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lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Lowdown Cryptic
@lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
480 followers 510 following 540 posts
Cryptics for The Browser, AVCX, OoLF, Crossweird, and Minute Cryptic. Canada’s rep for the World Cryptic Crossword Championship (London 2025) and World Crossword Federation. Scrabblegrams monthly. Letter banks repeatedly. He/him 🇨🇦
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lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Unch finally arrived in Canada!

Recent strikes by Canada Post delayed delivery – I appreciated the hand-written note (from Matt, not Canada Post!)

Thanks, @unchcrosswords.com, and congrats on Issue 1 selling out! #cryptic #crossword #magazine
Unch crossword magazine received in Canada with a handwritten note saying "Sorry it took so long to get to you!"
November 8, 2025 at 3:21 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Scrabblegram displayed on a Scrabble board, using all 100 tiles (blanks are G and H): a body exhumed a casket ajar zombies go free howling afar turning on evil insidious plot creepy date night we quiver a lot
October 31, 2025 at 5:28 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
It's my October #Scrabblegram and I'm going #darkmode for this one! 🎃👻👹 (board in reply below)

#halloween #scrabble #poem
#constrainedwriting #poetry
#undead #zombies #creepy
Illustration of silhouetted zombies in a graveyard. Title: “undead”. Text below: a body exhumed a casket ajar zombies go free howling afar turning on evil insidious plot creepy date night we quiver a lot Scrabblegram (100 tiles) Blanks: G, H
October 31, 2025 at 5:28 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
I'll post my new #Scrabblegram later today, but first enjoy this classic from the master, @dcscrabblegram.bsky.social
#Halloween #Scrabble

Visit davesscrabblegrams.com for his thrilling collection of 400+ Scrabblegrams!
Halloween Scrabblegram A great masquerade, by jack-o-lantern light, to view people in costume with obvious need of a candy fix (mini- or regular-sized). Blanks: C, M
October 31, 2025 at 12:28 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
@LowdownCryptic holding the book "Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose", which he received in Canada after winning a small cryptic crossword contest run by a setter in England
October 12, 2025 at 3:59 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
One last clue to share from my Browser cryptic this week (DM me about how to get a copy):

Anagram signaler! (8) 😜

#meta #anagram #andlit #crypticclue
"Anagram signaler! (8)" - cryptic clue from The Browser Cryptic #241 by Larry Kline (October 5, 2025), edited by Dan Feyer
October 10, 2025 at 6:20 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Another #crypticclue from my puzzle in The Browser this week:

Chopin pieces used once or twice for a children's classic (9) 🎼

(you should all know what type of clue this is by now!)
"Chopin pieces used once or twice for a children's classic (9)" - cryptic clue from The Browser Cryptic #241 by Larry Kline (October 5, 2025), edited by Dan Feyer
October 9, 2025 at 6:50 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Clue from my #cryptic #crossword in The Browser this week:

Unopened Bach double-disc audio release? (5) 💽💽
"Unopened Bach double-disc audio release? (5)" - cryptic clue from The Browser Cryptic #241 by Larry Kline (October 5, 2025), edited by Dan Feyer
October 8, 2025 at 4:36 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Clue from my #cryptic in The Browser this week:

Discover messing around isn't a race (9) 😏
"Discover messing around isn't a race (9)" - cryptic clue from The Browser Cryptic #241 by Larry Kline (October 5, 2025), edited by Dan Feyer
October 6, 2025 at 4:51 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
I have a new #cryptic #crossword out today – my fifth puzzle for The Browser 😀 I'll post a few clues this week...

Sadly, weekly cryptics in The Browser will wrap up at the end of this year ☹️ DM me for details on how to get the puzzles

Thanks to long-time editor Dan Feyer and all the test-solvers!
The Browser Crossword Cryptic #241 by Larry Kline October 5, 2025 - edited by Dan Feyer 3 cryptic clues from the crossword: You have to fill it during long rides (4) U.S. anthem is played with gusto (10) Browser crossword constructor and editor ultimately in error (7)
October 5, 2025 at 3:03 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Following up on my poetic #Scrabblegram posted yesterday, here's a seasonal one by the master, @dcscrabblegram.bsky.social

#scrabble #poetry #autumn #fall

Visit davesscrabblegrams.com for his amazing collection of 400+ Scrabblegrams!
Autumn Scrabblegram Every autumn, I gaze at the bottom of overripe trees raining red. So if I adjust clocks in an equinox, dayglow will be up ahead.
October 1, 2025 at 4:25 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Just in time for the end of September, here's my #Scrabblegram tweeted 3 years ago today (Sep 30, 2022)

My first 'gram with poetic meter and rhyme, it alternates iambic hexameter and iambic trimeter, but flipping to trochaic for the first half of line 3

#scrabble #wordplay #poetry #procrastination
Illustration of a melting clock face, with text below: Avoid a Void Procrastination's judged as being lazy, but… Anxiety is real. Conquer it, empower the self, avoid a void… Remaking how you feel. Scrabblegram (100 tiles) Blanks: S, Y
September 30, 2025 at 4:22 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
The Minute Cryptic clue today is bizarre. It's not even real words. I don't why I wrote it. Sorry.
Screenshot of Minute Cryptic clue for 15 Sep 2025 by Lowdown: "Tingers tolded!? (4)"
September 15, 2025 at 5:35 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Well, I wasn't counting 29D as a clue because it's just "See 13D", so 39 actual clues
Title image of "The 39 Clues" book series
September 6, 2025 at 2:28 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Scrabblegram translation:

