#10: Squash and Stretch

The New York Times crossword submission queue recently reopened, and you know what that means… posting my rejected puzzles on the blog!

I thought this one had some real potential, but after nearly two weeks of being In-Progress I got the classic "the team was split on this one" email notification. Even then, I still think the theme here is pretty spiffy (spiffy enough to reclue the puzzle entirely, at least).

In happier news, I recently had another puzzle with a similarly spiffy theme accepted by Apple News+! I can't wait to see it come out, they'll be the first venue that I've had multiple puzzles appear in (the first of which aired on August 18).

In happier happier news, I've recently been recruited as an editor at Gridlocked! Crosswords, a venue tailored specifically to high-school solvers. The first puzzles roll out this October; I hope you guys check 'em out!

Thanks to ghana7 for playtesting!

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#9: Mini 1

Greetings once more to my fans, hate-solvers, and everything in between!

As thanks for the 22 likes (and counting? 👀) on my latest blog puzzle, I bring you something a bit different today! Rather than a full-sized crossword or Mid Midi, I've created my first Mini puzzle (unlike Mid Midis, though, I won't be putting myself on a quota). While filling another puzzle around a week ago, I came across an entry in Ada Nicolle's wordlist that was noticeably similar to an entry in my own personal wordlist — try to guess which came from which!

Additionally, a thread in Crosscord named #fraternal-twins was recently created to spotlight such entry pairs. So, using a grid I liked by Brian Callahan (specifically his puzzle "Mini #218"), I quickly whipped this up. Enjoy!

Thanks to Frisco17 for playtesting!

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#8: I'm Losing It!

Hello, dear readers! I humbly return to you with the fourth puzzle in my MID MIDIS series. In other news, my puzzle "Men of the Cloth" was recently published in Apple News+ on August 14! If you have a subscription, be sure to go check it out (and if not, be sure to message me for the .puz file). 🤫

I'm especially proud of the fill in this puzzle, there's just something about it that I can't take my eyes off of. I just hope that the cluing can reach the same level of zazz.

Thanks to Vinny Diehl for test-solving!

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#7: Spanish and Italian Are the Same Language

Welcome to the third Midi puzzle in the MID MIDIS series, now more devious than ever! In the spirit of Frisco17's diabolical Themeless 55!, today's NYT crossword, and the staggering fourteen likes on my last blog puzzle, I wanted to give this one something extra (just look at the grid, you'll see what I mean).

It's also my first puzzle custom highlights and invisible cells, so I hope it looks good!

Thanks to onefin for test-solving!

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#6: Dough

chat i may be washed but that just means i come back CLEANNN 🥶

I'm (hopefully) back to a somewhat normal schedule! After countless assignments submitted at 11:58 PM, it's finally summer break — now I can put off things I enjoy!

This is the second Midi puzzle of ten in my very much work-in-progress series, which I've decided to call:

MID MIDIS!

See #5: Limbo for a bit of background info (I updated that post with the image above for continuity). I've also gotten into the practice of using multiple question marks in clues that are especially devious, and this puzzle has one of them! If you can't understand even after solving, please leave a message on Crosshare and I'll explain it there.

Thanks to ghana7 and Joe for test-solving!

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#5: Limbo

chat am i lowk washed 😭

It's been over three months since my last blog puzzle. Wow. Time flies when you procrastinate!

I've actually been pretty unmotivated when it comes to making puzzles recently — not patient enough to wait for my computer to fill a themeless puzzle, patient enough to fill and refill the same Apple News+ submission eight times, and get bored before actually cluing it.

I decided to make this puzzle after some conversation in Crosscord about the New York Times' newly-released Midi puzzle. I read that the constructors in the NYT's lineup were paid for a fixed number of puzzles (specifically ten), and it inspired me to try and create ten Midis of my own, however long that may take. This is the first of those ten.

Now, back to the puzzle. I actually had this idea several months ago, but I could never find a way to translate it into a full-sized puzzle (nor did I have the motivation to make a Midi; I thought they were a waste of my time, for some pretentious reason). The shaded squares are non-thematic, they're just there to create the shape of a "1", as this is my first Midi puzzle!

Also, be sure to read the FUN FACT in the comments on Crosshare (after solving) for an extra tidbit of my creative process (it would spoil the puzzle if I mentioned it here).

Thanks to Selbor, _Green, and ghana7 for test-solving!

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#4: Take the Rap

Starting the year off strong with a big ol' 19x19!

This is the largest grid I've ever finished, and I'm quite proud of it! Only four cheater squares, that's a big improvement from the twenty-eight in #2: Puzzl (hey, you have to admit the corners looked cool).

Of course there are two or three entries that I'm not so jazzed about, but with a grid this size, it's inevitable, right?

Right?

Thanks to Stephen and onefin for test-solving (and to onefin once more for writing the clue for 37-Down — check out their new EP, Toy Ruby — it's a banger)!

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#3: Spare Parts

I regret to inform you all that after a two-month streak of publishing puzzles, I allowed myself to procrastinate and missed November. I hope all my loyal, adoring fans can forgive me for this egregious oversight.

Of course I'm joking, but I do have a couple of puzzles in the works specifically for the blog, so be on the lookout, everyone!

Now, onto this puzzle: this one's theme is heavily literature-coded, but I think it's simple enough that it can be enjoyed by anyone. It was created as a final project for a British Literature class, so several non-theme answers are clued through books, short stories, and poems I've read recently. I tried to base fill on vocabulary rather than pop culture, so it won't have as many niche (❤️‍🩹) references as I would like it to.

It's actually the first crossword puzzle I've completed on a deadline, and I'm quite proud of it! I came up with the theme on Sunday, pitched it to my professor on Tuesday, filled it on Wednesday, and finished cluing on Friday. Have fun!

UPDATE: I got a 100! Hooray!

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#2: Puzzl

Phew, it's about time!

I've been cluing this puzzle for several weeks now (I procrastinate), and at long last, it's done! I somehow feel obligated to write something interesting about my personal life that prevented me from releasing this puzzle earlier, but to be honest, nothing's really happened.

I do have my first professionally-published puzzle releasing at Universal Crosswords on November 1, however, and will likely make a separate blog post promoting it.

Thanks to _Green for coming up with the revealer!

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#1: Butterball

print("Hello, world!")

This is Escher, and this is my crossword blog! I'm not exactly sure how to write up introductions for my puzzles, but just know that if you've played one of my puzzles before, it's probably this one. I've posted it on Crosshare, then Sporcle, and finally, right here.

I'm really getting my mileage out of it.

This page will be for all my failed newspaper submissions and personal crossword projects. Don't expect there to be a regular schedule, I'm not a puzzle-making machine by any means.

Now, to those who haven't played one of my puzzles before, be warned: this is my first real crossword. It's not bad quality, per se, but there are definitely some iffy sections in terms of fill.

If you haven't clicked off this page out of fear or disgust and still wish to play my puzzle, thank you. Feel free to give me your opinions on it (as long as they're overwhelmingly positive)!

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