Loop

So.  Can we talk about symmetry for a minute?  Let's talk about symmetry.

Gridding the kind of cryptic I like making is hard for lots of reasons.  You want to get a lot of themers (theme entries) in the grid.  You want the words to be well-checked, and you want a good amount of connectedness between the different chunks of the grid.  You want to pick fresh, fun words you haven't seen in crosswords a lot, but you also want words that are common enough that you can expect your solver to have seen them.  And while doing all that, you want to be keeping an eye out for words that have good potential for fun clues.  And then, maybe you also want your grid to be symmetric.

Among all these pressures, making your grid symmetric costs the most, and gives back the least.

It feels weird to be as dismissive of symmetry as I am, when so many of the setters I respect and admire clearly care a lot about it.  But really, if I could wave a magic wand and make all my favorite Hex puzzles be asymmetric, but have an extra themer, I'd do it.  Or be asymmetric but not have that one fill that's an Irish county or an obscure dog breed.  Or be asymmetric and not have to use ERNE.  Or hell, just be asymmetric and take a couple hours less to finish gridding, that's a good enough reason too.

If I have a personal aspiration with my puzzles, it's that I hope to someday make asymmetric puzzles that someone loves enough that they don't feel bad abandoning symmetry to improve their grid in one of the many, many other ways that---as I see it---matter more.  (This is just so I get to solve these puzzles!  It's a purely selfish motivation!)

And by the way---if you want your grid to include the name of the Irish county where your parents met or the obscure breed of the dog your friend owns, or some other word that means something to you, you're not who I'm aiming that comment at!  If you make puzzles, I assume you know the difference between the words your audience probably doesn't know that you're excited to share with them, and the words your audience doesn't know that you're forced to include because you need a word that fits with the other words you actually do want to put.  To me, part of the advantage of an asymmetric grid is the implied promise that when a weird word shows up, it really is a word you wanted to include!

Anyway, here's a variety cryptic I made, called Loop!  Like every puzzle on this blog so far, it's asymmetric.  It has two obscure words you may not know that I like a lot and I was happy to use even if they're obscure.  (I warn you about them in the instructions.)

This puzzle was made with the help of Aaron Riccio providing excellent clue support.  Thanks a ton, Aaron!  Also, thanks to Skalds, StJtb, and Saroota for the test solves.  (They're all setters too!  Click those links!  My friends make great puzzles!)  

The puzzle has hints--click 'reveal' on a computer or tap the light bulb on mobile.  The variety-ness of this one means this one doesn't have enumerations, but the enumerations are there in the hints if you need them, along with the usual what's-the-definition and something-about-the-wordplay hints.  This puzzle is a little harder than my usual offerings, so don't feel bad about using them!

I hope you enjoy!

Fullscreen solve