Reflecting On A Cryptic; Best Workout Puzzles of 2021

This last Thursday, I had the honor of having one of my cryptic crosswords solved by British YouTuber DB Puzzles. The puzzle here; DB's solve here. (Be sure to check out some of the other setters showcased on his channel – you just might discover a new favorite.) 

Now if the stats on my Crosshare page are anything to go by, this was my toughest cryptic so far; out of the 16 people who finished the grid, only one managed to do so without hitting "reveal". I haven't been setting cryptics for very long, and occasionally I do worry that a clue will be too difficult, or contain an element that's too obscure, to unravel. It was nice to see that DB managed to fill in most of the grid in just a handful of minutes, only cheating on one answer. 

I still think I could have made the puzzle a bit more approachable, which, in this case, would have meant toning down the references to pop culture.

Now, as promised Monday, a collection of some of my best Workout puzzles of 2021: 

PDF with solutions 

Enjoy! See you next week.

– Hoyt