tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83021220678241610962024-03-24T13:20:24.151-04:00WORDS XING: Puzzles by BW SullivanHi, I'm Brendan! I teach mathematics at a liberal arts college and spend my spare time working on puzzles, both solving and constructing.
I've made many crossword puzzles with mathematics themes and now I'm working on constructing some standard puzzles, some of which I will share on this blog.
P.S. I know that graphic ^ is terribly amateurish but it's the best I can do. Could you make it better? Email me! I'm willing to spend some $$ on a nice graphic.Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-23691713393333743632024-03-24T13:19:00.000-04:002024-03-24T13:19:43.498-04:00Puzzle 88: Themeless #20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEN1B5AlCpvPaTwMwFWZF8xoNJddKeYUSW6c9pSkGetHRWCAM9LVJzZ1Uubyts8mtK85NRCqWkDM-H8ukFsJ0eZXZxu64AKcKqZwlrPg36WovPIbnSFGzfrN7k3lwqnFCP-aXaV3ZINiGtCWN9Y7E-aV2Rx40ADqpHZApAD0l7uRH3G3HrjHCZOayGpTDV/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20020%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEN1B5AlCpvPaTwMwFWZF8xoNJddKeYUSW6c9pSkGetHRWCAM9LVJzZ1Uubyts8mtK85NRCqWkDM-H8ukFsJ0eZXZxu64AKcKqZwlrPg36WovPIbnSFGzfrN7k3lwqnFCP-aXaV3ZINiGtCWN9Y7E-aV2Rx40ADqpHZApAD0l7uRH3G3HrjHCZOayGpTDV/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20020%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Felt some random inspiration to make a triple-stack of 15s and ended up with this puzzle. Hope you're up for a challenge...</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mrpokg5ma0wawv8ficvt5/BWS-Themeless-020.puz?rlkey=4uc2nqogsjwo7xd8jmpz85q63&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/c64d3osws000xjpheb0g6/BWS-Themeless-020.pdf?rlkey=gagdiev1fd72g4dvm24a3oi88&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=271749f7&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w2e7jv329cadxqzwtctdy/BWS-Themeless-020-solution.png?rlkey=1oe3yel40uux8yezgauxgoodo&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me Game" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=271749f7&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-57617396609763854282024-02-13T16:44:00.002-05:002024-02-13T16:44:31.323-05:00Puzzle 87: Themeless #19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfZKxJCbWK-wjuilhb1xAnAd7KegPTtoIffn7dZj7S8Jf7vdwjcU60_EdiwfFZaz2VPC9g8OWKw0jvjwaWQtt-gCG2CXQwIrg9Y28Q41Vbg_iJyGxIPCBYFgzbOHCP8raVZWkwdeaYsOilPBfJncyAhTcB9nhdWLAnF3lb2KIldHRfWJQiFpdG4GgElOb/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20019%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzfZKxJCbWK-wjuilhb1xAnAd7KegPTtoIffn7dZj7S8Jf7vdwjcU60_EdiwfFZaz2VPC9g8OWKw0jvjwaWQtt-gCG2CXQwIrg9Y28Q41Vbg_iJyGxIPCBYFgzbOHCP8raVZWkwdeaYsOilPBfJncyAhTcB9nhdWLAnF3lb2KIldHRfWJQiFpdG4GgElOb/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20019%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>I'm pretty excited with how fresh <i>and</i> clean this puzzle turned out, although you, dear solver, will be the true judge of that. Some tricky clues here, but also some fun and easy ones to help you crack in.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1v1ujxbdmlgal0rbpeqim/BWS-Themeless-019.puz?rlkey=dfrkki89xd6c10zhevvm7nnnv&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4iyaml56qkjz32yjqt62n/BWS-Themeless-019.pdf?rlkey=yp8rlzzh9myexjaa3ma2eymbf&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=c80febc0&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bhdjpb7k6vdv5ecy4kz7j/BWS-Themeless-019-solution.png?rlkey=qf78dv85s7b6topn0m9zgshld&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=c80febc0&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-17926117616149345352024-01-19T17:25:00.000-05:002024-01-19T17:25:01.665-05:00Puzzle 86: Themeless #18<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsZHsHXKbnkJ6QGejVO-FCJEPHp17xInY5U3ioG7O81Xao71h3aFsQpUIZk0OS5yNoAtBks8plq5heoRaLYafB7KLSq-G-LKqPROovSjvlND2izTwfdjDDUgqQ2rpRfWIskaWJms57veA_TBO2I28LbJYlGuCdnGlWjOmN9i3h3jaQHM24tNo4hIG1YdO/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20018%20-%20grid.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsZHsHXKbnkJ6QGejVO-FCJEPHp17xInY5U3ioG7O81Xao71h3aFsQpUIZk0OS5yNoAtBks8plq5heoRaLYafB7KLSq-G-LKqPROovSjvlND2izTwfdjDDUgqQ2rpRfWIskaWJms57veA_TBO2I28LbJYlGuCdnGlWjOmN9i3h3jaQHM24tNo4hIG1YdO/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20018%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Sharing another challenging themeless puzzle before I get swept into the swing of the spring semester next week. This one started with the spanner at 36-Across, followed by the top-right and bottom-left corners, and then the main diagonal sections fell into place later.</p><p>I can also declare that this one has ZERO golf content, in case that's been bothering you about my recent puzzles (sorry, I'm building a wordlist). Instead, there's lots of music references (especially Scottish bands, for some reason) and a bit of mathematics. And you should definitely check out 36-Down's lovely flowers on Instagram!</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/v1fx0kfdjz2j1mu3wrpuq/BWS-Themeless-018.puz?rlkey=k67h5tul5jzspm2en3qtqhqgn&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pqr3s4xtgq8xkdueo1h5g/BWS-Themeless-018.pdf?rlkey=1o15kz6l9dpny8anngcdivp0w&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=5f874e03&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q96u33ra87amh0u7x5skx/BWS-Themeless-018-solution.png?rlkey=pslhxg0iqquwfihn9dmtbb6vg&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=5f874e03&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-24972880809856973522024-01-14T09:00:00.005-05:002024-01-14T09:00:00.185-05:00Puzzle 85: Themeless #17<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1Tagn9rwrqi_iYQjZaxD2X9f_p_igQYNJPzSAREToh7ej2A90q1NCpV-0aFvcy_ZcJvhfNwetBi9G3cSSEns-0ieJ-JsPn7T8s7VA4hVglbXwaUS8yL68t_qLAy8W_b_X7Kh9VZkZ5FkAlvowTYJaRHXYVnH80PCi-PaHW7Nn24ucfXv8QWxka0GXgj8/s603/BWS%20Themeless%2017%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1Tagn9rwrqi_iYQjZaxD2X9f_p_igQYNJPzSAREToh7ej2A90q1NCpV-0aFvcy_ZcJvhfNwetBi9G3cSSEns-0ieJ-JsPn7T8s7VA4hVglbXwaUS8yL68t_qLAy8W_b_X7Kh9VZkZ5FkAlvowTYJaRHXYVnH80PCi-PaHW7Nn24ucfXv8QWxka0GXgj8/s320/BWS%20Themeless%2017%20-%20grid.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>First post of 2024! (Challenge: can you estimate how many digits long the factorial <i><a href="https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=2024%21" target="_blank">2024!</a></i> is?)</p><p>This one started with 1-Across and a hope to maintain some 10-stacks with multiple entry points. Keeping those big open corners, along with the central spanners, forced a few more 3s into the grid than I wanted, so I hope you don't mind a handful of acronyms amongst the 66 entries. Also, a few clues involve long quotations, so the PDF doesn't fit on one page; I'm recommending a <a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=69817367&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">browser solve</a> for this one.