Evan Birnholz
@evanbirnholz.bsky.social
I write crosswords for The Washington Post. I also like cereal. https://www.washingtonpost.com/crossword-puzzles/sunday-evan-birnholz/
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
November 25, 2025 at 4:15 PM
one of the coolest things about ChatGPT is how you can actually just never use it. you can fill your whole entire life with simply not once using it. it's incredible.
Forgive me for the New Yorker crossword spoiler but is there any universe where this response to it isn't incredibly pathetic and racist?
November 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Forgive me for the New Yorker crossword spoiler but is there any universe where this response to it isn't incredibly pathetic and racist?
The 2025 Chicago Bears might be the most maddening Bears team I've ever watched. Good when they're supposed to be bad, bad when they're supposed to be good. They do literally nothing the easy way. Somehow, they're still winning and I'm loving it.
November 23, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The 2025 Chicago Bears might be the most maddening Bears team I've ever watched. Good when they're supposed to be bad, bad when they're supposed to be good. They do literally nothing the easy way. Somehow, they're still winning and I'm loving it.
You love to see it.
November 17, 2025 at 4:50 AM
You love to see it.
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
🏈 TB 32 - 44 BUF
FINAL
✅ That's Scorigami!! It's the 1095th unique final score in NFL history.
FINAL
✅ That's Scorigami!! It's the 1095th unique final score in NFL history.
November 16, 2025 at 9:20 PM
🏈 TB 32 - 44 BUF
FINAL
✅ That's Scorigami!! It's the 1095th unique final score in NFL history.
FINAL
✅ That's Scorigami!! It's the 1095th unique final score in NFL history.
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
Sunday afternoon, so you know what that means
Yep, spending some quality time with @evanbirnholz.bsky.social
Yep, spending some quality time with @evanbirnholz.bsky.social
November 16, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Sunday afternoon, so you know what that means
Yep, spending some quality time with @evanbirnholz.bsky.social
Yep, spending some quality time with @evanbirnholz.bsky.social
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
A gritty Safdie Brothers style drama about a drug-crazed crossword puzzle editor, titled “Dark Mode”
November 15, 2025 at 2:40 PM
A gritty Safdie Brothers style drama about a drug-crazed crossword puzzle editor, titled “Dark Mode”
Are there one or two kind souls out there who have time right now to test-solve an upcoming 21x21 puzzle for the Post? It should hopefully be on the easier side, at least no harder than medium. First come first serve!
November 14, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Are there one or two kind souls out there who have time right now to test-solve an upcoming 21x21 puzzle for the Post? It should hopefully be on the easier side, at least no harder than medium. First come first serve!
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
Anyways, I don't really know where I'm going with this (and I haven't even touched on AmuseLabs's sample grid being a "not a crossword"), but there's so many good human-created crosswords in the world, and I'm just sad to see otherwise useful software adding a completely unnecessary "AI" component.
November 11, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Anyways, I don't really know where I'm going with this (and I haven't even touched on AmuseLabs's sample grid being a "not a crossword"), but there's so many good human-created crosswords in the world, and I'm just sad to see otherwise useful software adding a completely unnecessary "AI" component.
Generative AI tools like this are fundamentally anti-labor: Take humans out of the equation, outsource the artistry of making crosswords to a machine that makes shitty puzzles. I just wish Amuse Labs, after years helping puzzle writers make real art, didn't also participate in that enshittification.
Amuse Labs had created perhaps the best digital crossword-solving software I've ever seen, with the ability to program all kinds of puzzles that were never possible before.
That's why this news about them creating a generative AI puzzle maker is so unbelievably sad and infuriating.
That's why this news about them creating a generative AI puzzle maker is so unbelievably sad and infuriating.
November 11, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Generative AI tools like this are fundamentally anti-labor: Take humans out of the equation, outsource the artistry of making crosswords to a machine that makes shitty puzzles. I just wish Amuse Labs, after years helping puzzle writers make real art, didn't also participate in that enshittification.
Amuse Labs had created perhaps the best digital crossword-solving software I've ever seen, with the ability to program all kinds of puzzles that were never possible before.
That's why this news about them creating a generative AI puzzle maker is so unbelievably sad and infuriating.
That's why this news about them creating a generative AI puzzle maker is so unbelievably sad and infuriating.
November 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Amuse Labs had created perhaps the best digital crossword-solving software I've ever seen, with the ability to program all kinds of puzzles that were never possible before.
That's why this news about them creating a generative AI puzzle maker is so unbelievably sad and infuriating.
That's why this news about them creating a generative AI puzzle maker is so unbelievably sad and infuriating.
It's 11:11 am ET on 11/11.
November 11, 2025 at 4:11 PM
It's 11:11 am ET on 11/11.
I said to my brother on Zoom with about 6 minutes left that if there was any team that could blow a 4th quarter lead like this against the #Bears, it was the Giants. Thank you for proving me right, G-men. You love to see it.
November 9, 2025 at 9:45 PM
I said to my brother on Zoom with about 6 minutes left that if there was any team that could blow a 4th quarter lead like this against the #Bears, it was the Giants. Thank you for proving me right, G-men. You love to see it.
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
the horrors may persist but by the grace of god so do @evanbirnholz.bsky.social sunday puzzles
November 9, 2025 at 6:22 AM
the horrors may persist but by the grace of god so do @evanbirnholz.bsky.social sunday puzzles
The number of replies to this great tweet from people who have zero idea why it's great makes me laugh and feel terrified for our future at the same time.
November 8, 2025 at 2:44 AM
The number of replies to this great tweet from people who have zero idea why it's great makes me laugh and feel terrified for our future at the same time.
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
i'm very glad this technology is being forced onto us everywhere on all levels
November 7, 2025 at 1:32 AM
i'm very glad this technology is being forced onto us everywhere on all levels
April Fools Day prank where 100 constructors submit crosswords to the New York Times with ENEMA in the grids so Will Shortz has to accept at least one of them.
November 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
April Fools Day prank where 100 constructors submit crosswords to the New York Times with ENEMA in the grids so Will Shortz has to accept at least one of them.
He lost badly, by the way, so the district decided the future wasn't the endorkening.
November 5, 2025 at 6:23 AM
He lost badly, by the way, so the district decided the future wasn't the endorkening.
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
Tonight seems to be a strong rebuke of the Republican Party’s “make shit as bad as possible as quickly as possible” strategy
November 5, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Tonight seems to be a strong rebuke of the Republican Party’s “make shit as bad as possible as quickly as possible” strategy
Reposted by Evan Birnholz
Once more, for old times’ sake
November 5, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Once more, for old times’ sake
As if things couldn't get any better, this happened! On a Nikola Vučević game-winning three, too! Today has been absolute magic.
November 5, 2025 at 3:34 AM
As if things couldn't get any better, this happened! On a Nikola Vučević game-winning three, too! Today has been absolute magic.
Note to self: update this clue from the July 27, 2025 Washington Post Sunday crossword.
November 5, 2025 at 2:58 AM
Note to self: update this clue from the July 27, 2025 Washington Post Sunday crossword.