I’ve been on a real variety puzzle kick lately. I recently built a Something Different puzzle (published here last week), a Split Decisions, a Flower Power, a From A To Z, and a Some Assembly Required. I’m not really sure what inspired me to try them all, though I have been lucky enough to get some acceptances to Will Shortz Presents WordPlay. That Some Assembly Required puzzle was a bastard to create — about four days in the making, so I probably won’t be doing that again any time soon. Today’s puzzle is normal — well, normal in the sense that it’s a regular themeless, though I decided to go pretty tricky with my cluing.
Oh, and if you can spare a dime, chip in some money to support both Peter Gordon‘s upcoming Fireball Newsflash Crosswords and Brendan Emmett Quigley‘s website (he’s running a funding drive at the moment). Two great and well-deserving puzzlemakers, if’n you ask me.
Enjoy the puzzle. There will be a new one on July 5.
hard as shit. nice one
Hardest one so far, I agree. Lots of good stuff.
Thanks, gents!
Being I know only one factual clue this puzzle becomes too hard and not worth the effort.
My effort, not anyone else’s, being difficulty is relative.
As is what’s worth spending time on I should add.
Thanks for making puzzles btw.
I enjoyed this one, as I have most of yours. I had to Google 48A, 5D, and 49D. Enjoyed especially the long acrosses. Close to a SN Saturday Stumper in difficulty. Thanks for a great xword site with quality puzzles with some spice to them.
At first I was all like, “bring it Evan” because I got 17A off one letter. Then things started to slow down a bit as I moved clockwise around the grid, and I barely made it out of the west alive. Brilliant clues in there, such as 25A, 26 and 27D, 41 and 45A, pretty much that whole section actually. Great stuff.
I attempted your puzzle at a bad time, in a bad state of mind, so I didn’t give it a fair chance. From my quick perusal it does seem very hard, Stumper material, and maybe Stan will publish you in the future if he hasn’t already.
He hasn’t — I’ve actually never sent Stan a puzzle. One day, perhaps.