Current Events and Political Themed Crossword Puzzles by George Barany and FriendsThe table below lists in reverse chronological order (most recent first) our puzzles with political themes and/or dealing with current events. As you solve them, I think it will become quickly obvious why we have gone the samizdat route, since much of the theme material covered herein flunks the "breakfast test." Also, many of these puzzles seem to have a limited shelf-life, but they were certainly "in the moment" when they first came out. I routinely try to provide a picture/graphic as a "hint;" in some cases, additional information is provided for your interest to be viewed after completing the puzzle [or immediately, if you want to forego the puzzle entirely]. The page you are currently viewing can be reached quickly by using http://tinyurl.com/gbpolitics and we hope you refer us to others who are progressively minded. E-mail: barany@umn.edu to be added to a bcc distribution list that announces new puzzles. GBBonus comment: It is a pleasure to share the New York Times Election Day 2012 puzzle by Erik Agard, and to think back fondly on the legendary Election Day 1996 puzzle by Jeremiah Farrell, both edited by Will Shortz. |
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| Title | Date | Authors | Comments (and note that our "midrashim" have spoilers) |
| California Dreamin' | 6/4/2016 | Christopher Adams / Edited by George Barany and Friends | Thursday-ish puzzle, ripped from the headlines and complete with "midrash," which was created as an adjunct to the Indie 500 crossword tournament in Washington DC (16x19 puzzle). |
| 56-Downed-Up Charges | 6/2016 | George Barany, Christopher Adams, Martin Herbach, and Alex Vratsanos | Politically themed "mid-week level" puzzle, complete with "midrash,"created in response to a newsworthy "Twitter war." Commissioned for Natural Selections (June 2016), as accessed here. |
| Wall in the Family (Some potentially offensive content) |
Spring 2016 | Christopher Adams and George Barany | Politically themed "mid-week level" puzzle created in rapid response to a controversial tweet (15x14 puzzle). |
| Craftily Rerun Zodiac (Some potentially offensive content) |
4/29/2016 | Christopher Adams, George Barany, and John Child | Politically themed "mid-week level" puzzle created in rapid response to consecutive breaking news developments (17x17 puzzle). |
| Green Eggs and Canadian Bacon | Winter of Our Discontent, 2016 |
Politically themed Thursday-ish puzzle with a uniquely qualified co-constructor. | |
| Supreme Effort | Winter of Our Discontent, 2016 |
Bipartisan politically themed "mid-week level" puzzle released within days of a much-anticipated announcement (17x17 puzzle). | |
| Clown Car | Winter of Our Discontent, 2016 |
Politically themed "mid-week level" puzzle released just before the 2016 New Hampshire primary (17x17 puzzle). This puzzle also appeared in Natural Selections (March 2016), as accessed here. | |
| An Embarrassment of Riches (DISGUSTING CONTENT) |
Winter of Our Discontent, 2016 |
Anonymous | This politically incorrect "mid-week level" puzzle came to us unexpectedly from an anonymous source. More reading, after completing the puzzle, here and here. This puzzle also appeared in Natural Selections (February 2016), as accessed here. |
| They "Met" Their Waterloo | Fall 2015 | Alex Vratsanos and George Barany | "Late-week difficulty" sports-themed puzzle that shares four theme answers [albeit with different clues] with our earlier Mighty KC. It was posted coincident to the publication of another puzzle in the New York Times. |
| Now Playing ... | 10/2015 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" puzzle released at an exciting time to look forward and backward at baseball in real life and on the big screen. |
| Technophilia | 9/8/2013 (revised 6/2015) | Arthur Rothstein and George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle, complete with "midrash"—words for nerds! This puzzle was revised for Natural Selections (June 2015), as accessed here. |
| Up to Z Challenge: Some Beautiful Minds | 5/2015 | Bárány György, Laci bácsi, and Leapfinger | "End-of-the-week level" puzzle constructed in response to a challenge posted on the Rex Parker crossword blog (13x13 puzzle). |
| The Union Forever! | 11/2012 (revised 5/2015) | George Barany, Michael Hanko, and Paul Luftig | "Mid-week level" puzzle modified and updated from versions that went on-line in the run-up to the 2012 Presidential election. This puzzle appeared in Natural Selections (May 2015), as accessed here. |
"Now He Belongs to the Ages" |
4/2015 | George Barany and Marcia Brott | "Mid-week level" puzzle that marked, in a respectful manner, an important sesquicentennial in American history (15x16 puzzle). This puzzle first appeared in Natural Selections (April 2015), as accessed here. |
