Words: 48 (12×12)
Average Length: 5.08
“Before and After” is a time-honored Jeopardy category. This puzzle introduces a twist, as the clue to 17 Across explains: the last word of 17A and the first word of 31A together satisfy a part of the clue. I hope you like it – I have another puzzle in this vein coming up in a few weeks.
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: 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: 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: 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!
Words: 72
Average Length: 5.31
The three main theme answers (each has a subsidiary entry as well) are common expressions. Given the color theme, I’d thought about cluing them with reference to the ongoing US election debacle, but the last thing we need right now is more snark. Instead, I went for a whimsical tone throughout the cluing; whimsy, besides being a cool-looking word, takes the edge off anxiety (mine, at least).
Words: 67 (14×15)
Average Length: 5.01
Back to my wheelhouse: a music-themed puzzle. This one required some creative construction architecture, which left me with an unusually-sized (14×15) grid with vertical symmetry and ended up resembling a person. Arguably, it’s a better likeness of a person than I could draw freehand, which tells you all you need to know about my artistic shortcomings. I’ll leave you with a link to Pure Prairie League’s recording of 10 Down, a gorgeous example of folk-rock.
Jeff's Puzzles