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/syhcfedsk7knt4unvzso7/BWS-Themeless-17.puz?rlkey=uyrjbipvwiysrsqui2cfg0fv6&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/94wsqrfgmehzb23rq06l1/BWS-Themeless-17.pdf?rlkey=zfvidr160o4kbx4ago37t4ucu&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=69817367&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fy8fl5cixn53e6uag603w/BWS-Themeless-17-solution.png?rlkey=3y35vqx1kjpk4v1ewrjf93rvv&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=69817367&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-36154999707526054572023-12-23T14:51:00.001-05:002023-12-23T14:51:12.552-05:00Puzzle 84: Themeless #16<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcLkDd5t5RioGXI6xe68dN_bpRT2jubMJuuCMccrL9O7yDsnDoMSKIl1ftNBjdgI7_P3OVRYQDmE7dHXZvTH0Z5GUGeJdBXniMuqwnklnEgAUEbKG5af3bN32-NbJNTLYYR2IAGY7jx6HtBs2NASH-d7dlSPJucIwZmJ4_EnogCBG7ELr895-cUyZmhDl/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20016%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzcLkDd5t5RioGXI6xe68dN_bpRT2jubMJuuCMccrL9O7yDsnDoMSKIl1ftNBjdgI7_P3OVRYQDmE7dHXZvTH0Z5GUGeJdBXniMuqwnklnEgAUEbKG5af3bN32-NbJNTLYYR2IAGY7jx6HtBs2NASH-d7dlSPJucIwZmJ4_EnogCBG7ELr895-cUyZmhDl/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20016%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Happy holidays! The season inspired a few entries in this grid, like 15-Across and 63-Across, but there's plenty of other fun stuff, including some recurring motifs in the clues. The word count and grid shape might make this one play a little more easily than usual (lots of 3s), but I'm calling it "hard" just in case.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8g1b8wncdlv5itkgwt8rv/BWS-Themeless-016.puz?rlkey=4f60p7hpvek5sjz6ucyifmtdt&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/oynt676g8eq2j9c9ksoez/BWS-Themeless-016.pdf?rlkey=15u8esv2doei8irz5zmuklcf7&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=c339d544&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/01ao3toyzumhzkjwu109j/BWS-Themeless-016-solution.png?rlkey=es98rpme00jj4qrzlfl5y6lby&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=c339d544&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p><div><br /></div>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-21211221257729945042023-12-12T17:09:00.001-05:002023-12-12T17:09:43.721-05:00Puzzle 83: Themeless #15<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfapGI8CnoJONAviIXWY6eNND3ru8AUTH8HoMg3Bz_CxkCb_nchJxemUmCaOi-AoJpKuFc85hpeaMn7e6HXMMe-_AdJCEFftOpQa4geXNy9CsSUjTes4ZaulmbyXw9D7pTKwIMNwZs1-Lv4N5H6N0EgkWiMP9wnPaAijNADGws7NR58t4-jPiltDXkcWaG/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20015%20-%20grid.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfapGI8CnoJONAviIXWY6eNND3ru8AUTH8HoMg3Bz_CxkCb_nchJxemUmCaOi-AoJpKuFc85hpeaMn7e6HXMMe-_AdJCEFftOpQa4geXNy9CsSUjTes4ZaulmbyXw9D7pTKwIMNwZs1-Lv4N5H6N0EgkWiMP9wnPaAijNADGws7NR58t4-jPiltDXkcWaG/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20015%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Looking for another 15x themeless puzzle? Here ya go! This one has a few criss-crossing 15s and some 9-stacks in the corners. And I've been adding lots of stuff to my wordlist lately, trying to get new things into these puzzles (like 59-Across and 5-Down here).</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4hd1vfsdpbnvi6lwg2qwl/BWS-Themeless-015.puz?rlkey=cm391t65658jr71wczdw3q5ow&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8kqff0zidyarlwvzfs24u/BWS-Themeless-015.pdf?rlkey=nxo1wqjz8hjo2ve6p7q8u95xd&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=3935f970&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mwsajqd7kt8kxhk5pj9ur/BWS-Themeless-015-solution.png?rlkey=wfc2k8vxpcjgmzg20hq55gqq5&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=3935f970&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-25354864205554167192023-12-05T14:23:00.003-05:002023-12-05T14:23:29.182-05:00Puzzle 82: Themeless #14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDWlt6BqwLcEWO1z9PrkbsBEPWHNZUveSdi635y8Gaik2ThUHS7YGk1aho4tk1c2buA-NJpTLbiIS2nKw86XRO5GQiQpTyRAjb1DDadY99xoherbSztsvfS06oBElbLTKiPUbMJHAV1izhJ2Uc0RZBJsnS-ml-IHO2bq7FE5asczIiS1nfLt9l6wvADS6/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20014%20-%20grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTDWlt6BqwLcEWO1z9PrkbsBEPWHNZUveSdi635y8Gaik2ThUHS7YGk1aho4tk1c2buA-NJpTLbiIS2nKw86XRO5GQiQpTyRAjb1DDadY99xoherbSztsvfS06oBElbLTKiPUbMJHAV1izhJ2Uc0RZBJsnS-ml-IHO2bq7FE5asczIiS1nfLt9l6wvADS6/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20014%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>I'm still trying my hand at 15x themelesses, but the last few have been fairly challenging, so I tried to grid & clue this one more towards <i>medium</i> difficulty.</p><p>I rather like this grid shape and the flow it produces, and I was happy to squeeze in a bunch of music references and Boston-area stuff, too.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6azakff4jn2asx3mzbc2y/BWS-Themeless-014.puz?rlkey=4b0a2vvo977pky6j9keww675k&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e32txytxodxr4t1z2y6ad/BWS-Themeless-014.pdf?rlkey=hqfw6un8ue44swja4jm5a2bv0&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9e87b556&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9za57kncey3yvfjnw56dt/BWS-Themeless-014-solution.png?rlkey=fssfz0e26ir9va0drqb0zdkai&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9e87b556&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Boston, MA, USA42.3600825 -71.058880114.049848663821152 -106.2151301 70.670316336178843 -35.902630099999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-39873848612984154372023-11-23T14:03:00.000-05:002023-11-23T14:03:01.430-05:00Puzzle 81: Themeless #13<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACBJQdHsQltQsgeljOYOoqrkRMDdI-udNaFKATgy0tiFBABX2068X5UFtw0-KWr6iWABTEgsSDSKKjku1IRWwKl-pHg36mICY5bNWNgXbX0L6pAILkFb1GszB6cRPNrEjPUns8ZrnAPbtuEaSOEYDXaAXgXJMYbXIwI5UpOBqzVpor4EVOvDcvP1bJkep/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20013%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhACBJQdHsQltQsgeljOYOoqrkRMDdI-udNaFKATgy0tiFBABX2068X5UFtw0-KWr6iWABTEgsSDSKKjku1IRWwKl-pHg36mICY5bNWNgXbX0L6pAILkFb1GszB6cRPNrEjPUns8ZrnAPbtuEaSOEYDXaAXgXJMYbXIwI5UpOBqzVpor4EVOvDcvP1bJkep/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20013%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>This never happens these days, but I'm back later in the week with another themeless! I threw this one together while away on vacation 🦃, so please pardon any typos or other unintended challenges.