Themeless 55

Words:  70

Average Length:  5.57

One thing (of many) that I love about crossword construction is that I learn stuff – sometimes “neat” (e.g., 21 and 49 Across) and sometimes silly (11 Down, which is hilarious in an I-shouldn’t-find-this-funny kind of way).  As much as I enjoy filling a grid – thinking three steps ahead to consider whether a word will work with the rest of a section – cluing is more intellectually challenging.  How difficult do I want the puzzle to be?  What’s a good misdirection?  Are there any interesting factoids I can work into a clue?  Are the references that come to my mind head-scratchers for younger solvers (i.e., 90% of the audience)?  (The last problem, among many others, is dealt with by my test-solver, son Adam.  Thanks Adam, again and again!)

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