![]() ![]() On a brighter note, I'm excited to debut GURU NANAK in the Times and to see that my clues for 24A, 2D, and 23D made it to print. This is not the first appearance of 62D in the Times, but I don't see that as any consolation, and I apologize for its presence here. Recent discussions have brought up an important question: do offensive words that have alternate, innocuous definitions belong in crossword grids? I firmly stand by the answer "no," but without ever having heard of 62D's derogatory usage, I wasn't able to apply that judgment before submitting this puzzle and, sadly, the Times editing team wasn't able to make my suggested revision (NAP / VEAL) before the puzzle went to print. In retrospect, I'm glad I stuck to 78, so that folks can focus on the mystifying clues at 21A, 36A and 50A instead of some dauntingly wide-open section of the grid.Īfter mailing in the puzzle, I learned of a certain offensive connotation for 62D, and I promptly removed it from my wordlist. Today, I'm fairly sure I could craft this grid smoothly at 76 or even 74 words. With few exceptions, blank square crossword puzzles are largely constructor-oriented, so I maxed out at 78 words to keep the experience smooth for solvers. (I additionally stumbled upon the revealer to this puzzle.) Luckily, RUNS ON EMPTY popped up while mining for potential answers, and I think it provides a solid raison d'être for this Thursday crossword. It was one of the few times when I searched for a revealer entry with a particular gimmick in mind, rather than the other way around. Years later, when I started constructing, I vowed to write a blank square puzzle of my own. I distinctly remember the "aha" moment I had solving David Kwong's brilliant blank square puzzle from 2013.
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