Tales from the Cryptic

Cryptic Mini #000000092:   "SOPHIE's Cover Albums" obscuration level: 🌔 (25% cacao) Once again, trying a wee bit of fun stuff down here in blogtown. Enjoy, sickos!

Cryptic Mini #000000086:   "Inclined to Kick Ass" obscuration level: 🌓 (neither chunky nor creamy) Hello! Here's another puzzle. What else can I say? Puzzles puzzles puzzles. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Cryptic Mini #000000084:   "Blue Man Group Goes On Safari" obscuration level: 🌒 (small but hard 👀) My first 5x5 in a while, but it's not the size that counts! this one is a doozy. Definitely a 🌑 in some places. But man, I love it! Hope you do too :)

Cryptic Mini #000000076:   "Wow, A Puzzle!" obscuration level: 🌕 (a lil slice of heaven) Wait what's this?? A cryptic mini on *Thursday*?? Yes that's right folks! We here at the Cryptic Mini Factory have finally perfected the technology to release puzzles on Thursdays. So we will! Every week. And to kick things off, here's a breezy lil guy. Enjoy!

Cryptic Mini #000000072:   "Elves Led Santa" obscuration level: 🌕 (easy as [moon] pie) I swear I didn't set out to write an xmas clue around xmas. Plz don't tell Hannukah Harry or he'll revoke my Jew card! here, you can have all my gelt (but not my guilt, that's mine). Tnx & happy whateverdays!

Cryptic Mini #000000067:   "A Bird in Both Hands" obscuration level: 🌓 (7-10 split [i have no idea what this means]) small and chewy, like a tootsie roll. what does this mean? i don't know! i didn't sleep last nite. enjoy!

Cryptic Mini #000000063:   "Sondheim's First Musical" obscuration level: 🌕 (what we do out of the shadows) I know last week's puzzle was harder than advertised, so here is a bonafide, USDA-approved 🌕 guy. *And* it's only 5x5, so even if you get stuck, you can just type in random letters over and over until something hits. You could probably brute-force the whole grid in under 10 minutes. Now that's an easy puzzle!

Cryptic Mini #000000059:   "3D Film" obscuration level: 🌒 (your eyes will adjust eventually) Haven't done a 5x5 in awhile, so I thought I'd give you one with some tang (man, I *wish* I could serve you some Tang with this puzz, but alas... I just ran out). Smacznego!

Cryptic Mini #000000042:   "Fire Sale" obscuration level: 🌒 (just a soupçon of darkness) Happy National Pop Goes the Weasel Day ! This puzzle has nothing to do with weasels (or pop), just wanted to honor the classic bop. Enjoy!

Cryptic Mini #000000041:   "Babes on Testosterone" obscuration level: 🌓 (small but cute, a real short king) For once, I tried to make a tough puzzle, but the clues ended up *easier*! I guess the angel on my shoulder has some pull after all. Hope it still tickles your fancy!

Cryptic Mini #000000039:   "Thicc Bottom" obscuration level: 🌒 ( Gollum voice Tricksy Clueses!) This started as a 🌔 but I kept finding little bits of delightful misdirection that I had to include. Before I knew it, the moon was barely a sliver. Devilishness (devilocity?) is a slippery slope! 😈

Cryptic Mini #000000035:   "Farting Like Anderson Cooper" obscuration level: 🌒 (small but feisty) Most of my 5x5s have been on the easy side, so I thought I'd throw some lil toughies atchya! Enjoy :)

Cryptic Mini #000000032:   "In a Bro-y Way" obscuration level: 🌕 (merry hump day) A quick lil snap today... but sometimes snaps are fun, right? Like when they're part of a complicated handshake. And really, isn't that what a cryptic puzzle is? A complicated handshake between solver and constructor? Most scholars might disagree, but in this essay I will argue...

Cryptic Mini #000000026:   "Time to Flip A Lot of Cars" obscuration level: 🌒 (don't threaten me with a cryptic time) I know, my Wednesday puzzles are supposed to be on the easy side... but with such a wee widdle puzzle... how tough could it be? 😈

Cryptic Mini #000000024:   "Gilgamesh and Scary Spice" obscuration level: 🌔 (more of a nosh than a meal) Sometimes I'm afraid that 5-letter answers won't have intersting clues, but then a bunch of wonderfulness crops up! Pretty proud of 2-3 of these lil guys. Hope you enjoy!

Cryptic Mini #000000022:   "Edith Head" obscuration level: 🌓 (parsing is half the battle) Another quickie, perfect for some afternoon delight.

Cryptic Mini #000000020:   "Old Arrakis" obscuration level: 🌔 (a quickie for hump day) Haven't done a 5x5 in a while, so here's a breezy lil number for you today. Cheers!

Cryptic Mini #000000014:   "Spirit of Victory" obscuration level: 🌕 (easy breezy beautiful... cryptic girl) Another one for the beginners out there! Though I admit there is a *pinch* of obscuration here. But I think you can handle it! If not, don't forget the hints :)

Cryptic Mini #000000010:   "Odd Candy" obscuration level: 🌓 (here be some uncommon terms) My first rollover milestone! We have finally hit the double digits with puzzle #10. Next rollover will be #100 in... January 2024! And the next, #1000, in... August 2032! Hopefully the internet will still exist by then. If not, I guess I'll have to start a newsletter.

Cryptic Mini #000000008:   "Peachy Mushroom" obscuration level: 🌔 (easy, but not breezy) I've decided to put my easier/smaller puzzles on Wednesdays, and the harder/bigger ones on Saturdays. I may or may not completely forget I made this decision, but for now... here's a small n' easy Wednesday! enjoy!