Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from December (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Friday.

First or last ultra sound?..............SCHWA

Mental notes?...........................EARWORMS

Ring in one's ears?.....................CROPCIRCLE

Cold comfort?...........................HALLS

Place where one might hear "That's my 

cue!"...................................POOLHALL
Mideast peace talk?.....................SHALOM

Clever Clue of the Month

November 2019
Clue: Marine mollusk exoskeleton vendor,
in a tongue twister...........................SHE
Constructor: Robyn Weintraub; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Friday, November 1, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from November (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Tuesday.

Marine mollusk exoskeleton vendor, in a 

tongue twister?.........................SHE

Useful cryptography tool to have on 

hand?...................................DECODERRING

It's impressed when people lie?.........MEMORYFOAM

Some needlework.........................ACUPUNCTURE

Rattling adders.........................ABACI

What gives authors stress?..............ITALICS

Clever Clue of the Month

October 2019
Clue: Lab assistant, maybe?........GUIDEDOG
Constructor: Andy Kravis; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Friday, October 11, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from October (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Sunday.

Lab assistant, maybe?...................GUIDEDOG

Characters in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad 

World"..................................COMMAS

Sound around a cradle...................DIALTONE

Competitions in which batting is

forbidden...............................STARINGCONTESTS

What goes in a box......................HOUSECAT
Problematic opening on Broadway?........POTHOLE

Clever Clue of the Month

September 2019
Clue: Rock formation?..........FIST
Constructor/Editor: Evan Birnholz
Evan Birnholz's Washington Post Crossword, Sunday, September 8, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from September (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Thursday.

Reaction to seeing a crack on one's 

phone?..................................LOL

Rock formation?.........................FIST

Rotten tomatoes, for a tough crowd......AMMO

Short staff?............................ELVES

What a fork in the road might lead to?..FLATTIRE
Lugosi who sucked in many roles.........BELA

Clever Clue of the Month

August 2019
Clue: Locks that might not be totally secure?........TOUPEE 

Constructor: Andrew Ries; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Friday, August 2, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from August (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Tuesday.

Locks that might not be totally 

secure?.................................TOUPEES

Famous print maker?.....................BIGFOOT

Threads of scientific research?.........LABCOATS

What those with no class engage in?.....RECESS

Beekeeper's lovey-dovey greeting?.......HIHONEY

S word?.................................PLURAL

Clever Clue of the Month

July 2019
Clue: Lose one's ability to get a part?........GOBALD 

Constructor: Evan Kalish; Editor: Mike Shenk
WSJ, Thursday, July 7, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from July (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Saturday.

Reward for being close?.................NOCIGAR

Lose one's ability to get a part?.......GOBALD

Audio feedback?.........................ILOVETHISSONG

Support after a bad break?..............CAST

Roll in the dirt?.......................SOD
Spring report...........................BOING

Clever Clue of the Month

June 2019
Clue: Something relatively complicated?....FAMILYTREE 
Constructor: Robyn Weintraub; Editor: Will Shortz

NYT, Friday, June 21, 2019

Please vote for the best clue from June (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Wednesday.

Stick in the dugout.....................OAR

Tongue depressor?.......................LACER

Like three of the letters of "aisle"....SILENT

Big shot?...............................GROUPPHOTO

Something relatively complicated?.......FAMILYTREE

What to say when you're ordering a

shake?..................................PUTITTHERE

Clever Clue of the Month

May 2019
Clue: Invasive plant?....................ENEMYSPY
Constructor: Sam Ezersky; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Friday, May 31, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from May (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Monday.

Dead actor?.............................POSSUM

Act like a rude waiter?.................CUTINLINE

Manipulate digitally....................KNEAD

Top of a Pacific island chain...........HAWAIIANSHIRT

Screen guild?: Abbr. ...................TSA

Invasive plant?.........................ENEMYSPY

Clever Clue of the Month

April 2019
Clue: Father figure?.......................DADBOD
Constructor: Will Nediger; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Sunday, April 14, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from April (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Friday.

Lotus positions?........................DEALERSHIPS

Babysitter's reading material?..........RIOTACT

Father figure?..........................DADBOD

Very tight group?.......................MISERS

Participants in a murder?...............CROWS

Place where beads are made..............SAUNA

Clever Clue of the Month

March 2019

Clue: Couple hanging out in hip joints?.....FEMURS 

Constructor: Alex Eaton-Salners; Editor: Peter Gordon
Fireball Crossword, Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from March (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Wednesday.

Dated women?............................DAMSELS

Test that lets you practice after you 

pass....................................BAREXAM

He has many hands and a prosthetic leg..AHAB

Couple hanging out in hip joints?.......FEMURS

Rear end in a British auto?.............ARSE

Discuss one's toilet habits, for 

example.................................OVERSHARE

Clever Clue of the Month

February 2019
Clue: Like a full-moon viewing?.................OBSCENE 

Constructor/Editor: Evan Birnholz
Evan Birnholz's Washington Post Crossword, Sunday, February 10, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from February (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Monday.

Employing the secret service?...........ELOPING              

Lousy joints?...........................BADKNEES

Taking a stab at?.......................BAYONETING

Like a full-moon viewing?...............OBSCENE

Assumption during a life of crime?......ALIAS

String of churches?.....................ROSARY

How to Get Better at Crosswords

I'd like to welcome those of you who discovered my site because of the great article today at Lifehacker.com on how to get better at crosswords. The article, by A A Newton, has many excellent tips, like doing puzzles everyday, knowing when to cheat, and reading crossword blogs. The article also linked to this site, encouraging people to brush up on their crosswordese.

The one thing I would add to the article would be to encourage people to make crosswords a social activity. Get together with others and work on crosswords during a coffee break. It's a fun way to get to know your friends better as you interact over a puzzle. And you all learn from each other as you discuss the clues.

Clever Clue of the Month

January 2019
Clue: Times when people look their best...EYETESTS
Constructor/Editor: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Brendan Emmett Quigley Puzzles, Monday, January 21, 2019

Clever Clue Nominees

Please vote for the best clue from January (either by email or comments below). The Clever Clue of the Month will be announced on Monday.

"Wanna play with the laser pointer?"....MEOW

Numbers that might end a series?........NIELSENS

Stilted performance, perhaps?...........CIRCUSACT

Deep space?.............................OCEAN

United way?.............................AISLE

Times when people look their best.......EYETESTS

Clever Clue of the Month

December 2018
Clue: Hoer?...............................................SANTA
Constructor: Jack Murtagh; Editor: Mike Shank
Wall Street Journal, Thursday, December 6, 2018