As an academic, I have decided to pre-empt AI taking my job, so I am going to take ITS job! I am going to start hallucinating, lying to my students, and drinking 700,000 litres of water

I will forever be grateful to the bookseller in Waterstones Southampton who recommended this series to me. I discovered a new favourite author and a deep fondness for paladins and gnoles. These books are fabulous!

This thread has made me feel so much better about the stupid things I’ve done! A short list….

Yearly Daily - Jul 14th 13⬆️ • 25⬇️ • 2⬆️ • 4⬆️ • 18⬇️ • 9⬇️ 29 lives left ✨ #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

Got stuck on two words, but one of those where I wasn’t looking where the words were hiding! #ows875 🔎 4/5 (01:52) ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥 streak: 100 🌟 #owscenturion puzzlist.com/onewordsearch

#stack490 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ⏱️ 2m 16s 🔥 streak: 100 🌟 #stackdowncenturion puzzlist.com/stackdown

I should have got it without the hint. It’s what I was working towards before I got frustrated! Minute Cryptic - 14 July, 2026 "Start midday meal around midday" (6) ⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 🏆 1 hints – 1 under the community par (133,473 solvers so far). www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

Close!! #waffle1635 0/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔥 streak: 1 wafflegame.net

Strands #863 “Make yourself comfortable” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵

Connections Puzzle #1129 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩

The great thing about Britain is you're free to think whatever you want to think and say whatever J. K. Rowling's lawyers permit you to say.

Yearly Daily - Jul 13th 27⬆️ • 4⬆️ • 5⬇️ • 2⬇️ • 18⬇️ • 3⬇️ 41 lives left ✨ #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

#ows874 🔎 5/5 (00:50) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥 streak: 99 💎 #owsdiamondteam puzzlist.com/onewordsearch

I did well to resist hints! #stack489 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ⏱️ 3m 26s 🔥 streak: 99 💎 #stackdowndiamondteam puzzlist.com/stackdown

Minute Cryptic - 13 July, 2026 "Magnificent ring found in ruins of Isengard" (9) 🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 🏆 0 hints – 2 under the community par (145,058 solvers so far). www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

#deluxewaffle216 X/5 (26) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 wafflegame.net/deluxe

Strands #862 “Just what I needed” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵

Connections Puzzle #1128 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩

Imagine being against Amnesty International. And still thinking you’re on the right side of history.

A lot of lucky guessing today! Yearly Daily - Jul 12th 1⬆️ • 0 ✨ • 0 ✨ • 9⬆️ • 3⬆️ • 2⬇️ 85 lives left ✨ #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

#ows873 🔎 5/5 (00:45) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥 streak: 98 💎 #owsdiamondteam puzzlist.com/onewordsearch

#stack488 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ⏱️ 1m 29s 🔥 streak: 98 💎 #stackdowndiamondteam puzzlist.com/stackdown

Aaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh! Minute Cryptic - 12 July, 2026 "Bob, Deb and Jacob all have these kinks" (5) ⚪️⚪️🟡🟡🟡🟡🟣🟣 🏋 6 hints – 4 over the community par (134,730 solvers so far). www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

#waffle1633 3/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⬜🟩 🟩🟩⭐🟩🟩 🟩⬜🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔥 streak: 6 ⭐ #wafflerookie wafflegame.net

Strands #861 “In the Big Apple” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵🔵🔵🔵

Connections Puzzle #1127 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟦🟦🟦

Considerably better than yesterday!!! Yearly Daily - Jul 11th 10⬆️ • 1⬆️ • 0 ✨ • 3⬇️ • 5⬆️ • 2⬆️ 79 lives left ✨ #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

It wouldn’t load yesterday…glad to see my streak is ok! #ows872 🔎 5/5 (00:47) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥 streak: 97 💎 #owsdiamondteam puzzlist.com/onewordsearch

#stack487 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ⏱️ 2m 53s 🔥 streak: 97 💎 #stackdowndiamondteam puzzlist.com/stackdown

Minute Cryptic - 11 July, 2026 "Music group got older and wrapped things up?" (8) ⚪️🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 🏆 1 hints – 1 under the community par (107,023 solvers so far). www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

Thankfully this has not crossed the pond! 🤮🤮🤮 Strands #860 “Fishy fare” 🔵💡🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵💡 🔵💡🟡🔵

Connections Puzzle #1126 🟨🟪🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪

Didn’t even make it to Q6! 😂😂😂 Yearly Daily - Jul 10th 34⬆️ • 33⬆️ • 21⬆️ • 4⬇️ • 11⬆️ • ⬛ -3 lives left #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

#waffle1631 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔥 streak: 4 ⭐ #wafflerookie wafflegame.net

I might need help understanding what was going on here! Strands #859 “"I think ..."” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵🔵

I was worried blue was a fishing trip! Connections Puzzle #1125 🟨🟪🟨🟨 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪

Yearly Daily - Jul 9th 17⬆️ • 3⬇️ • 9⬆️ • 2⬆️ • 9⬆️ • 14⬇️ • 7⬇️ 39 lives left ✨ #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

I got so lucky with the last word…thought it was a backwards word but my finger slipped the right way which finished the puzzle with me having no idea what the word was! #ows870 🔎 5/5 (00:44) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥 streak: 95 💎 #owsdiamondteam onewordsearch.com

The second word has caught me out before! #stack485 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⏱️ 2m 15s 🔥 streak: 95 💎 #stackdowndiamondteam puzzlist.com/stackdown

I get intimidated by the long ones but this was fine. Minute Cryptic - 9 July, 2026 "Weathered tin sign adorning the outskirts of Venice: “Sinking Capital”" (9) 🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 🏆 0 hints – 2 under the community par (123,540 solvers so far). www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

#waffle1630 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔥 streak: 3 ⭐ #wafflerookie wafflegame.net

The spangram makes a shape today! Strands #858 “On the lips” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵🔵

Just brilliant!

Yearly Daily - Jul 8th 8⬆️ • 10⬇️ • 12⬇️ • 9⬇️ • 0 ✨ • 6⬇️ 55 lives left ✨ #coffeefirstgames #yearlydaily coffeefirst.games/yearly-daily... ☕

#ows869 🔎 5/5 (00:51) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🔥 streak: 94 💎 #owsdiamondteam onewordsearch.com

#stack484 5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 ⏱️ 1m 34s 🔥 streak: 94 💎 #stackdowndiamondteam puzzlist.com/stackdown

If it wasn’t this I’d have probably needed 6 letters! Minute Cryptic - 8 July, 2026 "The essence of simplicity - it doesn't need to be said!" (8) 🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣🟣 🏆 0 hints – 1 under the community par (129,168 solvers so far). www.minutecryptic.com?utm_source=s...

#waffle1629 4/5 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟩⭐🟩⭐🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🔥 streak: 2 wafflegame.net

Strands #857 “Here comes trouble” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡

Delightful!! Connections Puzzle #1123 🟦🟨🟦🟦 🟨🟪🟨🟨 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟦🟨🟨 🟦🟨🟨🟦