This is the crossword puzzle thread

Across Lite is the program that you use to enjoy .puz files, and you can get it from the NYTimes website, and they distribute their puzzles to online subscribers in that format. Someone you know might have a year's worth of such .puz files, but he has perhaps already worked through them all.

Also, you're supposed to have no more than [a certain number] of black squares if you hope to get published by the big-leagues, and certain black-square formations are frowned upon (full 90 degree right angles -- basically anything Tetris-y).

I think it's 17% black squares, or 40 squares in a 15x15 puzzle. Though Tausig had one that was 46 recently.

certain black-square formations are frowned upon (full 90 degree right angles -- basically anything Tetris-y).

I didn't know this.

I'm not sure it's as hard-and-fast a rule as the percentage one, but on those rare occasions when I see such a puzzle, I'm always a little startled by it. I dunno, I should flip through one of my NYTimes books to make sure I'm not fooling myself about it.

Diagramless puzzles, of course, are all about that.

http://www.cruciverb.com/index.php/articles/htmlpages/120

A++ for "Paris's friend," Jaymc -- actually took me a while, with excellent payoff

Total pro-level theme on that one, too!

Ha, I sort of wrote that one with you in mind, N!

The "Paris's friend" clue, I mean.

I had to look that one up after I got the answer, I don't watch that show.

At first I thought it was going to be some Trojan warrior. But I saw the show out of the corner of my eye enough when my wife was watching it to figure it out.

I alread e-mailed this to jaymc:

Haha, on your crossword, I initially had CLASH OF THE TITS (crossing with CUTS DOWN)! I know it's CLASH OF THE TANS and GUNS DOWN now. It works with the theme, though!

Derived from CLASH OF THE TITITS?

Suddenly I feel like Jordan knows some way of spelling "titties" that I don't

Ha. Well, that was the first theme answer I got and I thought the theme was maybe just removing two letters.

Yeah, it does kind of work both ways! If only there were an old book about fashion trends and female body shapes, entitled CLASH OF THE "IT" TITS

Just finished this week's Ink Well puzzle. Jordan, let me know when you've done it, because I want to complain. :)

Do you guys do the Harper's crossword puzzle too? Cause I always look at that thing in wonder.

That's on the other thread The official bored-at-work cryptic crossword pass it on thread.

Also just found this in the archives Favorite Oldschool NY TImes Crossword Clues

Was I drunk that day? How did I miss that thread. Gah.

Maleska thought he was making the world a better place by getting people familiar with variant spellings of AERIE. If he didn't preserve such knowledge, who would?

eagles

Don Henle y

Yesterday's NYT theme was gay.

I did a new puzzle and put it in Across Lite (.puz) format. I think it's pretty tight. I can e-mail it to anyone who's interested. Download Across Lite here first, if you don't already have it.

Or I can put it up on Flickr, too -- just give me a day or two.

E-mail it to me! My first name, then my last name, then @gmail.com. Or whatever address you have for me.

Generally assume you can/should e-mail them to me.

Sent.

All I can recall from my crosswording era is that any clue regarding sea eagles has the answer: erne.

Aimless, see the link about a dozen posts up.

The local syndicated easy one has the classic "fruity drinks" clue every other day.

I spent the last few days of being sick solving a book of dumbed-down xwords that the man got for me from the dollar store. Perfect way to pass the time without really having to think.

Dude but now looking at the other thread it had hell of ASTA and ESAU solutions. And some four-letter word for a water pitcher that started with EW but never bothered to look at the finished word once I'd filled in all the other clues. Another frequent one: tipple = SOT.

EWER.

A lot of the crosswords I'm like, "I couldn't do 1/7 of these clues had I not known the bible so well as a youth." Then they throw some "Desperate Housewives" clue at me and fuck if I don't feel like an old, old, old person.

I feel totally lame, jaymc, for having a hard time making my own Jumble puzzles after reading yr breezy description of how you throw together a themed crossword.

We forgot "case=E---" on the other thread.

Is that ETUI?

I tried to play that in Scrabble recently, except I think I thought it was EPUI.

I can't find EPUI in an English or French dictionary, but you do get quite a few google hits for it.

OK, newest one now on Flickr. Have been v. busy with playing music in the last week, but I've got a good theme idea I'd like to work with soon.

Sorry, it's late, that perhaps wasn't clear. The link goes to the puzzle I made a week ago and already sent to Casuistry and robotsinlove in Across Lite format. (I've also revised some clues based on their suggestions.) I wasn't able to make a new one this weekend but hopefully soon.

I kinda dislike the structure of American xword puzzles, because of the way they so often seem more like sets of mini-crosswords that have a single words linking them to one another. I do enjoy doing them from time to time though. Norwegian ones tend to be a lot more interlinked, which I suppose makes them a bit easier once you get going. That's not a rip on your crossword btw, jaymc, just a general petty gripe.

Incidentally, is the Harper's one ridiculously difficult, or am I dumb? I only recently started subscribing to the mag, and I couldn't write a single word in the December xword!? Then I got the solution, and uh, yeah, that was surprisingly unhelpful to me for figuring out how to solve one.

In case anyone is curious, here's what a typical Norwegian crossword looks like:
http://www.tema-x.com/images/702139_2_14.jpg

Norwegian crosswords are some crazy shit!

Cute theme fill from the local free weekly: WWIREMOTES (instead of Wii remotes, all the theme answers had one letter changed).

Jaymc, I will print out your new one for my flight on Fri.

Yeah, lots of European X-words have those arrows. Øystein, re: The Harper's puzzle, you will have to practice to get those cryptic clues. If you want to post a few clues you couldn't understand, I can explain them to you. Or you can post them on the cryptic threads, and the Brits can help you too.

Also, I was going to try to do the puzzle you posted, as one of my many abandoned projects was to learn Norwegian, but I couldn't read it.

Games magazine used to run puzzles with arrows, although nothing quite as complex looking as that. It was fun enough, but having clues that fit in the boxes was a bit stifling.

But yes, cryptic puzzles like Harper's are entirely different and play by their own rules. I rarely get very far into the Harper's one.

i don't know what a "cryptic crossword" is.

They should’ve made an alternate version of the puzzle

My yeart is gladdened by things like "o no guvna, in these parts we calls it piggytinkle."

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQU9Wfa9XzmND-VwLJv1gWv9Wmrib_Sgf16A5lEX5zQTtq4h0sqVsB3D_A&s=10

* heart

Not a regional variant I swearsies

don’t knock gladdening your yeart till you’ve tried it

Is it banned in the Scottish Highlands?

Types of clues I can never answer without guessing: time zones, directional ('Tulsa to Wichita'), Korean directors.

xp - they have the white walkers up there - that their military training is remembered as children's games further south provokes a disgust they do not always conceal.

Thought maybe the thread bump was for Saturday's 52A: jazz guitarist Montgomery (3), who is NOT Roy.

I enjoyed today’s theme, even if we did find it on the easy side.

I don't think I've ever heard of a criss-cross puzzle