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/u20ca47dbq7r3p9xmd30m/BWS-Themeless-013.puz?rlkey=plr36y6oeype56zc11zw4y659&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9l2pxoynvb377lugvldju/BWS-Themeless-013.pdf?rlkey=oy8x1l6cly56bhj0h7vpc5e4w&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9b8ab0aa&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wkx088jwlnvztbi5bhqie/BWS-Themeless-013-solution.png?rlkey=k173aroxb7dy0pudg0xv9e6j2&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9b8ab0aa&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-64536742482460756222023-11-20T14:19:00.000-05:002023-11-20T14:19:14.149-05:00Puzzle 80: Themeless #12<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0dlr38YpnuGDVh_fR3wcpnwj-b3tqrpsdpOm6P8_CU-LdT_wienKbhwARLRkhjQzPH4PQzGKT1L3KQPr5vayy5nDsPId-FkH09HgXIHCdjBgxgzImFP5nuN53bx3ox5OWmspiSMle2VrBnSPzP7JPwYHnPSvZRQgorwXbgyd8WHjDgqk2_uJKSaoupiV/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20012%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0dlr38YpnuGDVh_fR3wcpnwj-b3tqrpsdpOm6P8_CU-LdT_wienKbhwARLRkhjQzPH4PQzGKT1L3KQPr5vayy5nDsPId-FkH09HgXIHCdjBgxgzImFP5nuN53bx3ox5OWmspiSMle2VrBnSPzP7JPwYHnPSvZRQgorwXbgyd8WHjDgqk2_uJKSaoupiV/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20012%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Still ridin' the themeless train! I started this one with the three 15s running across (and their clues), then just tried to keep the corners wide open and free of "cheater squares." This is probably one of the more challenging themelesses I've made, especially lately, so I'm labelling this <i>extra hard</i>. Let me know how it goes...</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/al6kam87rr2qclrgyfb6i/BWS-Themeless-012.puz?rlkey=rmwzldchmheer2tpj15yatk1t&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7urd919pmvscnyf7izq4w/BWS-Themeless-012.pdf?rlkey=04o3phdhc1w1z8h43uce4ur3v&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=f84b6f13&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/sone9q2ngnylgvp8aovho/BWS-Themeless-012-solution.png?rlkey=l3s5ix30qbq57ulqq2ihpvwxq&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" aria-label="Puzzle Me" height="700px" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=f84b6f13&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-38271154936198040052023-10-28T22:33:00.000-04:002023-10-28T22:33:00.732-04:00Puzzle 79: Themeless #11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHBaK3kOLi3A79qrivGidsbDzJtH5A0P66ZB6sPJa0uGR7b8S4bzEY1_fC96m7Bj-npw52sBb-ki2qiQ16uRq1WLQbi7yDNRQeiS6Nb4dXvL68MNkzYjWppSxxWTsdQbhXMZeduh3uaaJQnT8_0Y8ZShXkm3bv9hRm2X6sPmj2Yul27Abi2ODYqmV3srC/s643/BWS%20Themeless%20011%20-%20grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="643" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHBaK3kOLi3A79qrivGidsbDzJtH5A0P66ZB6sPJa0uGR7b8S4bzEY1_fC96m7Bj-npw52sBb-ki2qiQ16uRq1WLQbi7yDNRQeiS6Nb4dXvL68MNkzYjWppSxxWTsdQbhXMZeduh3uaaJQnT8_0Y8ZShXkm3bv9hRm2X6sPmj2Yul27Abi2ODYqmV3srC/s320/BWS%20Themeless%20011%20-%20grid.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Felt like using 16s in a themeless for some reason, especially those two stacked in the middle. Ended up with this even-by-even grid: 14 rows and 16 columns. Would you call that <i>14x16 </i>or <i>16x14</i>? (I'm inclined to the former, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrix_(mathematics)#Size" target="_blank">by mathematical convention</a>.)</p><p>Anyway, enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qnu58pty9yfpxpy6m3sp6/BWS-Themeless-011.puz?rlkey=xlae4l0vbrxuhr7n4myl051k5&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1824zylkeuttua8bxqo97/BWS-Themeless-011.pdf?rlkey=tc53zmgv4iqbdxddqhm3ipg1m&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=8c9db7c8&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5m0t7tksr5834mrn2g4q5/BWS-Themeless-011-solution.png?rlkey=3f362mf07m3huh95lhucbp6vh&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="600px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=8c9db7c8&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-61440816099479260812023-10-17T12:59:00.001-04:002023-10-17T12:59:58.046-04:00Puzzle 78: Themeless #10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCQSApRRjIq94BRsRSwU5yRpF9rMW_iXoHsvsW0b8yIkAwW2V1GdL9uU_L05VlIpRkUmGLOn0UM7LCQGkWR7pNTMwkJ3G3Cna_5Y79sR0D_0gv1l5wa-RQowyn9WAZj1xPLGBohf09YuWr9-JpM-W-irbLdxR_qhsGYtAMhcoDw-mvoF_TTg6r-0UaPvJ/s643/BWS%20Themeless%20010%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="643" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihCQSApRRjIq94BRsRSwU5yRpF9rMW_iXoHsvsW0b8yIkAwW2V1GdL9uU_L05VlIpRkUmGLOn0UM7LCQGkWR7pNTMwkJ3G3Cna_5Y79sR0D_0gv1l5wa-RQowyn9WAZj1xPLGBohf09YuWr9-JpM-W-irbLdxR_qhsGYtAMhcoDw-mvoF_TTg6r-0UaPvJ/w188-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20010%20-%20grid.png" width="188" /></a></div><p>I started making this with the 15s across the middle, and somehow it turned into a taller (16 rows) grid with lots of little nooks. And with 75 words, I had a lot of fun writing all these clues, where you'll find some recurring references and other silliness.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/e46n6wtxeu8ayasms2xy9/BWS-Themeless-010.puz?rlkey=fasf44aq9oz1l2b2hs857z0yf&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bjkyihgqzotlo3l5sxw9p/BWS-Themeless-010.pdf?rlkey=8quh0e8r9gra7t5rqp9ez8xnc&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=6b03b99f&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ua04sdhpqkvusfatqhd66/BWS-Themeless-010-solution.png?rlkey=5knsjynkca77ej7720s71luxm&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=6b03b99f&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-17532148108840281452023-10-09T15:07:00.001-04:002023-10-09T15:07:21.731-04:00Puzzle 77: Themeless #9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNiZv4LOOzp0ld5-C5aYrUNh5qD2EEEHXepxlBDMGSNCiFI8SXKQBo45xTUqQItH_oGTsRHJc_v4W-me6V2ukOjCXXm0iyG7grk7GWIqz9_-mUdvJ40NdRB4QXi3SDFEfwNvZIoESMNJshB008q83Sg5dJjFNB8GZquoE1QHe4kTCrj7GmjKc35xgS0N-/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20009%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNNiZv4LOOzp0ld5-C5aYrUNh5qD2EEEHXepxlBDMGSNCiFI8SXKQBo45xTUqQItH_oGTsRHJc_v4W-me6V2ukOjCXXm0iyG7grk7GWIqz9_-mUdvJ40NdRB4QXi3SDFEfwNvZIoESMNJshB008q83Sg5dJjFNB8GZquoE1QHe4kTCrj7GmjKc35xgS0N-/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20009%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Just another 15x themeless this time. Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xna0h7usgn70ogz9fs0y4/BWS-Themeless-009.puz?rlkey=2n16m7w5y50haibvrw1behsqq&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uce8rlxujqrclz87jm7uz/BWS-Themeless-009.pdf?rlkey=b2k2lwh6ib0vxdahzqg7urdmr&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9b5ea3a8&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w7ii9p27eeb5djb2w6h9q/BWS-Themeless-009-solution.png?rlkey=n8gj6pltr3lue4rs1125r0qbc&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9b5ea3a8&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p><div><br /></div>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-75567112628009876472023-09-15T13:23:00.001-04:002023-09-15T13:23:28.882-04:00Puzzle 76: Themeless #8<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcDSGYOP-u-R9Ei1Blm9USpbs_ltoDCHlSgEbYpG6uuAuA4EDJvJgnDlvy1ghvYhw3Lq3QFLMhHb_jpjWQ5Yf4Oh7_LQQkICm2nUlUIIyJYQ8PoDMWk7vXAi0MeOTHqSDEac3dE-ZPMM6Sgj3Ga9xgwd2dFLuL8L3wwP4D69EHVhR3ibKB5Wpmokta_Ne/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20008%20-%20grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcDSGYOP-u-R9Ei1Blm9USpbs_ltoDCHlSgEbYpG6uuAuA4EDJvJgnDlvy1ghvYhw3Lq3QFLMhHb_jpjWQ5Yf4Oh7_LQQkICm2nUlUIIyJYQ8PoDMWk7vXAi0MeOTHqSDEac3dE-ZPMM6Sgj3Ga9xgwd2dFLuL8L3wwP4D69EHVhR3ibKB5Wpmokta_Ne/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20008%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Been on a 15x15 themeless kick lately, both in solving and constructing, so here's another one from me.<br /><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/32jgwqjalf3em7pgmfazk/BWS-Themeless-008.puz?rlkey=15tcaj1q5pfb5qn8yfjyu5d04&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0mfxdlc6ucmukbskr2k38/BWS-Themeless-008.pdf?rlkey=7rvz9mdq3k15vic833uc81p6l&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=96f1b3a5&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/uwjbjucobrqqz0s2rknff/BWS-Themeless-008-solution.png?rlkey=ttuogbazmiqp1a3c4u1tiqr93&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=96f1b3a5&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-69283219891450423042023-08-25T14:58:00.001-04:002023-08-25T14:58:54.173-04:00Puzzle 75: Just pointing something out (Mini for kids)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3JHvrAYswTcqIJBoZqVovJfCFear7ShHA-nk_wuT2zqjRAllk0ELPxwPlYx4WZWK_OrT4zLb8i530zZbfD3DpyW3vXqigwlUq6pIJ0ys9XL5LvbZHEjFe1r8dhYbfZBfMnMM_4cowoC82YDc0UxRwknsR26xAn85jnNTbEqCA9VnEjXJ-pcWrq_rHAqe/s283/Mini%20for%20kids%20-%20Just%20pointing%20something%20out%20-%20grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="283" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy3JHvrAYswTcqIJBoZqVovJfCFear7ShHA-nk_wuT2zqjRAllk0ELPxwPlYx4WZWK_OrT4zLb8i530zZbfD3DpyW3vXqigwlUq6pIJ0ys9XL5LvbZHEjFe1r8dhYbfZBfMnMM_4cowoC82YDc0UxRwknsR26xAn85jnNTbEqCA9VnEjXJ-pcWrq_rHAqe/w200-h200/Mini%20for%20kids%20-%20Just%20pointing%20something%20out%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Something different today: a 7x7 easy, themed mini designed for kids!</p><p>My daughter is off to kindergarten in a few weeks (😲) so I've been spending a lot of time with her this summer (🤗). She has enjoyed working on the <a href="https://www.gridsforkids.com/" target="_blank">Grids for Kids puzzle pack</a> with me, so I wanted to make a special puzzle just like those but with some of her interests included. The paired theme answers here (9-Across and 12-Across) fit together well and reference some books she has been loving, too. She ended up "solving" the puzzle with lots of guidance from me, but I do believe it's doable by anyone who is able to read the clues. (If you're so inclined, please try it for yourself and let me know what you think about the age-level.)</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6zxxvslhqdchn3bdjd69x/Mini-for-kids-Just-pointing-something-out.puz?rlkey=6o33dyqct3nwzbzbt9mrmtlaj&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xmkclmljjayb1aw92za3a/Mini-for-kids-Just-pointing-something-out.pdf?rlkey=96nrdiqcnjpibh6kqx61k79l8&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=418ef3dd&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4lnovpoh6a8mfuci17tmc/Mini-for-kids-Just-pointing-something-out-solution.png?rlkey=07lx0c5snaqrc397k5flpxc6r&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="400px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=418ef3dd&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-13230003584486446532023-08-10T12:16:00.000-04:002023-08-10T12:16:23.867-04:00Puzzle 74: Across the Seas + Puzzles available on Redstone and Crosswordr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnO9TbXiQd475jwdr2fFo572zjk0lI6Fw4s0IiPuIe71xRCJkAk6_jBn4VQaFyGmEewjl26nSonmUZXEHLxuT_77nWT7yCwoGGVu6-VlvGQWVY_LJstbWsKez9dxZLE4aqM1HJF3DkD7TEGfepyrg5U5EAGP6YIF-Us_AxNPZPirU636e1erfz_E8ceiU/s643/BWS%20Puzzle%20Across%20the%20Seas%20-%20grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="643" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRnO9TbXiQd475jwdr2fFo572zjk0lI6Fw4s0IiPuIe71xRCJkAk6_jBn4VQaFyGmEewjl26nSonmUZXEHLxuT_77nWT7yCwoGGVu6-VlvGQWVY_LJstbWsKez9dxZLE4aqM1HJF3DkD7TEGfepyrg5U5EAGP6YIF-Us_AxNPZPirU636e1erfz_E8ceiU/w200-h188/BWS%20Puzzle%20Across%20the%20Seas%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>I made this puzzle a while ago as part of a pack of themed puzzles for the <i>Redstone</i> puzzle app but totally forgot they don't allow oversized grids, like this 16x15 one. So, I'll just share it here for y'all to enjoy, while also saying...</p><p>You can now find a bunch of <b>new puzzles from me </b>on the <i>Redstone</i> app! Just like <a href="https://wordsxing.blogspot.com/2022/06/bws-puzzle-67-announcement-7x7-hard.html" target="_blank">the last time I released some puzzles there</a>, you'll find two packs:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>15x15, themed, medium difficulty:</b> This pack contains 10 puzzles with themes of various kinds -- some wordplay, some trivia -- but nothing super tricky. If a theme felt too easy, I tried to balance it out with some more challenging fill, aiming for a "medium" solving experience overall.</li><li><b>7x7, themeless, hard difficulty: </b>Each of the 25 themeless mini puzzles in this pack has a bunch of 7-letter entries (for fun and tricky cluing) and 3-letter entries (to help you get a foothold while solving).</li></ol><div>(If there's enough interest, I could make those puzzles available in puz or pdf form, perhaps by linking to a folder...)</div><p></p><p>Meanwhile, you can also now find a bunch of my puzzles on the <i><a href="https://crosswordr.com/about-us" target="_blank">Crosswordr</a></i> site! Every puzzle there can also be found here on the blog, but the site does seem to provide a different -- and possibly more social -- solving experience, with the ability to follow specific constructors. So, check it out and follow <a href="https://crosswordr.com/wordsxing" target="_blank">my WORDS XING profile</a> there, if you'd like! </p><p>Okay, back to the silly puzzle at hand... Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a4aaog0idvll3ae85osvc/BWS-Puzzle-Across-the-Seas.puz?rlkey=tjtmkj4xk7vvfuhhsgub341rz&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4y81qicdf92va7lrexeed/BWS-Puzzle-Across-the-Seas.pdf?rlkey=qdjy5axd39uavqdpqmsy7qmyg&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=a8b873e1&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/8y2qefryrg0ax0r4jdisn/BWS-Puzzle-Across-the-Seas-solution.png?rlkey=kw6mni6nr9fjzyzh7fb2wd2m3&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><div><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="600px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=a8b873e1&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></div><div><br /></div><p></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-13558051150871361412023-07-21T12:47:00.000-04:002023-07-21T12:47:24.861-04:00Puzzle 73: Themeless #7<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaupopa-0SaTP5QA7InSqtDLnqMnvlyc-rJPb6PzI9UU3npeY5Wj-oil1eb82MIWfJLRs7RYUhK17DqzUhU46tnXqjfwEdDd2DZnGbOS_4lJhZJAJtE0EKmFzVirvgyVZkGiDTC6pwOoKOy1ceBQEreD_XXXNNc6Dt7tN7rIAIufPHd5bRd0XyhOCR3bfg/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20007%20-%20grid.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaupopa-0SaTP5QA7InSqtDLnqMnvlyc-rJPb6PzI9UU3npeY5Wj-oil1eb82MIWfJLRs7RYUhK17DqzUhU46tnXqjfwEdDd2DZnGbOS_4lJhZJAJtE0EKmFzVirvgyVZkGiDTC6pwOoKOy1ceBQEreD_XXXNNc6Dt7tN7rIAIufPHd5bRd0XyhOCR3bfg/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20007%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Took a few weeks off, but I'm back with a 15x themeless! Construction started with the 1-Across/54-Across combo, then some of the criss-crossing 15s, and then everything else fell into place. This ended up with a pretty low word count (an <a href="https://wordsxing.blogspot.com/2021/04/bws-puzzle-15-grid-n-play-2-68er.html">ol' 66er</a>) so I tried to crank up the clue difficulty to match, hence the categorization as "extra hard." Please let me know if this ended up <i>too</i> hard (or still too easy?).</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xo2rk6fikd85m8zlngdsh/BWS-Themeless-007.puz?rlkey=bt89c1zo8qb8mmv2vy6p65jvg&dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bmr9h2i6qwm4a57tqq90y/BWS-Themeless-007.pdf?rlkey=ne7i3ffkrhksvqw8npz3xaif9&dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=0d71cfee&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3zqrhll79zbguz42bfvwn/BWS-Themeless-007-solution.png?rlkey=6wzz6v9gz2kp0e30gus9kwxcn&dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p><p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="600px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=0d71cfee&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-55983282423330019072023-06-26T10:00:00.001-04:002023-06-26T10:00:00.149-04:00Puzzle 72: Themeless #6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTPFgzfR7fqC8tIKCdVt7OMSQU990ra6iA6ig5j0Ayiwj2Tjn4ZGNGPGD-kzrmTST4qZetpBkYmBo3LzKg1aGXNQ8tnLt-TzE5lEv9SLctsEbRue7tzx6Og7Xsj2XKENvTUEHYJwWB-3g3zXmEWby5YGudurcLKINvMdC0XNVLZ_wpEjVRk-5laIC572A/s603/BWS%20Themeless%20006%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="603" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTPFgzfR7fqC8tIKCdVt7OMSQU990ra6iA6ig5j0Ayiwj2Tjn4ZGNGPGD-kzrmTST4qZetpBkYmBo3LzKg1aGXNQ8tnLt-TzE5lEv9SLctsEbRue7tzx6Og7Xsj2XKENvTUEHYJwWB-3g3zXmEWby5YGudurcLKINvMdC0XNVLZ_wpEjVRk-5laIC572A/w200-h200/BWS%20Themeless%20006%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>There's a triple stack of 15s in this puzzle, and the entry right in the middle is where my construction started (and where your post-solve listening should begin). I'm thinking this will be kinda challenging in some spots and not so bad in others, but I'll give it a "hard" label to be safe. </p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/ga6hmar8qoirsbg/BWS%20Themeless%20006.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/mf5izuzu4ho2zes/BWS%20Themeless%20006.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=4290e4fb&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/0z2j0joeateygq6/BWS%20Themeless%20006%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><div><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=4290e4fb&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></div>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-24498526437226881122023-06-19T12:03:00.000-04:002023-06-19T12:03:21.325-04:00Puzzle 71: Midi Themeless #27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yRjjqYnHAY7ku-iCuP2EQqjauZHdcVf_CM2AX5As2dtD4-MxWJcPbLSlP9HoTMzXJybRELXgYg3VdLOFVl5zdIuMkBHPQHifzEv5gb9p2MrxXktjxWk_SeMudfgsOhqp__haHWC2DKo4lXtMOq51weDpMvheKHiuqx4NUETAWaVHM6PFckV-eUoN_i1V/s363/BWS%20Midi%20Themeless%20027%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="363" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yRjjqYnHAY7ku-iCuP2EQqjauZHdcVf_CM2AX5As2dtD4-MxWJcPbLSlP9HoTMzXJybRELXgYg3VdLOFVl5zdIuMkBHPQHifzEv5gb9p2MrxXktjxWk_SeMudfgsOhqp__haHWC2DKo4lXtMOq51weDpMvheKHiuqx4NUETAWaVHM6PFckV-eUoN_i1V/w200-h200/BWS%20Midi%20Themeless%20027%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><br /><p>Just a small themeless puzzle this week: a 9x9 grid with a few crisscrossing 9s. One entry was inspired by a recent conference I attended (which you should check out, but only <a href="https://thegradingconference.com/" target="_blank">click this link</a> after solving the puzzle so you don't ruin it).</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/qyqrbtwltawuf6h/BWS%20Midi%20Themeless%20027.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/0y0ab1spkys6rp7/BWS%20Midi%20Themeless%20027.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li><li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=f5ff9fa5&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li><li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/3tm7areequd0swx/BWS%20Midi%20Themeless%20027%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li></ul><p></p>
<p><iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="500px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=f5ff9fa5&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-5546196727681488772023-06-12T10:57:00.002-04:002023-06-12T10:59:51.661-04:00Puzzle 70: Rhyme Time #15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtqx-TnyPHz7Em8JpvtDbtwmHYg0JDZOVKWHqMTTAk-i_dfkx1p2hwdYYalpjkPbST_HW24ZEGVDJA5gauMimcJbmaRhyGPPSbAExIiwUD8V5lVxUlFxuI2hKJrgwN2kwKVyXxXWTWieG41UpueAh0-sylmnMojIi8USvQPBO6P18o-3BV5x2k83TKA/s443/BWS%20Rhyme%20Time%2015%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="443" data-original-width="443" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxtqx-TnyPHz7Em8JpvtDbtwmHYg0JDZOVKWHqMTTAk-i_dfkx1p2hwdYYalpjkPbST_HW24ZEGVDJA5gauMimcJbmaRhyGPPSbAExIiwUD8V5lVxUlFxuI2hKJrgwN2kwKVyXxXWTWieG41UpueAh0-sylmnMojIi8USvQPBO6P18o-3BV5x2k83TKA/w200-h200/BWS%20Rhyme%20Time%2015%20-%20grid.png" width="200" /></a></div><p>Long time no see! I'm sharing a new puzzle in the hopes of kickstarting my crossword construction machinery again after a long period of intermittent activity.</p>
<p>I do have a few new crosswords out there since I last posted on this blog:</p>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/jzjkr81vxl5ce0y/JMM-2023.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">15x15 themed contest puzzle</a> for the Joint Mathematics Meetings, January 2023</span></li><li>
