ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS MONDAY]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS MONDAY]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
To the mailbag: Chicago’s John Minarcik writes: “Mr Q, Please tell me two things: exactly what is a ‘Crossword Jesus,’ and how does one qualify to be one?”
Long-time readers of the blog will recognize the phrase “Crossword Jesus” as a term for any member of the law firm of Berry, Shenk & Longo. The term was born in a humorous misunderstanding over an IM I was having with Francis Heaney. I was gushing, as one often does, over a Patrick Berry puzzle to Francis and instead of referring to Pat by name, I jokingly called him “The Crossword Jesus.” Francis misinterpreted who the sobriquet was referring to and wondered what Frank Longo had to do with said puzzle. It was from this conversation that I concluded the nickname could be further applied to Mike Shenk. So the “Crossword Jesuses” were born. Part Father/Son/Holy Ghost of the puzzle world. Part winking acknowledgement (for the obscurants in the house) to the failed psychological experiment of the three Christs of Ypsilanti. A meme was born.
A “Crossword Jesus,” simply put, is one whose puzzles are so perfectly formed, their themes so tight they make you go “wished I’d thought of that,” their cluing is so on target, the overall effect appears as if the puzzle wasn’t so much created, but rather it just sort of happened naturally. It is almost inevitable that during the course of solving a puzzle, the discerning solver’s eye will notice areas in which “extra effort” was exerted to make the rest of the puzzle “work.” For example: a mere mortal might pull off a packed-tight, stellar never-before-seen theme, bookended with 4×10 corners, chockablock with pizzazz in the fill. Yet, in order to make it “work,” some cover-your-eyes-bad partial like, say, AN ALIEN will be the glue holding it together. There is none of that crap in one of the “CJs” work. You will not find the clue {“My Stepmother is ___” (1988 Dan Aykroyd film)} anywhere.
To continue the blasphemy metaphor, to achieve the title of “Crossword Jesus” one has to have performed a few miracles. There’s not enough space to list all the accomplishments of the aforementioned, so one each will suffice: Frank’s never-to-be-broken lowest word count in a 15x, Patrick’s consistent how’d-he-come-up-with-that-grid-pattern-let-alone-fill-it-with-stellar-material varieties (here’s three), and Mike’s work, a nearly Cal Ripken-esque couldn’t-lose streak, at Games Magazine roughly 1981-’96. Phew. Mike, for the record, authored my favorite puzzle of all-time.
Now, for sure there’s Crossword Apostles out there. And if you believe in God, then you have to believe in the Devil. And sure enough, there’s a Crossword Satan out there. But those will have to be addressed in another post. In the meantime, share the puzzle. New one on Wednesday.
extremely solid, slightly-easier-than-usual-feeling monday. thanks. the answer at 1A made me laugh, and the clue at 69A made me laugh harder. only clunker was the cross that shall remain nameless in the SW. maybe this puzzle will finally cure me of saying “time sink” (cf. heat sink…nevermind) when what i mean is TIME SUCK.
I stuck too long with BEER THIRTY, a term I have heard and used often, had not heard Beer O’CLOCK before. Good puzzle, a bit tougher than some to me, but no Googles.
also, thanks for posting “landslide.” one for the ages. a top-10-ever series might be fun.
Very solid. Another one of those I thought “no way I can do this” at first and yet did it. My favorite kind of puzzle.
RENTBOY has a great ripped-from-the-headlines feel to it
Landslides was amazing. Thanks.
Is STREET ARAB a name, or a group? I struggled with the southeast corner, also the northern part (under and including OCLOCK). Several names I didn’t know…KNOX and CALEB and DON deLILLO. Thankfully I remember the Michael J Fox movie well enough.