| Total | Debut | Latest |
| 10 | 2/11/1967 | 9/3/2015 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Scrab | Debut | Pre‑WS | Fresh |
| 1.49 | 75 | 3 | 54% |
View these same grids with comments from:
Jeff Chen (1)Jim Horne (2)Hide commentsSee the 75
answer words debuted by Merl Reagle.
Alternate names for this constructor:
M. Reagle, Merl H. Reagle
Beloved constructor Merl Reagle constructed the Sunday crossword for the San Francisco Chronicle (widely syndicated) every Sunday for 30 years. He starred in the 2006 documentary, Wordplay, which followed the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament that year. The tournament now annually presents the MEmoRiaL Award, a lifetime achievement award in the form of a snow globe with Mr. Reagle inside.
The photo here is from his appearance on The Simpsons.
7 Modern Era daily crosswords
by Merl Reagle
POW Thu 9/3/2015 THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY
| | C | L | U | M | P | | | | D | O | R | M | A | N | T |
| B | O | O | Z | E | R | | | M | A | N | A | C | L | E | S |
| E | R | U | D | I | T | E | | T | E | L | E | P | H | O | N | E |
| M | I | R | E | S | | W | H | E | R | E | | | A | T | E | |
| O | T | T | S | | E | R | O | D | E | | M | E | L | | | |
| T | O | T | | S | C | A | M | S | | G | A | M | E | T | E | S |
| E | N | V | E | L | O | P | E | | B | I | N | S | | R | A | H |
| | | S | U | N | | R | O | U | G | H | | L | I | R | E |
| R | E | P | R | O | N | U | N | C | I | A | T | I | O | N | |
| K | H | A | N | | M | O | N | T | H | | T | O | M | | | |
| E | U | R | | A | I | M | S | | A | N | T | I | B | I | A | S |
| A | M | P | E | R | E | S | | O | N | E | A | L | | R | B | I |
| | | X | E | S | | A | D | A | M | N | | C | O | A | X |
| J | A | I | | | S | C | E | N | E | | D | A | N | C | E |
| F | O | L | L | I | C | L | E | S | | S | P | A | R | E | U | S |
| L | I | M | E | A | D | E | S | | | I | D | L | E | R | S | |
| U | N | A | R | M | E | D | | | | S | Q | Y | D | S | | |
★ As many of you already know, the great Merl Reagle passed away a few weeks ago; a huge loss for the crossword community. Only having gotten into crosswords a few years ago, I really appreciated seeing this gem by Merl from way back in 1991. It's astounding to see how good this puzzle is given its point in crossword history, well before computer-assisted design became easily accessible.
Merl always stressed the importance of crosswords being first and foremost fun for solvers. This puzzle is a great example of that. The theme is so grin-inducing, I would have given it the POW! all by itself. I love Greek mythology, so seeing MANACLES reimagined as "man-a-clees" (similar to Pericles) is so hilarious. Each one of the ten (!) themers (not including the revealer!) works well for me; each one evoking a similar-sounding name from ancient Greece. TELEPHONE bring Persephone to mind, ANTIBIAS does the same for Phidias, etc.
To pack so much great material into a puzzle done by hand is amazing. And although Merl was known for being fine with six-letter partials and "imaginative" pieces of fill like PREWRAP, EXILER, IDLERS, and OTTS, there's remarkably little of that in play. I would consider it a very good puzzle in today's standards, and an absolute home run in 1991 standards.
It's so strange to think that I'll never see Merl again. He was so supportive, contacting me after I got my first NYT Sunday crossword published, both with kudos and a couple of tips. And at my first ACPT, he chatted with this fanboy for a long time, happy to talk shop with many a kind word for my work.
Merl hasn't published a puzzle in the NYT for a long time, since all his work went into his weekly Sunday puzzle, so I'm really glad to have this opportunity to add him to the list of constructors earning a Puzzle of the Week nod.
