ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS MONDAY]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS MONDAY]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
UPDATE: Probably poor timing on this grid, but it was intended as an inside joke among the puzzling world, and not a reflection of our troops. Sorry for the confusion. To the veterans, thank you. To those serving overseas, for the love of all that’s holy, please be safe out there.
Since it’s a holiday, I’m going to keep this one very short.
Thanks to all who were able to contribute this month. Our randomly selected winning donor is Mitchell Smith of Ft. Thomas, KY.
Lastly, I’d like to leave with an announcement. Starting today, I will only be posting two free puzzles a week instead of three. They will appear on Monday (more often than not a themeless) and Thursday (more often that not a themed and/or a variety style). That is all.
Share the puzzle. New one on Thursday.
I hope that this means we will be seeing more of your puzzles in other venues — if not, then sh*t.
As a BEQ fan, I’m disappointed in losing one of your weekly puzzles. I’m sure there is a huge effort to publishing three a week. I would be willing to subscribe if that would provide a more steady stream of support.
W/R/T today’s puzzle, I struggled with the lower right quadrant, thinking “Cate”, not “Kate.” So AVA didn’t come right away. When I finally tried AVA and the section went down, I thought you were mistaken. I should have known better.
Thanks again!!
Great puzzle today. I’m actually glad you’re scaling back the pub schedule, because we don’t want you to get burned out!
Yay! My blogging job just got one puzzle lighter.
I do hope you noodle around with a lot of variety puzzles for the Thursday offering, Brendan. Thanks a ton for the year and a half of three crosswords a week!
Pre-puzzling/pre-reading-comments comments: I love this grid without even looking at the clues! As to cutting down on the work load, have you given any thought to going all Peter Gordon on the market? I can’t imagine that very many serious puzzlers wouldn’t ante up.
paid or not, i’m glad for your sake that you’re cutting back. you’ve earned the lighter workload, bro.
The black squares aptly characterize my performance on this one. Needed lots of help to get through it.
Some really terrific cluing here. 1D “Blow up” and 56A “Futures manager” had me chasing wrong meanings for ages. I was saved from 17A “Professional with a chair” = EXECUTIONER by LARS ULRICH, who was a much-needed gimme. And 5D “Bug fighter” was EXTERMINAT[WTF?] until the crosses in N got me as far as ANTI [computer] VIRUS[?].
Still don’t get 29A “Switch ups” = ONS. I’m guessing baseball terminology, but. Anyone?
@BEQ, how inside is the joke that inspired the grid? Must be good to have a punch line like that.
On a switch ON is usually UP and DOWN is OFF
Don’t worry. Plenty more puzzles are coming down the pike
Never say never with regards to three a week ever happening again.
Only two blog puzzles per week? You lazy SOB!
Doh! Thanks.
Thanks, Steely.
okay, now you just have to make a puzzle where the black squares in the grid spell out YOU LAZY SOB.
I’ll ship an update to Crossword Butler tomorrow that incorporates the new sked.
As you know, I think this “theme” is awesome.
Bottom right was the killer place for me too. Til I came up with JANEEYRE.
Your puzzles better be 50% better now, man.
I always expect some awesome s*&t when coming here, but today was truly special. First there’s the grid. Nuff said. Then I find I’m a prize winner! (awesome) Then read the sad news about one less puzzle per week. (s*&t!)
But I’m comforted by the wiser and better solvers’ comments.
Baloo was punning when he sang “The BEAR Necessities.”
Okay, the new release is out.
http://is.gd/cyOw4
First bleak Wednesday in a long time. . .
I’m only holding out hope that they’ll be 33% better.
36D was a complete stumper for me, but led to this very interesting article I found via the Google, where I was already hanging out to complete the puzzle, I confess: http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-mas1.htm
First bleak Wednesday, yeah. I even sent money. No prize or anything. Maybe I’ll just go ahead and hang myself…
Sure he was. The thing about homophonic puns is, you can write them down either way. BEQ got it right, per both Wikipedia and the Disney site. (I’ll admit I had BEAR at first as well, but fixed it pretty quickly with VEY.)