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You may or may not have encountered the term crash blossom before. If it’s unfamiliar, click the link lest today’s puzzle’s joke will go over your head.

So this Saturday marks the sixth incarnation of Brian Cimmet and Patrick Blindauer’s ever popular Lollapuzzoola. I’ve been to exactly half of them and can vouch that they are capital F Fun. They’ve got all the intellectual meat of the granddaddy of crossword tourneys (The ACPT), but they’re held together with all the loosey goosiness of an underground improv comedy show. One year, I made the back-breaking puzzle, and just last year, I came in second place (in my division level). So let me repeat: it’s capital F Fun. If you’re not doing anything this weekend, and can get to Manhattan, you should do it.

Okay, so what puzzle makers have they got on board? LP6 co-host Patrick Blindauer, recent ACPT final author Kevin Der, AVXC members Aimee Lucido and Zoe Wheeler, my old UNH classmate Mike Nothnagel, Jerry Orbach’s son Tony, Jeopardy phenom Joon Pahk, and [insert pithy description here] Doug Peterson. That’s a murderer’s row. It’s also worth mentioning that this is the only known crossword tournament that has a metapuzzle running throughout the event. It was lost on me last year. Then again, I was solving for speed and metas are best grokked at a leisurely pace.

Alas, I am unable to attend this year. So if you’re like me, please consider being part of the play at home division (a pittance at $10). That’s also the link to full registration. So you should click that if you’re interested in competing. There’s not much you can do in Manhattan that for a measly $30, so really, what’s your excuse?

Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.

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