John Kugelman author page
8 puzzles by John Kugelman
with Constructor comments
See the 79 answer words debuted by John Kugelman.
John Kugelman, of Gainesville, Va., is a software engineer and musician.
| P | U | S | H | P | O | P | M | A | D | A | M | A | T | O | O | F | A | R | ||
| A | S | Y | O | U | D | O | O | R | A | T | O | R | A | R | C | A | N | A | ||
| C | O | M | P | L | I | M | E | N | T | S | F | O | R | F | I | S | H | I | N | G |
| P | E | L | E | W | I | S | H | C | A | L | L | O | N | I | T | |||||
| Z | A | H | N | M | E | S | P | O | K | Y | T | K | O | |||||||
| A | L | O | O | P | F | O | R | T | H | R | O | W | I | N | G | S | O | A | P | |
| P | O | N | T | I | A | C | S | E | A | U | S | T | O | L | A | F | ||||
| S | T | Y | N | T | H | G | R | I | F | T | L | O | C | H | T | E | ||||
| P | O | S | I | T | I | O | N | F | O | R | J | O | C | K | E | Y | S | |||
| G | S | P | O | T | E | R | S | E | T | H | I | C | S | A | P | T | ||||
| O | O | R | T | L | A | N | A | T | O | G | O | T | R | E | E | |||||
| U | N | E | L | E | D | O | F | F | P | E | N | S | I | T | A | R | ||||
| D | I | S | A | S | T | E | R | F | O | R | A | R | E | C | I | P | E | |||
| A | C | T | S | A | S | E | R | I | E | S | L | A | O | P | O | E | ||||
| O | U | T | G | U | N | U | N | A | L | E | G | O | L | A | N | D | ||||
| O | R | C | S | O | N | E | S | M | O | N | E | Y | F | O | R | A | R | U | N | |
| N | I | H | J | A | Y | S | T | N | T | M | E | S | A | |||||||
| S | T | A | N | P | A | R | D | I | M | E | D | E | C | O | N | |||||
| P | U | N | I | S | H | M | E | N | T | F | O | R | A | G | L | U | T | T | O | N |
| E | A | G | L | E | D | S | E | A | S | O | N | P | A | R | T | A | K | E | ||
| C | L | O | S | E | S | T | Y | R | O | N | E | A | N | D | A | L | S | O |
| I | N | S | T | A | B | E | T | I | K | E | A | |||
| N | E | P | A | L | M | O | T | H | G | R | A | B | ||
| C | A | R | I | B | B | E | A | N | C | R | U | I | S | E |
| A | R | I | U | L | T | R | A | E | A | S | E | L | ||
| N | A | M | E | A | N | N | ||||||||
| B | I | G | B | A | D | W | O | L | F | A | N | T | S | |
| A | S | T | E | R | I | B | A | R | S | U | R | E | ||
| M | A | I | T | I | D | E | P | O | D | T | A | C | ||
| B | A | M | A | F | E | S | S | E | N | A | C | T | ||
| I | C | E | R | F | R | E | E | S | T | Y | L | E | S | |
| C | A | Y | H | A | U | L | ||||||||
| A | R | I | A | L | A | Z | T | E | C | E | G | G | ||
| T | O | M | D | I | C | K | A | N | D | H | A | R | R | Y |
| O | P | I | E | P | I | N | T | E | D | G | A | R | ||
| M | E | N | S | A | N | Y | S | A | Y | S | O |
| S | L | E | P | T | I | N | M | A | D | A | M | E | X | A | O | K | ||||
| U | P | A | N | D | A | T | E | M | O | N | E | N | A | M | E | B | Y | E | ||
| D | O | N | T | Q | U | O | T | E | M | E | O | N | T | H | I | S | L | S | D | |
| O | R | D | S | M | I | A | S | E | A | L | L | E | T | S | ||||||
| N | T | H | B | O | N | A | N | Z | A | S | L | I | P | A | S | E | ||||
| Y | O | U | R | M | O | N | E | Y | S | N | O | G | O | O | D | H | E | R | E | |
| N | O | A | H | P | O | O | R | A | R | A | B | Y | ||||||||
| H | A | L | T | W | H | O | G | O | E | S | T | H | E | R | E | M | A | E | ||
| S | H | E | E | N | A | N | B | A | S | W | E | A | R | J | A | R | S | |||
| N | A | A | N | S | U | I | T | E | S | S | C | I | O | N | S | |||||
| D | O | N | T | S | T | A | R | T | W | I | T | H | M | E | ||||||
| A | M | E | L | I | E | T | R | E | A | D | S | W | A | R | E | |||||
| C | R | U | D | E | N | E | S | S | I | L | L | F | L | A | M | E | S | |||
| O | T | S | A | L | L | Y | O | U | N | E | E | D | I | S | L | O | V | E | ||
| M | C | C | O | O | U | N | P | C | O | L | A | S | ||||||||
| P | U | L | L | Y | O | U | R | S | E | L | F | T | O | G | E | T | H | E | R | |
| R | E | D | S | U | N | C | A | L | I | P | E | R | S | N | A | P | ||||
| F | A | C | E | I | C | E | S | A | M | I | A | L | I | A | ||||||
| E | T | A | Y | O | U | C | A | N | T | W | I | N | T | H | E | M | A | L | L | |
| N | O | R | A | U | R | O | R | A | E | D | E | M | O | N | I | C | A | L | ||
| D | R | S | P | I | L | L | A | G | E | S | I | N | G | L | E | T |
This puzzle, my first NYT acceptance, got the thumbs up in March of 2023. At that time I'd only been constructing for a few months and had a bad habit of trying to cram as many themers as I could into each puzzle. If I made it today I would drop one and let the grid breathe. There's too much short fill. Nevertheless, I still love the puzzle and I hope you do, too.
