ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THIS IS HOW WE ROLL]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [THIS IS HOW WE ROLL]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
There are very few times when I make a puzzle that I start with an already made black and white pattern. That is to say, a stock pattern wherein all I’ll have to do is add the theme entries and away I go. Just about the only time I do that nowadays is when I’m trying to make a wide-open themeless.
When I first started out, I actually pored through old issues of “GAMES” magazine to find suitable black and white grids that would work with the themes that I came up with. Looking back now, I don’t know what the hell I must have been smoking. That seems so inconcievable now. It seems like such a rigid exercise of rote forced Scrabble playing. A bout of self-torture where I forced myself to come up with some spanning entry with locked unfriendly letters.
It didn’t take long for me to realize that I really should design the pattern as I’m placing the theme entries in the blank grid in the first place. Sure, part of it is nothing more than making my job easier as I’m making the puzzle. Making the spanners to come out _ _ R _ E is always going to be friendlier than _ _ W _ J.
But another reason is that I just hate, detest, dread cluing a puzzle. Okay, hate’s a strong word. Let me rephrase that. It’s the least-pleasurable part of construction for me. So, sure, I might have a pattern that looks good once I’ve sort of “locked in” the theme entries, I often systematically see if I can remove the black squares. Partially to allow for longer words (read: more interesting entries), partially to reduce to word count and therefore number of entries to clue.
Anyway, if you haven’t guessed by now. This is one of the few puzzles where I started with the black and white pattern first. Enjoy this one. New one on Wednesday.
Help!!
Can’t print out the puzzle…get a link to you-tube!
Help!
Can’t print the puzzle!
Link is to you tube.
Entertaining, but where’s the puzzle?
We are not amused.
you rick-rolled us!!! i love it, you crazy constructor!
i guess you wanted to force us to use the diagramless. well, not bad. since i “knew” the puzzle would have the usual crossword symmetry i just opened up crossfire with a blank 15×15 and solved it in there. that made it only slightly more challenging than a regular crossword.
i did not know that MARTIN = eurasian swallow. i wonder if other crossword constructors attempt to work their own name into a grid as often as possible. i know i chuckled the first time i saw MERL in a merl reagle puzzle. i’ve yet to sneak JOON into a puzzle of my own but i’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
so where is the rickroll puzzle from? and what’s the answer to 15a in the fake grid?
Joon: a magician never reveals his tricks. But since you brought it up: There are answers to each of the clues, and they tie in with the gimmick. They are, however, not the answer lengths that the grid suggests.
ha! that is totally awesome.
I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.
ok, i give up…what am i missing here?
>>since i “knew” the puzzle would have the usual crossword symmetry i just opened up crossfire with a blank 15×15 and solved it in there.<< How can you solve the puzzle if you can't see all the clues?
OMG. First I was annoyed that you were forcing me to take 10 extra minutes and solve diagramlessly. Then I came back and took another look at the “clues” in the embedded “puzzle”. Hilarious!
How can you solve the puzzle if you can’t see the clues?
Oops, now I see the clues over there on the right.
Where is the puzzle link? All I get is a YouTube video.
Look, may I have a crossword puzzle here? I don’t know what any of you are talking about.
Kudos, man. Just — kudos.
My god, I can’t wait until this Rickrolling bullshit has run its course. Having said that, this was a great puzzle.
i get the clues / lyrics in the puzzle above, but don’t understand connection with the twitter clues – they don’t ‘match’ with the puzzle layout.
what am i missing?
‘down’ as in pushing down the lever on a toaster?
Oh man! I finally got it. It took me long enough. Fun stuff!
i agree chichikov, rickrolling was tired along time ago, about 5 minutes after it started. but if nancy pelosi doing it doesn’t kill it, nothing will i guess.
good puzzle however.
Just tried to open in Acrosslite-ended up in YouTube-there must be a virus or worm infecting the link. Haven’t had the problem with the other puzzles.
Same wit me on the Youtube. Wondering if it’s a joke I don’t get.
Amazingly Awesome…gotta love rick astley!!!
Bling, bling! What an appropriate shiny new home for your shiny new gadget! The case looks great!