Too Soon?! |
4/14/2015 | George Barany and John Child | Sunday-sized puzzle released on the sesquicentennial of an "awful event" in American history that had dramatic repercussions for the following hundred-plus years (21x21 puzzle). |
| The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance | 2/2015 | Ellen Ross and George Barany | Timely tribute puzzle with a Thursday-ish trick (or two or three), and a detailed midrash that explains it all. |
| Enigma Variations (CONTEST) | 12/2014 | George Barany, Ralph Bunker, and Michael Hanko | Contest puzzle that is time-sensitive, with a meta (grandmaster and master levels), and fun prizes. "Midrash" coming after contest end-date. |
| Checkers' Mate! | 12/2014 | George Barany and Daniel Silversmith | This Sunday-sized puzzle ["midrash" coming soon] celebrated an important 40th anniversary in American history. The puzzle was commissioned for the holiday (Dec 2014-Jan 2015) issue of Natural Selections, as accessed here (21x21 puzzle). |
| Even Odds | 10/26/2014 | George Barany and Charles Flaster | Timely "mid-week level" sports-themed tribute. |
| Over the Moon | 10/2014 | George Barany and Ellen Ross | "Late-week level" puzzle, complete with "midrash," in honor of a recent event (17x18 puzzle). This puzzle also appeared in Natural Selections (November 2014) as accessed here. |
| Hello Loneliness ... | 8/23/2014 | George Barany and Steve Bachman | "Late-week level" sports-themed puzzle, complete with "midrash," that reflected fast-breaking news (15x16 puzzle). |
| Princip of the Thing | 6/28/2014 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" tribute to a historic centennial (17x17 puzzle). This puzzle also appeared in Natural Selections (September 2014), as accessed here. |
| Covert Operations | 6/6/2014 | George Barany and Kurtis Scaletta | Thursday-ish tribute to a notable 70th anniversary. Midrash to follow in early August, 2014. This puzzle was reprinted in Natural Selections (June 2014), as accessed here. |
Too Soon? |
11/22/2013 (posted 5/29/2014) | George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle, complete with "midrash," that takes a somber look at an event that changed America, 50 years ago as of when written, but released on a happier anniversary (19x16 puzzle). |
| Putin on the Fritz | 3/2014 | George Barany and Friends | Relatively easy, albeit puzzling, response to recent news from the Crimea, based on a tweet by a leading American statesman (15x16 puzzle). |
| Chris Christie's Shadow | 2/2/2014 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" sports-themed puzzle for a secular national holiday coincident with an annual celebration and in the shadow of a burgeoning political scandal (17x15 puzzle). |
| Elba Was He ... | 12/2013 | George Barany, Michael Hanko, Martin Herbach, and Tom Williams | "Mid-week level" tribute puzzle to an important world leader. |
| Gobble Tov! | 11/28/2013 | George Barany and Friends | "Thursday level" puzzle for a once-in-a-lifetime occasion (17x17 puzzle). |
| Fall Classic 2013 | 10/2013 | George Barany and Friends | This "mid-week level" puzzle paid tribute to a sports-related current event. |
| Technophilia | 9/8/2013 | Arthur Rothstein and George Barany | "Mid-week level" puzzle: Words for nerds! When done, please read our "midrash." |
| Wondrous Wee Windsor | 7/28/2013 | Jason Constanza and Friends | "Mid-week level" puzzle in response to a current event. |
| Justice Served on a First-Name Basis | 7/4/2013 | George Barany and Friends | "Mid-week level" companion to It's All About Justices (17x17 puzzle). |
| Haguely Familiar | 5/10/2013 | George Barany and Arlene Romoff | This puzzle ("mid-week level") celebrated a news-worthy international transition. |
| A Travesty of Justices | 4/27/2013 | George Barany and Michael Hanko | Published in the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin (2013 Law Day issue). "Late-week level" puzzle, targeted to the legal profession but not requiring specialized knowledge (15x16 puzzle). |
| 29-Down to 36-Down | 4/21/2013 | George Barany and Friends | A timely salute to heroism and history-in-the-making (13x13 "early-week level" puzzle). |
| Schedule C is for Crossword | 4/15/2013 | George Barany and Friends | Taking note of an annual deadline, along with a noteworthy centennial ("mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Barn Stormers | 4/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" puzzle covering current University of Minnesota sports news, a sequel to Marooned and Galled (13x13 puzzle). |
| The Final Four | 4/6/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | "Mid-week level" puzzle inspired by sports in the current news (15x16 puzzle). |
