These cryptic puzzles are created by and for New York Times online Forum participants. Join the Cru in the Cryptic Clue Workshop to discuss these puzzles and cryptic clue writing in general.
If you like these cryptics, you should visit Cru member Ron Sweet's web site, updated monthly, for Kegler's Kryptics.
To view, solve, and print .puz files, download the free Across Lite puzzle software, available for many computer platforms. Follow these instructions to enable Across Lite as a helper application within your web browser.
* Beginner-friendly
** Moderate
*** For experienced solvers
**** Killer-diller
Cru Cryptic #238, by Ed Mehling, "Animalia"
Cru Cryptic #237, by Margaret Hoglund and John Salmon **
Cru Cryptic #236, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #235, by Arsinoë [PDF puzzle] [PDF solution]
Cru Cryptic #234, by Doug Peterson and Dave Howard
Cru Cryptic #233, by Ed Mehling, "The Play's the Thing"
Cru Cryptic #232, by Margaret Hoglund, "The Year in Review"
Cru Cryptic #231, by Margaret Hoglund
Cru Cryptic #230, by Harold Strom
Cru Cryptic #229, by Dan Chall
Cru Cryptic #228, by Dan Chall
Cru Cryptic #227, by Harold Strom
Cru Cryptic #226, by Ed Mehling, "Adults Only"
Cru Cryptic #225, by Arsinoë, "Acrostic" -- [solution]
Cru Cryptic #224, by John Weaver
Cru Cryptic #223, by Joan and Les Dawson
Cru Cryptic #222, by Dan Chall
Cru Cryptic #221, by Joan Brunnick and Les Dawson, "Debut"
Cru Cryptic #220, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #219, by Imp
Cru Cryptic #218, by Roy W. McLeese III
Cru Cryptic #217, by Bud Tangerina **** [PDF puzzle] [PDF solution]
Cru Cryptic #216, by Ed Mehling, "Winter Interrupted"
Cru Cryptic #215, by Arsinoë
Cru Cryptic #214, by John Weaver
Cru Cryptic #213, by Harold Strom, "A Pangram" ***
Cru Cryptic #212, by Roy W. McLeese III
Cru Cryptic #211, by Marilyn Castle ***
Cru Cryptic #210, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #209, by John Weaver ***
Cru Cryptic #208, by Heidi Schroeder ***
Cru Cryptic #207, by Will Johnston ***
Cru Cryptic #206, by Hyman A. Lister ***
Cru Cryptic #205, by Margaret Hoglund ** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #204, by Roy W. McLeese III
Cru Cryptic #203, by John Weaver ***
Cru Cryptic #202, by Haber, Homer, Levine, and Weitner
Cru Cryptic #201, by Derek Kisman *** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #200, by Ed LaBonte ** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #199, by Margaret Hoglund **
Cru Cryptic #198, by Derek Kisman ***
Cru Cryptic #197, by Jeffrey A. Richards ***
Cru Cryptic #196, by Rasmus, Weitner, and Sams, "That's How Easy Love Can Be" **** [PDF] [SOL]
Cru Cryptic #195, by Derek Kisman ***
Cru Cryptic #194, by Asimov, Cremin, Hakes, and MacDonald ** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #193, by Derek Kisman ***
Cru Cryptic #192, by Harold Strom *** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #191, by JonMichael Rasmus, "Sitter Playing Game (6)" **
Cru Cryptic #190, by Sean Weitner, "Foursquare"
Cru Cryptic #189, by Ed LaBonte ** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #188, by Salmon, Hoglund, Sweet, and Homer ** 1/2
Cru Cryptic #187, by Ed LaBonte ***
Cru Cryptic #186, by Margaret Hoglund, "Bite Me" **+
Cru Cryptic #185, by Harold Strom, "Show Biz" ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #184, by Ed LaBonte ***
Cru Cryptic #183, by Margaret Hoglund, "Stormy Weather" ***
Cru Cryptic #182, by Rasmus, Sams, and Weitner, "Too Much Time..." ***
Cru Cryptic #181, by Randy Spitzer ***
Cru Cryptic #180, by Harold Strom ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #179, by Marilyn Castle ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #178, by Ed Mehling, "Name Game" **1/2
Cru Cryptic #177, by A. Charles Catania, "With Poetic License" **
