In this month’s puzzle, I’m dreaming of a world where we could sit again under “String Lights” for a balmy summer night party. There’s also a visual element, so take a look at the solution pdf when you’re done solving.

Slight spoiler: While I came up with this puzzle’s theme a few months ago, it feels related to a fun one from the midsummer Boswords tournament by Sid Sivakumar of Sid’s Grids—if you participated in that, think of this as a spinoff on his concept! I also got great feedback from Sid on an earlier version of this puzzle, where tough crossings and a smattering of obscure terms created some accessibility issues. It’s important to me that my puzzles feel fresh, accessible, and never rely more than necessary on crossword-exclusive vocab, even when a theme has tricky fill constraints. Thanks Sid, and I hope I succeeded at that goal in this final version of the puzzle!

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

Today’s puzzle is all about getting “Made (Un) Redundant” in a bite-size themed midi. Hope you enjoy the wordplay (and when you’re done, here’s an explanation for this theme’s starting point). I continue to appreciate all the awesome folks in the crossword community who put small puzzles out into the world—as solvers, some days we don’t have time for a full meal, but a puzzle snack will always hit the spot. 😋

An auspicious event is happening today: Lollapuzzoola, in what appears to be the biggest crossword tournament ever (online, of course). For those like me who are unable to attend live, you can still sign up for the “next day” division and access this all-you-can-eat buffet of puzzles from a diverse set of constructors. Go check it out!

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

Surprise again! It’s time for another guest themeless puzzle, this one by constructor extraordinaire Matthew Stock. I love Matthew’s quirky and fresh crosswords, which have graced a number of venues and also appear frequently on his site. He brings the goods (and difficulty level) in today’s puzzle: three 10-15-10 stacks, fun fill and clues throughout, and in particular a 6-Down / 30-Across pair that really speaks to me. Enjoy!

Notes from Matthew: Stoked to have a puzzle featured here on Datalexic! I’m a huge fan of Enrique’s work and the positive vibes he contributes to the Puzzleverse. This puzzle actually didn’t start with a seed entry, but instead with this super fun grid layout I put together in CrossFire one day. With 15 bonuses of 8+ letters, three grid-spanners and only 6 three-letter words, there was a lot of room for some good stuff to come together. My favorite entry is 6-Down, and my favorite clues are 42-Across and 2-Down. If you tweet, find me @1MatthewStock and tell me what you think! And if you like the puzzle, check out my site happylittlepuzzles.com, where I publish crosswords by me and various constructor friends about twice a week. Happy solving!

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

It’s August and we’re getting into some “Male Trouble” as the depths of summer arrive. This started as a theme idea I initially discarded after realizing that possible theme entries were skewed exclusively toward one gender—after you’ve finished the puzzle, read this for some context. Hopefully my updated twist on the idea provides a corrective to the original set of colloquialisms. Enjoy!

In other news, I had a puzzle appear recently on Brain Candy—Amanda is a rockstar in the crossword scene, and it was a pleasure to work with her and learn from her sharp editorial eye. I’d also like to take this opportunity to extend an offer to any constructor, newer or experienced, and especially folks from underrepresented groups, who’d like to talk crosswords and/or have a guest puzzle appear here.

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

Surprise! The first guest puzzle at Datalexic has arrived, and it’s a doozy of a Saturday-level themeless by Steve Mossberg, crossword constructor extraordinaire over at Square Pursuit. This puzzle won me over right at 1-Across, and is packed with great stuff throughout. Steve’s a real mensch, and I’ve had the pleasure of talking shop and collaborating with him recently, which has been a joy—I’m excited to get the chance to share some of his work with you all!

Notes from Steve: I’m thrilled to be making my guest puzzle debut on Datalexic. I’m a regular solver here, and I hope this themeless is as fun for the readers as it was to make. Enrique and I have some really fun common ground in puzzledom, and it’s been a pleasure to collaborate with him and host a wonderful puzzle of his over at my blog Square Pursuit. The grid you are about to solve has some not-so-subtle references to a bit of that aforementioned common ground, as you’ll discover right away. Enjoy!

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

This monthly midpoint brings a themed midi that makes a “Diacritical Point.” It started off as a play on a crossword inside joke, but I hope the final product allows us to rethink, and reclaim, some words that are often considered just filler. It’s best solved on paper, but if you’re solving digitally, please take a peek at the solution link below for the full effect!

In other Crossworld news, the Grids For Good pack of puzzles was released earlier this month, benefitting important causes right now—please go check it out. And on a personal note, I had a guest puzzle appear on an awesome indie blog, Square Pursuit! Thanks to Steve for providing a home to a silly, but hopefully uplifting, puzzle.

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

As we move into July, we’ve got an indie-focused puzzle on offer that you can get “For A Song” (or free, even). I’m constantly impressed with the high quality of indie puzzles available out in the wild on a daily basis, and I love how community-oriented the indie crossword scene feels. I’ve enjoyed working on collaborations recently with some fine folks, and my DMs remain wide open for more—please feel free to reach out!

Although we may be moving on from Pride Month, I won’t be moving on anytime soon from the subject of equity, visibility and opportunity for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices. This is far-reaching and touches many fields, but within the area of crosswords I’ve been heartened by folks who’ve taken strong stances on how we can (and should) do better. Some recent posts and articles from Rebecca Falcon, Sid Sivakumar, and Natan Last are providing some much appreciated light on the path forward.

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

For a bonus themed midi this Pride month, we’re settling in at drag brunch to watch queens “Collecting Tips.” Although we may not be able to gather in groups to celebrate in the ways we’re used to, I hope this crossword provides a chuckle and a nod to a staple of queer life. Enjoy!

We also continue to be reminded this month that rights are hard won, and Pride started as a protest headed by trans women of color. Communities and experiences are intersectional, and on that note I encourage folks to contribute what they can to The Okra Project, or other organizations with similar missions.

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

Today’s bonus puzzle is a flexible themed midi titled “Shifting Positions.” If you’re working from home during this period, remember to take breaks to get up and stretch every once in a while!

I’ve been enjoying the themed midi format as a showcase for bite-size, often simpler three-part themes that would get eclipsed by a large grid. Minis and midis (ranging from roughly 5×5 to 11×11 size) are plentiful out in the wide world of crosswords, but I’d love to see more of them incorporate themes. One series of themed minis I’m excited about just started on The Daily Beast, by noted meta-crossword constructor Matt Gaffney—consider bookmarking it if you haven’t already.

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

This month we’re going for a ride along some “Highways And Byways” with a little non-standard trickiness in the mix to keep you honest. Enjoy!

Other fun recent developments: I had a guest variety puzzle (a pangram midi) appear on the delightful Sid’s Grids, as well as my second Universal Crossword puzzle publication. Look forward to more where those came from!

[puz] [pdf] [solution]

For the second puzzle this month, we have a themed midi titled “Perfect Bores” that may have you looking for the nearest exit. I’ve been honing in on certain approach to this style of puzzle: 11x-ish in size with 2-3 theme answers and an optional reveal. Who says little puzzles can’t pack full-size themes?

Given that more themed midi ideas have been popping up for me recently—many are themes that don’t quite scale up to a 15x size—I’ve decided to make this a regular feature! So each month, a full-sized puzzle will appear on the 1st, as usual, and a themed midi will show up on the 15th.

[puz] [pdf] [solution]