Sara Goodchild

It's a good time to support the good people of AVCX Cryptics, as well as the good people of AVCX in general.

AVCX, the world’s finest puzzles and games service, and an independent media venture, has done some really cool stuff this year! A thread to brag (and to hype our mini subscription drive) …

So Long, and Thanks for All the Cryptics Hello, cryptic lovers! I don’t do a lot of full-sized puzzles over here these days, but I can think of no better way to pay tribute to The Browser Crossword and its editor extraordinaire Dan Feyer,…

And, if you haven't already done so, check out @mossdef.bsky.social's tribute puzzle: squarepursuit.com/2025/10/22/s...

The Browser Crossword Every day we read hundreds of articles and recommend five outstanding stories for you to enjoy, so you'll always have interesting things to ponder and fascinating ideas to discuss at dinner

Link here for subscribers, which also includes all #243 archived puzzles: thebrowser.com/crossword-ar...

The Browser Crossword. Cryptic #244 by Sara Goodchild. Missing Tombstones: A walk in the cemetery. October 26, 2025, edited by Dan Feyer.

My fifth Hallowe'en special for the Browser is up! If the tone is melancholy, it's because the Browser cryptic crossword is ending as of December. Huge thanks to Uri and Dan for providing such a fabulous venue for North American cryptics, helping so many of us get our start and practice our chops.

So Long, and Thanks for All the Cryptics Hello, cryptic lovers! I don’t do a lot of full-sized puzzles over here these days, but I can think of no better way to pay tribute to The Browser Crossword and its editor extraordinaire Dan Feyer,…

Crossword's conclusion leaves spirit low (3)

@danfeyer.bsky.social at The Browser Crossword was the first editor to take a chance on me as a beginning cryptic setter, so I thought I'd make a little tribute puzzle on the blog.

I hope it brightens your day!

squarepursuit.com/2025/10/22/s...

Lil AVCX: Call for applications for our 2026 constructor roster Lil AVCX: Call for applications for our 2026 constructor roster We’re looking for new and emerging crossword puzzle constructors to regularly contribute “midi” puzzles. Yes, you’ll get paid, and you ...

Lil AVCX is looking for new and emerging constructors to be a part of our 2026 constructing roster. Deadline for applications is November 14, 2025. Here's the information: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Thanks Juff!!

Cauldron: A cryptic puzzle by Sara Goodchild. A circular crossword grid with bubbles and a vortext in the middle.

I've got a witchy puzzle for spooky season in the WSJ this weekend! Circular grids are scaaaaaaaary stuff, kids... Free to download here: prod-i.a.dj.com/public/resou...

Great puzzle! I particularly enjoyed 6D. :)

hey canadian friends you can tell the govt what you think about AI (🚮)! survey closes at the end of the month. it's a tad long but worth it. #CanPoli
ised-isde.canada.ca/site/ised/en...

After the Feast: A Turkey Leftovers Cookbooklet - Iva Cheung After a couple decades of editing and indexing cookbooks, I took a stab at writing (a small!) one. After the Feast brings together 25-ish of my favourite ways to use up the leftovers from big turkey d...

I made a li'l cookbook! *After the Feast* suggests ways to use up leftovers from your big turkey dinners.

The PDF is FREE. If you buy a print copy, $2 will support food security initiatives through the Qajuqturvik Community Food Centre.

Please spread the word! 🍗

ivacheung.com/2025/09/afte...

Wikipedia screenshots from the Jane Goodall entry. It reads: Gary Larson cartoon incident In 1987, Gary Larson published a Far Side cartoon of two chimpanzees grooming, in which one discovers a blonde hair and says, "Conducting a little more 'research' with that Jane Goodall tramp?" The Jane Goodall Institute called the cartoon an "atrocity" in a letter drafted by its lawyers to Larson and his syndicate. Goodall, who was in Africa at the time, later found the cartoon amusing. She went on to name it her favorite depiction of herself in pop culture.

Another Wikipedia screenshot: Larson offered profits from sales of a shirt featuring the cartoon to the Jane Goodall Institute. Goodall wrote the preface to The Far Side Gallery 5, detailing her version of the controversy. She praised Larson's creative ideas, which often compare and contrast the behaviour of humans and animals. In 1988, Larson visited Goodall's research facility in Tanzania, and was attacked by a chimpanzee named Frodo.

