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Uncategorized

Iamb Gridding

Nothing to do with the puzzle; just another potentially puzzling sign.

Two weeks ago, I posted a mini puzzle (“5-7-5×5”) where 1 Across was a certain poetic form (evident from the title) and each answer was clued with that type of poem.  Here’s a second go at the same idea, with a different poetic form.  I’m not sure how many more of these I will post, given that most poetic forms are pretty darn long and I don’t feel like writing a 14-line clue if 1 Across is “sonnet.”  (Pretty sure you don’t feel like reading a 14-line clue either, though some of my parentheticals after clues do tend to run on a bit.)

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themeless

Themeless 80

See 51 Across. Photo taken in Rockville, MD May 2024.

I think this one should play a bit gentler than most of my themeless puzzles.  I’ll leave you with two gorgeous recordings of 47 Down, which is one of my favorite Beatles songs, early or late.  (1) The original. (2) Cover version by Emmylou Harris: 

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Mini Uncategorized

Filling Up On Raisins

Potential future raisins (they’re actually wine grapes), Bad Krozingen, Germany (photo taken Oct. 2019)

Words:  14

Average Length:  5.29

1 Across was the seed.  Had I been thinking, I would have tried for some grid art.  As it is, turning the puzzle upside down sort of gets the idea across.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

Rest Easy

See 50 Down

Words: 78

Average Length: 4.74

This puzzle’s theme is dear to me:  a good night’s sleep.  The FDA wisely prevents me from claiming that solving the puzzle will leave you so refreshed that you will sleep like a baby, but hey, it couldn’t hurt!

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Mini

5-7-5×5

See 8 Across. Photo taken on Cape Cod, Sept. 2019

Words: 10 (5×5)

Average Length:  4.80

Squares of white and black/A vacant field awaiting/Solvers’ fertile minds

online | puz | pdf | solution

My poetry is/At It-Could-Be-Verse.com /Please check out the site!

Categories
Themed

Themeless 79

Sheep farm (see 1 Down). Photo taken in New Zealand, not Australia, Jan. 2024.

Words:  72

Average Length:  5.19

Here’s an oleo of a themeless, to use some hoary crosswordese.  There’s a Hindu deity, one of my favorite authors, some Aussie slang, some Vietnamese food, and a Monty Python reference, among divers and sundry other entries.  I hope you find it tasty and satisfying, like 3 Down but decidedly unlike 37 Down.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Mini

Entertaining Women

Sunrise on the Douro River, Portugal (see 8 Down)(photo taken Oct. 2022)

Words:  18

Average Length:  4.89

Originally this was going to be the first of two minis – Entertaining Women and Entertaining Men.  But when I constructed “Entertaining Men,” it morphed into a full-sized puzzle (under a different title: “Backstreet genius”).  Come back in late June (and several times before then!) to solve it.  Meanwhile, enjoy this mini, perhaps with a glass of 15 Across.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

Cosmetic Fillers

Gondolas with Isola San Giorgio Maggiore in the background (see 38 Across)

Words:  70

Average Length:  5.34

The seed for this grid was 23 Across. After that, not knowing the first thing about cosmetics, I did a great deal of research to come up with other make-up-related puns.  (I blush to say it took a while.)  Here’s a link to 42 Across, a beautiful, achingly sad song written by James Taylor.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Mini

Kvetchy Molluscs

This has nothing to do with the puzzle, but I did get a chuckle out of it while walking in the mall with my granddaughter last week. Plus, it gives me an opportunity to plug a recent post on my travel blog about (mostly inadvertently) entertaining signs I’ve seen on my travels. Here’s a link: http://puffinlesstravel.com/2024/04/28/travel-musings-1-humor-on-the-road/

Words:  18

Average Length:  5.00

Thinking about shellfish the other day – as we all do, I’m sure, though it’s common to clam up when asked about it – the answer/clue that’s now 1 Across came to mind.  (I liked the pun so much I made it the title of the puzzle.)  Alas, there are no pearls (of wisdom or otherwise) in this grid, but it should make for a tasty, bite-sized solve nonetheless.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themeless

Themeless 78

See 23 Across

Words:  68

Average Length:  5.53

The two grid-spanners were the seeds for this themeless, and once I had them in place I decided to design a grid with minimal 3-letter answers (only four, in this case).  For solving accompaniment, here’s a link to the late, great Warren Zevon performing “Werewolves of London” (see the clue for 22 Across).

online | puz | pdf | solution