ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS FRIDAY]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS FRIDAY]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
It’s part three of the increasingly-popular guest puzzles on the BEQ.com site. Next up: Peter Wentz of Raleigh, NC. Seems every time I do one of his themeless puzzles I keep unraveling stunning entry after stunning entry. And they all fit together with a nice unforced feel. So needless to say, I was psyched he was able to share this one. That’s him up above. Now let’s do this interview.
BEQ: How’d you get into puzzlemaking?
Peter: I became a regular solver during my last year at UNC Asheville. I would photocopy the New York Times puzzle from the library and solve it in the cafeteria over lunch. After graduating, I entered the glamorous world of substitute teaching, meaning I woke up like clockwork every morning at 6 a.m., hoping for a call from any school. I was living out in the woods then, so in the event I didn’t get a gig that day, I wouldn’t have money or much anything to do. Eventually I figured I’d try this whole constructing thing out and spent many a morning honing the craft.
BEQ: Looks like you’re mainly a themeless guy (at least for the Times). What draws you to that form?
Peter: I actually do a fair amount of straightforward themed puzzles, but usually sell them to the LA Times, Games, Simon & Schuster, etc. But you’re right, the themeless is my thing. My favorite part of constructing is filling the grid, so I suppose it only stands to reason.
BEQ: How do you go about making a themeless puzzle anyway? Do you keep a running tab of how many Scrabble points you’re going to earn?
Peter: Ha, believe it or not, I only actually check on the Scrabble count and pangram type of things after I’ve completely filled the grid. My main goal is to cram as many exciting entries into the puzzle as possible, I just happen to think rarer letters tend to make more interesting words, plus as a solver, I like running into unusual letter combinations. It’s also why I tend to have the majority of my entries between 6-8 letters. Two fun 7-letter entries are better than one 15 right?
BEQ: What have you been up to when you’re not puzzling?
Peter: I’m in my third year of the Masters Architecture program at NC State, so most of my time goes there. To keep some of my sanity and health, I try to get in a little ultimate (no, “Frisbee” is not part of the sport’s name) a few times a week around the NC area.
BEQ: How often do you have to clarify that you’re not the Fall Out Boy dude?
Peter: Wait, you mean I’m not him? It doesn’t happen as much as it used to, but I like paraphrasing the Michael Bolton rant from “Office Space” whenever I get the chance.
I always held a small fantasy that it was THAT Peter Wentz…
Tricky to get started, but that was fun! Took me a while to figure that 38A was supposed to be a last name and not a first. Also wanted to try something starting with DC for 23A until 20D came to me.
excellent puzzle, and i really liked the shape. lots of little areas to get absorbed in.
Not Hard (6-something), but good. Got held up in SE by going DATES and then THE PALACE (at Auburn Hills). Did Not pay to know so much about Detroit venues. Although I guess “Auburn Hills” is not, technically, Detroit … ANYway. Enjoyable.
Medium for me except for extreme NE. I had COMESTO at 14D and that screwed up everything. Took me way longer than it should have to come up with the fake end of FAKEBOOK. Some great words – my favorites were SNIGGLE, a gimmee, and SUCKA which was one of the last to fall – but also some awkward plurals, my least favorite being DNALABS. But overall – hard enough and fresh enough to be fun.
Nice one, Peter! Much good stuff in this one…I especially love the triple-9s-and-a-10 corner stacks. Keep ’em coming!
MN
Nice puzzle.
I got stalled in the NE when a) I confused the LEK (albanian currency) with the LEU (Romanian currency) and b) figured that maybe FACEBOOK would be a boon to new musicians (having never heard of FAKEBOOK)
A quibble: For 1-down, PASSAT wouldn’t really be an “Accord relative” since they’re competitors. Maybe “Beetle relative” or “Golf relative” would be more accurate…and probably give you more misdirection anyway.
*thumbs up*
i like this.
Until the very end I sure that Mommy’s hair dryer was not A GUN.
Another excellent puzzle. Lovin’ these Fridays.
I really liked this one, even if I did forget my Romanian currency Crosswordese and thus had 1 mistake.
Lots of interesting stuff. Had trouble with NE corner. But if CTS and LEU were necessary to get FAKEBOOK into the grid it was worth it. Also liked SOLASTYEAR a less poignant version of “So September 10th”. Will look forward to PW’s puzzle in other venues.
Great puzzle. My quibble would be that there are plenty of non-wannabe jazz musicians who use the fakebook.
The cross-platform program for creating crossword puzzles.