I visited Quebec City for the weekend.
There’s a large-format hotel!
Fearful of “carriage” noise,
one makes choices there.
Do you speak English?
_____________

Château Frontenac is one of the world's most photographed hotels (I didn't stay there). Linguistic notes below...
Scenic photo of Old Quebec City from above, with Chateau Frontenac hotel overlooking the St. Lawrence River
September 2, 2025 at 5:32 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
I was in Québec last week, so my (belated) #Scrabblegram for August is in French! 🥐 ⚜️ 🇨🇦

#Scrabble #Francais #Quebec #Canada

See thread below for translation and notes ⬇️
Photo of the famous Château Frontenac hotel in old Quebec City, with horse-drawn carriage in foreground. Text below: Un Scrabblegram en Français J’ai visité Québec pour le week-end. Il y a un hotêl grand format! Timoré de bruit “wagon”, on y fait des choix. Parlez-vous anglais? Scrabblegram (100 tuiles) Les jokers: L, U
September 2, 2025 at 5:32 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Cryptic Crossweird #18 went out to subscribers yesterday. It's my first barred-grid puzzle! 🤨

Thanks to momes, dob and bob for editing and support! 🙏🙌👏

Haven't subscribed yet? $2.50/mo gets you two fun indie cryptics each month and all past puzzles:
www.patreon.com/CrypticCross...
Cryptic Crossweird constructor bio with photo of Larry Kline (Lowdown) wearing cryptic clue types ampersand t-shirt. Bio: A long-time cryptic solver and clue-writer, Larry made his first crossword in 2022 and has appeared in The Browser, AVCX, Out of Left Field, and Minute Cryptic. Known online as Lowdown, he tweeted 650 letter bank clues and now posts cryptic stuff, Scrabblegrams, and other wordplay on Bluesky. Larry recently represented Canada at the first-ever World Cryptic Crossword Championship in London, England. He works in IT communications and lives with his wife in Toronto. Their son is studying theatre/acting in Montreal.
August 19, 2025 at 6:19 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Inspired by my trip to London earlier this month, my July #Scrabblegram pays tribute to the incredible Tube system 🚇🏙️🛤️

(I passed through about 75 stations that week, including to/from Heathrow and all the way out to Chesham in Zone 9)

#Scrabble #London #LondonUnderground #TheTube
Map of the London Underground system, with text below: Excited visitors journey on a big-river maze of antiquated Tube lines. So, how will you fare? (groan) Keep calm and mind the gap! Scrabblegram (100 tiles) Blanks: M, N
July 25, 2025 at 5:16 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
I had an amazing time in London, meeting puzzle people aplenty and participating in the first World Cryptic Crossword Championship 🤩
wccc.crypticsingh.com

Thanks again to Extra-C India for the extraordinary effort in organizing this milestone event! 👏

A few photos (with details in ALT tags)...
WCCC final round at the Nehru Centre, London on June 29, 2025. Host (centre): Ochintya Sharma. Six finalists (L-R): Shashwat Salgaonkar (India), Colin Thomas (England), Mark Goodliffe (England), Philip Coote (Australia), Matthew Marcus (USA), John Henderson (England) WCCC participants and guests at the Nehru Centre, London on June 29, 2025. Trophy winners (middle row): 1st place - Mark Goodliffe (4th from left), 2nd place - Colin Thomas (2nd from left), 3rd place - John Henderson (5th from left), all from England, plus online competition winner Matthew Marcus (3rd from left) from USA Larry Kline (Lowdown) with Dave Williams (Skirwingle, Off-Grid Podcast) and Colin Thomas (Assistant Crossword Editor for The Times, 2nd place in WCCC) Puzzle people outside the pub (L-R): Anicha Reuban (Germany), Jamie Thunder (Amoeba/Weatherman - England), Matthew Marcus (USA), Jennie Willson (Guinevere/Dice - Wales), Sowmya Ramkumar (Hypatia/Enigmaya - Bahrain), John Henderson (Enigmatist/Elgar - England), Larry Kline (Lowdown - Canada), Shashwat Salgaonkar (India)
July 16, 2025 at 6:14 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Description of “Predators ’R Us” - a colourful sculpture in human-like form by Andra Ursuta
July 7, 2025 at 3:17 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
One last cryptic clue from my trip… I wrote this a while ago for the 1ACross clue-writing contest, then yesterday I visited the Tate Modern gallery (answer not related to pic)

Tate Modern prepared to host sculptor’s debut exhibit (11)

#TateModern #London #1ACCWC
Colourful sculpture of human-like form by Andra Ursuta
July 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
Another cryptic clue about something I enjoyed here…

London theatre offering recipe for health patty? (3,4,4,4,5)
Marquee sign and poster in front of a theatre, with partial text showing: “WRONG, HT YALP TAH, THE PLAY” and part of a review starting with “Fawlty Towers m”
July 6, 2025 at 9:19 AM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
From the World Cryptic Crossword Championship to “The Championships”, my trip has been fabulous and a bit fatiguing so far…

After start of week, I’m drained over here! (9)
Lowdown selfie at a tennis tournament, on a hill overlooking the crowd and courts
July 4, 2025 at 12:45 PM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
According to reports, prompt people waiting in Britain? (5) #Wimbledon #crypticclue
Lowdown selfie in a field with 10,000 tennis fans
July 3, 2025 at 10:55 AM
lowdowncryptic.bsky.social
And this is a book of #cryptic #crosswords in the gift shop!
July 2, 2025 at 5:03 PM