I knew the first half of this story— that Gary Larsen’s cartoon joking Dr. Goodall was sleeping with chimpanzees caused her Institute to lawyer up only for her to find the comic super amusing upon her return from the field— but I’d never heard Larsen got attacked by a chimpanzee!

The Gnomon Variety cryptic crosswords

First full issue of The Gnomon is live now, with five puzzles from @longyfan.bsky.social , @bewilderingly.bsky.social, and @juffowup.bsky.social , and from guest editors @joeadultman.bsky.social and Skaldskaparmal.
www.gnomoncryptics.com

Only three days left to support These Puzzles Fund Abortion, a labor of love that has raised over $300,000 for abortion access since 2020. Please chip in to help us meet our goal of $35,000 for this year — we are only $1000 away!

fund.nnaf.org/campaign/the...

This was a great read!

these puzzles fund abortion

Want to hear a cool story about reproductive justice, mutual aid, and crossword puzzles?

Let me tell you about These Puzzles Fund Abortion (www.abortionpuzzles.com / @tpfa.bsky.social), a crossword puzzle fundraiser that has raised over $350,000 in five years for abortion funds.
1/9

YouTube video by Malaika Handa Caveat performance (April 16, 2025)

Just watched this insightful and very funny talk about crossword editing and the constructor's voice by @malaika-h.bsky.social and you should go watch it too!
youtu.be/377nX-dY3II?...

Image of cryptic-style crossword grid. The first word, POWER, has already been filled in. Some of the squares in the puzzle are circled.

✨Constructor Spotlight✨

Sara Goodchild (she/her, @sarathegood.bsky.social) is an editor & puzzlemaker based in Toronto. She’s honoured to be contributing to TPFA for a 2nd time: abortion is health care!

Sara co-created a brilliant puzzle with Steve Mossberg.
Available at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa!

Confirmation - Iva Cheung Click through to enlarge!

APRIL CARTOON: ivacheung.com/2025/04/conf... #AmEditing

I always knew I was a cryptic crossweirdo, but now it’s official! It was such a pleasure to work with Dob, Momes, and Bob. Check out the puzzle on Patreon!

Image of crossword puzzle titled “Lessons in Chemistry” Cryptic by Jess Shulman, with the first clue highlighted (One agent had changed where the topic on this puzzle’s edges should always be (2,3,6))

Our second sample puzzle is now available to solve for free on our website!

Check out the cryptic puzzle “Lessons in Chemistry?” by @jessshulman.bsky.social at www.abortionpuzzles.com!

(& if you like this puzzle, you’ll love the 20+ other puzzles you’ll get when you donate at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa!)

Buy, solve, and support the hell out of “A Trans Person Made Your Puzzle,” a new crossword puzzle pack from @adanicklmao.bsky.social

sites.google.com/view/transxw...

TPFA FAQ’s Q: Why can’t you just be “Puzzles for Choice?” A: We’ve been asked many times why we don’t change the name of our puzzle pack to something more neutral, something less “in-your-face,” something more palatable to people who want to support “women’s health” or “the right to choose” but who might be uncomfortable with the language of funding abortion. We have stood by our decision to be explicit about the purpose of this project right in the name—These Puzzles Fund Abortion—because we believe that abortion should not be stigmatized or sanitized with language that obscures. Abortion is healthcare, and your dornation will help provide access to that healthcare.

#tpfaqs

Today's Cryptic Crossweird puzzle is from friend of the stream @benzimmer.bsky.social! We're honored to know and have the opportunity to work with such a smart cookie!

Check it out here: tinyurl.com/ydu4dz3w

I also have a really fun variety cryptic in there with @sarathegood.bsky.social, which was such a treat to make!

Graphic showing the These Puzzles Fund Abortion Logo on a light purple crossword background with the words “TPFA 5 is now live!”

Fundraising update showing screenshot of our donation website, with $7,558 dollars raised toward our 50K goal (15% raised by 133 supporters)

We are happy to announce that our crossword pack is now available! Thank you to those who donated during our presale; you will receive the puzzles today. We are currently at 15% of our fundraising goal! Check us out at fund.nnaf.org/tpfa if you haven’t donated yet!

Loved collaborating on you with this! So excited for people to try it.

TPFA logo on a purple crossword background. Logo says These Puzzles Fund Abortion with a 5 spelled out in a crossword grid.

We are entering the final week of TPFA pre-sale.

We are so excited to share these #crosswords with you on Friday!

fund.nnaf.org/tpfa

Proud to be part of this important initiative again! Please donate!