This Puzzle Funds Abortion -- Bonus Puzzle 4 (Rafkin & Husic)

 

Sometimes it can feel really tough to know where to start when you want to help, so when someone gives me a concrete action that I can take, whether it's donating money, giving my time, or even making puzzles, I find myself really grateful for the opportunity. In this case, I owe a big thank you to Rachel Fabi (@FaBioethics) for organizing this brilliant fundraiser. Lately, I've found myself feeling frustrated by the number of conversations that have made basic elements of healthcare (be it vaccinations, abortion access, or other) feel like fodder for debate or an outlet for one to turn their personal feelings into litigation or action that affects the health and lives of others in a negative way. I hope there is a way forward and out of this mentality -- one where we can access more empathy, open-mindedness, and a renewed trust in science and the people who have literally spent their entire lives studying this stuff so that we can be as safe and healthy as possible.

To see more of what Rachel has put together, including the puzzle pack released to raise money to fund abortion + all the bonus puzzles that have been released this week as more money has been raised, head on over to Just Gridding!. That link will take you to the puzzle pack, and the bonus puzzles can be found on the site's main page. 

I love this puzzle that me and Brooke made. I hope that you love it too. Fun fact: many months ago, Brooke and I both individually made separate puzzles with 29-Across as the seed -- ON THE SAME WEEKEND. I had already been looking for evidence that we were BPFF (best puzzle friends forever, obviously), and I think that was exactly the proof that I was looking for. As they always are, this collab was an absolute joy and I'm honored to see our names side by side yet again. Happy solving!

PS: Happy Bey Day to our collective queen Beyoncé.

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Guest Themeless by Malaika Handa

 

I'm couldn't be more honored to be posting a themeless by our 7xwords queen/overlord Malaika Handa today! I've had such a great time solving those puzzles (and her others!) and really enjoyed making one or two as well. Her name is showing up all over the place these days, and I'm really happy to be adding Brain Candy to that ever-growing list! Definitely check her and her stuff out if you haven't already -- she has a really unique voice that's a ton of fun. This themeless was totally untouched by me, so you'll really get to see Malaika shine in all of her glory. Enjoy! :)

Here's Malaika: So grateful that the one and only Amanda Rafkin is hosting one of my crosswords! I always do a little happy dance when I see her name on that day's New York Times puzzle / Universal puzzle / USA Today puzzle / 7xword / Inkubator puzzle / etc etc. I hope you enjoy this sassy little themeless, whose seed came from, where else, Twitter. (follow me pls xoxo.) If you'd like to solve other Malaika Puzzles, I've got plenty over on my website, and one coming up in the Boswords summer tournament. (I am very very excited for the Boswords puzzle!!)

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Demi Themeless by Erik Agard and Brooke Husic

 

We are a fortunate bunch today, because we get not one but two brooke/erik collabs! Feel free to enjoy this one as an appetizer or as a dessert in your puzzle meal that includes today's USA Today crossword, which was also written by them. What a way to end the week! I'd say "enjoy," but with a pair like this that goes without saying!

From brooke and erik: "we leave it to the solver to decide who said the quote in the 23-a clue to who. for another agard/husic collab, head over to the usa today."

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Midi Puzzle

 

Excited to be back with my first midi puzzle in a little while. Trying to keep the ball rolling over here! I hope this adds some joy to the start of your week! :)

PS: um, brooke...do we need to have a conversation?

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Trivial Pursuit #2

 

Excited to be able to come back so quickly with another Trivial Pursuit puzzle --  the bite-sized nature of these really make them easy to fit into my schedule! I really appreciated all of your kind words after the first one, and I hope this one is just as fun for you. Big thanks to Brooke for test solving so this little guy could be as fun as possible. Enjoy!

Amanda

Demi Themeless by Brooke Husic & Amanda Rafkin

 

Brooke and I love making puzzles together. This sure as hell was no exception! 

PS: the clue for 6D was inspired by Nate's tweet (spoilers)

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Trivial Pursuit #1

It's been a little while since I've been able to post anything over here, which makes me sad, so I'm extremely happy to be able to pop in today with a new type of puzzle I'm calling Trivial Pursuit (sorry Hasbro) because 1) it's all trivia, and 2) it's a mini puzzle so it really is a fairly trivial pursuit for you as a solver. Normally, I tend to eschew trivia-heavy puzzles, but one of my favorite parts of the puzzle making process is the element of clue writing that involves research. Through the process of cluing, I've come across so many strange, unique, and interesting facts that I thought it could be fun to explore a puzzle based entirely around that premise, but on small scale. It also doesn't hurt that so many puzzle people happen to be big trivia buffs! I hope you find this bite-sized bit of trivia/puzzling fun to be interesting and entertaining. Back with more puzzles soon, I hope!

Amanda

Variety Puzzle: Get The Picture?

