are. That inevitable point in one's crossword constructing career where one suddenly feels the inexplicable urge to make one's own website. (Maybe she's born with it...maybe it's quarantine). My plan is to post puzzles here quite regularly -- perhaps every day. Some will be minis, some will be midis, and of course some will be 15x15 or 21x21 grids. For me, solving crossword puzzles is as much a part of my everyday routine as having my morning coffee. Often the two go hand in hand. I hope solving these puzzles can become a part of your daily routine too, just as constructing them will continue to be a part of mine. Happy solving!