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Themed #86 - Avatar Specialty
If it hasn't been demonstrated by my cluing references, Avatar: The Last Airbender is one of my favorite shows. I think I just completed...

Brian Gubin
Apr 25, 20221 min read
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Themed #85 - Border Crossings
I want to say I thought of doing something like this while doing a Sporcle quiz to name all the countries of the world but who knows. I...

Brian Gubin
Apr 18, 20221 min read
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Themed #84 - Team Openers
I was supposed to publish a themeless puzzle this week but when I realized it was MLB opening week I audibled. I threw together this...

Brian Gubin
Apr 4, 20221 min read
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Themed #83 - Location, Location, Location
FYI - this introduction may contain semi-spoilers. I've never created a puzzle like this before. It's more in the vain of a Thursday-type...

Brian Gubin
Mar 28, 20221 min read
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Themed #82 - Many a Late Night Call
Another puzzle where I struggled coming up with a title. This has a reveal so I couldn't use that as the title. Whatever - don't judge a...

Brian Gubin
Mar 21, 20221 min read
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Themed #81 - B-Minus
I'm guessing this type of these has been done many times and for the other "grades", such as D-Minus. I was trying to think of a clever...

Brian Gubin
Mar 14, 20221 min read
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Themed #80 - Get Some RNR
I often feel like I have no idea what to title puzzles and then come up with something forced. If I have a reveal phrase that makes the...

Brian Gubin
Mar 7, 20221 min read
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Themed #79 - A Difficult Time
If anyone listens to Fill Me In, and if you don't you should, then this was the puzzle I mentioned in my email. It has an ice cream...

Brian Gubin
Feb 28, 20221 min read
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Themed # 78 - Get an A+ in Spanish
I forget how I came up with the theme or what the first theme answer was I came up with. I think 24-down. It was actually pretty easy...

Brian Gubin
Feb 14, 20221 min read
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Themed #77 - Let's Eat
I often start with an idea and think "could I get this published somewhere?" Then I conduct a cursory search on Cruciverb to see if the...

Brian Gubin
Feb 7, 20221 min read
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Themed #76 - Spreads
I've definitely used this phrase/expression before. I'm pretty sure I first heard it from the late Stuart Scott *Googling. Confirmed he...

Brian Gubin
Jan 31, 20221 min read
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Themed #75 - You Need To Calm Down
Another puzzle inspired by my muse, Taylor Swift. I didn't use any reveal or indication of theme answers but the title makes it pretty...

Brian Gubin
Jan 24, 20221 min read
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Themed #74 - Get a Grip
Since I tend to create puzzles a few months prior to posting I sometimes forget the inspiration. I think this one may have come from the...

Brian Gubin
Jan 17, 20221 min read
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Themed #73 - Bad Start
Happy new year my people! I hope everyone had a nice NYE and is ready to welcome in 2022. As the Counting Crows say in "Long December",...

Brian Gubin
Jan 2, 20221 min read
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Themed #72 - That Is
I had another puzzle scheduled to run today and as I was doing the write-up, I realized I didn't like one of the theme answers, so I...

Brian Gubin
Dec 27, 20211 min read
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Themed #71 - Gridiron Gang
I'm not sure which of these was the seed entry, maybe 41-across, which made me make a 16-wide grid. I always hate that because I don't...

Brian Gubin
Dec 20, 20211 min read
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Themed # 70 - Shout-out to Red, 1989, Reputation, and Lover
One of my personal heroes is the subject of this week's puzzle. I started listening to her music in 2006 when I fellow intern asked me if...

Brian Gubin
Dec 13, 20212 min read
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Themed #69 - Animal Tales
I wasn't exactly sure what to title this one. I didn't really think a reveal phrase was required but figured I should at least have a...

Brian Gubin
Nov 29, 20211 min read
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Themed #68 - I'll Have One
I actually used this exact revealer in a puzzle I had published with David Steinberg at Universal. That puzzle came out on 09/11/2020....

Brian Gubin
Nov 22, 20211 min read
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Themed #67 - Forward Roll
I kind of like puzzles where I have the reveal phrase be the title instead. That allows the grid a bit more space to breathe - lessening...

Brian Gubin
Nov 8, 20211 min read
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