Words: 66
Average Length: 5.67
I’m calling the cluing of this one “treeky” – a combination of tricky and cheeky. Actually, it’s probably more cheeky than tricky, so maybe it’s “chicky.” Either way, I hope it’s enjoyable. I’ll post the next puzzle on Monday, Nov. 13. It’s a super-size (17×17) grid called “Place Names.”
Words: 16
Average Length: 4.75
As promised, after last week’s heavenly-focused mini, here’s one playing devil’s advocate. Happy Halloween! Bit of a different schedule this week: Tuesday instead of Wednesday for the mini, and I’ll post a full-size grid Friday before heading to Cuba for a week. Next puzzle probably will be Monday the 13th.
Words: 70
Average Length: 5.17
Even though I’m red-green colorblind, I’ve always been fascinated by the way different colors combine to form other colors. Here’s the first of three puzzles in this vein. The primary color theme answers for this one are two excellent, very well-known songs (19 and 32 Across). 19 Across, to me, is one of Dylan’s best, from the album of his (Blood on the Tracks) that I like the most. 32 Across also is a great song, from Joni Mitchell’s brilliant Ladies of the Canyon album (which also has “The Circle Game” and “For Free,” two other terrific tracks). At first I was reluctant to include the relatively unfamiliar 49 Across as the secondary color theme answer, but I’ve always had a sweet spot in my heart for it, and it is, as the clue notes, considered the first bubblegum pop hit to make it to #1. Here’s a link.
Words: 72
Average Length: 5.28
It’s too bad this wasn’t Themeless 42, as you’ll understand once you’ve solved the puzzle. I called this a themeless even though the one of the two seeds (1 Down/8 Down, with 17 Across the second) and a few other entries relate to a hysterically funny, warm-hearted Douglas Adams series that I would make compulsory reading if I were 1 Down/8 Down. Constructor’s prerogative – if it’s 72 words or fewer I get to call it a themeless, especially if the related answers aren’t placed symmetrically. (There’s also a bit of a baseball mini-theme.)
Note: please excuse the poor wording of the clue for 40 Across. The answer is plural.
Words: 32 (9×9)
Average Length: 4.00
Some crosswordese comes from architecture (OGEE, APSE, EAVE), some from geography (ARAL, URAL, RIA), some from the arts (ASTA, SMEE, IAGO). And then there’s food and drink, perhaps the richest source of this less-than-nourishing fill. I usually try to eschew these stale words, but for this week’s mini I stuffed as many commonly-used, calorie-laden words as possible into the grid. Bring an appetite, and come back Sunday for a meaty, well-seasoned themeless.
Words: 79 (16×15)
Average Length: 5.16
I do my best singing in the car. It’s still not good, mind you, but the enclosed space and built-in vibrato from the road have a salutary effect. So, having crafted puzzles about music and food, music and plants, music and reptiles, music and transportation, music and weather, music and aging, and various other “music and” topics, it’s time for a puzzle about music and cars. Put it in gear and solve away!
Words: 68
Average Length: 5.68
A terrific constructor, Tim Croce (club72.wordpress.com), often creates grids around a 12-15-12 stack in the middle. It’s not a trivial undertaking, as I learned in trying his architecture here. He also includes lot of common-but-not-too-common expressions in his grids, so I figured I’d up the constructing challenge by making all three answers in the middle stack “in the language” phrases.
Enjoy, share, and please check out Club 72; you’re in for a treat. (I don’t know Tim, and I’m sure he has no idea who I am. I just like pointing solvers to other constructors whom they might appreciate.)
Jeff's Puzzles