 

Back again with a "Get The Picture?" variety puzzle, which is a crossword devoid of any language-based clues. Instead, each entry is represented by a picture that either directly or in essence describes the word in the grid. I've done one of these before and they're sort of a unique challenge to make in that all of the entries in the puzzle have to be something that can be described pictorially. For instance, entries like "EAT AT" or "I THINK SO" are basically a no-go since they would be too hard to clue with only a photo. I ran one of these back in September as well, so if you like it and you missed the first one, feel free to dive into the archive and dig that one up too. Maybe next time I can try for an even larger grid size. I hope you find this to be a fun and bite-sized addition to your solving rotation today!

Amanda

Guest Themeless by Brooke Husic & Rachel Fabi

 

What a huge honor and delight to have the opportunity to feature the work of the brilliant Brooke Husic and Rachel Fabi here today! I've been pretty preoccupied in the puzzleverse lately, and I couldn't be happier to have the first puzzle on Brain Candy in a while be the work of these two lovely humans. I really adore and respect them both as people and as puzzle makers, and getting to publish their stuff here at any time is really the best. Their bylines are all over the place these days (and Brooke has her own crossword site xwords by a ladee with some delightfully tough puzzles), so I know it won't be long before you see more from both of them. And what more could we ask for on this Super Bowl Sunday than a collab from these two? Enjoy! (And if Tom Brady wins one more Super Bowl I swear to god...go KC!)

Here's Brooke & Rachel: A lot of love went into this puzzle, especially its grid design, and we are so excited (and grateful to Amanda!) to have it on Brain Candy.

It is not acceptable to rely on the relatively small number of Black puzzlemakers in the community to center Black content in puzzles. For this month and every month, ask yourself what you can do to actively make the crossword community a positive and welcoming place for Black solvers, constructors, and editors, both future and current.

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Midi Puzzle

 

If we're Twitter buddies, then yesterday you may have seen me ask about a midi puzzle that went slightly awry. This is that puzzle. Spatial awareness isn't exactly my forte, and those of you who also construct puzzles know that in CrossFire, the only symmetry that has automatic support built in is rotational symmetry. So if you want to do mirror, diagonal, or any other type of symmetry you're basically on your own in terms of making sure it's actually symmetrical. Well, suffice it to say that mistakes were made and this one has a slight imperfection. The photo for today's post captures my expression upon making this discovery. But the lovely folks of Twitter showed some incredible support for this special little guy and so, straight from the Island of Misfit Crosswords, I present to you this not-quite-diagonally-symmetrical puzzle. I hope you enjoy it! 

Amanda

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Midi Puzzle

 

First midi puzzle of 2021! New year, exact same me. Hopefully you see that as a good thing ;) Normally I post midi puzzles during the week and a full-sized grid on Sunday, but since I posted a full-sized grid on New Year's Eve, I thought I'd switch things up and give you something bite-sized to enjoy this weekend. Until next time!

Amanda

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Puzzle #29: It's Been A Frightful Year (Themeless)

 

I truly cannot believe we're here -- the last day of this truly bizarre and unprecedented year. It feels like it's been both 3 years and 3 months, but I know you don't need to hear that from me! This puzzle started out as a themeless grid with a Halloween mini-theme, but since we've gotten a whole year of frights and scares, I figured what more apt time to publish it than now, as we all turn to say goodbye to the hellish nightmare we've come to know as 2020. We've also started some important discussions this year and worked to fight some terrible injustices, and that work continues in perpetuity.

The one great thing that did come out of this year, as I know is true for many of you as well, is puzzles. I've made and strengthened some fantastic friendships through our beautiful community and, for much of this year, had nothing but time to do the thing I love most -- solving and making puzzles! I've published over 150 right here on this site since May, and have had the enormous pleasure of seeing over 30 others get published in all of the various solving outlets that we know and love. I don't know what I would have done this year without puzzles, and I'm glad I never had to find out. To all of my friends and solvers, I'm glad we've all made it to this moment. I look forward to the times (and puzzles) we'll get to share next year, and in the years to come. 

Amanda

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There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays

 

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and to those who don't, feel free to take from the Jewish tradition of getting yourself some great Chinese food. I, myself, will be doing both. Christmas in the morning and Chinese food in the evening. In my book, the more traditions the better and I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where both customs were celebrated. 

The two long horizontal entries in this puzzle, when read as a short story, really capture the sentiment of this year's holiday season for me. It made me laugh and I hope it brings some joy to your  holiday solving rotation. Happy and safe holidays, whatever they may be, to you and yours. 

Amanda

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Solve online

Midi Puzzle

 

Happy to be back today with my first midi in a little while! Things have been pretty busy lately, but it's always a pleasure to get to unwind by making some grids for fun...although reading seaside in a hammock also looks pretty fantastic. The clue for 10-Across was inspired by my three-and-a-half year old niece, who was actively experiencing that moment at the exact time this puzzle was being written.