Cru Cryptic #176, by Bagby, Haber, McCarthy, and Johnston **
Cru Cryptic #175, by Craig Kasper **1/2
Cru Cryptic #174, by Hoglund, Levine, Weitner, and Hakes ***
Cru Cryptic #173, by Doug Peterson and Kim Taylor, "Barred Cryptic" **1/2
Cru Cryptic #172, by Homer, Howard, Mehling, and MacDonald ****
Cru Cryptic #171, by Ed Mehling ***
Cru Cryptic #170, by Weitner, Cabrera, Peterson, Taylor, and Cremin **
Cru Cryptic #169, by the Cryptic Clue Workshop ***
Cru Cryptic #168, by JonMichael Rasmus, John Sams, and Sean Weitner ***
Cru Cryptic #167, by Vicki Homer **
Cru Cryptic #166, by A. Charles Catania, "Clueless? Just the opposite!" **
Cru Cryptic #165, by A. Charles Catania ***
Cru Cryptic #164, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #163, by A. Charles Catania **
Cru Cryptic #162, by Edith Drakes **
Cru Cryptic #161, by Edwin Frost **
Cru Cryptic #160, by Kegler, "One Too Few" ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #159, by A. Charles Catania **1/2
Cru Cryptic #158, by Ed Mehling *
Cru Cryptic #157, by Kegler ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #156, by Ed Mehling **1/2
Cru Cryptic #155, by Shlomo Meran ***
Cru Cryptic #154, by Theresa Cunningham **
Cru Cryptic #153, by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon **
Cru Cryptic #152, by the Cryptic Clue Workshop, "Cru Cryptic Confab"
Cru Cryptic #151, by Tim Stone [***] or Craig Kasper [****]
Cru Cryptic #150, by Will Johnston and Vicki Homer [puz] [pdf] ***
Pacific City puzzle, by Heidi, Kim, Marg, "Coastal Cruisin'"
Cru Cryptic #149, by Ed Mehling **1/2
Cru Cryptic #148, by Kegler, "10 x 15" ***
Cru Cryptic #147, by Kim Taylor, "Working 9 to 5" ***
Cru Cryptic #146, by Ed Mehling ***
Cru Cryptic #145, by Bruce McKenzie *
Cru Cryptic #144, by Tom Toce **
Cru Cryptic #143, by Ron Sweet, "One-Star IV"
Cru Cryptic #142, by Ed Mehling **1/2
Cru Cryptic #141, by Will Johnston and Ron Sweet, "Misprints" ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #140, by Vicki Homer ***
Cru Cryptic #139, by Kegler, "Double-Crossers" ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #138, by John M. Salmon **1/2
Cru Cryptic #137, by Reggie Scott ***
Cru Cryptic #136, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #135, by Kegler ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #134, by Marilyn Castle
Cru Cryptic #133, by Bob Stigger ****
Cru Cryptic #132, by Vicki Homer
Cru Cryptic #131, by John M. Salmon **1/2
Cru Cryptic #130, by Tom Toce ***
Cru Cryptic #129, by Ron Sweet, "Two Star II" **
Cru Cryptic #128, by Tom Jones, ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #127, by Dan Asimov ***
Cru Cryptic #126, by A. Charles Catania, "For Narapoids Only" ***
Cru Cryptic #125, by Kegler, "Have a heart!"
Cru Cryptic #124, by John M. Salmon ***
Cru Cryptic #123, by Bruce McKenzie, Theresa Cunningham, and Dave McKeegan ***
Cru Cryptic #122, by Kegler, "Dogeared" ***
Cru Cryptic #121, by Tom Jones, "3-D Special" ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #120, by A. Charles Catania ***
Cru Cryptic #119, by Ron Sweet *
Cru Cryptic #118, by Tom Jones *
Cru Cryptic #117, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #116, by John M. Salmon ***
Cru Cryptic #115, by Kegler, "8 x 15" [***]
Cru Cryptic #114, by The Rev (the other one) ***+
Cru Cryptic #113, by Ron Sweet **
Cru Cryptic #112, by A. Charles Catania, "Not 4D!" ***
Cru Cryptic #111, by Sarah Bagby **1/2
Cru Cryptic #110, by Ron Sweet *1/2
Cru Cryptic #109, by Tim Stone ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #108, by Marilyn Castle ***
Cru Cryptic #107, by A. Charles Catania ****
Cru Cryptic #106, by Kegler ***
Cru Cryptic #105, by John M. Salmon **
Cru Cryptic #104, by Hexaco, "Popeye's 1-Star" *
Cru Cryptic #103, by 2 Vile Cru, "Homofauxnes" ****
Cru Cryptic #102, by Sarah Bagby ***
Cru Cryptic #101, by Kegler, "TSUJ!"
