Google AI just mixed up Cutting Crew and The Crew Cuts. Cryptic crosswords marked as still safe.

A puzzle about masters of their domain. therackenfracker.com/yada-yada/

Yada Yada

A puzzle about ... something.

therackenfracker.com

Stuck indoors because of the AQ? We've got a free variety cryptic up to curl up on the couch with: therackenfracker.com/all-stars/

All-Stars

My world's on fire, how 'bout yours?

therackenfracker.com

@illogicaljoker.bsky.social Second time in Think Dailies Season 3 where I’m pretty sure I’m right and the game is wrong. A problem with certain kinds of puzzle games; there’s no authority to appeal to, and one’s only recourse is fellow solvers.

This one might capture your attention. Big thanks to @viresh.bsky.social for helping make it all the cooler. therackenfracker.com/pieces-of-ca...

Pieces of Cake

The world's your oyster.

therackenfracker.com

Thanks to solvers that reported errors with the online solver for our latest puzzle. It's back and fuller-featured than ever — big shoutout to Alex Boisvert of crosswordnexus.com for the weekend assist on top of all of the other help.

The Three-Boddy Problem

This is getting serious.

therackenfracker.com

For your puzzling pleasure, we’ve got a second puzzle this week: a non-variety 15x cryptic in @avcx.bsky.social edited by @danfeyer.bsky.social: avxwords.com/puzzles/2066/

If you like Clue, this puzzle has a few: therackenfracker.com/the-three-bo...

The Three-Boddy Problem

This is getting serious.

therackenfracker.com

Over at the Gnomon, our submission pile is starting to get a little low, so I'll say again--if anyone is interested in submitting a pitch for a variety cryptic, lemme know. We have a guide for constructors here: www.gnomoncryptics.com/spec-sheet/

The Gnomon's Guide to Constructors

The Gnomon is interested in publishing high-quality, American-style variety cryptics every other month. Rates, rights and submission We’re hopeful to run puzzles of very different sizes and scales,...

gnomoncryptics.com

Exciting news! On a trial basis for now, AVCX will be providing cryptic clues to Parseword, a new daily game from Josh Wardle (of Wordle fame). Starting this Saturday with work from @jessshulman.bsky.social Give it a try… www.parseword.com

Parseword - A tricky wordplay game

Transform phrases through wordplay to solve cryptic crossword puzzles.

parseword.com

Today's puzzle is more strange than difficult but we hope you'll join the adventure: therackenfracker.com/geneva-conve...

Geneva Conventions

A puzzle that might have you asking for mercy.

therackenfracker.com

Free puzzle! Registration for October's Midwest Crossword Tournament registration is now open (www.mwxwt.com) — this is the cryptic we made for them last fall.

High Way

... the heck?

therackenfracker.com

A two-puzzle day, in collaboration with @gnomoncryptics.bsky.social: He edited our new Rackenfracker, and we co-wrote a monster for his latest issue. Hope your pencil sharpener is working.

Flipping Fuses

It's not easy bein' green.

therackenfracker.com

Coming next week - The Gnomon closes out its first year with our first three-big-puzzles issue. Contributions from Bob Weisz, Bob Stigger, JonMichael Rasmus, Sean Weitner, and Andy Yingst.

Thanks to ORCA voters for picking our puzzle as the variety cryptic of the year(!). We do the rest of our thanking below in this month’s new puzzle post. Reminder that you get 12 puzzles for just $12 by subscribing, plus access to mostly unpruned-for-now archives (including that winning puzzle!).

Settling Scores

It's basically the game ... in reverse.

therackenfracker.com

Congrats to the mighty @mossdef.bsky.social — it's simple mathematics to see that he's hit his 100th puzzle in his Square Chase variety series. We're honored to have contributed a clue to this celebration. True mogmaxxing is subscribing at www.patreon.com/squarechase

Steve Mossberg@mossdef.bsky.social · 6mo ago

100 is a lot of puzzles, David. 🐙

A free cryptic to commemorate the ballot release for the ORCA crossword awards (and congrats to the other nominees) therackenfracker.com/in-the-shado...

In the Shadows

To celebrate our ORCA nomination, we look into the Dark Souls of popular music.

therackenfracker.com

One at the forefront of “calamitous scenario” chat! (5,8)

What a “Melania” Cinematographer Hoped to Accomplish

Dante Spinotti has had a legendary Hollywood career. Why is he making propaganda for the Trump family?

newyorker.com

This puzzle has interesting properties therackenfracker.com/concerning-d...

Concerning Developments

This too shall pass ....

therackenfracker.com

Great cause + great puzzles alert: The ORCA Crossword Awards are sending out all 84 nominated puzzles for those who make a donation to @trevorproject.bsky.social. This includes 9 block-style cryptics and 10 variety cryptics, and we're honored to have High Definition and Fantastic Fours in the set. +

If you play with words, you should play Raddle, a top “new thing in 2025” in our books. Our own @dadgumituh.bsky.social contributed another such recommendation for today’s edition: raddle.quest/2025/12/26

The journey we’re always striving for. Happy holidays, Jeff.

Jeff 🏳️‍🌈@tinmanic.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Really enjoyed this cryptic - the journey from “I need to read the instructions three times” to “how the hell will I solve this” to “wow.”

How about some board gaming for the holidays? therackenfracker.com/pirate-pirat...

Pirate, Pirate, Gardener

Yo ho hoe.

therackenfracker.com

Reminder: This is approximately *half* of the correspondence that goes into writing a year's worth of puzzles.

I have definitions in me the likes of which you can scarcely imagine and wordplay the likes of which you would not believe. If I cannot satisfy the one, I will indulge the other.

Jeff 🏳️‍🌈@tinmanic.bsky.social · 8mo ago

I enjoy their cryptics

Unlike Taylor, we hope you *do* like our little games — therackenfracker.com/unintended-c...

Unintended Consequences

Look! What we made ... you do?

therackenfracker.com

Gnomon issue 4 is coming in one week, with five more variety cryptics. Now featuring more blocks than ever! With puzzles by @longyfan.bsky.social @matttheshirt.bsky.social @therackenfracker.bsky.social and @juffowup.bsky.social

If you love cryptics, you’ve probably asked “why aren’t there more, and more fans of them?” The tl;dr is that people can only fall for them if they encounter them, and so first love scales with the publishers. There are precious few; AVCX is a good one. Consider adding their puzzles to your week.

AVCX Classic@avcx.bsky.social · 9mo ago

AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …

If you like cracking cryptic clues for longer words, this one’s on target. therackenfracker.com/eights-and-n...

Eights and Nines

Our attempt at a slightly easier hard puzzle — bulls***! (You’ll have to decide whether it’s an “eye” or a “hit.”)

therackenfracker.com

We've got a new puzzle and some new slang: therackenfracker.com/sixes-and-se...

Sixes and Sevens

Middle schoolers are going nuts right now.

therackenfracker.com