Globe and Mail Weekender 'Mixed Doubles' Puzzle Features Collaboration Between David Karp and Aidan Brand

Crossword constructors Aidan Brand and David Karp teamed up for a Weekender puzzle featuring a cocktail theme, while Michèle Govier tackled a grid of regional boundaries in an earlier release.

Two distinct Globe and Mail Weekender puzzles showcase different approaches to this craft.

Constructors Shake Up the Oct. 24 Weekender With Cocktail Mashups

The October 24 puzzle marked a collaborative effort between Victoria-based constructors David Karp and Aidan Brand. It serves as Brand’s debut for the publication and represents Karp’s fourth appearance.

Their creation relied on a central concept. It was executed with a twist.

Six invented theme entries formed by pairing two different cocktail names together. They were clued with silly definitions that hinted at the resulting phrase.

Solvers who worked their way through the grid encountered unique pairings like a tiki concoction combined with a mint-chocolate shooter or a standard vodka cran. Standout theme clues included GREYHOUND SIDECAR. It was clued as a spot on a hog for a racing dog.

ZOMBIE PARALYZER appeared as a weapon stopping the undead. COSMOPOLITAN CAESAR served as a worldly Roman ruler.

Beyond the cocktail theme, the constructors sprinkled Canadian cultural touchstones throughout the clues. References ranged from guitarist David Gogo and singer Shania Twain to the Tragically Hip and the BC Lions.

The grid also featured a nod to extreme free-climbing when Alex Honnold successfully scaled all 508 metres of the TAIPEI 101 in just over 90 minutes during a January event.

Michèle Govier Anchors the Oct. 10 Grid With Regional Boundaries

Earlier in the month, federal government international trade worker Michèle Govier delivered the Looking in All Directions Weekender crossword.

Operating from Ottawa, Govier crafted a dense layout built around four distinct sub-themes located along the grid’s edges. North-edge bays included Hudson, James, and Gander, while south-edge parks featured Glacier and Stanley.

Rivers lined the east with Nelson, Fraser, and Bow. Western woods included Spruce, Cherry, and Ash.

Because the theme required specific edge placements, Govier faced strict limitations during construction. Symmetrical left-to-right balancing and difficult Q-ending constraints on southern crossing slots left very little room for filler adjustments.

Despite these tight boundaries, the grid avoided heavy reliance on crosswordese, earning praise for its lively clues and real words.

Mastering Cryptic Clues and Letter-Bank Anagrams

Both weekenders also tested solvers with cryptic puzzles. Fraser Simpson’s ongoing instructional guides helped newcomers parse both a direct definition and distinct wordplay leading to the same answer.