Cru Cryptic #100, by Marilyn Castle, "Car Talk" ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #99, by Ron Sweet, "One Star II?" *
Cru Cryptic #98, by Mark Mading, "Life's a Beach" **1/2
Cru Cryptic #97, by A. Charles Catania, "Presto!" ***
Cru Cryptic #96, by Kegler, "Doublespeak" ***
Cru Cryptic #95, by Theresa Cunningham **
Cru Cryptic #94, by A. Charles Catania ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #93, by John M. Salmon ***
Cru Cryptic #92, by Ron Sweet *
Cru Cryptic #91, by Will Johnston and Joe Cabrera ***
Cru Cryptic #90, by A. Charles Catania ***
Cru Cryptic #89, by Bruce Douglas **1/2
Cru Cryptic #88, by Harold Strom
Cru Cryptic #87, by John M. Salmon ***
Cru Cryptic #86, by Kim Taylor
Cru Cryptic #85, by Harold Strom ****
Cru Cryptic #84, by Bob Stigger **1/2
Cru Cryptic #83, by Tim Stone **1/2
Cru Cryptic #82, by John M. Salmon **
Cru Cryptic #81, by Kegler **
Cru Cryptic #80, by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon **
Cru Cryptic #79, by Dag S Truman **1/2
Cru Cryptic #78, by Foggy Brume **
Cru Cryptic #77, by Bruce Douglas **1/2
Cru Cryptic #76, by Will Johnston ***
Cru Cryptic #75, by Tyrone A. Melman **
Cru Cryptic #74, by Jenny Gutbezahl and Bill MacDonald ****
Cru Cryptic #73, by Will Johnston **1/2
Cru Cryptic #72, by Bob Stigger ***
Cru Cryptic #71, by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon 1.5*
Cru Cryptic #70, by Dan Chall 2.7*
Cru Cryptic #69, by Bruce McKenzie ***
Cru Cryptic #68, by Marilyn Castle (variety)
Cru Cryptic #67, by Theresa Cunningham ***
Cru Cryptic #66, by Craig Kasper ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #65, by Margaret Hoglund **
In Memoriam · Craig Fowler, by Craig Fowler & Will Johnston
Cru Cryptic #64, by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon **
Cru Cryptic #63, by Bruce Douglas **
Cru Cryptic #62, by Will Johnston and Joe Cabrera ***
Cru Cryptic #61, by Theresa Cunningham ****
Cru Cryptic #60, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #59, by Jenny Gutbezahl **1/2
Cru Cryptic #58, by Dan Asimov **
Cru Cryptic #57, by Bill MacDonald **
Cru Cryptic #56, by Bruce G. McKenzie ***
Cru Cryptic #55, by Michael Fidler ****
Cru Cryptic #54, by Bob Stigger **
Cru Cryptic #53, by Theresa Cunningham *
Cru Cryptic #52, by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon **
Cru Cryptic #51, by Joe Cabrera ***
Cru Cryptic #50, by Dan Asimov ***
Cru Cryptic #49, by Will Johnston ***
Cru Cryptic #48, by Foggy Brume ***
Cru Cryptic #47, by Holden Baker *
Cru Cryptic #46, by Dave Howard **1/2
Cru Cryptic #45, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #44, by Heidi Schroeder ***
Cru Cryptic #43, by Marilyn Castle ***
Cru Cryptic #42, by Craig Kasper ***
Cru Cryptic #41, by Will Johnston, "Barred Diagram Cryptic" ***
Cru Cryptic #40, by Jenny Gutbezahl and Bill MacDonald ***
Cru Cryptic #39, by Michael Fidler *
Cru Cryptic #38, by Daniel Asimov ****
Cru Cryptic #37, by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon *
Cru Cryptic #36, by Will Johnston *, **, ***, ****
Cru Cryptic #35, by Margaret Hoglund ***
Cru Cryptic #34, by Harold Strom ***+
Cru Cryptic #33, by Shelagh Hurley **
Cru Cryptic #32, by C.G. Rishikesh ***
Cru Cryptic #31, by Pam Wyldingham ***
Cru Cryptic #30, by Will Johnston **1/2
Cru Cryptic #29, by Bob Stigger ****
Cru Cryptic #28, by Theresa Cunningham *
Cru Cryptic #27, by Margaret Hoglund ***
Cru Cryptic #26, by Michael Fidler
Cru Cryptic #25, by Marilyn Castle ***
Cru Cryptic #24, by Rodney Picot ***
Cru Cryptic #23, by Bill MacDonald ***
Cru Cryptic #22, by Will Johnston *
Cru Cryptic #21, by Bruce McKenzie ***
Cru Cryptic #20, by Margaret Hoglund, Craig Fowler and Heidi Schroeder **
Cru Cryptic #19, by Will Johnston ***1/2
Cru Cryptic #18, by Marilyn Castle **1/2
Cru Cryptic #17, by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon *
Cru Cryptic #16, by Anne Rubeck and Will Johnston **
Cru Cryptic #15, by Michael Fidler ***
Cru Cryptic #14, by Harold Strom ***
Cru Cryptic #13, by Will Johnston ***
Cru Cryptic #12, by Mike Kiraly ***
Cru Cryptic #11, by Bruce McKenzie, Dave McKeegan, and Theresa Cunningham **
Cru Cryptic #10, by Pam Wylder
Cru Cryptic #9, by Theresa Cunningham, "What's in a Name?" ***
Cru Cryptic #8, by Will Johnston *
Cru Cryptic #7, by Craig Kasper
Cru Cryptic #6, by Marilyn Castle ***
Cru Cryptic #5, by Michael Fidler ***
Cru Cryptic #4, by Margaret Hoglund, Craig Fowler, and Heidi Schroeder **
Cru Cryptic #3, by Bob Stigger ***
Cru Cryptic #2, by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon *
Cru Cryptic #1, by Theresa Cunningham