<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=343e9e4d&set=7b533671facd14f2b6d905180ef435f6bc1b6a960bad3da0b9362ea6db6e4e08" target="_blank">23x19 themed contest puzzle</a> for MAA MathFest, August 2022</li>
<li><a href="http://digitaleditions.walsworthprintgroup.com/publication/?i=793202&p=48&view=issueViewer" target="_blank">15x15 themeless puzzle</a> in <i>MAA FOCUS </i>magazine, June 2023</li>
</ul>
<div>(You can also find those in a <a href="https://professorbrendan.github.io/Puzzles/#mathematical-crosswords" target="_blank">big list on my website</a> of all the mathy crosswords I've published.)</div><div><br /></div>
<div>Other than that, though, crosswording has been an occasional <i>solving</i> activity for me in recent months, but not so much a <i>constructing</i> activity. In part, I've been pretty busy with other work and life stuff: for instance, check out <a href="https://bit.ly/VotingMethods" target="_blank">my book on voting methods</a>, this <a href="https://twitter.com/professorbrenda/status/1656749773204910084" target="_blank">teaching presentation</a>, and this <a href="https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Eventmath" target="_blank">website</a>! I also have an amazing 5-year-old daughter who loved the <a href="https://www.gridsforkids.com/" target="_blank">Grids for Kids puzzle pack</a> that came out recently.</div><div><br /></div><div>All that has made it hard to even keep up with the various crossword subscriptions I do have (recommended: <i><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword" target="_blank">New Yorker</a></i>, <a href="https://avxwords.com/" target="_blank">AVCX</a>, <a href="https://inkubatorcrosswords.com/" target="_blank">Inkubator</a>, <a href="https://www.patreon.com/luckyxwords" target="_blank">luckystreak</a>, <a href="https://dailycrosswordlinks.com/" target="_blank">various indie blogs</a>), let alone work on making puzzles. But, like I said, I'm hoping to get back into doing this on a regular basis.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, to warm up, I made a fun, little rhyme time puzzle for y'all. Enjoy the solve, and share if you do!</div><ul style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-inline-start: 48px;">
<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/y4zi4hop6sk82ma/BWS%20Rhyme%20Time%2015.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/luqd6g3pc9tksw3/BWS%20Rhyme%20Time%2015.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a></li>
<li><a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=3763c891&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" target="_blank">fullscreen</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/cgcigm593fj4sql/BWS%20Rhyme%20Time%2015%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a></li>
</ul>
<div><span style="font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre;">
<iframe allow="web-share; fullscreen" height="500px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=3763c891&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe>
</span></div>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com2Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-64945675802625954352022-07-22T09:30:00.012-04:002022-07-22T13:27:57.840-04:00BWS Puzzle 69: Rhyme Time #14<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxGqq1PukNO7P3eu8BblEOhuc9dY0Z46Tagi6hULbZGezm8pZ4KRI3cPo6_K5-TGeqWMJmbPt9hob8d4D6CqNisBVX7E65DUenv_k6_HF0vQ6z7gO9wqh0-cc-cSEbpiQhUMRyK5yCx57D1I3jvkJm1fKxjYWbd1s8Ss3ip3FfnAGJ_EuGtFnpHgLCA/s919/BWS%20Midi%20Rhyme%20Time%2014%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZxGqq1PukNO7P3eu8BblEOhuc9dY0Z46Tagi6hULbZGezm8pZ4KRI3cPo6_K5-TGeqWMJmbPt9hob8d4D6CqNisBVX7E65DUenv_k6_HF0vQ6z7gO9wqh0-cc-cSEbpiQhUMRyK5yCx57D1I3jvkJm1fKxjYWbd1s8Ss3ip3FfnAGJ_EuGtFnpHgLCA/s320/BWS%20Midi%20Rhyme%20Time%2014%20-%20grid.png" width="262" /></a></div><p>Just a silly little puz this week with a few rhyming phrases. Not a lot to say about it, just have fun!</p><p>In other news, I'll be participating in person at the <i><a href="https://www.boswords.org/" target="_blank">Boswords</a> 2022 Summer Tournament</i><b> </b>this weekend. Hope to see some of you there!</p><p>And if you haven't yet, check out the Redstone Crossword Puzzle App (<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/crossword-puzzle-redstone/id957848865" target="_blank">App Store link</a> & <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mobi.redstonegames.crossword.en&hl=en_US&gl=US" target="_blank">Google Play link</a>) for two puzzle packs from me: 1) twenty-five 7x7 themeless puzzles in the <i>Minis-Midis & Hard </i>categories, and 2) ten standard-sized themed puzzles in the <i>15x15 & Medium</i> categories. I'm working on releasing another pack of both of those puzzle types, so stay tuned for more! In the meantime, the ko-fi "tip jar" is open, if you'd like to to buy me a ☕ and fuel more puzzle-making: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/wordsxing">https://ko-fi.com/wordsxing</a> </p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.</p><p>Download links: [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/fbhghzl1hhas4q2/BWS%20Midi%20Rhyme%20Time%2014.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/h9a0miq1bztwunb/BWS%20Midi%20Rhyme%20Time%2014.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/imni4t7rckfd7ef/BWS%20Midi%20Rhyme%20Time%2014%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a>] Direct link: [<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=ae82e7ac&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" target="_blank">open in new tab</a>]</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=ae82e7ac&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-79831772997805280902022-07-01T09:00:00.046-04:002022-07-01T10:54:02.913-04:00BWS Puzzle 68: Themeless #5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFG8UW1OyOeZW5CC_hW7DKdbLJvKyn5vM5JfLGwrdqq7kYZsdiyTllpfHA3PLOI1WObtC1a0-1CAVB5yiH2nXoQJpG7ihTaSCuMuwrxTRiRKjR4j6KN6_jsda9YKbFJDDBWF3kr12gEbFrDOCIt02HNOyR8T15995QgfPUu-7NmMHMdbNkFF1eTJcTw/s1251/BWS%20Themeless%20005%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1251" data-original-width="1251" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHFG8UW1OyOeZW5CC_hW7DKdbLJvKyn5vM5JfLGwrdqq7kYZsdiyTllpfHA3PLOI1WObtC1a0-1CAVB5yiH2nXoQJpG7ihTaSCuMuwrxTRiRKjR4j6KN6_jsda9YKbFJDDBWF3kr12gEbFrDOCIt02HNOyR8T15995QgfPUu-7NmMHMdbNkFF1eTJcTw/s320/BWS%20Themeless%20005%20-%20grid.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>Still working on my themeless skills, trying out different grid shapes and stacks and such. Here's a 70-worder with some fun stuff, I hope. In particular, I'm fond of the clues for 12-Down and 53-Across.