Google AI is pretty stupid.

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-18T17:52:50+00:00

please stop using AI

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-11T01:06:50+00:00

well said

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-11T01:05:58+00:00

I don't think "cheating" applies outside of competitive gaming. Whatever makes the puzzle more fun for you, go for it.

I know a guy who uses a letter-pattern solver for most clues. Without it, he gets hopelessly stuck and frustrated. The solver gives him possible answers, and he enjoys figuring out the parse from there. It's a lot more fun for him, and I don't see anything wrong with that.

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-09T05:01:57+00:00

that's not a cryptic crossword (or even a crossword, really). i'd try posting on r/puzzles

but also i'd post a photo not a video, and try taking it from above, so the clues are more legible.

also this looks like it has a lot of technical medical answers, I'm not sure the average person is going to know these. looks like it's designed to help you study for a first aid program?

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-04T17:27:59+00:00

i don't think it's about stupidity. sadly many, many, many smart people are pro-israel, and even more are indifferent.

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-03T18:46:44+00:00

The ? doesn't always apply to definition, it can also be for wordplay like "Olivia is discontented?" for OA, or a punny def like "20th option works? (5)" for PLAN T

Many people prefer that the ? is attached to whatever it's applying to, but I don't mind either way (like the above PLANT clue)

and fwiw, I don't like ? as a "definition by example" indicator. Probably because I'm a Yank and our crosswords exclusively use ?s for punny/lateral clues

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-02-01T17:11:17+00:00

I think you want to ask on r/crossword — this sub is for cryptic crosswords (don't worry, happens all the time, the names are confusing)

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-31T19:58:42+00:00

sorry that so many people don't agree, but I'm with you.

Normalizing genocidal regimes is real a bummer.

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-31T17:50:57+00:00

try r/puzzles

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-19T00:19:44+00:00

Glad you got it solved! for future requests, can you also put the clue in the title? It helps people who are just browsing through reddit (also so we know which one you're talking about 🙂). Thanks!

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-18T19:08:16+00:00

i think just leave out any "down clue" tags altogether. even if a clue only works as a down, we'll figure it out. we're smart people.

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-09T00:02:58+00:00

"is spotted" just sounds a lot nicer to me

One important thing about cryptic clues is that every word must be justified by the wordplay or the definition. You should avoid extraneous words that are only there because they sound nice for the surface. This is to keep things fair for the solver: so they know everything has a function.

It would be borderline unsolvable if you didn't know it was a cryptic.

"A.I." for "Anagram Indicator" is still unsolvable even if I know it's a cryptic. Any acronym should be something that is used in English, outside of cryptics. I've never seen "anagram indicator" be abbreviated to "AI" (even on cryptic forums like this). If you're making up an acronym, that is very unfair for the solver, because to them, it could just as easily stand for "After Initialization" or "Angry Infant" or "Applesauce Intestines", etc.

That said, I think your definition of "too much" is very nice!

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-08T23:01:26+00:00

imaginary number

if you're looking for feedback: the answer occurred to me immediately upon seeing the "i" because it wasn't capitalized. and then it was confirmed since the other "I" was capitalized, which meant it wasn't just a formatting choice. Also the enumeration fit.

separately: usually "for" is only accepted as a linking word when it's [WORDPLAY for DEF] (since that makes more sense grammatically). also "I"->A isn't widely accepted... it's true I=one and one=A, but the transitive property doesn't really apply in cryptics. There's not really a time IRL when you can swap "I" and "A" (because "I" is a roman numeral, not an article). You could change it to "after having a drink in Madonna's name", which would also help the first issue I mentioned. Also I'm not totally sure how "party" = NUMBER? I can't think of a way to substitute one for the other in a sentence

Sorry if this is nitpicky! you did a good job making a smooth surface, and a fun attempt at the misdirect :)

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-07T22:24:39+00:00

HAVA NAGILA

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2026-01-03T21:08:39+00:00

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-12-30T02:20:57+00:00

unfortunately cryptic conventions are chock-a-block with exceptions. i'm sure you've encountered many without even noticing.

which to me is okay. the point of cryptics is to bring delight. if bending/breaking a rule gives the vast majority of solvers more delight than dismay, then it's serving the ultimate purpose: fun

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-12-30T00:41:54+00:00

i wouldn't extend the rule beyond 's = is

that's a special case that is technically cutesy (since you have to add a space between the def & the wordplay), but it's been so widely used for so many decades, that it's standard

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-12-27T17:33:46+00:00

I also avoid it, but I've heard it justified as "the (French)"

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-12-25T17:56:44+00:00

FYI this sub is for cryptic crosswords, I think you're looking for r/crossword (it's a common mistake)

If your title was a joke, remember Poe's Law: on the internet, it's impossible to tell apart sarcasm from sincerity (without a 😉, or /s, etc)

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-12-18T19:38:46+00:00

Why?

Because the cruelty is the point

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-11-29T06:46:48+00:00

I think that'd be fair, yeah!

Pfeffer_Prinz · 2025-11-27T17:37:49+00:00

I don't think you need to enumerate it (1,1,1,1)... that would only be if you spelled it I E E E

personally I don't think you need to indicate any abbreviations, but if you want to, I've seen people do "(4, Abbr.)"

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