PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
When making a themeless puzzle, I find that there are three types of answers that go into the grid. Namely:
- Seeds. No surprises there, as we've covered this topic numerous times. But, to review, these are the marquee answers that are liberally peppered throughout the grid. These are words that are making their crossword debut, often (I can't speak for all puzzles, but I have some fairly extensive databases that keep tabs on what has and hasn't been done before). Typically, they are neologisms. That doesn't mean all seeds must be newly-coined names/words. Consider that the majority of crossword entries are on average roughly 5 letters long. We really haven't even begun to exhaust the universe of 6+ letter entries, and especially so as the length of the answer increases. Examples of seeds in today's puzzle are 19-, 39- and 51-Across.
- Accidental marquee answers. While making a crossword, there comes a time when you're sort of locked-in to certain answers, and in the process, you're forced to play Hangman with specific letter combinations. These most often occur in the transitional spots in between corners of a grid. Now when you make these grids, you plan for flexibility in the corners so you're not completely screwed. It is not always the case, but sometimes I can fit a marquee answer in these positions. It's an especially rewarding feeling when these are answers that are also making their debut. I direct your attention to 33-Across and 33-Down in today's puzzle.
- Everything else, Self explanatory.
Share the puzzle. New one on Thursday.