</p><p>In blog-related stuff, there are two new items in the sidebar menu:</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>a "tip jar" of sorts to buy me a ☕, if you feel so inclined: <a href="https://ko-fi.com/wordsxing">https://ko-fi.com/wordsxing</a> </li><li>a blog roll of constructors and puzzle sites I recommend checking out and supporting (feel free to suggest more in the comments)</li></ol><p></p><p>And, in case you missed it, <a href="https://wordsxing.blogspot.com/2022/06/bws-puzzle-67-announcement-7x7-hard.html" target="_blank">last week I mentioned</a> that there's a pack of mini themeless puzzles of mine on the Redstone app, so check that out for a bunch of quick challenges.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.</p><p>Download links: [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/du6xjrry7c054rm/BWS%20Themeless%20005.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/1wnqqdj9o3ub4tl/BWS%20Themeless%20005.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/s6hlljvdfq3clsj/BWS%20Themeless%20005%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a>] Direct link: [<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=afd206cc&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" target="_blank">open in new tab</a>]</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=afd206cc&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-22106130159351702932022-06-24T09:02:00.002-04:002022-06-24T23:09:27.605-04:00BWS Puzzle 67 + Announcement: 7x7 hard themeless puzzle pack on Redstone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-qlS2RCvE3SowjzK-F5GgR3KZfOr9bL-53g2xsTlB55ORT7ytCAQK9o69Bwc7ofnvh3X83cPgwMz_ZWB6vCd3OK3djOS1YvS67K7Q1YoJov-iPb0J3BjqfILhm7E41ZA9BwCjf58yxfS4lMmOAYIlB9rrIxYQaBuPK58neiFB7R4us7VPIRDn3PcVQ/s587/BWS%207x7%20hard%20themeless%20sample%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="587" data-original-width="587" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-qlS2RCvE3SowjzK-F5GgR3KZfOr9bL-53g2xsTlB55ORT7ytCAQK9o69Bwc7ofnvh3X83cPgwMz_ZWB6vCd3OK3djOS1YvS67K7Q1YoJov-iPb0J3BjqfILhm7E41ZA9BwCjf58yxfS4lMmOAYIlB9rrIxYQaBuPK58neiFB7R4us7VPIRDn3PcVQ/s320/BWS%207x7%20hard%20themeless%20sample%20-%20grid.png" width="320" /></a></div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>If you haven't already, please support <i><a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/" target="_blank">These Puzzles Fund Abortion</a>: </i>make a donation to any abortion fund and then email them to get 16 great puzzles with reproductive and social justice themes. Check out <a href="https://www.abortionpuzzles.com/tpfa-too-info" target="_blank">the specific funds they support</a> or find more at <a href="https://abortionfunds.org/">https://abortionfunds.org/</a> </b></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>---</b></p><p>I was working on some mini/midi themeless puzzles a while back and stumbled on the 7x7 grid above: it has eight interlocking 7-letter entries, eight 3s around the border, and a couple 5s crossing in the middle. This means about half the entries are spanners (good for puzzle-solving intrigue) and, simultaneously, about half are short fill (good for making inroads to the longer stuff). So, I thought it would be fun to fill this grid over and over for solvers who are looking for quick, but still potentially challenging, small themeless puzzles...</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Nlfjo8ydZFIF_xnRfn_5CIXeAeXN9zdiLKIbU7IP_HpGudw2z4dtgNAGrz8imkeX-M59js9e81BZ5UlpB5UZe99OIVvmLf2WlL4rsCHDM_eXI706OKCbOJdVZEVxHfbZ0nirA6H6A_M6Zdp-jAmM88Sy9jUMKrK_coEWvhe4rO4ux1fgVq1vJV3XCQ/s1223/Screenshot_20220623-150121_Crossword.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Nlfjo8ydZFIF_xnRfn_5CIXeAeXN9zdiLKIbU7IP_HpGudw2z4dtgNAGrz8imkeX-M59js9e81BZ5UlpB5UZe99OIVvmLf2WlL4rsCHDM_eXI706OKCbOJdVZEVxHfbZ0nirA6H6A_M6Zdp-jAmM88Sy9jUMKrK_coEWvhe4rO4ux1fgVq1vJV3XCQ/w177-h200/Screenshot_20220623-150121_Crossword.jpg" width="177" /></a></div><b>...and now you can find 25 of those puzzles on the <a href="https://redstonegames.mobi/" target="_blank">Redstone</a> Crossword app! </b>The app is available for both <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/app/id957848865" target="_blank">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/dev?id=7896272988751974486" target="_blank">Android</a>, and you can sort puzzle packs by size and difficulty. To find these puzzles, select the <i>"Minis - Midis"</i> and <i>"Hard"</i> categories, then look for the pack titled <i>"B. Sullivan, Minis 1."</i><p></p><p>I'm hoping that these feel like fun, fresh, Friday-level puzzles, just much smaller. I'm also hoping that you'll derive some fun from both the entries and the clues: with essentially just a bunch of short entries and a bunch of spanners, I tried to spread the difficulty around, give solvers several chances to break into the puzzle, and overall live up to my belief that shorter fill doesn't have to feel stale.</p><p>To celebrate, this blog post has a bonus 7x7 puzzle (links and applet below) to give you a sense for what you'll get in the puzzle pack. And, if you'd rather solve those puzzles in .puz or .pdf format, <a href="mailto:brendansullivan07@gmail.com?subject=Files for Redstone Minis Vol 1">please email me</a> and I'll gladly send you a folder of files.</p><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.</p><p>Download links: [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/rybhnv0ej13kjqe/BWS%207x7%20hard%20themeless%20sample.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/oog48q4mxglqzv7/BWS%207x7%20hard%20themeless%20sample.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/6o381c0gwq4id60/BWS%207x7%20hard%20themeless%20sample%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a>] Direct link: [<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9839ea83&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" target="_blank">open in new tab</a>]</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=9839ea83&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.063381963821158 -106.26598349999999 70.683849636178849 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-41165314774145520812022-06-17T07:00:00.052-04:002022-06-17T07:00:00.152-04:00BWS Puzzle 66: Range Rover (themed midi)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnbvZwdRDqS3PKIN65HSOW1s9zM0DbHrWH0ZQhaRpWIQCEn37oLhOKSCr2Yp9g6AMKfc3ca9Kr2qKTyxF5GS7tEduU7-W2h46W8huuTg2VLZUhau7ukapj6USokBjZE5PO3ncdPa0adOlQ7SfHGq5lJP9KYPzB4hC1KgxjxLIsgO-RZUicfS84zaESw/s919/BWS%20Puzzle%20Range%20Rover%20-%20GRID.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="753" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNnbvZwdRDqS3PKIN65HSOW1s9zM0DbHrWH0ZQhaRpWIQCEn37oLhOKSCr2Yp9g6AMKfc3ca9Kr2qKTyxF5GS7tEduU7-W2h46W8huuTg2VLZUhau7ukapj6USokBjZE5PO3ncdPa0adOlQ7SfHGq5lJP9KYPzB4hC1KgxjxLIsgO-RZUicfS84zaESw/s320/BWS%20Puzzle%20Range%20Rover%20-%20GRID.png" width="262" /></a></div><p>This little puzzle was inspired by 11-Across. The local tie-in with 16-Across was a nice bonus. Hope this plays fun and fairly easy for ya.