Words: 70
Average Length: 5.34
Today’s puzzle follows a tried and true – meaning hoary – model. Hopefully, it’s fresh nonetheless, as 55 Across should be.
I just got back from 2 weeks in France, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I posted extensively about the trip on my travel blog, Puffinlesstravel.com – if you’re interested, please check it out!
Words: 70
Average Length: 5.20
In April 2023, I took a wonderful tour offered by Smithsonian Journeys visiting caves in France and Spain containing paleolithic art. (I wrote about it extensively on my PuffinlessTravel blog if you’re interested – just search for posts tagged Smithsonian.) Today’s puzzle isn’t archeologically significant, but then again, there’s no risk of running into any bats, so no worries if you’re chiroptophobic.
Words: 42 (11×11)
Average Length: 5.00
I love travel and I love puns – hence this puzzle, seeded by six different African capitals. Five are clued punnily; the sixth resisted my considerable efforts to come up with an even mildly humorous clue. Sad to say I’ve never been to any of these cities (yet).
PS – I’m leaving today for a couple of weeks in France, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. I’ll be writing about the trip and posting lots of photos on my PuffinlessTravel blog. Please stop by if you’re interested!
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.
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!
Words: 72
Average Length: 5.14
I set myself a construction challenge on this one – come up with a grid where the revealer crosses all four theme answers. I succeeded in doing so, but at the expense of including a passel of 3s. Have at it, and enjoy!
If you’re a fan of all manner of word puzzles – crosswords, Rows Gardens, acrostics, snake charmers, spirals – do yourself a favor and check out Jeanne Breen’s brilliant new puzzle site, In Pursuit of Puzzles.
Words: 91 (17×17)
Average Length: 5.32
A super-sized collection of silly literary puns – how can you resist?
Words: 41 (12×11)
Average Length: 5.41
We lost two more rock icons in June – Brian Wilson, the creative force behind the Beach Boys, and the incomparable Sly Stone, producer, bandleader, songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who created some of the catchiest, funkiest, most socially powerful hits of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. I picked one well-known song from each of these geniuses as the seeds for this puzzle.
If you’re intrigued by Sly Stone, there’s a terrific documentary from Questlove about him: “Sly Lives! A/k/a the Burden of Black Genius.” And if you haven’t seen it yet, please check out Questlove’s “Summer of Soul,” a documentary about the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival with some of the greatest music you’ll ever hear.
Jeff's Puzzles