Words: 42
Average Length: 4.71
I’m nearing the end of two phenomenal weeks in Egypt, during which I’ve gotten to see the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx, the new Grand Egyptian Museum, Abu Simbel, and the temples and tombs of Luxor. The sights have been spectacular and the Egyptian people warm and welcoming. Here’s a puzzle celebrating this wonderful country.
I’ve been blogging about the trip on my PuffinlessTravel blog – please stop by to see photos and read all about it.
Words: 73
Average Length: 5.10
Today’s puzzle is clued very gently (for me) – guess I was in a particularly mellow mood when I constructed it. I figure it’s a good tonic after last Thursday’s jeremiad.
Word: 78
Average Length: 4.64
Trigger warning: if you think the current occupant of what’s left of the White House is doing a bang-up job running what’s left of our country, this puzzle will upset you.
Apology: There’s no online option for today’s puzzle because, in the current political environment, I didn’t want to risk bringing haters’ wrath down on other distribution outlets.
Disclaimer: The puzzle resembles a word ladder, but it’s really not – turns out I could connect 1A to 67A by changing only 3 letters.
Words: 18
Average Length: 4.67
The seeds for this puzzle, which you’ll identify while solving, originally were ideas for a cryptic puzzle (for obvious reasons). Having said that, 15A, a non-seed entry, has my favorite clue.
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.
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