ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN:
[ ACROSS LITE][ PDF]
PROGRAMS: [Across Lite] [Adobe Reader]
PROGRAM: [Java]
Slight SPOILER alert: Here’s a theme that doesn’t come up all that often: the puzzle-grid-as-picture theme. The Infamous La Liz Gorski does these all the time, and hers are usually capital A-Art. Art not only in the sense that the grid’s picture tells a story, but also Art in the sense that she’s at the top of her game doing such work. Anyway, this theme came to me while I was running around doing chores. And once I had the title, which I feel really sells the gimmick, I knew I had a winner. Hopefully you agree.
Changing gears: We’re entering the final week of the December BEQ.com drive. Huge thanks to everyone who was able to chip in this time. For the rest of you, there’s still time to do your part. Everyone who is able to tip just $10 will receive a brand new Sunday-sized themeless puzzle as a token of my appreciation. In addition, one randomly selected donor will get a copy of “Sex, Drugs & Rock ‘n’ Roll Crosswords,” as well as a year’s subscription to Fireball Crossword. Make it happen if you can.
Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.
UPDATE: New Visual Thesaurus puzzle is up. Go to it.
Unless I’m missing something, there’s a typo in the clue for 26-Across.
Sorry, but I’m not understanding the theme. What am I missing?
Crap! And here I was getting all excited for an Elvis Costello-themed puzzle, after seeing the puzzle’s title and then watching the video (as opposed to the detectives).
I don’t get the theme either. And if the theme is a picture in the grid (either via the black squares or via the shaded ones), then I *really* don’t get it…
Theme is that two vehicles are running into one another (separate the gray/circle areas into a 3-letter across portion and a 3-letter down portion).
Can someone explain the 40-down clue? (I don’t understand why “tic-tac-toe line” doesn’t suffice…..)
Henry Hook would be so sad that people are crying out for something to give away the theme explicitly. It’s T-bone crashes. Shouldn’t there be a T-Bone Burnett video too?
Does “Sex, Drugs and Rocknroll Crosswords” have anything to do with Kate Winslet?
Ditto that; it should be [Monkey’s uncle?], no?
T-bone crashes. That’s it. And yeah, there was a missing letter. Fixed the files now.
I was puzzled too, but just realized that if played well, there never is a OOO line as it should always be a draw.
Didn’t get the theme, but see it now, but do not understand why the 1A line is shaded? Does a UST run into a ROBOT? (Get the BUS and UTE)