Words: 75 (16×15)
Average Length: 5.12
Here’s a straightforward themed puzzle, which you don’t need a perfect report card to solve.
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Tag: Medium Difficulty
Here’s my third foray into the world of cryptic crossword construction. Sending out huge thanks to @Nate, an experienced cryptician (if there is such a word) and member of the wonderful Crosshare community, for providing detailed comments and helpful suggestions on my first draft.
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Mostly Musical Mini 34
Words: 67 (14×15)
Average Length: 5.13
The names in the three “theme” entries in this puzzle – 19, 32, and 50 Across – flow into one another, so that the three entries comprise five separate, well-known individuals.
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G’Day Mates 2
Words: 11
Average Length: 5.09
Around a month ago, I posted G’Day Mates 1, a puzzle celebrating the wonderful Aussies I’ve met on my travels. That puzzle actually was the second “G’Day Mates” grid I constructed; the first one misspelled the seed entry. (I had been misinformed as to the spelling and, fortunately, checked it before hitting “Publish.”)
So here’s G’Day Mates 2, misspelling and all. Turns out, if the Aussies in question have tsuris, the misspelling works just fine. (“Tsuris” means “woes” in Yiddish.)
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Bird, Diz, and LBFF
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Jazzy You Know Who
Words: 78
Average Length: 4.74
You don’t have to solve crosswords for long before figuring out that some names come up over and over again. Well, more accurately, some first or last names (ENO, ISSA, ALOU, ESAI …).
One of the most commonly used names – a first name, in this case – belongs to a wonderful singer who deserves to have her full name, along with the song that is often used to clue her, contained in a puzzle. This puzzle, in fact. And, because that song can be read as an imperative, I decided to take its instruction to heart in more than two dozen of this puzzle’s entries.
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Go With the Flow
Words: 28 (9×9)
Average Length: 4.93
The seeds for this puzzle, not surprisingly, were 4 and 24 Across, which make use of the title in different ways. 14 Across also was a seed, just because I like the logic of it. Fitting 4 Down in was serendipitous – or therendipetouth, as Sylvester would say.
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Streaming Tunes
Words: 79 (16×15)
Average Length: 5.01
Every so often, when angling for a theme, I cast my line once again into the musical deeps. For today’s puzzle, I landed four tunes (18, 25, 41, and 52 Across) whose titles fit nicely into a piece that premiered three centuries ago (66 Across). I hope the solving experience is smooth sailing!
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Jeff's Puzzles 