| U | N | D | R | E | S | S | E | S | M | A | J | O | R | S | I | N | |||||
| P | A | R | I | S | T | E | X | A | S | T | I | M | E | L | A | P | S | E | |||
| D | O | U | B | L | E | C | L | I | C | K | S | E | C | O | N | D | M | A | T | E | |
| O | H | M | S | R | A | D | I | O | S | P | E | A | K | C | O | D | |||||
| A | L | E | X | D | E | E | D | K | I | T | E | ||||||||||
| I | T | S | A | B | E | T | E | B | I | L | L | E | Y | E | M | A | S | K | S | ||
| R | A | P | D | U | O | O | N | E | A | F | T | E | R | A | N | O | T | H | E | R | |
| A | L | I | S | T | C | L | O | N | K | U | M | P | S | O | P | T | |||||
| N | O | R | P | O | L | A | S | F | A | R | A | S | O | U | T | T | A | ||||
| N | I | G | H | T | B | I | R | D | I | P | O | O | H | H | |||||||
| T | H | I | S | B | E | A | R | S | R | E | P | E | A | T | I | N | G | ||||
| E | N | D | N | Y | U | R | A | G | E | R | O | O | M | S | |||||||
| B | A | S | E | D | L | E | G | L | I | F | T | A | R | O | I | C | E | ||||
| A | C | T | A | I | D | E | O | U | T | D | O | I | F | N | O | T | |||||
| T | H | E | M | U | M | M | Y | R | E | T | U | R | N | S | A | L | L | O | W | S | |
| H | E | A | R | T | I | E | S | V | A | L | E | T | C | L | E | A | R | L | Y | ||
| D | I | E | D | C | E | N | T | M | A | T | S | ||||||||||
| E | L | I | S | T | A | R | K | I | L | L | E | R | G | A | S | P | |||||
| B | A | C | K | U | P | C | O | P | Y | P | A | I | R | O | F | P | A | N | T | S | |
| B | R | A | I | N | D | U | M | P | M | A | L | L | S | A | N | T | A | S | |||
| S | A | M | A | D | A | M | S | R | E | S | U | R | G | E | N | T |
| A | M | B | I | G | O | N | G | D | A | N | G | C | V | S | ||||||
| C | O | I | N | S | A | W | O | R | D | I | G | O | R | S | L | I | T | |||
| K | N | O | C | K | O | N | W | O | O | D | S | O | M | E | T | O | R | O | ||
| N | A | I | L | S | A | R | I | A | L | S | E | N | E | G | A | L | ||||
| F | I | S | T | K | N | I | T | T | I | N | G | N | E | E | D | L | E | |||
| C | E | C | E | G | R | A | S | S | R | K | O | S | L | A | V | |||||
| U | M | A | M | O | O | N | P | I | E | T | I | N | S | N | I | C | ||||
| B | U | R | N | A | F | T | E | R | R | E | A | D | I | N | G | A | C | D | C | |
| A | R | M | A | N | I | S | E | A | R | L | S | O | O | T | I | E | R | |||
| R | A | S | C | P | U | S | F | A | T | L | E | N | O | |||||||
| A | R | C | H | A | E | O | L | O | G | I | C | A | L | D | I | G | ||||
| D | I | A | L | D | O | T | N | A | V | E | O | F | T | |||||||
| P | O | R | T | E | N | D | S | I | R | E | S | C | O | U | R | G | E | |||
| D | O | P | E | B | L | A | S | T | F | R | O | M | T | H | E | P | A | S | T | |
| F | R | O | S | C | E | N | E | R | Y | O | A | T | S | D | U | A | ||||
| B | R | A | H | N | E | O | A | D | O | B | E | W | I | I | S | |||||
