THEMELESS MONDAY: [ ACROSS LITE][ PDF]
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PROGRAM: [Java]
There is an unspoken rule that when one makes a themeless puzzle, you don’t make a grid that can be split into two by adding one or two symmetrically-placed black squares. It’s unfair to the solver because if all the sections are separated, it effectively turns the grid into four or more different puzzles. For me, I feel all themeless puzzles are like that to an extent. Look, you have four corners in the grid to begin with. And we know with themelesses there’s really no linking element among the entries. So even if each section has a couple two three longer entry points into that section, every themeless puzzle inherently feels like a four-in-one puzzle.
Today’s however is especially guilty of that four-in-one approach. Those that know me best can speculate I did the northwest and southeast corners first and built into the rest of the grid at 22- and 44-Across respectively. Once those stacks in the northwest and southeast were done, alas, the grid was pretty much set. But hey, it has a measly 66 words; a number I had to check twice because it certainly feels like it has more. My favorite clues are 44-Across and 46-Down. And a big tip of the hat to Joon Pahk for the winner at 30-Down.
Share the puzzle. New one on Thursday.
The SSE was tough … never having heard of 42A, 47D, and 50D (and not ‘getting’ 53D until later) made it tougher to break into.
8th and 9th enneants were the final sections I had to deal with but came off nicely. Laat night, I had my first Crossword dream in quite a while. When I first had them like maybe in the late 90s, I had the grid in front of my face. I tried hard to focus on the clues (and answers) but no luck. I just soon enon lose sight of it. This one, I tried to make some connection between the sesquipedalian answers. No luck there, but I vaguely recall one answer being something like ABOARD. Looks like Sandman’s taking all his grains with him upon awakening. I occasionally have Army-related dreams that tend to be highly stressful. They usually involve making formation on time. & WWTF? (What would Freud think?) He’s just a crackpot. & Middle name from a character in Petronius’s Satyricon. Maybe Fellini’s, too.