ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS FRIDAY]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ THEMELESS FRIDAY]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
I took a week off from solving puzzles this past week. You probably think I'd turned into Bubbles and started pushing a shopping cart around Nantucket, drooling all over myself. Nope, didn't happen. Or maybe I should say, hasn't happened. Yet. In fact, I feel pretty damn great.
Liz is utterly dumbstruck. She offered to bring along a couple of puzzle books, but I wouldn't let her. Actually, she was kind of funny about it. She said she was planning on solving some vowelless crosswords, so she tried to pack Frank's book. You have to realize this charade is coming from a woman who had never solved one crossword in her life. Anyway, her ploy didn't work. And my planned puzzle-free vacation stayed in tact.
I'm not going to lie to you: at times it does feel a bit odd. Almost like having a phantom limb. Perhaps the withdrawal is starting to kick in. (For the record: when I Googled "phantom limb," the above image came up. I don't know what it means, but it looks awesome.)
Anyway, this week's themeless. The smart money goes to all who guessed 12-Down was the seed entry. (No spoilers. It's cool.) Simply could not lose those four cheaters when making this one. I can't tell if they look bad or not. Favorite clue: 17-Across. Hope you enjoy it.
Just wanted to say you guys are all totally solid. Thanks for the tips. You're helping keep the BEQ site strong and independent. For those who couldn't give $5, $10, $20 this month, no worries, you can still help keep us going by simply sending an email to five friends who like crosswords and introducing them to this site. That's also a big help! Thanks! Well, like I just said: share the puzzle! New one on Monday, and I'll announce the winner of a free copy of "Diagramless Crosswords" from those who donated this week.
Brendan Emmett Quigley creates custom-made puzzles for all occasions: birthdays and bar mitzvahs, anniversaries and retirements. You name it. Need a puzzle for your website or your publication? He can do that, too.
Brendan's custom work clients have included The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, BeerAdvocate, Boston Magazine, De Beers, The Decemberists, ESPN, The Improper Bostonian, Lollapuzzoola, McSweeney's, Phish, Reflexive, The Smithsonian Magazine, St. Martin's Press, Uncle John's Bathroom Reader, and Andrew Weil.
Call (617) 2-999-BEQ or click 
