Words: 67 (14×15)
Average Length: 5.25
This one’s definitely rated “G,” as you’ll see when you solve it. As a bonus hint, there’s a bit of Guevara in each theme answer.
If anyone’s interested, I just posted here about a fun few days spent in Toronto last week.
Words: 18
Average Length: 4.89
1 and 7 Across were the seed entries. I spent far too long trying to configure them and fill them in a way that worked, then clued everything, then relaxed – and realized I’d violated a cardinal rule of construction: avoid duplication of entries or parts thereof. Alas, a certain 2-letter word appears three times in this mini, but what are indie puzzles for if you can’t break the rules once in a while? So I decided to embrace the iconoclasm in the title. (Also, my apology if you find 4 Down offensive. But if the sandwich fits ….)
Words: 70
Average Length: 5.34
The three longest answers were the seeds. Each of them found a home here after failing to fit well in a couple of themed puzzles that just didn’t pan out.
Here’s a bonus hint for 20 Across: two of my favorite songs of theirs are covers: Friend of the Devil and Big Yellow Taxi. Favorite originals: Rain King, Hard Candy, Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby (which has one of my favorite lines: “If dreams are like movies, then memories are films about ghosts”).
Words: 30
Average Length: 4.67
1 Across was the seed. Originally, I planned to make a technology/mythology hybrid puzzle but I couldn’t come up with enough decent theme answers, so I just went full-on mythology.
Words: 8
Average Length: 4.00
If you’ve been following this blog for a bit, you know that I post like clockwork: a mini or midi on Wednesdays and a full-size on Sundays (unless I’m traveling in 2 Across, in which case I often screw up the publication date).
However, I’ve been holding onto 1 Across and 3 Across for a while, and while watching game shows last night – it’s generally either game shows or baking shows here – I decided it was time to foist them on y’all. Filling and cluing the grid took two segments of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire.
Come back Wednesday for your regularly scheduled mid-week mini!
Words: 74
Average Length: 5.00
As the note to the puzzle says, this is a tribute puzzle for … our 15-year old Ford Escape Hybrid. It’s still going strong! I’ve also got a recommendation for you: if you like birds, drawings of birds, or just plain good nature writing, check out the book in the clue for 23 Across.
I got back several days ago from a wonderful week spent hiking and eating in Iceland. There are several posts about the trip – and lots of pictures – on my PuffinlessTravel blog. Please check it out if you’re interested!
Words: 68
Average Length: 5.56
I had lots of fun cluing this one (favorite clue: 32 Across; I’m also partial to 2 Down and 3 Down). The seeds were the two long down answers, though I’ve wanted to include 20 Across and 24 Across in a puzzle for a while. Please enjoy!
Words: 16 (7×7)
Average Length: 4.75
Sometimes the best thing to do while watching the Nats pretend that they left their bats at home is to construct a mini. (Both halves of that sentence are true quite often.) Here you go. If you like the puzzle, please send the Nats some offense. Thanks in advance!
Words: 76
Average Length: 4.71
A couple of months ago I posted a mini, “Entertaining Women,” whose theme entries were bands with names containing the word “Girls.” I figured I’d construct a matching mini for the following week featuring band names with the word “Boys.” Once I started collecting theme answers, though, I realized there were more than enough such band names for a full-sized puzzle.
A word about the grid: I break one of the fundamental rules of crossword construction – the revealer includes a word that’s in the clue for each theme answer. Apologies to any purists!
Any resemblance of the black squares in the middle of the grid to a man is unintentional and, frankly, beyond my capabilities if I’d tried. But it’s still kind of cool given the theme!
Jeff's Puzzles