Lollapuzzoola

This week, Brian is joined by Shannon Rapp for a super-sized episode with an insider's recap of the Midwest Crossword Tournament, hefty sandwiches, and a non-NYT Thunder Round with puzzles from the LA Times, Apple News, Universal, USA Today, and Fireball! #crossword #podcast bemoresmarter.com/fmi

Next week, FMI will be guest co-hosted by Shannon Rapp aka Norah Sharpe (the name is fake, but the puzzles are real)! Thunder Round: 10/6 NYer, 10/7 USAT, 10/8 Fireball, 10/10 Apple, 10/10 and 10/11 LAT, 10/12 Univ. Visit dailycrosswordlinks.com to find these puzzles (and more)! #crossword #podcast

Lollapuzzoola final, one hand in the air

Wow, Lollapuzzoola! What an amazing event—thank you to Brian, Brooke, and all the constructors and volunteers.

Wanted to do a quick thread on some of the pairs competition to highlight some amazing solvers:

Thanks to all for an amazing tourney yesterday! 🐶🐭🐷🐸🐰🐯 Congrats to the winners: Jenna LaFleur (express), Patrick Kingchatchaval (Local), and Shannon Rapp/Will Eisenberg (Pairs). See you next year on another Saturday in August! bemoresmarter.com #crossword #puzzle #tournament #tiebreaker #slowpizza

We believe in you!

Brian Cimmet (tournament director) co-created Lollapuzzoola in 2008 and is forever grateful to all of the contestants, constructors, contributors, colleagues, and co-everythings who have been part of the greatest crossword puzzle tournament ever held annually on a Saturday in August!

Who's ready for some puzzles? #crossword #puzzle #tournament #saturdayinaugust #lolla2025 BeMoreSmarter.com/lpz

Paolo Pasco (crossword meta suite) is a games editor based in Brooklyn. He wrote tournament puzzles for Lolla 10, 11, 12, and 15, and contributed to bonus puzzles for 14 and 16. Last year he went to Australia, where he saw an EMU for the first time. #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

Sid Sivakumar is an MD/PhD student and puzzle maker who has many iterations of Lolla in the past. Sid enjoyed ten marvelous years with Bhairav the dog and now derives great satisfaction from becoming the best friend of any nearby neighbor's pet. #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

Mark Valdez is a Brooklyn-based crossword constructor and editor. His puzzles have been featured in USA Today, Universal, LA Times, Puzzmo, Apple News, and A24’s “99 TV Crosswords” book. #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

Hannah Slovut-Einertson works in data and lives in Minnesota with her wife, dog, and cat. This is her first time constructing for Lolla. She’s been making crosswords ever since creating one for her first annual Giraffe Appreciation Potluck in 2017. #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

Brooke Husic is delighted to edit for her 5th Lolla and construct for her 4th. She runs Puzzmo’s daily crossword, co-maintains Spread the Word(list), and contributes to Apple News+, These Puzzles Fund Abortion, etc. Her favorite animal is the orca. #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

Kate Hawkins is a city-loving Californian, mother of two small children, and roommate/meal ticket/lap to two gray tabbies named Millie and Birdie. She just moved to NYC to start a puzzles-and-games job. Please invite her to do cool things in the city! #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

Malaika Handa has been making crosswords for about five years, but never before for Lollapuzzoola! Nowadays, she’s mainly publishing with Vulture magazine. She shares a name with Solio Game Reserve’s rescued baby rhino, but there’s no relation. #crossword #puzzle #crosswordpuzzle #tournament

This puzzle was, in part, an answer to "how can we make 'being stuck in an online tournament' essential to the puzzle itself?"

Some of the "best" customer feedback we've ever gotten was during the tournament itself, folks who wrote/texted/DMed to let us know that the puzzle wasn't loading properly.

Kareem is a Lebanese-Syrian high school literature teacher currently living in Harlem, NY with his cuddly-fuzzy-husky-buddy, Kane. He loves to break crossword conventions by making weird off-beat puzzles, which can be seen in most major venues. He is also very excited for his first Lolla puzzle!

Lolla lineup! Main tournament slate: Kareem Ayas, Malaika Handa, Kate Hawkins, Brooke Husic, Hannah Slovut-Einertson, Mark Valdez. Tiebreaker: Sid Sivakumar. Bonus meta suites: Paolo Pasco, Brian Cimmet. bemoresmarter.com/lpz

People made puzzles! Woohoo!!! bemoresmarter.com/lpz

Lollapuzzoola constructor lineup dropping ... TOMORROW! #crossword #tournament #lollapuzzoola

We hope that one month is enough time to come up with some puzzles. Anyone got any ideas?

Join us on August 9 for Lollapuzzoola, the greatest crossword tournament ever held annually on a Saturday in August. www.bemoresmarter.com/lpz

Oh, that was soooo fun

LOLLAPUZZOOLA 18 is coming up in just 50 days -- Saturday, August 9 to be exact. We hope to see you there!

bemoresmarter.com/lollapuzzool...

Looking for something to love on Valentine's Day? How about loving this breaking news:

Lollapuzzoola 18 is happening on Saturday, August 9, 2025. And that, my friends, is a Saturday in August.

ahoy!

Hello, world!