Once I had the seed (36 Across) , the puzzle’s design was almost a foregone conclusion. Enjoy!
Categories
Tag: Themed crossword
Chappy Chanukah
Words: 42
Average Length: 4.86
Merry Christmas!
Words: 40
Average Length: 5.05
For the first time I can remember, Chanukah begins this year on Christmas Day. I figured I’d commemorate the occasion with a puzzle for each holiday. Whatever holiday you do (or don’t) celebrate – Chanukah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Festivus, whatever – I wish you all the best this holiday season!
Categories
Happy Songs 2
Words: 28 (9×9)
Average Length: 4.79
Here’s the second puzzle inspired by my playlist of songs that lift my spirits. As in the first in this series, songs on the playlist are marked with an asterisk. Once again, email me at JeffsPuzzles@gmail.com if you’d like me to send you the complete playlist. I’m also curious what songs other people rely on to put them in a good mood – you can include your list in comments on the puzzle or just send me an email. Thanks!
Categories
A Little Child Shall Lead Them
Words: 74
Average Length: 5.00
The inspiration for this puzzle came to me while waiting to catch a flight. Who’d’ve thunk it?
Speaking of travel, I’ve been cruising around the South Pacific for the past two weeks, starting in Tahiti and visiting Bora Bora, Rarotonga, American Samoa, Samo, Tonga, and Fiji so far, with Vanuatu, Brisbane, and Melbourne still to come. I’ve been posting about the trip, with lots of photos, in my travel blog, PuffinlessTravel.com. Please stop by if you’re interested!
Words: 70
Average Length: 5.23
Nuns, basketball players, rabbis, anesthesiologists, and a game of Musical Chairs all make an appearance – doubly, or even triply so. Have fun!
Words: 42 (11×11)
Average Length: 5.05
Whenever I travel to a new place, I try a local beer – solely as research for my travel blog, of course! I keep an online photo album of the beers; currently there are 53 pictures, and I intend to add to that on my upcoming trip to the South Pacific.
Cracking a cold one isn’t necessary to enjoy this puzzle, but the grid might put you in that kind of mood.
I just found out I misspelled 19D – it’s short one “n”. This was due solely to negligence, not to over-imbibing in any of the theme answers. Just think of it as a light beer. Forgive me!!!
Categories
In Rare Farm
Words: 28 (9×9)
Average Length: 5.07
I’d been saving 11A and 21A for a full-sized themed puzzle but couldn’t come up with other good themers, so here they are in a large mini or small midi, depending on your definitions.
Words: 23 (9×8)
Average Length: 4.87
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: this is by far the ugliest grid I’ve ever designed. Alas, after far too much time trying to fit what I wanted into a symmetrical, esthetically pleasing mini-midi grid, I gave up and settled for what you see.
Having said that, I hope you enjoy solving the clues, just like 9 Across and 3 Down. And if crime fiction is your thing, I can’t recommend Ian Rankin’s Rebus series highly enough. He just released the 25th book in the series, and they’re all terrific.
Categories
A Little Dot’ll Do Ya
Words: 76
Average Length: 4.74
Here’s a mind-expanding puzzle, including a little dirt on an ancient Roman poet, some Yiddish, Weird Al, and – oh yeah – a potential acid trip.
I’m posting this a day early because I’m getting on a cruise ship this afternoon and have no idea what the Internet access will be like.
If anyone’s interested, I’m on yet another trip – so far I’ve visited Monaco and Èze (France); the links are to write-ups on my PuffinlessTravel blog.
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