Words: 76
Average Length: 4.87
Difficulty: Harder than the average themed puzzle, though you’re probably smarter than the average bear, so maybe not so hard?

While wandering the aisles in Safeway a few weeks ago – pretty much the extent of my travels for the past too many months – 10 Down occurred to me. By the time I checked out I had 25 Down. Two more theme answers (17 Across and 61 Across) and voila, the bones of a puzzle. In the fill, I was happy to work in one of my favorite musical groups (30 Across), favorite soft drinks (47 Down; it may be an acquired taste), and favorite noshes (48 Across). I’m also particularly pleased with the clue for 1 Down. The clue on 57 Down is a nod to Mike Graczyk, whose Pun of a Kind puzzles are always fresh and entertaining.
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