| P | U | T | D | O | W | N | O | N | P | A | P | E | R | F | O | O | T | |||
| E | S | C | A | P | E | E | I | S | L | A | M | A | W | I | N | G | ||||
| A | T | O | M | I | V | A | N | F | R | E | N | C | H | R | O | A | S | T | ||
| R | E | D | S | R | E | N | T | T | A | B | L | E | S | U | G | A | R | |||
| T | R | E | D | R | N | O | N | A | S | T | T | A | X | I |
| P | R | O | B | B | U | S | E | S | A | G | A | S | P | P | E | D | I | |||
| D | O | V | E | A | M | U | S | T | J | E | L | L | O | O | N | E | S | |||
| F | U | E | L | S | S | P | E | C | U | L | A | T | I | O | N | O | P | A | L | |
| S | T | R | I | P | E | S | A | P | E | X | P | I | L | L | A | G | E | |||
| E | A | T | S | P | O | T | W | I | S | E | A | S | S | E | S | |||||
| H | O | L | D | S | W | A | T | E | R | G | I | L | S | I | R | S | ||||
| E | L | O | M | O | N | O | H | O | L | L | A | L | E | A | D | S | ||||
| W | I | S | P | S | G | O | E | S | A | L | L | I | N | A | S | N | E | R | ||
| E | V | E | L | F | U | D | G | E | S | F | A | C | T | S | O | T | T | O | ||
| D | E | T | A | I | L | S | G | A | P | S | I | S | U | Z | U | |||||
| R | O | N | C | O | Y | O | N | H | U | T | P | E | R | M | S | |||||
| T | E | A | M | O | A | M | I | S | P | E | N | C | A | P | S | |||||
| M | E | N | S | T | A | K | E | S | O | R | D | E | R | S | E | S | A | U | ||
| G | R | E | E | D | D | O | N | T | S | T | A | R | E | T | S | A | R | S | ||
| M | A | U | V | E | D | O | R | I | S | A | P | B | S | L | E | I | ||||
| R | I | C | H | N | O | N | S | E | T | S | A | T | E | A | S | E | ||||
| H | E | A | D | C | A | N | O | N | R | I | C | O | S | O | N | |||||
| O | N | L | E | A | V | E | F | O | N | Z | I | Q | R | A | N | G | E | |||
| V | O | N | N | E | X | C | H | A | N | G | E | S | N | U | M | B | E | R | S | |
| E | L | E | C | T | U | P | A | C | I | M | A | G | E | L | E | A | P | |||
| R | A | T | E | O | S | A | G | E | T | A | X | E | S | E | D | D | Y |
This puzzle was inspired by Rebecca Goldstein's Simile Irresistible. The ambiguity of hidden punctuation and spacing in crosswords is so delightful. I had the entry CLEAR AS CRYSTAL stuck in my head for months like a Top 40 earworm. It would pop up at random moments. "Clear, as crystal" ... "Clear, as crystal" ... "Clear, as crystal".
To develop the theme set, I wrote a Python script to list phrases with potential ___'S words. It wasn't what anyone would call smart: it spit out 70,000 some candidate entries. I spent hours a night reading through them all. What a slog. After a week I'd collected 162 maybe-usable entries in my spreadsheet. Boy, I tell you, 162 out of 70,000 is just a miserably low hit rate. But hey, you can't make an omelet without cracking tens of thousands of eggs.
