ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS FRIDAY] 
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]

PROGRAM: [Java]

PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS FRIDAY]

PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]

There has been a request from some loyal readers to announce a spoiler space when I’m about to talk about the puzzle I posted. So, please, for the love of all that’s holy, avert your gaze from this blog until after you’ve solved the puzzle. I’m serious. If you don’t want to know that I’ve used TWITTERATI, MILE HIGH CLUB and IRISH CAR BOMBS in this grid: stop reading! Really! Entries are going to be discussed.

Of course, the loyal readers to the blog know I’ve done that joke before. The joke of listing bogus entries.

Is Twitterati even a word? I read it all the time on Gawker, but methinks that’s some sort of snarky in-house joke they came up with. Doesn’t mean I don’t love it. I catch myself referring to those who read my tweets as my Twitterati. Yes, even those who respond via Facebook.

Okay, I think that’s enough spoiler space.

I’m totally predictable in that I started this grid with DRUNK TEXT. Predictable in both the entry and the starting location. With the three crossing sevens shortly thereafter. I figured the -ATE and -LES endings would have offered up loads of fun stuff. Started with two nines above the DRUNK TEXT, but nothing came up, ergo the fact that it looks like I had to use a cheater to finish the corner. Make that I had to use a cheater to start the corner.

Last couple weeks I’d’ve actually finished off all of the bottom half before tackling the top, but since I had to smash those black squares really close to that diagonal in order to make the crossings work, it meant the NE and SQ corners were very wide open. So I went immediately to 1-Across. I wanted to make sure we had a zinger there, and on my list of “have to use eventually” words, FTW is in there. Instead, I put the full-length version. One of my test solvers berated me for RED WINE crossing RED CABBAGE, which I guess is pretty hideous. But I think I can top that for hideousness. Behold this baby wherein AQUARIA crosses AQUATIC at the Q. Jeezum. You could say the ONE OVER and ONE BASE repetition was inelegant too. But then, I’d have to kill you.

NE had a couple two three toughies; RASED and THNEEDS specifically. Thank god Dr. Seuss is (a) popular and (b) coined words that are crossword friendly. SW was surprisingly okay, despite ORENSE. I shall now apply the “Merl Reagle rule” of supplying anagrams with absurd entries like ORENSE.

As for cluing this one: test solvers said it was hard. But hey, it’s a three-day weekend, so you’ll have hours to savor this one. {Make some heads roll?} at 59-Across was my personal favorite. And as much as I was saying no more Oscar Wilde quotes, I liked the one I found at 24-Down. And upon reflection, I realize that I took one of my solvers editorial suggestion to remove ROC from the grid. So my great new clue for ROC was jettisoned ({“___ Boys (And the Winner Is)…” (2007 Jay-Z single)}, naturally). And, since that single’s amazing, and it didn’t make it the grid, it can at least make the blog post. That’s why I posted it above.

Have a good weekend. There will be a puzzle on Monday, so check back then.

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