Tag: Themeless Crossword

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Themeless

Themeless 21

Words:  68

Average Length:  5.53

Difficulty:  5 out of 5

Pettah fruit and vegetable market, Colombo, Sri Lanka (see 14D)

This one’s pretty tough, particularly the 1A/6&7D combination.  If you’ve never had 1A, you owe it to yourself to try some, preferably washed down with a Medalla.  I first ran across 7D while learning to play Rhapsody in Blue way back in high school.   There’s a nasty 7D that I never quite got.

puz | pdf | solution

If you finish the puzzle, reward yourself with a 1 Down, 16 Down, or 45 Across.  If you don’t finish it, console yourself with the same. 

Please share this puzzle throughout the metaverse, link to this site, and otherwise give me some free publicity.  Next up (11/21) will be a medium-difficulty, Thanksgiving-themed puzzle.  Thanks, and enjoy!

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Themeless

Themeless 19

Word Count:  70

Average Length:  5.40

Difficulty:  4 out of 5

After a sojourn in Scandinavia last week, today’s straightforward themeless makes a few stops in Asia.  I’ll use it as an excuse to showcase a couple of photos taken in the Indian state of Kerala, where 21 Across is an official language. 

Impressionist take on a woman washing clothes, Alapphuza
Street scene, Cochin

puz | pdf | solution

Just one other comment:  Our first dog was a [24 Down]-an Terrier named Harry, who was adorable, athletic, stubborn, soulful, and frustratingly aloof.  RIP Harry.  Here’s a picture. 

Harry

Til next week, enjoy, share, and be well.  Coming up next will be a themed puzzle where artists of the canvas and the recording studio collide.

Categories
Themeless

April 7 Themeless

puz | pdf | solution

I hope you enjoy this 68-word themeless. A couple of solving notes:

My favorite clues are 60 Across and 55 Down. 47 Down refers to “The Virtuoso Pianist, written by the answer. If you’ve ever taken piano lessons, you probably know this — and remember it as the stuff of nightmares. If you’ve never taken piano lessons, the answer almost certainly will be unfamiliar, but perhaps the crosses will help. My apologies for the dreck fill at 20 Down, but needs must, and just be thankful I didn’t clue it as suggested (jokingly, I think) by my astrophysicist brother: “quark components of a Sigma baryon.”