| It's All About Justices | 4/2013 | George Barany and Friends | Inspired by history-in-the-making (15x16 "mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Jesuit Who Has Chemistry | 4/2013 | Jorge B. y Amigos | Breaking news of mid-March 2013 ("Thursday level" puzzle). |
| Marooned and Galled | 3/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | Heavily weighted towards sports at the University of Minnesota, and responsive to current events ("mid-week level" puzzle) |
| Ex-XXX-Star of Blessed Memory | 3/22/2013 | George Barany | Tribute to a Jewish-American legend of a sort ("mid-week level"). |
| Going Gentile Into That Good Night | 2/2013 | George Barany, Noam Elkies, Michael Hanko, and Arthur Rothstein | Breaking news of February 2013 ("Thursday level" puzzle). |
| Irish Miss? | 2/2013 | George Barany and Brent Hartzell | This "mid-week level" puzzle was inspired by a sports-related news item. |
| Platoon Lieder: the Official Crossword Puzzle | 1/31/2013 | Michael Hanko and George Barany | This "mid-week level" puzzle was written as a companion to a 2013 cabaret show. |
| 12/31/2012 | George Barany, Michael Hanko, and Paul Luftig | Wishing our friends a Happy New Year with two timely puzzles ("early-week level" 15x15, and special "mid-week level" 17x17). | |
| "All In" the Family Values | 11/10/2012 | George Barany and Friends | The 2012 Presidential campaign had just ended, but the headlines kept on coming (15x16 "mid-week level" puzzle). |
| The Typo Campaign We're Getting in 2012 | 11/05/2012 | George Barany | 2012 Presidential campaign (prophetic event from end of May) — released the day before Election Day ("mid-week level"). |
| A Sunday Morning in 1984 | 11/05/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | 2012 Presidential campaign (news from beginning of June) — released the day before Election Day ("mid-week level"). |
The Union Forever (on-line Lavender magazine) |
11/01/2012 | George Barany, Michael Hanko, and Paul Luftig | 2012 Presidential campaign: originally released shortly (10/24/2012) after the final in a series of much anticipated events was broadcast nationally; then a week later, published in the "Wedding" issue of Lavender magazine. "Mid-week level" puzzle. |
| Debatable Strategy: Carry a Big Shtick | 10/16/2012 | Michael Hanko and George Barany | 2012 Presidential campaign: released just as the third in a series of much anticipated events was broadcast nationally (16x15 "mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Tweet This Puzzle! | 10/11/2012 | George Barany and Friends | 2012 Presidential campaign: retrospective on "Denver Omelette" and released just as the second in a series of much anticipated events was broadcast nationally. "Early-week level" puzzle. |
| Denver Omelette | 10/3/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | 2012 Presidential campaign, a somewhat partisan effort released just as a much anticipated event was broadcast nationally (15x17 "mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Do As I Say, Not As I Do | 9/2012 | George Barany and Friends | 2012 Presidential campaign (17x17 "mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Good Luck, Mr. Gorsky (ADULT CONTENT) |
8/25/2012 | George Barany | A current event brought to mind a legendary anecdote (19x19 "mid-week level" puzzle). When done, please read our "midrash." |
| Missouri Uncompromising | 8/25/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | 2012 Presidential campaign (mirror of this external site). "Mid-week level" puzzle. |
| Vice Versa | 8/11/2012 | George Barany | 2012 Presidential campaign, non-partisan "mid-week level" puzzle released exactly as a major announcement was being broadcast nationally. |
| Of Blessed Memory | 8/4/2012 | George Barany | This "mid-week level" puzzle relates to Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivors and has a surprise hero; specialized knowledge about my family is not required. |
| A Time for Broccoli | 7/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | Current events, with our own editorial slant. "Early-week level" puzzle. |
| Progress Since Stonewall | 6/28/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | "Early-week level" puzzle published in Lavender magazine. |
| Shake It Up! | 4/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | 2012 Presidential campaign (mirror of this external site). "Early-week level" puzzle. |
| Rick-ed from the Headlines (ADULT CONTENT) |
2/2012 | Anonymous | This puzzle's honoree was still very much in contention when this came to our attention: 2012 Presidential campaign (15x18 "mid-week level" puzzle). |
| Did Gail Collins Ever Mention...? | 1/17/2012 | George Barany and Arthur Rothstein | One columnist's magnificent obsession; 2012 Presidential campaign (17x17 puzzle; four levels of difficulty available) (mirror of this external site). |