Puzzle Notes

Hello, cryptids, and happy new year! We're back after a holiday break, and things will be slightly different this year. Firstly, the cryptic is moving to an every-other-week schedule; I vaguely recall that there are business reasons why this is the case, but tbh I can't keep that kind of stuff in my head because I'm just thinking about anagrams all the time. Secondly, and hopefully this counteracts any disappointment at the first piece of news, the rad Nate Cardin is officially joining the AVCX Cryptic team this year as an editor! (He guest-edited last year, but now we're making it official.)

We also intend to continue providing periodic bonus mini cryptics in our off weeks, and we have one for you today from Stella Zawistowski. As per uzhe, there are multiple options for beginners in search of assistance: the Hints PDF (indicating the different sections of each clue) and the Wordplay Type PDF (which tells you the wordplay to watch for in each clue). And next week, be on the lookout for a debut cryptic from Ken Stern!

(Unrelated to most of the above except for the part about thinking about anagrams all the time: If you also happen to be a person who thinks about anagrams all the time, I highly recommend the Broadway musical "Kimberly Akimbo" as being Relevant To Your Interests.)

Be well --

-- Francis (and the newly quadripartite AVCX Cryptic Crew)