Words: 16 (7×7)
Average Length: 4.88
I constructed this one as an exercise: I wanted to make a mini puzzle starting with 1D and ending with 12D. As exercises go, it turned out to be of the not-exactly-breaking-a-sweat variety: to my surprise, filling the grid only took a half hour or so after I’d settled on a grid shape.
Words: 16
Average Length: 5.00
The seeds for this puzzle were the title clue (used in 5D), which came to me out of the blue the other day, and 8A, which I learned from a Norwegian gentleman a few weeks ago. The title clue is cryptic. If you solve the online version, there’s a conventional clue you can reveal. Otherwise, here’s the conventional clue in retrograde: rotcelloc niar.
Words: 10 (5×5)
Average Length: 5.00
I haven’t published a mini in quite a while. This one was seeded by 1A and 1D. I already had the clue ready for 1A, then put in 1D after coming up with a clever-ish clue. 8A has a cryptic clue – “can be” indicates an anagram – because I’m tired of seeing the answer clued as “fall bloomer” or “daisy relative.”
Words: 16 (7×6)
Average Length: 4.88
I learned about the seeds of this puzzle, 1A and 3D, while reading a remarkable book called The Arrogant Ape, by Christine Webb. The book’s subtitle, “The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters,” captures the thought-provoking, insightful, often maddening contents perfectly. It impressed me so much that another word I learned from the book is the seed of a themeless puzzle I’ll post in late March, so if you finish the book by then you’ll have a guaranteed correct answer off the bat!
Words: 10 (5×5)
Average Length: 4.40
I constructed a cryptic mini and, when I finished it, decided to provide a version with American-style clues as well. (Each version has the same answers.) So solve either, both, or mix and match.
If you like the idea of parallel cryptic and American-style minis, let me know. It’s a good exercise for me as a constructor and may help solvers who are cryptic neophytes. Plus it gives me twice as many chances to mess with your minds and funny bones!
There’s only one online link because I combined both sets of clues into a single puzzle on Crosshare. Each set is blacked out, so you just need to click on either the first clue (cryptic) or the second (American-style) for each entry.
online | cryptic puz | cryptic pdf | American-style puz | American-style pdf | solution
Words: 14 (7×7)
Average Length: 5.29
2 Down and 8 Across were the seeds. Apologies that 6 Across will leave you with an earworm, assuming you know the commercials (consider yourself fortunate if you don’t).
Words: 12 (6×6)
Average Length: 5.33
This was a weird puzzle to construct. I had two seed entries, neither of which survived the filling and editing process. Then I spent far too long trying to come up with a clever title before deciding just to literally bestow a title upon the puzzle.
Words: 11
Average Length: 4.73
Here’s a mini puzzle covering anatomy, biology, fashion, natural history, literature, pop culture, and advertising. Never say you don’t get bang for your buck at JeffsPuzzles.com (especially since it’s free)!
Words: 22
Average Length: 5.09
I always found the 1A/20A relationship both satisfying and, particularly when chocolate is involved in 20A, effective. (And if those chocolates happen to be of the edible variety ….)
Words: 15 (6×7)
Average Length: 4.53
Here’s a simple theme that came to me at 5 a.m. Monday while my jet-lagged body was trying to decide whether it was time to wake up. (It wasn’t.)
Jeff's Puzzles