Sun 11/16/2008 SOUNDS LIKE SOMEBODY I KNOW
| D | R | E | W | | | | H | A | R | U | M | | | T | O | R | T | E | S | |
| R | U | L | E | | | M | A | R | I | S | A | P | T | O | M | A | I | N | E | |
| A | I | M | E | | R | A | Y | M | O | N | D | C | H | A | N | N | E | L | E | R |
| K | N | O | B | | A | R | E | A | S | | | J | E | D | I | | | A | R | I |
| E | E | R | | D | M | A | S | S | | V | C | R | | | | S | E | I | S | M |
| R | E | S | E | A | U | | | D | O | H | | E | M | O | T | E | | | |
| | | L | A | D | D | | A | R | N | O | L | D | P | O | L | Y | M | E | R |
| R | O | M | A | N | A | | S | M | U | | I | B | E | A | M | | O | O | N | A |
| I | R | O | N | S | | F | O | O | | | R | O | N | A | P | A | R | R | O | T |
| G | A | T | T | | B | A | C | K | R | U | B | | | | A | D | E | A | R | |
| G | T | O | | K | O | O | K | | O | R | O | | A | C | H | E | | S | M | L |
| O | R | S | O | N | | | | S | N | Y | D | E | R | S | | A | S | I | A |
| E | R | I | K | S | E | T | T | E | E | | | F | R | Y | | D | I | E | T | S |
| L | I | N | E | | M | A | R | T | S | | N | C | O | | J | E | S | S | Y | E |
| M | O | N | I | C | A | Z | E | A | L | O | U | S | | R | O | L | L | | | |
| | | N | O | N | O | S | | U | R | L | | | O | H | H | E | L | L | |
| P | R | O | S | E | | | | S | G | T | | L | E | O | N | I | | A | I | M |
| A | A | A | | | P | I | T | A | | | S | O | T | T | O | | S | M | E | E |
| N | I | K | I | T | A | C | R | U | I | S | E | C | H | E | F | | A | B | B | A |
| L | I | N | D | S | A | Y | L | O | W | H | A | N | D | | | A | D | E | N |
| S | E | A | S | O | N | | | C | A | R | L | O | | | | B | A | R | T |
Tue 5/31/2005
| I | C | B | M | | T | A | M | E | S | T | | S | A | O |
| M | O | R | E | | O | P | E | N | T | O | | T | A | D |
| P | L | A | Y | A | D | E | L | R | E | Y | | A | L | Y |
| L | O | V | E | T | O | | R | A | E | | B | R | A | S |
| I | N | E | R | T | | T | O | P | L | A | Y | E | R | S |
| E | E | L | S | | L | O | S | T | | S | A | R | G | E |
| S | L | Y | | G | A | L | E | | K | I | N | S | E | Y |
| | | W | O | R | D | | P | L | A | Y | | | |
| M | E | L | I | N | A | | P | E | E | N | | R | A | G |
| A | L | O | N | E | | R | E | N | E | | C | A | R | L |
| N | E | W | O | R | D | E | R | S | | P | A | T | I | O |
| A | G | E | S | | A | S | U | | A | O | R | T | A | S |
| T | A | R | | C | R | O | S | S | S | W | O | R | D | S |
| E | N | E | | P | I | L | E | U | P | | L | A | N | E |
| E | T | D | | A | N | D | R | E | S | | S | P | E | D |
Sun 2/1/1998 At the Stamp Celebration
| B | A | B | A | | S | A | L | U | K | I | | J | A | P | E | | P | A | L | E |
| O | M | A | R | | T | I | E | P | I | N | | A | R | A | L | | E | V | A | N |
| P | O | S | T | C | E | R | E | A | L | S | | I | N | T | E | R | D | I | C | T |
| R | E | S | I | N | | | | N | O | R | M | A | N | M | A | I | L | E | R |
| S | P | L | A | T | | A | P | T | | L | E | E | Z | A | | S | C | A | R | Y |
| T | H | E | L | E | T | T | E | R | M | E | N | | | | G | S | A | | | |
| O | I | S | E | | R | O | S | I | E | S | | O | L | D | A | L | B | U | M | S |
| P | C | S | | J | A | N | E | T | S | | A | V | I | A | T | E | | R | E | T |
| | | L | O | V | E | T | O | | E | N | E | M | Y | | R | A | S | T | A |
| D | E | L | I | V | E | R | A | N | A | D | D | R | E | S | S | | K | I | R | I |
| E | R | A | S | E | R | | | | N | I | L | | | | A | M | I | N | O | R |
| A | M | Y | L | | S | T | I | C | K | T | O | I | T | I | V | E | N | E | S | S |
| F | I | L | E | D | | U | R | A | L | S | | S | O | M | E | R | S | | | |
| E | N | O | | E | S | T | A | T | E | | C | A | R | P | A | L | | R | F | D |
