xwordswithbabka

Hello, I hope you are well! If you are going to the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament this weekend, I hope to see you there! I am planning to bring a few copies of the following crossword, as well as the cat pictured above. Please say hi! Thanks Alex for testing! Are you subscribed to his Patreon and getting acrostics and other puzzles? If not, what's wrong!!! [ .puz ] [ Direct Crosshare link ]

Why hello! I am sorry that it has taken so long to put a new puzzle online. Every day this year has been a month! But still I apologize, especially because I am making it my goal again to write more crosswords. This one here took me forever to finish! How would you feel about an asymmetrical grid and an asinine theme that's only in the clues and depends on specific knowledge? What's that? ....Well here it is anyway! This one was not test solved. Try to enjoy, and I have more planned soon! [ .puz ] [ Direct Crosshare link ]

Hello, and happy new year! 2025 has been, to put it as understatedly as I can, "a challenge." A few highs and some incredible lows. However, as always, I am trying, and hope to continue doing so. Before 2025 ends I want to put this puzzle out there. This was rejected from a venue recently; privately I have been calling it "my manifesto." But I don't want to bring it into 2026 with me! Therefore it's here now. Below the puzzle is a short bit of text I wrote meant to explain my choices. Read it, or don't! Either way, if you solve the puzzle, I hope you enjoy it. Be safe! Take care! Keep your heart open!! [ .puz ] [ Direct Crosshare link ] Some words: I really do see a lot of similarities when constructing a crossword and writing a song. A constructor and a songwriter are both looking for in-the-language words and phrases to build around; they also have the ability to make new ones. The choice of words can affect the overall mood. They are lo...

I just got back from the great city of Chicago where I met many, many crossword friends and won 2nd in the Midwest Crossword Tournament ! The puzzles were fun, the competition was great, the people are amazing! Thank you so much to the organizers, constructors, volunteers, and basically everyone there. Good things are possible!! Anyway - this is a Chicago-themed midi that I brought to the tournament, and I hope you enjoy! [ .puz ] [ Direct Crosshare link ]

Hello! It is August now! Towards the end of last year I made a list of what I called stupid goals, things I could keep in mind in order to keep myself going. One of them was to "win an xw tournament." This was supposed to be an impossible feat, but in the online Boswords tournament last week somehow.... it happened??? I am very surprised and very glad! Thank you to the Boswords people for putting on a great tournament, and a special thank you to the 4-5 solvers who decided not to attend! You know who you are! Now to something a bit less bright. Today's puzzle is meant to be a fun themed puzzle, a simple theme that probably lots of people have had the idea for or have already made. But this puzzle was constructed out of a place of anger and sadness. There's a real chance I just might not like things anymore! I guess I should use this as a call to make the things that I want to make, in the way I want to make, and enjoy the things I still enjoy. These things are abs...

Guess what everyone... it's the best time of year again! Leo Season!! Do whatever you want all the time! You *are* the main character!! Anyone who doesn't like you is trash!! Feel your feelings and let everyone know!!! In all honesty, I feel so inhibited most of the year and it is nice for once to feel uninhibited. As a little treat, I have a new 13x13 celebrating my favorite Leos. Skáldskaparmál test solved it and gave great feedback. Theme explanation will be hidden below the fold. Thanks for solving! [ .puz ] [ Direct Crosshare link ] SPOILERS...... highlight to read /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// All cats are Leos, right? This puzzle features a few different coats - ORANGE, CALICO, TORTOISE SHELL, SPHINX, TUXEDO. It also features my cats PAPRIKA and BABKA, as well as the cats I had growing up, SPICY and Nutmeg (who we called NUTTY). If you are living in a big city it's also possible to find cats UP ONE'S ALLEY.