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Puzzle #28: Guest themeless by Brooke Husic and Claire Rimkus

 

As if the Sunday when Puzzle Mania drops isn't exciting enough, boy do we have a themeless for you! This gem by Brooke Husic and Claire Rimkus is a stunner from start to finish, with enough "?" clues to keep you on your toes the whole way through. I'm so grateful they sent this my way, and couldn't be more honored to run it today! I'd say "hope you enjoy," but I already know you will.

Here's Brooke and Claire: If you liked the Husic/Rimkus collaboration debut in the USAT on Tuesday, we hope you also enjoy this substantially trickier themeless offering with a possibly gratuitous amount of ? clues (13; we counted). We're super grateful to Amanda for her willingness/excitement to run this. In other news: Happy Hanukkah, consider donating a dollar or five to this transition fund so we can be blessed with an Agardian themeless, and stay safe out there.

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Puzzle #27: "Who is the G.O.A.T.?" by Amanda Rafkin & Evelyn Rubin

 

What a huge honor and pleasure it was to make this puzzle with "Jeopardy!" champion Evelyn Rubin, who shares Alex's Canadian origins. Ross Trudeau made the introduction since both me and Evelyn are bigtime "Jeopardy!" stans, and then we were off to the races brainstorming how best to tackle this tribute puzzle. I've bonded with innumerable people over "Jeopardy!" as I know Evelyn has too and, as an LA resident, I've also had the privilege of getting to attend a few tapings after many years of fandom. This puzzle is not intended to trick you or be wildly difficult in any way -- it's meant to simply be enjoyed and, hopefully, take you down memory lane in some capacity. There are still (what we think are) some fun clues, but the primary purpose of the puzzle is to represent the love and respect that both Evelyn and I have for "Jeopardy!," which we know so many others in the crossword community share. We hope this is an enjoyable addition to your Sunday solving lineup. Alex also loved crossword puzzles, so that only adds to our joy of being able to make this puzzle and put it out into the world today.  💗

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Guest Midi by Evelyn Rubin

I'm very excited to be able to share this midi puzzle with you today, made by the very cool and very smart Evelyn Rubin! This was Evelyn's first midi puzzle, and as you guys know I love a good midi, so it was really fun to see it come together and then to also see how many fun clues she was able to get in there! You'll be seeing a collaboration here between me and Evelyn very soon, as we recently worked on a puzzle together about something near and dear to both of ours hearts. We spent a couple hours on a video call working on it, and it was seriously an enormous pleasure. You'll definitely be seeing her name around, and I'm personally thrilled for this!

Here's Evelyn: I'm thrilled to have my first midi debut here!  I'm very grateful to Amanda for the opportunity and for being so supportive of this endeavour.  Her constructive feedback and positive nature made this lots of fun and I'm looking forward to our next collaboration.  I also must thank Ross Trudeau for making the introduction and for being such a wonderful collaborator to us both. 

This is my first time using diagonal symmetry, and I actually prefer looking at this puzzle with my head tilted to the left.  While 15-Across was the starting point for this theme, the 5-Down clue is close to my heart for a completely different reason (google my name and the answer if you're interested).

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Puzzle #26: Themeless Puzzle

 

If this grid looks a little funky to you, that's because it's a 14x14 -- just a hair smaller than your typical full-sized grid. The reason for that is because this puzzle started with the 33-Across entry and I figured I might as well make it a grid-spanning entry and adjust the dimensions of the puzzle accordingly because why not? As a person who is forever a decade behind on popular television, I just recently started watching Game of Thrones. I found the 33-Across phrase humorous at the moment, for reasons I've included in its clue. Hopefully this puzzle will be not too-challenging and enjoyable way to close out your holiday weekend. Until next time!

Amanda

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Puzzle #25: "Wait...Where's The Turkey?" by Amanda Rafkin & Ross Trudeau

 

Happy Thanksgiving, dear solvers! While full-sized grids are usually reserved for Sundays, this week comes with a special bonus puzzle by me and Ross Trudeau. It's so special in fact...that it's not solvable in any of the solving apps! This one you'll have to use that puzzle printer of yours to print out. So grab the folks in your bubble and gather round. We'd love to see the pics of your gravy-stained puzzles and/or your favorite solving nooks. Happy eating everyone, and be safe! 🦃🍂

Wait...Where's The Turkey PDF

Wait...Where's The Turkey SOLUTION

Puzzle #24: Themeless Puzzle

 

Sometimes I sit on a themeless grid for months before it comes together; other times, it all manages to come together in seemingly no time at all. This puzzle falls into the latter category. I intended to finish this last night and set it to publish early this morning, but alas I had one glass of wine and fells asleep at 8:30 last night, which is not embarrassing at all. As a clue writer I tend to be rather verbose, which makes me the perfect target for editorial trims. And while I am learning my lesson and beginning to self-correct, here on this blog sometimes I take the liberty of writing clues that are as long as I want simply because I can. I hope you find both this puzzle and your Sunday enjoyable. Until next time! 🙂

Amanda

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