google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: Gawd-awful Puzzle

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Mar 3, 2012

Gawd-awful Puzzle

#12 of our Curious Conundrums series.
On Thursday evening, Bill G commented on the blog: "I wonder if any constructor has tried, just for fun, to make a crossword puzzle chock full of words we all dislike. Imagine a puzzle filled with ...... "
Marti immediately created this "Gawd-awful Puzzle" with all the tired words Bill mentioned. We hope you (esp you, JD) enjoyed her effort.
Puzzle:
Here is PDF (click on File, then Download Original).
Click here to solve the puzzle on line in Across Lite. Click the bottom middle button to print out the puzzle. Google document is having trouble uploading puz file at the moment. I'll fix it once it's back to normal. (Updated: Here is the Across Lite file. Click File, then Download.)

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid. Click here (9:11 pm) to read Bill G's word list.
Thanks for solving. Feel free to post on Comments section any "Yawner" word that's not "honored" in Marti's grid.
C.C.

28 comments:

  1. I loved the Gawd-awful puzzle this morning, it was fun.

    Solver from Montana

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  2. I liked it too. It was good to see old friends like ADIT, ISTH, and INRI (not 'IGGINS).

    Marti, I'm amazed at how quickly you put that together. And you managed to get cute with "Art film from New Delhi." And I liked the Linus/TOON and Toon/LINUS switcheroo. I'm impressed.

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  3. Desperotto, that's another thing that makes the puzzle bad - you should never use a word in a clue that is also one of the fill entries - I did it twice with TOON/LINUS. Tsk, Tsk!!

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  4. Dang, Marti, this was so bad it was good! Great job of taking so many items from your "I'm never going to put these in a puzzle" list and actually making it work.

    I liked the Bring up/RAISE crossing of Dont raise/SIT PAT, and of course you 'forgot' to indicate an abbr. for theater area/ORCH. It must have been fun to see how many construction rules you could break in one puzzle.

    Thanks for a fun time.

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  5. Hello Puzzlers -

    Hand up for being plum dazzled at how quickly my clever neighbor put this together! I tell you, she's awesome!

    My favorite is the OLIO/OLEO cross. I can't wait to see what BillG has to say about the ultimate drek puzzle.

    C.C. suggested commenting with other words that fit the bill, and only one came to mind right away: ITER. We haven't seen that one for a while.

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  6. 1D After getting EL, I almost automatically put in ELOI but I waited and found out it was the despised ELHI.

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  7. Mornin' to all,

    Thanks go to Marti.
    This was really a fun puzzle. Probably because it was a fun run on a Saturday.

    ORCH could have been LOGE, that oldie but goodie.

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  8. great puzzle marti it was fun seeing all of those hated words in one place. this is the first time I got the across lite software to work.

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  9. What a hoot! And like everyone, I'm amazed at how quickly you threw it together. I figured the Toon/Linus gaffe was intentional since it would have been so easy to avoid.

    Not much I can think of that you didn't include. The afforementioned Eloi and loge. Maybe et al, apse and nave. Oh and a few CWese names such as Ayn, Eero, Erma and Irma. Those last two could cross.

    Well done and lots of fun. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. Well done, Marti. You gave us a funny start to our day!

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  11. Gawd-Awful was quick and fun; loved the Across Lite solving app. Only problem was, as Grumpy 1 pointed out, I didn't want the abbr. (ORCH), with no abbr. in the clue, but the other rule violations slipped by me.

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  12. I feel honored to be the originator behind this tour-de-farce. I worked on it while watching the Lakers on TV. I keep thinking about another one of those gawd-awful words and then Whoops!, there it was. I really had fun with it. Even though it's an unusual puzzle, everybody seems to have enjoyed it. I wish some clever editor would publish it for Marti.

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  13. If she submitted it to USA Today, they would probably reject it as being too highbrow for their readers...

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  14. I'm glad you all caught the tongue-in-cheek awfulness of this one! But the by-line should be a collaboration with Bill G. He thought of the theme, and most of the fill, after all...

