My friends on the XWord Muggles Forum know me as Darth. (It's my avatar, not my real name, but I like it.) I've been a member of this special WSJ meta community since May 2021, and it's a privilege to "use the Force" and publish puzzles for my friends there (my debut meta appearing in the MMM on 9/11/23).
In real life, I'm an ESL teacher in the School of Literatures, Cultures and Linguistics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Needless to say, I love language, international travel, and word games...oh, and leisurely time on the beach (...well, make that the "virtual beach" on planet Naboo!).
Antiheroes are the rebels of stories, acting as heroes while never fitting neatly into the "good guy" mold. They embrace flaws, make questionable choices, blur the line between right and wrong. Their unpredictable nature brings an edgy twist to the…
Life can get a bit heavy at times, so this puzzle is dedicated to finding fun in everyday moments, looking for the simple things that make us smile and keep us going! We often need silly stuff and unexpected surprises to "turn our frown upside down".…
You know it's true -- those Disney princesses get all the attention! I mean, Cinderella, Snow White, Elsa, Jasmine, Ariel, Belle, Mulan...they all have become household names! But who pays any attention to Henry? Or gives "The Prince" a second…
Why did the chicken really cross the road? To prove to the armadillo that it could be done!
Why did the fox cross the road? To get the chicken!
Why did the fish cross the ocean? To get to the other tide!
Ok, ok, enough of the animal crossing…
A Valentine’s Day Reflection
Valentine’s Day is often painted as a celebration of love in its most romantic form, yet for many, it is a day of mixed emotions. Some find joy in expressing gratitude to those who have enriched their lives, while others…
I grew up with a love for solving crosswords and playing Scrabble. As you may know, Scrabble is played by forming connected words, in crossword fashion, on a 15x15 board with 100 tiles: 98 are marked with a letter and assigned a point value; the…
One of my early childhood memories is learning to play Sorry! while sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet with my older sister. I remember the thrill of moving my piece closer to home—until she drew a "Sorry!" card and sent me sliding back…
I'm admittedly not a football fan, and I only really pay attention to NFL during the playoffs and the Super Bowl, mostly for the social aspect or because it's "an American thing" to do. But I got this idea for a meta crossword while trying to think…
This month's midi contest theme is from @girlcow. She chose the perfect theme to inspire me!
You'll come to notice something specific delimited in the midi crossword I've designed here. Finish the grid, then follow the prompt to complete this…
I’m a fulltime teacher, but there was a time when I relied on substitute work, teaching everything from ESL to English composition, environmental ethics, even Arabic. I love teaching and don’t mind filling in when needed. Early this year I subbed for…