A monthly contest crossword of LITERARY proportions!
Come back on the first of every month for a new literature-inspired crossword
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October 2026 Monthly Contest SOLUTION
Title: “If I Could Just Get Things in Order…” Prompt: The meta answer is something that may be difficult for a writer to do. Answer: BEGIN Explanation: the clue for 82A SORT, [Get things in order, such as by alphabetizing], with its clear callback to the title, provides a crucial hint. Something should be alphabetized……
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October 2026 Monthly Contest: “If I Could Just Get Things in Order…”
Let’s get right to the puzzle this month! This month’s contest puzzle is “If I Could Just Get Things in Order…” by Emma Oxford. The meta answer is something that may be difficult for a writer to do. To submit to the contest, send an email with your answer in the subject line to damefoxwords@gmail.com.…
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September 2026 Monthly Contest SOLUTION
Title: “The Brains of the Operation”Prompt: The meta answer is a famous novel.Answer: FRANKENSTEIN Before we get to the explanation, a quick bit of housekeeping: if you’re reading this on the ACL website (as opposed to in your email, if you’re a subscriber who receives these posts by email), you may notice a new banner…
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September 2026 Monthly Contest: “The Brains of the Operation”
Ah, September, that baffling month where pumpkins are for sale in containers labeled with pictures of watermelons. But I digress. Back to crosswords! This month’s contest puzzle is “The Brains of the Operation” by Carina da Rosa. The meta answer is a famous novel. You can find Carina’s bio over on our Team Ariadne page.…
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August 2026 Monthly Contest SOLUTION
Title: “If You Play Your Cards Right” Prompt: The meta answer is a literary antagonist. Answer: QUEEN OF HEARTS (from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll) Explanation: 4D, clued as [With 40-Down, the hand that you’ve been dealt] tells you that you have a BROADWAY STRAIGHT in your hand. Google (or just knowledge of…
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August 2026 Monthly Contest: “If You Play Your Cards Right”
Should you beat the August heat with a crossword puzzle or a card game today? Good news, you can do both! This month’s contest puzzle is “If You Play Your Cards Right” by Faren Roth. The meta answer is a literary antagonist. You can find Faren’s bio over on our Team Ariadne page. She also…
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July 2026 Monthly Contest SOLUTION
Title: “State of Communication”Prompt: The meta answer is a novel published in the 1980s whose title would make a good sixth theme answer.Answer: THE HOTEL NEW HAMPSHIRE (by John Irving) Explanation: each of the five longest across entries contains, in some order, the name of a US state and a letter in the NATO phonetic…
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July 2026 Monthly Contest: “State of Communication”
Somehow, 2026 is half over. Starting off the second half of the year, we have “State of Communication” by Emma Oxford for your meta-solving enjoyment. The meta answer is a novel published in the 1980s whose title would make a good sixth theme answer. To submit to the contest, send an email with your answer…
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June 2026 Monthly Contest SOLUTION
Title: “The Art of Writing” Prompt: The meta answer is a novel.Answer: THE GOLDFINCH (by Donna Tartt) Explanation: the five longest across entries, although not clued this way, are all names of famous paintings. The name of the artist of each painting appears in a clue elsewhere in the puzzle, like so: THELASTSUPPER -> 21D…
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June 2026 Monthly Contest: “The Art of Writing”
Month six of 2026 and ACL is continuing its streak of guest constructors! This month’s contest puzzle is “The Art of Writing” by Lee Taylor. The meta answer is a novel. Lee has had more time to focus on crossword construction since retiring from the National Park Service and is just getting into the exciting…
