Tag: Themeless Crossword

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Mini Venn Mini

Venn Mini 2

Words:  11

Average Length:  4.73

Drying heads of 5 Down, Lofoten Islands, Norway

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I wasn’t threatened too grievously after posting Venn Mini 1 last week, so here we go again! Think of each half of each clue as a circle in a Venn diagram; the answer will fit in the intersection between the two circles. It could be a common component, a word used in both “circles” but with different meanings, a name associated with both “circles,” or some other common ground.

EXPLANATIONS/SPOILERS BELOW

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1A:  MOSS is a kind of bryophyte; Kate Moss is a supermodel

5A:  COPPER is an essential element of both brass and bronze

7A:  O’LEARY was the owner of the cow that started the great Chicago fire, and “Mr. Wonderful” on Shark Tank is Kevin O’Leary

8A:  DERIVE is a term used both in calculus and in etymology

9A:  SANE – besides meaning “sensible,” Aladdin Sane was one of David Bowie’s alter egos

1D:  MOLES are enemy agents who’ve burrowed into a spy organization as well as rodents that burrow in gardens

2D:  OPERA – The Marx Brothers are known for A Night at the Opera and Kurt Weill is noted for his music for The Threepenny Opera (esp. “Mack the Knife”)

3D:  SPAIN – Toledo is a city in Spain and Columbus’s expeditions were funded by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain

4D:  SERVE – people serve in tennis and in the military

5D:  COD – Cash on Delivery or a kind of fish

6D:  RYE – Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, and rye is a type of whiskey

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Themeless

Themeless 47

A bottle of 4 Down, which we enjoyed after a 45 km bike ride in the Black Forest. (I’ve also enjoyed it in my house after sitting around doing not much of anything all day, so it evens out.)

Words:  70

Average Length:  5.49

The seed for this puzzle was 17 Across, which I had just finished listening to for roughly the 40,000th time when I realized it was 15 letters long.  I saw Chick Corea in concert two (possibly three) times – once in California in the early 80 (brilliant), once in DC in the early 2000s (fantastic), and possibly in NYC (I remember seeing Flora Purim and he may have been playing with her, but it was in the mid 70s and I just don’t remember, for reasons having everything to do with age and nothing whatsoever to do with any recreational activities.) 

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Themeless

Themeless 46

Castle outside a different kind of 34 Across, in Ireland

Words: 70

Average Length: 5.43

When I constructed this puzzle in late November, 29 Across was “it fits and it’s not awful” kind of fill.  With David Crosby’s passing, though, it gives me a chance to mention him in a clue and express gratitude for the thousands of hours I spent listening to him in The Byrds, in 29 Across, in 29 Across plus Y, and on his own.  He had a pure voice and a gift for heartfelt melodies and lyrics.  RIP, D.C. “I sing in silent harmony/We shall be free.”  (David Crosby, Guinnevere)

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Themeless

Themeless 45

Words:  68

Average Length:  5.65

3 Down and 18 Down were the seeds for this grid; of all the great sayings and quotes about wine, these happen to fit symmetrically.  Other than bringing your oenological expertise to bear, you can test your knowledge of stoner comedies, Springsteen albums, and dog breeds that anagram to a brand of markers.  Enjoy!

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Themeless

Themeless 44

Flamingos, seen in Namibia last week. They have nothing to do with the puzzle but I think it’s a cool picture.

Words:  68

Average Length:  5.59

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate!  This themeless started with the entries at 1 Across and 11 Down.  I first heard about 11 Down on a trip to Portugal in October (where the fee for one is close to half a million dollars).  I tried to make the cluing on this one a bit gentler than usual, but it’ll still be a workout.  

Revision: I just found out the first half of the clue for 3 Down isn’t right. Please ignore the reference to “trumpeter Blanchard.”

PS: I just returned from a terrific trip going from Lisbon to Cape Town, with stops in Madeira, Gran Canaria, The Gambia, Senegal, Ghana, Angola, and Namibia. If you’d like to see some photos and my write-up, please visit my travel blog.

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Themeless

Themeless 43

Words:  70

Average Length:  5.34

I had a lot of fun cluing this one, so get ready to think outside the box, laterally, creatively, or whatever other way lets you grok my machinations.  (The picture above, of 25 Down, was taken while hiking up Mount Liamuiga, which was a muddy and merciless slog over rocks and fallen logs; our guide rewarded us at the end with … thin sandwiches containing one slice of American cheese on white bread.)

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Themeless

Themeless 42

Words: 70

Average Length: 5.40

In the “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Universe” series, Douglas Adams asserts that the answer to “life, the universe, and everything” is 42.  In that vein, I proudly present Themeless 42, which answers such pressing questions as:  What’s orange and hangs out in a mall (6 Down)?  Who’s the leader of the pack (17 Across)?  And what exactly is fast food (12 Across)?  Please enjoy, and please share!

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Mini Puny but Punny

Puny but Punny 2

Here’s a fun-sized grab bag of shameless (shameful?) puns.  If you like it, please share the puzzle with your friends. If not, please share it with your enemies.

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Themeless

Themeless 41

See clue for 26 Across (Leaf producer)

Words:  72

Average Length:  5.25

Just a couple of notes on this one:  first, it’s a themeless, but somehow several clues relate to musicians, songs, or lyrics.  My brain has song lyrics (mostly from the 60s and 70s) crowding every synapse, to the apparent exclusion of more useful information.  Maybe using some of those as clues will free up room for things like people’s names, which I am utterly inept at remembering.

Second, the clue for 46A:  “Reading to your kids, e.g.”  I read to my children every night when they were growing up, and those memories remain among my most cherished (“… is the word I use to describe, whoa-o-o-o-o-o-o …” [The Association, Cherish (1966)].  See what I mean?)  Sandy and I have our first grandchild coming in February, and I can’t wait to make more wonderful memories (“… all alone in the moonlight …”) [Barbara Streisand, 1981, from the soundtrack of Cats].

Please, if you have young children, read to them – it’s an amazing bonding experience (take it away, Jimi [Hendrix, 1967]:  “Are you experienced/Or have you ever been experienced?”)! And while you’re at it, sing to them. Lyrics can come in handy!

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Themeless

Themeless 39

Gondolas with Isola San Giorgio Maggiore in the background (see clue for 55 Across, “It’s seen in Italy”)

Words:  70

Average Length:  5.46

This one started with the clue/answer pair at 18 Across.  23 Down went in shortly thereafter, and it’s one of my favorite clue/answer pairs in any of my puzzles, if you’ll excuse the self-pat on the back. 

51 Down’s clue (“Altamira or Lascaux, e.g.”) references something on my bucket list that I’ll never be able to fulfill.  I’m fascinated by anthropology and archeology, and the ancient art in these locations could illustrate the dictionary definition of “evocative.”  Alas, they’re closed to the public, so I’ll have to content myself with listening to the second track on The Royal Scam (link here), where Steely Dan captures a bit of the magic.

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