THEMELESS MONDAY: [ ACROSS LITE][ PDF]
PROGRAMS: [Across Lite] [Adobe Reader]
PROGRAM: [Java]
THE TWELVE LABORS OF A CROSSWORD CONSTRUCTOR
- Coming up with a new theme that Mike Shenk hasn’t done already.
- Debuting a new entry with some eye-popping letter combination.
- Pulling off a 64 word grid with zero crapola.
- Resisting the temptation to stack 15 letter entries on top of each other, four deep.
- Composing a brand-spanking new clue for EELS.
- Finding a genuinely funny quote that splits up symmetrically.
- Discovering a suitably famous new person with the last name ONO.
- Defying the urge to go pangramatic, especially if it requires ISAOS, IEREI, or the like to pull it off.
- Filling in a 15x grid that uses only 16 black squares.
- Making a puzzle hard enough that Dan Feyer won’t be able to solve in under 3 minutes.
- Convincing the American public that cryptic puzzles are the shit.
- Attempting to make a name for oneself outside of the enormity of “Death Star”-sized shadow cast by Will Shortz.
(Hey, who’s up for the latest Visual Thesaurus crossword?)
Share the puzzle. New one on Thursday.
5. “Parramatta rugby team”. DONE!
to quote a hero of mine, “i take ya wife/give her back/nine months after that/12-DOWN”
This comment regards the cluing of 35D.
There is a *huge* difference between UMass-Amherst (where the Pixies actually formed) and Amherst College, which seems to tbe the answer for 35D. Amherst College is part of the “Little 3” along with Williams and Wesleyan, probably a top-10 school in the whole country, whereas UMass-Amherst is a state-run Massachusetts school, one of several branches located throughout the great Commonwealth.
Perhaps 35D should be clued as “LOCATION OF Massachusetts college where Pixies formed.” That WOULD be accurate.
#7: check out “Jiro Dreams of Sushi,” which profiles the amazing chef Jiro Ono. Watched it last night, and immediately thought he’d make a nice new addition to the pantheon of Onos. Hilarious coincidence (or Plate of Shrimp, considering it’s a doc about a sushi chef) to see this item on your list today.
Already used that clue in Fireball Year 3 #21:
Sushi chef Jiro who is the subject of the documentary “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”
Can someone tell me more about this “Visual Thesaurus”?