Words: 44 (11×11)
Average Length: 4.73
Today’s puzzle focuses on stuff I learned or saw on my recent safari. I hope you enjoy it!
Categories
Tag: Midi
Words: 43 (11×11)
Average Length: 4.79
The idea for this puzzle came from a book I just finished, Long Strange Trip: The Inside History of the Grateful Dead, by Dennis McNally. There’s a particular song (8 Down) that the Dead covered in live performances more than 500 times, and I thought the title of the song lent itself to a midi grid.
Alas, the only way I could make the concept work was for the first seed entry (1 Across) to be an obscure French artist. I’d never heard of him, and I’d guess that very few of you have either. But the crosses should help with 1 Across, and once the concept becomes apparent, the answer should fall into place easily. (To help the concept become apparent, the online version includes some shaded cells, but the circles should work just as well, if less colorfully.)
There’s an additional hint in the solving note, which references my original entry at 1 Across – a very similar word that’s a bit more widely known but spoiled the purity of the concept.
Categories
On Balance
Words: 40 (11×11)
Average Length: 5.05
The seeds for today’s puzzle were 1 Across and 6 Across, after which I had fun playing around with different uses of “scale.” I’m also happy to include my one of my very favorite female rock singers at 14 Across. Here’s a video of her singing a great John Prine song, “Angel from Montgomery.”
Words: 40 (11×11)
Average Length: 4.65
Today’s puzzle is my entry into the Crosshare monthly midi contest for April, whose theme is “cryptozoology.” Warnings: Dad jokes ahead and some assembly required.
Categories
Daisy Daisy
Words: 42 (11×11)
Average Length: 5.00
A few weeks ago, I wrote that I’d clued a certain flower cryptically because I was tired of seeing it clued as “daisy relative.” Then came my granddaughter’s fixation with a certain cartoon mouse and her best friend. A cruciverbalist’s mind is never at rest, so while I was pretending to be 1A for my granddaughter’s amusement – my impression isn’t exactly spot-on, but it does the trick – I decided the 1A/4D combination would be a good seed for today’s midi.
Words: 31 (9×10)
Average Length: 4.90
The seeds for this midi should be obvious. 13 Across was first in time but then 4 Down popped into my head, and I was glad to be able to clue it with four different meanings of the word. Then came 19 Across.
Words: 40 (11×11)
Average Length: 4.75
The main seed for this puzzle, 35 Across, is a term I hadn’t heard until around three weeks ago and hope never to hear again. After finding two more suitably frozen seeds, the puzzle came together quickly. There’s lots of good music (3 Down, 16 and 37 Across) and books (10 Down, 11 and 30 Across) in here, also – perfect accompaniments for a frigid February.
PS – I’m posting this a day early because I’ve got two full days of travel coming up as I head to Rapa Nui. If you’re interested, please follow along on my PuffinlessTravel blog!
Words: 28 (9×9)
Average Length: 5.21
I was reading something about classic movies, and 1A popped up. Sounds like a seed to me! Then I went looking for something to pair it with, and 24A came to mind. I spent untold hours listening to 4D when I was in high school (arrgh, half a century ago!) and could have clued it with the more famous “Fragile” album, but when I filled 18D I had to go for parallel clues.
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