    Avg. Joe, how could I forget our beloved Eero, Ayn, Erma and Irma!!

    Grumpy, maybe I could submit it to one of those airline in-flight rags?

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  15. Marti, talk about making a silk purse out of a sow's ear! You did a superb job that had to kill you to produce since you are a first class constructor.

    Now if you could just have had a "Nice summer"/"Ball elevator" crossing with ETE/TEE :-).

    Thanks for a fun ride. Well done my friend both in content and being under deadline!

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  16. I did this puzzle without reading the introduction to it first. So, now that I've slogged through it and read the reason for it's creation, allow me to chuck all my negative comments in the trash and instead just say, "BRAVO!"

    ^_^

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  17. we all have heard the tales of the speed solvers, but now the crossword world must sing the praise of the speed constructor. Ave omnia.

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  18. Marti,you are evil. Since I knew it was going to be gawd-awful, I laughed with each fill, thinking how much cackling you were doing while filling your grid.BTW, I have grown to love the word etui.

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  19. Wow, impressive! Bad on SO many levels! For example, crossing SOOS and SOUS, crossing OLIO with OLEO, and having LINUS as a clue and as an answer. Marti, you must have a list! LOL

    Aroar, aboil, aaaargh :)

    Frankly, I liked it.

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  20. I must have been doing crosswords longer than i thought, there were so many that i knew! But to add to the enjoyment was coming here and learning of all the crossing wit that i never thought to look for...

    Bravo Marti

    (but i still think 1D should have been ELEM!)

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  21. What a romp! Thanks, Marti. I hope Dodo tunes in today - ABED, AROAR, ADIT??? Made my Saturday.

    Well done.

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  22. Hi There ~!

    I missed the commentary that led to this puzzle's creation, but since I read today's comments, I figured I better see what's going on.

    Irony - for all that would generate massive groaning on a daily basis turns into great fun on a Saturday.

    Splynter

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  23. @ Splynter: "Irony - for all that would generate massive groaning on a daily basis turns into great fun on a Saturday."

    I completely agree. That's why I think this puzzle might find a home on a more sophisticated puzzle site such as the LA Times, NYT or others. Once the editor and solvers get the joke, I think they would enjoy it as we did.

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  24. Hola Everyone,
    Fun, fun, fun. I didn't think you could fit so many of our "old friends" into one puzzle. However, I didn't see Ural or Aral.

    Maybe you could start a list of some more of our favorites for another "Gawd-Awful" puzzle. Just saying.

    Thanks, Marti, for making my Saturday solving experience one for the books.

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  25. Barry G., I am soooo disappointed that you didn't go with your original comments. That's just what I was waiting for!!

    JD, lots of cackling on this end..heh-heh-heh.

    Splynter, "irony", indeed!! So, maybe if I use one or two of these foul entries in the future, you might remember this puzzle, and just chuckle??

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  26. Thanks for an enjoyable Saturday ride, Marti. So many groaners all in one effort, yet a lot of tongue-in-cheek fun for regular solvers. Your "Gawd-awful Puzzle" inspired me to pen what just might be the world's worst poem ever.

    AWOL FRIENDS

    So many missing, where could they be?
    In the next conundrum? Marti, we'll wait and see.
    AYN, ERMA, and IRMA mentioned Avg Joe,
    And EERO, where are your buds ENZO and ERNO?

    We all know ULEE, renowned for his gold,
    And ELIA, through film, the stories he told.
    Let's not forget ELIE, truths he did tell,
    So many fellows, we've learned their names well.

    UTA, UMA, and YMA are frequent pals,
    ISAK, ETTA, and ELLA among other gals.
    Some are obscure, others of fame,
    Each with a unique, vowel-laden name.

    Enjoy the night!

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  27. MJ, that was fun. What a bunch of clever and witty people who hang out here.

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  28. How very clever, Marti! Next time, don`t forget "ono" or "atit!"

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