Tag: Difficult crossword

Themed

Dear Abby

Post author By Jeff
Post date May 10, 2025
No Comments on Dear Abby

Words: 82 (19×13)

Average Length: 5.02

This has nothing to do with the puzzle, but I enjoy taking photos of manhole covers when I’m traveling, and this one, from Hiroshima, is particularly photogenic. Photo taken March 2025.

This puzzle’s seed – the inscription at 20, 28, and 49 Across – comes from a wonderful joint biography of our second President and his wife by Joseph J. Ellis, First Family: Abigail and [64 Across]. The hope expressed in the inscription has been realized rather less often than its author anticipated, and it’s been utterly dashed by the current incumbent, but it’s still an aspiration worth striving for. (Finding a grid design that would accommodate the quote in a symmetrical way was challenging, which accounts for the unusual dimensions of today’s puzzle.)

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Tags Difficult crossword, John and Abigail Adams, Joseph J. Ellis, Themed crossword

Themeless

Themeless 102

Post author By Jeff
Post date May 3, 2025
1 Comment on Themeless 102

See 37 Down. Photo taken in Fiji, Dec. 2024.

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.

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Tags Difficult crossword, Paper Bullets, Themeless Crossword

Themeless

Themeless 101

See 31 Down (Bangkok, Thailand April 2024)

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.)

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Tags Difficult crossword, Themeless Crossword

Midi Themeless

Puns, Anagrams, and General Goofiness

Post author By Jeff
Post date April 15, 2025
No Comments on Puns, Anagrams, and General Goofiness

Takayama, Japan (March 2025). See 3 Down.

Words: 30 (9×9)

Average Length: 4.60

Here’s a “cryptish” puzzle – a mish-mash of silly anagrams, Dad jokes, puns, and tortured English.

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Tags Difficult crossword, Midi, Themed crossword

Themeless

Themeless 100

Post author By Jeff
Post date April 6, 2025
1 Comment on Themeless 100

Tea ceremony equipment (Takayama, Japan, March 2025). This has nothing to do with the puzzle, but it was a wonderful experience.

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!).

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Tags Difficult crossword, Themeless Crossword

Themeless

Themeless 99

Post author By Jeff
Post date March 22, 2025
1 Comment on Themeless 99

1 down, 98 to go (see 20 Across). Photo taken near Queenstown, New Zealand, Feb. 2024.

Words: 72

Average Length: 5.36

I couldn’t construct my 99^ththemeless without using 20 Across as a seed! Then came the parallel entries at 4 Down and 26 Down and at 11 Down and 33 Down. Have fun!

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Tags Difficult crossword, Nena, Themeless Crossword

Themeless

Themeless 95

Words: 75 (16×15)

Average Length: 5.33

Here’s a straightforward, somewhat international (Japan, Ireland, India, Russia, Italy, Iceland, Oman, England) themeless. The seed, however – 52 Across – comes from America, where every 800 number leads to automated hell.

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Tags Difficult crossword, Themeless Crossword

Themeless

Themeless 93

Nothing to do with the puzzle – just a cool picture of Monaco Casino with Anish Kapoor’s “Sky Mirror” in the foreground. Photo taken Oct. 2024.

Words: 70

Average Length: 5.63

16 Down wasn’t one of the seeds, but I’ve wanted to work it into a puzzle ever since I found out it was a thing that I had. I’d always thought “mind’s eye” was just an expression; I never realized that 96-99% of people, if told to “picture an apple in your mind’s eye,” would more or less see an apple. Not me. It’s hard to believe I made it 66 years or so without knowing I was missing out on this!

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I’m flying home today after a wonderful 3-week cruise through the South Pacific. If you’d like to read about it and see some photos, please check out my travel blog, Puffinlesstravel.com.

Also, I just compiled a list of my favorite books that I read in 2024. If you’re interested, the list is here. I love getting recommendations, so feel free to share your favorites in the comments or via email at Jeffspuzzles@gmail.com.

Thanks!

Tags Difficult crossword, Themeless Crossword

Themeless

Themeless 91

Words: 70

Average Length: 5.51

For a couple of years now, the trend in themeless puzzles is for long answers to be “in the language” expressions. I’ve never been accused of being a trend-setter, so this puzzle hews to that, but I had to add my own stamp with some silly cluing (my default, or just plain fault, depending on your point of view).

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