| V | O | R | T | E | X | E | S | D | I | S | C | I | P | L | E | |||||
| I | N | A | I | L | E | D | I | T | P | I | N | O | T | N | O | I | R | |||
| S | U | P | E | R | D | U | P | E | R | J | U | N | K | D | R | A | W | E | R | |
| A | S | T | R | O | S | E | E | P | A | G | E | P | E | N | S | |||||
| A | Y | E | R | D | E | F | Q | U | E | E | R | |||||||||
| A | L | E | C | W | A | N | D | E | R | A | R | O | U | N | D | T | O | W | N | |
| S | U | N | K | S | T | O | R | E | R | E | M | A | I | N | F | O | O | |||
| P | R | O | S | T | F | B | O | M | B | B | E | S | T | A | C | T | O | R | ||
| I | C | K | A | L | I | E | N | O | M | A | N | I | A | W | E | S | ||||
| C | H | I | C | K | E | N | T | E | N | D | E | R | S | S | T | R | O | D | E | |
| L | E | A | K | E | Y | E | M | A | I | D | ||||||||||
| P | I | P | E | I | N | F | L | I | C | K | E | R | O | F | L | I | G | H | T | |
| E | L | E | A | A | C | E | L | A | L | A | P | E | L | E | A | R | ||||
| C | U | R | R | I | C | U | L | A | M | E | S | S | I | S | E | I | Z | E | ||
| A | V | E | C | A | R | E | S | S | N | I | T | E | R | A | C | E | S | |||
| N | U | M | B | E | R | O | F | T | H | E | B | E | A | S | T | T | O | S | S | |
| P | E | T | E | R | A | S | L | T | E | E | N | |||||||||
| V | O | T | E | T | I | M | C | O | O | K | R | O | B | I | N | |||||
| A | N | O | F | F | E | R | Y | O | U | C | A | N | T | R | E | F | U | S | E | |
| S | T | R | E | A | M | E | R | S | R | O | B | O | C | A | L | L | S | |||
| T | O | Y | D | R | I | V | E | W | H | I | T | T | L | E | S |
| A | S | P | C | A | C | A | R | B | I | S | S | A | E | M | I | T | S | |||
| C | H | A | U | T | A | U | Q | U | A | B | E | A | U | N | O | L | A | N | ||
| M | I | S | T | E | R | B | U | N | N | Y | M | A | G | S | D | O | L | M | A | |
| E | V | S | M | E | A | N | I | E | L | E | T | G | O | B | A | G | ||||
| F | O | B | E | S | T | E | E | R | E | F | U | E | L | S | ||||||
| W | E | A | R | A | B | L | E | T | H | I | N | G | T | O | T | A | S | T | E | |
| E | V | I | L | L | A | U | G | H | T | S | O | A | N | A | ||||||
| E | E | L | E | T | R | E | R | B | I | R | U | N | E | O | S | U | ||||
| G | E | E | K | S | B | E | A | R | I | N | G | G | R | I | F | T | S | |||
| S | A | T | O | N | T | A | X | M | E | N | G | R | A | N | T | E | E | |||
| C | L | O | T | H | A | S | H | U | P | S | Y | D | E | A | R | |||||
| O | P | T | I | M | A | L | A | U | N | T | I | E | D | U | N | K | S | |||
| W | H | E | N | I | T | P | A | I | N | S | I | T | R | O | A | R | S | |||
| L | A | D | S | E | E | R | T | A | T | D | K | N | Y | U | T | E | ||||
| I | S | R | E | P | I | J | U | L | I | E | N | N | E | D | ||||||
| T | H | R | E | E | M | A | R | E | S | Q | U | E | A | L | S | A | D | A | Y | |
| W | E | E | K | D | A | Y | O | D | E | U | M | T | E | E | ||||||
| Y | E | S | A | D | R | A | G | W | I | P | E | R | S | R | Y | E | ||||
| A | T | T | I | C | T | H | R | O | N | E | S | S | T | O | W | A | W | A | Y | |
| T | H | E | E | U | L | E | A | R | R | O | S | E | P | A | R | A | D | E | ||
| T | E | R | R | E | E | M | M | A | O | N | E | S | D | R | Y | A | D |
My dad is my puzzle sounding board and trusty test solver. He's turning 80 this year and crossword construction has been a wonderful way to connect with him. Whenever I see him, we throw around all kinds of wordplay ideas, just spitballing and letting our minds roam. As the engineer I'm always saying, "that won't work because of this and that rule," while he waves me off and goes on free associating.
We talked about doing spoonerisms for a while. I've come up with a lot of out there theme ideas, many too convoluted for their own good. Spoonerisms were something my dad understood immediately. For months he e-mailed me new ones he'd thought of. They sat on the shelf, though, because I didn't know what the entry point would be. Just putting unrelated spoonerisms in a grid isn't enough for a puzzle (one of those pesky "rules").
Thinking of WEARABLE THING TO TASTE was the foot in the door. We could spoonerize familiar sayings. That would appease the rule police.
For most of my puzzles I'm able to leverage my software expertise to do some of the heavy lifting. Not this one. The computer was no help. This one took pure old-fashioned human elbow grease.
My dad continues to send me new spoonerisms to this day. When I tell him there's no need — the puzzle's already been accepted — he just waves me off. "Bunny hunch," he says. "What can you do with that?"