| N | E | W | I | S | S | U | E | S | | C | H | A | P | E | L | | S | E | L | A |
| | | M | C | S | | | | T | H | E | C | O | L | L | E | C | T | O | R |
| S | L | I | M | E | | S | U | A | V | E | | S | R | S | | R | A | I | S | E |
| T | E | R | E | N | C | E | S | T | A | M | P | | | | W | I | L | T | S | |
| U | P | A | N | D | A | T | I | T | | I | T | S | C | A | N | C | E | L | E | D |
| N | E | T | S | | M | A | N | Y | | S | A | T | I | R | E | | N | E | R | O |
| T | R | E | E | | P | E | G | S | | E | S | P | R | I | T | | E | S | S | O |
Sun 9/29/1996 Puzzle of the Future
| C | O | T | E | | S | C | I | F | I | | | | S | U | G | A | R | Y | | |
| A | C | H | E | | C | A | R | O | N | | | N | I | N | E | T | E | E | N | |
| N | O | E | L | C | O | W | A | R | D | | E | I | G | H | T | Y | F | O | U | R |
| A | N | S | | A | N | E | N | D | | D | O | N | N | A | | A | I | M | T | O |
| S | N | I | P | P | E | D | | | D | O | N | J | O | N | S | | T | A | T | S |
| T | E | N | O | N | S | | Z | I | O | N | | A | N | D | E | S | | N | Y | E |
| A | L | A | I | | | S | E | A | T | A | C | | | S | T | A | R | | | |
| L | I | N | D | B | E | R | G | H | | A | R | C | | U | V | U | L | A | S |
| | | T | O | O | T | O | O | | F | L | O | O | R | P | O | L | I | S | H |
| C | A | M | E | L | O | T | | | V | O | L | A | R | E | | Y | A | L | T | A |
| E | L | O | | | B | L | A | D | E | R | U | N | N | E | R | | | A | R | R |
| R | O | D | E | O | | E | L | E | C | T | S | | | R | O | B | O | C | O | P |
| T | H | E | G | R | A | D | U | A | T | E | | S | C | A | L | A | R | | | |
| S | A | M | O | A | N | | M | N | O | | H | O | R | S | E | R | A | C | E | |
| | | S | L | I | D | | | R | O | O | M | I | E | | | C | A | L | I |
| A | B | U | | S | T | E | A | M | | B | L | A | B | | B | A | L | L | I | N |
| H | I | S | S | | A | M | N | E | S | I | A | | | R | E | T | E | L | L | S |
| U | P | P | E | R | | I | N | L | E | T | | C | A | I | R | O | | S | I | T |
| M | O | O | D | Y | B | L | U | E | S | | M | A | R | T | Y | M | C | F | L | Y |
| D | E | G | A | U | L | L | E | | | A | R | I | E | L | | P | O | L | L |
| | T | E | N | S | E | S | | | | C | L | A | S | S | | A | R | Y | E |
Sun 9/18/1994 Reordering Books
| D | E | M | I | | P | A | N | D | A | S | | M | A | C | H | | H | A | S | H |
| E | R | O | S | | I | G | U | A | N | A | | E | L | L | E | | O | L | I | O |
| F | A | R | E | W | E | L | L | M | Y | V | O | L | L | E | Y | | W | I | N | G |
| | P | R | O | P | E | L | | | | R | O | A | M | | C | A | V | E | S |
| T | H | E | M | A | T | I | N | G | O | F | T | H | E | S | H | R | E | W | |
| W | H | O | | E | N | S | | A | R | R | E | T | | N | E | E | D | | | |
| R | E | S | I | N | | | S | P | I | R | O | | C | Z | A | R | | B | L | Y |
| A | M | I | N | S | T | R | E | E | T | | | M | O | A | T | | S | L | O | E |
| P | E | S | T | | E | E | L | | | G | L | O | M | | | C | H | I | N | A |
| | | O | W | L | S | | F | A | R | E | O | F | F | L | Y | I | N | G | |
| | A | N | A | M | E | R | I | C | A | N | G | Y | R | A | T | E | D | | |
| P | R | I | V | A | T | E | E | L | V | I | S | | O | N | E | L | | | |
| R | A | I | N | Y | | | B | L | U | E | | | D | N | A | | D | A | S | H |
| O | L | E | G | | S | C | U | D | | | A | U | N | T | I | E | E | M | M | A |
| B | E | L | | L | E | O | S | | B | E | T | S | Y | | | U | R | I | E | L |
| | | Y | U | M | A | | O | R | E | O | S | | M | A | R | | N | A | T |
| L | O | O | K | I | N | G | F | O | R | M | R | B | A | G | O | D | O | R | |
| M | A | R | G | E | | C | R | A | M | | | | U | T | O | P | I | A | | |
| E | T | T | U | | T | H | E | M | O | S | Q | U | I | T | O | A | S | C | O | T |