</p><p>In other news, today (Friday, June 17) is <a href="https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/juneteenth-fundraiser" target="_blank">Bandcamp's Juneteenth fundraiser</a>: <i>"from midnight to midnight Pacific Time, [..] we donate 100% of our share of sales to the <a href="https://www.naacpldf.org/" target="_blank">NAACP Legal Defense Fund</a> to support their ongoing efforts to promote racial justice through litigation, advocacy, and public education."</i> Please consider purchasing some music today to directly support artists and good causes! I could make lots of recommendations, but here are some ideas if you're looking for <a href="https://worldgalaxyrecords.bandcamp.com/album/force-for-good" target="_blank">jazz</a> or <a href="https://enumclaw6.bandcamp.com/album/jimbo-demo" target="_blank">indie rock</a> or <a href="https://marc4hero.bandcamp.com/album/the-power-tapes" target="_blank">beat tapes</a> or <a href="https://tashamusic.bandcamp.com/album/tell-me-what-you-miss-the-most" target="_blank">folk</a> or <a href="https://afrolab9000.bandcamp.com/album/budding-ornithologists-are-weary-of-tired-analogies" target="_blank">art rap</a> or <a href="https://delvonlamarrorgantrio.bandcamp.com/album/close-but-no-cigar" target="_blank">funky soul</a> or <a href="https://yasminwilliams.bandcamp.com/album/urban-driftwood" target="_blank">acoustic guitar</a> or ...</p><p>Enjoy the solve and the music, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.</p><p>Download links: [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/e7va5hedlaxp1y3/BWS%20Puzzle%20Range%20Rover.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/9oosgjne1ov6qbg/BWS%20Puzzle%20Range%20Rover.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/rnhdq61rrevj31e/BWS%20Puzzle%20Range%20Rover%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a>] Direct link: [<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=8236db8e&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" target="_blank">open in new tab</a>]</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=8236db8e&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.1097334999999914.230126115191311 -106.26598349999999 70.5171054848087 -35.95348349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-83234791602405019842022-06-10T08:00:00.001-04:002022-06-10T08:00:00.176-04:00BWS Puzzle 65: Themeless #4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf60YlsZyN8NSjiX66JsEjMqqJS5e7qgnCY3f8zXYeJ386atceI4Gobq5F18VtFvM1hecWml6szLm7KcfIIopnGvTnKf18dNALpZylmlMpIFVPMoR95l1aLEyBL8b7YTueTI9gAv3x1DHUdQyO7v7tL97mJod7oKP9voeCYWNyA60rn2wZY4RmDlJvnQ/s1250/BWS%20Themeless%20004%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="1250" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf60YlsZyN8NSjiX66JsEjMqqJS5e7qgnCY3f8zXYeJ386atceI4Gobq5F18VtFvM1hecWml6szLm7KcfIIopnGvTnKf18dNALpZylmlMpIFVPMoR95l1aLEyBL8b7YTueTI9gAv3x1DHUdQyO7v7tL97mJod7oKP9voeCYWNyA60rn2wZY4RmDlJvnQ/s320/BWS%20Themeless%20004%20-%20grid.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>I'm experimenting with low-word-count themeless grids lately, so here's a 64-worder. This one started with a few of the four interlocking 15s, and then carving out the rest of the grid led to this chunky, block-heavy (47) arrangement. There are lots of 4s and 5s, too, but I don't actually mind all that so much, both as a solver and a cluer. Hope you agree.</div><div><br /></div><div><div>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.</div><div><br /></div><div>Download links: [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/a123j1lqgk05d07/BWS%20Themeless%20004.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/utuf49jkcsjm87a/BWS%20Themeless%20004.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/tfcnrvuhqpy26c3/BWS%20Themeless%20004%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a>] Direct link: [<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=579a24c2&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" target="_blank">open in new tab</a>]</div></div><div><br /></div><div><iframe allowfullscreen="true" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=579a24c2&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></div>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0Cambridge, MA, USA42.3736158 -71.10973349999999-1.445382522912638 -141.4222335 86.192614122912644 -0.79723349999999016tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8302122067824161096.post-71336975477560651972022-05-20T16:08:00.001-04:002022-05-20T16:08:43.006-04:00BWS Puzzle 64: Themeless #3<p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHBX8Co3UrQ3qaQrKSTGKBWx8WKe9Da0v1KHpegKYtEqzXfRZxYmV6SflG-mQKy9rSv08xTNCV20pgaVyym8ADK42cMKhLypIQ5vVJI5s-jLggYKewX0cTsO8sD-n6yy80xbhWnVBGvuQfHIRIy0MvWe7mtrm5QDjfme8EAtCAg6qqJW--q48tNx22A/s2486/BWS%20Themeless%20003%20-%20grid.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2486" data-original-width="2486" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHBX8Co3UrQ3qaQrKSTGKBWx8WKe9Da0v1KHpegKYtEqzXfRZxYmV6SflG-mQKy9rSv08xTNCV20pgaVyym8ADK42cMKhLypIQ5vVJI5s-jLggYKewX0cTsO8sD-n6yy80xbhWnVBGvuQfHIRIy0MvWe7mtrm5QDjfme8EAtCAg6qqJW--q48tNx22A/s320/BWS%20Themeless%20003%20-%20grid.png" width="320" /></a></p>Here's <a href="https://wordsxing.blogspot.com/2022/04/bws-puzzle-61-themeless-002.html" target="_blank">another</a> 66-word themeless puzzle. It started with the two crossing 15s and everything else just happened as it happened. I think this will be fairly challenging, but I did try to put some fun and easy stuff in the clues to balance it all out.<p></p><div><p>Enjoy the solve, and share if you do! Constructive feedback in the comments is always welcome.</p><p>Download links: [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/yl4cv4tx5jzu2w8/BWS%20Themeless%20003.puz?dl=0" target="_blank">puz</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/yxz34cospeesrvf/BWS%20Themeless%20003.pdf?dl=0" target="_blank">pdf</a>] [<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/3xsgny7imj7cz0s/BWS%20Themeless%20003%20-%20solution.png?dl=0" target="_blank">solution</a>] Direct link: [<a href="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=645a2c46&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" target="_blank">open in new tab</a>]</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" height="700px" name="0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d" src="https://amuselabs.com/pmm/crossword?id=645a2c46&set=0d9ac93541a65d6caa0127bd0592e947ea15dee6a77241d84fdbf2cdcb11af8d&embed=1" style="border: none; display: block !important; margin: 0 !important; position: static; width: 100% !important;" width="100%"> </iframe></p></div>Brendan W. Sullivanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06149781645480379069noreply@blogger.com0