Thursday, December 31, 2020

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 Monday.

Covering in the news?...................MASK
Crack jokes, perhaps?...................POTTYHUMOR
Does some sole searching?...............FISHES
Some real heady stuff?..................BEER
Center of a circle or square, maybe.....STATUE
Name of Washington's football team, as
of 2020.................................FOOTBALLTEAM

Thursday, December 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month











November 2020
Clue: Final exam?..........................................AUTOPSY
Constructors: Kameron Austin Collins & Paolo Pasco; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Saturday, November 7, 2020

Monday, November 30, 2020

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 Thursday.

Person with a line of credit?...........ACTOR
Final exam?.............................AUTOPSY
Large amount, originally 48 bushels (we 
kid you not)............................BUTTLOAD
Hearing aid?............................COURTREPORTER
Fail to keep off the grass?.............TOKE
Warning of reckless driving?............FORE

Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month

 

October 2020
Clue: Navel base..........................................ABDOMEN
Constructor: Alex Eaton-Salners; Editor: Mike Shenk
WSJ, Thursday, October 1, 2020

Saturday, October 31, 2020

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 Tuesday.

Navel base..............................ABDOMEN
Made tense?.............................PAST
Business whose clients might go belly 
up?.....................................PETSPA
Secret thing since the '50s.............ROLLONDEODORANT
Time's role in the book business........YELLOWER
Cut the cheese, perhaps.................GRATE

Sunday, October 4, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month

 

September 2020

Clue: Head for the backcountry?..................OUTHOUSE 
Constructors/Editors: Amy Schecter and Christina Iverson 
Inkubator, Friday, September 11, 2020


Wednesday, September 30, 2020

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 Saturday.

Venues for star-studded shows?..........PLANETARIA
Rotten to the Corps?....................AWOL
Gets one over on........................BOGEYS
Trustworthy woman?......................HEIRESS
Head for the backcountry?...............OUTHOUSE
Result of providing service and getting
nothing in return?......................ACE

Friday, September 11, 2020

Crossword Chat

 Matt Gaffney, Mike Miller, and Mike Shenk have a great conversation about crossword puzzles at this link. Especially informative is the section where Mike Shenk creates a puzzle and discusses the finer points of filling the grid. 

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month

 













August 2020
Clue: Cultural center?................................BIOLAB
Constructor: Greg Johnson; Editor: Stanley Newman
Newsday, Saturday, August 8, 2020


Monday, August 31, 2020

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 Thursday.

Drops from a workout....................SWEAT
Ring highlights?........................GEMSTONES
Cultural center?........................BIOLAB
Where to get a mullet trimmed...........FISHMARKET
Mexican bar tender......................PESO
One may eat at your place...............TERMITE

Monday, August 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month
























July 2020
Clue: Grounds crew?............BARISTAS
Constructors/Editor: Patrick Berry
The New Yorker, Monday, July 13, 2020

Friday, July 31, 2020

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 Monday.

Folks who share a joint?................CELLMATES
Constellation in the very middle of this 
clue, not counting spaces...............LEO
Word containing itself twice............ESS
Grounds crew?...........................BARISTAS
Movable type?...........................NOMAD
Skeptical comment from a podiatrist?....MYFOOT

Friday, July 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month



















June 2020
Clue: Undercover asset?.........MATTRESSPAD
Constructors/Editor: Erik Agard
The New Yorker, Friday, June 5, 2020

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Clever Clue Nominees

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

Undercover asset?.......................MATTRESSPAD
Provider of Tour de France coverage.....LYCRA
"Cheese" products.......................SMILES
Spike of interest in movies?............LEE
Kind of artist who's not very good?.....CON
Olympic record?.........................MYTH

Wednesday, June 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month




















April 2020
Clue: Toast words?.................IMAGONER
Constructor: Erik Agard & Leslie Rogers; Editor: Rich Norris
LAT, Saturday, May 16, 2020




Sunday, May 31, 2020

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 Wednesday.

Martyr complex?.........................SHRINE
One who's used to adding pressure?......MATHLETE
One watching the kids?..................GOATHERD
Toast words?............................IMAGONER
Apt flowers for an optometrist's
office?.................................IRISES
Fix, as a toy...........................SPAY

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month




















April 2020
Clue: Flight simulator?............STAIRMASTER
Constructor: Andrew Ries; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Saturday, April 25, 2020

Thursday, April 30, 2020

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 Sunday.

Cabbage in a French cafe?...............EUROS
Relief pitcher of old...................ROLAIDS
Flight simulator?.......................STAIRMASTER
Like dates that lack a heart............PITTED
Off-season air fare.....................RERUN
Bender with a cap.......................KNEE

Friday, April 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month

















March 2020
Clue: One with savings accounts?................HERO
Constructor/Editor: Evan Birnholz
Evan Birnholz's Washington Post Crossword, Sunday, March 1, 2020

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

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 Friday.

One with savings accounts?..............HERO
Threat bearing small arms?..............TREX
It has a lot of competition on TV.......ESPN
Rule that keeps you from spelling 
weirdly?................................IBEFOREE
Foul creature?..........................BALLBOY
Poison storage of the 1980s.............CDRACK

Wednesday, March 4, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month

















February 2020
Clue: See the seasons pass quickly?....BINGEWATCH
Constructor: Aimee Lucido; Editor: Will Shortz
NYT, Friday, February 28, 2020

Saturday, February 29, 2020

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 Wednesday.

Like a piggy just waking up.............TINGLY
Giant who was 5'9"......................OTT
Pet peeve?..............................LEASH
Looked over slides at home, say.........UMPED
Low-tech clickers?......................PENS
See the seasons pass quickly?...........BINGEWATCH

Monday, February 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month















January 2020
Clue: Makes even more gross?..........GETSARAISE 
Constructor: Evan Kalish; Editor: Rich Norris
LAT, Saturday, January 25, 2020

Friday, January 31, 2020

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.

Hand-to-hand combat locales?............POKERTABLE
Like this clue, which is unnecessarily 

verbose and could be way more succinct 
than it is..............................WORDY
For actress Shelley of Nia?.............PROLONG

Reacts to something depressing?.........SAYSAH
Makes even more gross?..................GETSARAISE

Brings home, as Twins...................DRIVESIN

Friday, January 3, 2020

Clever Clue of the Month
























December 2019

Clue: Ring in one's ears....................CROPCIRCLE 
Constructor: Ed Sessa; Editor: Rich Norris
LAT, Saturday, December 14, 2019