| T | H | O | R | | I | O | T | A | | D | U | L | L | E | S | | C | I | N | E |
| S | E | N | T | | O | R | A | N | | S | E | T | T | L | E | | O | D | A | Y |
Fri 12/24/1993
| S | A | N | D | | S | H | U | N | | L | A | P | E | L |
| O | L | I | O | | A | U | T | O | | A | D | E | L | E |
| D | O | N | T | G | O | A | W | A | Y | F | O | L | K | S |
| S | T | E | E | L | | C | O | H | E | I | R | E | S | S |
| | | L | O | P | | | | A | T | A | | | |
| W | E | L | L | B | E | R | I | G | H | T | B | A | C | K |
| A | Y | E | | E | L | E | N | A | | E | L | S | I | E |
| N | E | A | T | | F | A | U | S | T | | E | T | T | E |
| D | O | N | H | O | | C | S | P | O | T | | E | E | L |
| A | F | T | E | R | T | H | E | S | E | W | O | R | D | S |
| | | T | A | U | | | | S | A | C | | | |
| B | E | L | I | T | T | L | E | S | | I | A | M | B | S |
| F | R | O | M | O | U | R | S | P | O | N | S | O | R | S |
| A | M | B | E | R | | O | P | E | N | | E | M | I | T |
| S | A | S | S | Y | | N | Y | E | T | | Y | A | M | S |
3 pre-Shortz crosswords by Merl Reagle
Wed 9/20/1972
| A | N | O | N | | L | O | A | | B | E | M | A | | |
| T | A | B | U | | A | D | V | | R | O | A | R | E | D |
| E | P | I | C | | S | E | E | | E | S | K | I | M | O |
| | | L | E | T | | N | A | A | | E | S | E | L |
| S | U | P | E | R | B | | U | N | K | | S | E | N | T |
| T | R | E | A | S | U | R | E | I | S | L | A | N | D | S |
| O | S | A | R | | T | I | S | | R | E | S | | | |
| W | A | S | T | I | N | G | O | N | E | S | T | I | M | E |
| | | E | D | O | | F | U | L | | A | L | I | A |
| R | A | I | S | E | T | H | E | R | A | F | T | E | R | S |
| I | S | N | T | | L | A | S | | T | R | E | S | S | Y |
| M | O | A | B | | E | T | C | | I | A | M | | | |
| E | R | R | A | T | A | | A | G | O | | E | Z | R | A |
| S | T | E | N | O | S | | P | U | N | | N | O | U | N |
| | A | S | I | T | | E | M | S | | T | O | N | Y |
Thu 5/18/1972
| B | E | A | R | I | T | | H | A | T | | S | P | Y |
| C | O | N | T | I | N | U | | A | M | A | | E | R | E |
| I | N | T | O | N | E | R | | V | A | L | L | E | Y | S |
| T | A | R | | S | E | N | T | E | N | C | E | S | | |
| I | N | A | N | E | | T | H | A | T | | A | A | M | S |
| E | N | D | O | | T | H | E | B | O | E | R | W | A | R |
| D | O | A | S | T | H | E | R | O | M | A | N | S | D | O |
| | | | R | E | T | I | N | A | S | | | | |
| M | I | C | R | O | W | A | V | E | R | E | L | A | Y | S |
| O | R | A | N | G | E | B | A | T | S | | A | S | O | U |
| N | O | R | W | | A | L | L | O | | P | I | Q | U | E |
| | C | Y | C | L | E | S | P | E | R | | U | N | D |
| T | E | A | S | E | T | S | | I | R | O | N | A | G | E |
| W | A | S | | R | H | O | | C | L | E | A | R | E | D |
| O | R | S | | A | Y | N | | K | E | M | P | E | R | |
Sat 2/11/1967
| B | B | B | | | B | A | S | S | | U | P | E | N | D |
| R | E | E | F | | A | L | T | A | | G | A | M | E | D |
| A | G | R | I | | H | E | A | L | T | H | N | U | T | S |
| T | E | T | R | A | | U | T | E | N | S | I | L | | |
| T | H | E | L | A | T | E | S | T | | | A | P | T |
| | | S | E | N | I | O | R | | A | S | T | A | R |
| L | O | O | T | | C | A | F | E | | S | A | I | G | A |
| I | N | N | O | C | E | N | T | S | A | B | R | O | A | D |
| S | T | E | N | O | | I | H | I | S | | A | N | N | E |
| P | A | N | E | L | | S | E | S | T | E | T | | | |
| S | P | A | | | G | L | U | T | I | N | O | U | S | |
| | T | I | J | U | A | N | A | | E | G | R | E | T |
| T | H | I | R | T | Y | N | I | N | E | | A | B | R | A |
| S | E | O | U | L | | D | O | C | K | | S | A | I | L |
| P | A | N | S | Y | | S | N | E | E | | | N | N | E |
