Tag: Themed crossword

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Midi Themed

AFRICA

Cape Town, South Africa’s legislative capital (Dec. 2023) – the only African capital I’ve been to so far

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).

online | puz | pdf | solution

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!

Categories
Themed

Like a 4.0 GPA

See 16 Across. Douro river, Portugal, Oct. 2022.

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.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

Jazzy You Know Who

See 49 Across. Photo taken in Kotor, Montenegro, Oct. 2024

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.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

Streaming Tunes

Te Anau, New Zealand (Feb. 2024)

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!

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

In the Beginning

I went through the Panama Canal last Monday. Here’s a picture of the Miraflores Locks with a huge ship in front of ours.

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.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Supersized Themed

Cook the Books

Leaving San Diego on the Oceania Insignia, en route to Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia, Grand Cayman, and Miami. I’m writing about the trip on my PuffinlessTravel blog – check it out if you’re interested.

Words: 91 (17×17)

Average Length: 5.32

A super-sized collection of silly literary puns – how can you resist?

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Midi

For Brian and Sly

Reykjavik, Iceland, July 2024. Nothing to do with the puzzle.

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.

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

What’s the Matter?

Nothing related to the puzzle – just another fun sign from the No Kings rally in Charlottesville

Words: 74

Average Length: 5.03

Three predicaments and “comforting words” from a fictional (as opposed to theoretical) physicist.  Enjoy!

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Midi Themed

Faux Modesty

This has nothing to do with the puzzle – I just thought it was funny. Guess the car’s a “shift.”

Words: 55 (12×13)

Average Length: 4.73

The clue/answer pair for 21 Down popped into my head and I went looking for other possible theme answers.  I couldn’t come up with enough good ones for a full-size puzzle, so here’s a large-ish midi.  Enjoy!

online | puz | pdf | solution

Categories
Themed

Pi and Phi

See 61 Across. Photo taken July 2011.

Words: 75 (17×13)

Average Length: 5.17

I’d been playing around with this theme idea for a while and decided it was time to quit dilly-dallying.  The grid’s not real pretty and placement of one theme answer breaks with symmetry, but hopefully all is forgiven for the sake of entertainment.

online | puz | pdf | solution