Words: 16
Average Length: 4.88
This is the last MMM, for a while at least. I’m going to start a new series of midi puzzles after New Year’s. To wrap up the MMMs, I included a pun I’ve been kicking around for months and have finally decided to inflict upon you (10 Across) as well as a nod (4 Down) to the greatest music mockumentary ever, “This Is Spinal Tap” (narrowly edging “A Mighty Wind”).
Words: 20
Average Length: 5.00
If two great Russian composers, two legendary British musical artists, two creative heavyweights of R&B, and a beloved talk show host made a puzzle, this would be it. I’ve saved them the trouble of getting together, which is good because the majority of them are no longer with us.
Words: 67 (14×15)
Average Length: 5.07
I’ve been toying with the idea for this theme for a while. When I finally decided to flesh it out, I realized it needed a non-standard grid size to preserve symmetry, which accounts for the fact that the grid looks like it’s lost weight. (Your humble constructor certainly hasn’t, having recently returned from Portugal, where food and wine are cherished: see the picture above of cod with roasted potatoes and onions, gleefully consumed at Restaurant Pinoquio, Lisbon.)
Words: 24
Average Length: 4.67
Welcome to the antepenultimate MMM. I’ve decided to start something different with my mid-week puzzles after I’ve reached 30 of these, so stay tuned for further news.
“Spanning the globe,” to quote the old Wide World of Sports intro, this week’s MMM includes musicians from the US, England, Scotland, and Russia, and song titles from Japan and the Middle East, with a nod to Brazil as well. If you solve it, you can enjoy the “thrill of victory”; fortunately, you can reveal any answers that stump you and thus avoid the “agony of defeat.”
Words: 70
Average Length: 5.46
I constructed this puzzle while on vacation in Peru touring Machu Picchu (picture above) and other Inca sites, which accounts for the two seeds (20 and 56 Across, with 3 Down thrown in for good measure). If you ever have the opportunity, go! Peru is a diverse, beautiful, welcoming country, and the Inca sites barely scratch the surface of what to see. Plus, the food is outstanding!
If you’re interested in reading my write-up of the trip and seeing some photos, please visit my travel blog, PuffinlessTravel.wordpress.com. I’m working on updating the home page to have links to locations, but if I haven’t done so when you visit, please scroll down to the bottom of the home page and click on the “2”.
Words: 76
Average Length: 4.82
I’ve read a lot of poetry this year; some of you might say “too much” after solving today’s grid. That’s the excuse for the theme of this puzzle: the almost certainly misguided idea to merge movie titles and poetry terms and clue them with verses that illustrate the terms. For those of you who weren’t English majors, the terms are defined below.
I promise Wednesday’s MMM will be rhyme-free!
Words: 20
Average Length: 5.13
This week’s MMM may be a bit more challenging than usual. I worked in a French composer many of you probably haven’t heard of, who wrote what I think is the most beautiful flute sonata of the 20th century. In addition, I was forced into 6 Down, who’s a not-very-well-known rapper and thus gets a perhaps less-than-helpful alternative clue after the music-related one.
Here’s a link to the flute sonata, which is filled with sinuous, gorgeous lines and delightfully dissonant harmonies.
Jeff's Puzzles