ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ MERRY CHRISTMAS]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ MERRY CHRISTMAS]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
Yeah, yeah. It’s an oldie. But I think it’s a good puzzle. And timely. But if you’re dying to do a new puzzle, why not try my latest, also Christmas-themed Onion puzzle? [Across Lite] [PDF]
Still not satisfied? Have you tipped me to get the bonus themeless yet?
So, Liz and I are flying back to York tonight (Mother Nature-willing). Should be fun. That’s what the holidays are all about right? Quiet times with family and friends? Right? And with that, watch me segue into the latest BEQ Fan Pic Du Jour. Say “hello” to Emily Richardson Kent. Her father Chris sent the adorable picture above. Love the forced-perspective. Emily looks like she’s all of three inches tall. And who knows? Maybe she is. Anyway, Chris writes:
I am a crossword junkie. My wife Ann and I (Your 2009 Westchester Crossword Tournament couples champions, W00T!) just had our first child on Nov 30, Emily Richardson Kent. You are helping me immensely through the initial stages of parenthood. While having my first child was the most amazing experience I have ever been through, it is a different deal once you get home and ease into a routine. You see, newborns don’t do a whole lot. Eat, poop, stare, cry, sleep, repeat. She is my biggest challenge and greatest reward. Your puzzles are a ticket back to reality, and for the time being, my only pastime that does not make me look like a bungling idiot. Paternity leave wouldn’t be the same withought either of you. Happy holidays and keep up the good work.
I realize that there is an error in the puzzle pictured. Your puzzles, like parenthood, are a constant learning process. The metaphor is not lost. Recognize your mistakes, fix them, and move on.
Thanks Chris. Christmas comes early as he’ll get whatever he wants from the BEQ.com Gift Shoppe. Everyone else, keep those fan pics coming!
I’m going to leave you with what is quite possibly the craziest Christmas lights spectacle I’ve ever seen. Share that clip, and the puzzles. New one on Monday, with (hopefully) a writeup on how crap I am at the Guardian puzzles.
Merry Christmas! Thank you for all the fun.
What a nice idea, a traditional crossword puzzle to be done every year to the strains of Silent Night. We have a whole year to forget the answers.
I had a moment of panic when I looked at the finished puzzle. TOY, SWEATER, BOOKS, GAME, was that it? Was the Age of BEQ over? I was very relieved when the significance of “under the tree” dawned on me.
Hope you have a good time in England. My wife’s mother was a war bride so she has relatives in England and it is fun to visit them.
Had trouble on the SW of that until I decided SILO vs. AVIA had to be right.
Trouble with the Guardian puzzle? The Cryptic or another one? I do the Guardian and FT cryptics every day and have become pretty proficient.
When you finish, go over to fifteensquared.net for postgame analysis. Or earlier to cheat.
Happy Christmas! and thanks for a relatively easy puzzle! (I haven’t finished one in a while.)
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who matter don’t mind, and those that mind, don’t matter.