Words: 79 (16×15)
Average Length: 5.01
I’m looking forward to the movie of 19 Across, which is supposed to be released in March 2026. I mention the book “Paper Bullets” in the clue for 48 Down. It’s by Jeffrey H. Jackson, and it tells the true story of two avant garde female artists living in occupied Jersey during World War II who produce “paper bullets” – messages seeking to demoralize the Nazi troops. It’s brilliantly told and inspirational.
Words: 74
Average Length: 4.95
Over the years, I’ve constructed puzzles about music and food, music and fathers, music and the rainbow, music and boys, music and women, music and plants, music and food, music and reptiles, music and transportation, music and weather, music and the letter z, musicians’ side hustles, music and aging, musicians opening restaurants (one of my favorite puzzles), music and art, music and animals, music and flowers, and “American” music, not to mention 33 “mostly musical minis” and 5 “set list” puzzles.
What’s left? How about music and gaits, the theme of today’s offering. So run, walk, or whatever, and enjoy the solve!
In memoriam of the death of Pope Francis, a great and good man, here’s a link to a tongue-in-cheek puzzle I posted about the papacy 4 years ago, which in turn was based on a puzzle I constructed in 2013 upon Pope France’s elevation.
1 Across was the seed for this one. Sandy and I were watching American Idol, for which Jelly Roll is acting as a mentor. Knowing nothing about Jelly Roll, I looked up what genre he mostly works in, and voilà – there’s 1 Across.
A couple of other notes: In Ecuador, they sometimes make 3 Down with popcorn. I’m a popcorn fan – it’s dinner, often enough – but not in conjunction with 3 Down. And, as promised in the note to the puzzle, here’s a link to My Back Pages.
Words: 72
Average Length: 5.25
19 and 52 Across were the seeds, 19 because it exists and is funny, and 52 for the clue. (The 52 Across answer was going to be part of a themed puzzle with the clue as the revealer, but I couldn’t come up with enough theme entries.)
Words: 76
Average Length: 4.84
Kon Nichiwa! Or, if you’re solving this in the morning, ohayo! There’s lots of scrumptious Japanese fill in here, kind of like a 15×15 bento box. Chopsticks optional. Matane (see you soon – in this case, next Wednesday for a midi puzzle entitled “Puns, Anagrams, and General Goofiness”).
If you’d like to read all about my Japan trip, please visit my travel blog, PuffinlessTravel.com. I also just posted an essay there called “Thoughts onTWA (Traveling While American)”. Please check it out if you’re interested.
Words: 14 (7×7)
Average Length: 5.14
It’s been a while since I posted a Mostly Musical Mini. The last couple, alas, marked the passing of musicians I grew up and grew old(er) listening to (Jimmy Buffett, Robbie Robertson). This one, thankfully, isn’t a memorial, though it definitely skews toward Dad (or Grandpa) Rock.
Words: 70
Average Length: 5.40
A century of themelesses! (Hopefully it doesn’t feel like it takes that long to solve them ….) The seeds for this one were 6 Down (a joke I heard an Australian comedian tell last year) and 17 Down (I don’t remember where I came across the term, but I love it!).
Jeff's Puzzles