D-Otto Birthday Puzzle

Happy Birthday to dear D-Otto!

He is one of the very few who read every word my blogging team write. He's also been unfailingly kind and caring to our blog posters, always responsive to those who need help or post a great link/comment.

I made this crossword to celebrate his birthday. The clues are about mid-week difficulty. You don't need to know him to solve this grid.

This puzzle comes in two versions (same Answer Grid, but a handful clues differ):

1) If you are a blog regular, please click here  for PDF file (click on Download at the top right), here for puz file; (Thanks, Erik Agard for teaching me how!)

2) If you are just a blog reader & not familiar with some blog insider talk, please click here  for PDF, and here for puz file.

Spoiler alert: Here is the Answer Grid.

 

Thanks to Marti & Argyle for editing my clues & catching my various goofs. Thanks also to Splynter for test-solving Version 2 and giving me great feedback.

I hope you enjoy the puzzle and I look forward to your comments.

Now, Dave,  please find the perfect cake!

Sheng Ri Kuai Le, D-Otto!

C.C.

O-Le

Happy Birthday to our always caring and attentive Hahtool!

Marti said that Hahtool sent her this seed idea. But after she completed the grid, she found out that the theme was done in an August NYT. She decided to release the puzzle here today to celebrate Hahtool's birthday.

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on File, then Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

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.

F-Stop

#11 of our Curious Conundrums series.

Marti constructed this puzzle. She said "Rich liked the long 12 entries, but thought the 9's were a little weak."

I'm eager to see if anyone notices the extra step Marti took to make this puzzle more elegant to a discerning eye.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download Original).

Here is puz file (click on File, then Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving, and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

Headlines that Shocked the World about Santa

#10 of our Kurious Konundrums series.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! To show our appreciation for your continuous support for our work and this blog, Don G and I constructed this puzzle.

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on File, then Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving. And a special Thank You to my blogging crew: Santa Argyle, Melissa, Ron, Al, Marti, Lemonade & Splynter. Thank you for your commitment and hard work. You too, Dennis, thanks for always being there for me.

C.C.

Hall Monitoring

#9 of our Curious Conundrums series.

One of my favorite baseball players is on 2012 Veterans Committee' Hall of Fame ballot. The committee will vote on Dec 15 at their winter meeting and the result will be announced on Jan 9 next year.

Don and I made this puzzle in early September to support his Hall effort.

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on File, then Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid. Here is an autographed copy of the puzzle. Please also click here and help the Hall right a wrong. Thank you.

Thanks for solving, and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

Oppostion Leaders

#8 of our Curious Conundrums series.

Don & Marti constructed this puzzle. Marti said "Rich liked the idea, but had done a similar one before, so he couldn't take our version".

I don't recall such a gimmick. I found the theme unique and refreshing. Heavy theme content & amazing symmetry. Tricky too. Hope you enjoy the challenge.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving, and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

URAQT

#7 of our Curious Conundrums series.

Marti constructed this puzzle for the 2010 Valentine's Day (also Marti's birthday). Rich liked the theme but he already had another puzzle lined up.

14's as the first and last theme entries are always hard to place, esp on Row 3 & 13, as they immediately necessitate a pair of 3-block side pockets along the corner edges. Marti did very well with a pair of nice 9's going down, avoiding more black squares along the left and right edges of the grid.

Lots of sweet clues. Marti, URAQT, your bubbling personality shines through.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving, and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

Previewers

#6 of our Curious Conundrums series. Happy Birthday, Dennis!

The theme was inspired by Dennis' love for Coast soap. Rich liked the idea, but he had already accepted (and later published) a theme with similar gimmick.

Don thought it would be fun to experiment with the theme clues a bit. We hope you enjoy the result.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF (click on File, then Download).

Here is puz file (click on Download).

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving, and we look forward to your comments.

C.C.

A Day at the Movies

Our Curious Conundrums series continues.

I'd like to share with you "A Day at Movies" Don G and I created. The theme unifier is placed differently than our normal LAT arrangement. Let us know your opinion and solving experience.

Puzzle:

Here is PDF.

Here is puz file ((Across Lite).

Or you can solve the puzzle on-line here.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

C.C.

"My Dear Watson"

This is #4 of our "Curious Conundrums" series.

Don (his idea and grid) and I thought some of you (esp you, Tinbeni, Happy Birthday!) might be amused by this punny theme. I don't recall seeing similar gimmick in any major newspaper before. The fact that the answers sound too much alike makes it unsuitable for publication.

Our clue for 16-Across is rather long and Across Lite can't handle it. Just click View, then Notepad. You should be able to read the whole clue.

Puzzle:

Here is puz file (Across Lite).

Here is PDF.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

Thanks for solving and do let us have your comments.

C.C.

SSS

This is #3 of our "Curious Conundrums" series (named by Don G, by the way). Constructed by our own Marti DuGuay-Carpenter.

Marti mentioned that Rich really liked this theme but had to let it go after some fact-check. I like the surprising factor of the unifier, clean grid and the overall light & fun clues (favorite is 9D).

Do let us have your feedback. It's how we improve.

Here is puz file (Across Lite)

Here is PDF.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid.

C.C.

The Man in Red, White and Blue

Our Curious Conundrums series continues.

I'd like to share with you "The Man in Red, White and Blue" Don "Hard G" created. The grid looks simple on the surface, but the gimmick he employs and the extra traps he places to deceive put lots of restrictions in the construction.

Let us know your solving experience.

Thanks.

C.C.

Puzzle:

Here is puz file (Across Lite).

Here is PDF.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid with yellow highlight for the theme gimmick.

Curious Conundrums

I'm pleased to introduce a new feature of this blog: Curious Conundrums (to keep with the CC theme).

There is a need for a puzzle outlet that cannot be found in the usual channels of publication. Many constructors, both novice and well-established, have wonderful ideas for puzzles that do not have a market niche. If you'd like to share and get opinions of your puzzles (either new or rejections) and would like to hear feedback on your theme and/or fill and/or clues from our Corner readers, please email me (crosswordc@gmail.com) your puzzle in Crossword Compiler I'll publish a specific post for the puzzle and start a comment thread.

Today I'd like to share a "Carpe Diem" puzzle Don G. and I made. We thought it's perfect for this hot summer's day. It's Don's original idea, and I brought it to life for his birthday. The theme for this puzzle was rejected on a technicality of geographical consistency, but still has a consistent thematic element that is not seen very often. A special "Thank you" to Marti and Barry G for the early grid review, test solving & valuable suggestions.

Don and I look forward to hearing your comments.

Puzzle:

Here is puz file (Across Lite)

Here is PDF.

Spoiler: Here is the answer grid with yellow highlight for the theme gimmick. Here is Argyle's write-up .

C.C.