Here’s a concert line-up for you: the immensely talented Justin Timberlake, metal gods AC/DC, grunge idol Soundgarden, the magically-reformed Beatles, the ever-innovative Police, a reincarnated Otis Redding, more grunge from Nirvana, and closing the show, those giants of American music, the Grateful Dead. I’d go for sure, and tickets would undoubtedly be cheaper than seeing Taylor Swift. Enjoy the solve and the tunes!
(The photo has nothing to do with the puzzle. It’s from the Fathala Nature Reserve in Senegal, which I visited last week.)
I had a lot of fun cluing this one, so get ready to think outside the box, laterally, creatively, or whatever other way lets you grok my machinations. (The picture above, of 25 Down, was taken while hiking up Mount Liamuiga, which was a muddy and merciless slog over rocks and fallen logs; our guide rewarded us at the end with … thin sandwiches containing one slice of American cheese on white bread.)
Picture above: a house (not mine). It’s Hacienda La Compañia in Ecuador, and it’s gorgeous inside and out.
My quite limited artistic abilities are on display in this grid; if nothing else, the title should tell you what the black shape in the middle is. There’s a small amount of less-than-ideal fill necessitated by the constraints of the theme, so please accept my apologies in advance. I hope the phenomenally realistic grid design makes up for that.
In the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe” series, Douglas Adams asserts that the answer to “life, the universe, and everything” is 42. In that vein, I proudly present Themeless 42, which answers such pressing questions as: What’s orange and hangs out in a mall (6 Down)? Who’s the leader of the pack (17 Across)? And what exactly is fast food (12 Across)? Please enjoy, and please share!
Here’s a fun-sized grab bag of shameless (shameful?) puns. If you like it, please share the puzzle with your friends. If not, please share it with your enemies.
Time for a medium-difficulty themed puzzle relating to some of our fellow fauna. If you don’t know the song in the clue for 19A, give it a listen. It’s one of my favorites: a John Prine classic best known from Bonnie Raitt’s spectacular cover, , it focuses with dry-eyed sensitivity on a woman who’s tired of her life and longing for something or someone better.
This is the last MMM, for a while at least. I’m going to start a new series of midi puzzles after New Year’s. To wrap up the MMMs, I included a pun I’ve been kicking around for months and have finally decided to inflict upon you (10 Across) as well as a nod (4 Down) to the greatest music mockumentary ever, “This Is Spinal Tap” (narrowly edging “A Mighty Wind”).
Just a couple of notes on this one: first, it’s a themeless, but somehow several clues relate to musicians, songs, or lyrics. My brain has song lyrics (mostly from the 60s and 70s) crowding every synapse, to the apparent exclusion of more useful information. Maybe using some of those as clues will free up room for things like people’s names, which I am utterly inept at remembering.
Second, the clue for 46A: “Reading to your kids, e.g.” I read to my children every night when they were growing up, and those memories remain among my most cherished (“… is the word I use to describe, whoa-o-o-o-o-o-o …” [The Association, Cherish (1966)]. See what I mean?) Sandy and I have our first grandchild coming in February, and I can’t wait to make more wonderful memories (“… all alone in the moonlight …”) [Barbara Streisand, 1981, from the soundtrack of Cats].
Please, if you have young children, read to them – it’s an amazing bonding experience (take it away, Jimi [Hendrix, 1967]: “Are you experienced/Or have you ever been experienced?”)! And while you’re at it, sing to them. Lyrics can come in handy!
Jeff's Puzzles 