Crossword blog: American-style puzzle No 15 – What’s Next?

Another puzzle in our American-style series – along with some tips on how to tackle it

Here’s another puzzle in our American-style series, in digital and printable form.

This year, I’ve been enjoying the puzzles constructed by American setter Tim Croce: they’re initially baffling and ambiguous, but yield in the face of an onslaught of hunches, guesses and what-ifs. This puzzle doesn’t go as far, but it’s not intended to be a quick solve.

For those new to the style:

• Every square is part of an across as well as a down answer.

• The clues are straight, if at first ambiguous, and crossing letters are much more important than with UK crosswords.

• The entries contain fragments of phrases and abbreviations as well as “dictionary words”.

• .puz files can be opened in Across Lite or Crossword Solver – solvers who don’t fancy that should use the print version.

Your own puzzles are very welcome. The answers to this puzzle can be seen in the digital version or in this pdf. And the previous crosswords are:

1. And We’re Off!

2. Cheers!

3. PO …

4. Store’s in what?

5. Cryptic Currencies

6. (miscellaneous)

7. Money talks

8. Shoot!

9. Long shots

10. [untitled]

11. They’re not *always* rude

12. Why do they suddenly appear?

13. Barney and Virginia

14. Let Him Go

A safe Christmas to all, and see you next year. Here’s another in our collaborative playlist Healing Music Recorded in 2020-21 to Accompany a Solve or Even Listen to:

• Here’s a collection of all our explainers, interviews and other helpful bits and bobs.

• The Shipping Forecast Puzzle Book by Alan Connor, which is partly but not predominantly cryptic, can be ordered from the Guardian Bookshop.

• Crossword blog returns on 10 January.