HAIR CURLERS: [ ACROSS LITE][ PDF]
PROGRAMS: [Across Lite] [Adobe Reader]
Easy contest on BEQ.com last week as evidenced by the avalanche of 329 entrants. The "In the House" meta called for a current event. The long entries (STONE'S THROW, SKIP TO MY LOU, BROOM HILDA, SWEEPS WEEK, ICE PRINCESS, and END ROAD WORK) started with terms used in the Olympic event curling, which was your answer. All but eight of you got it right, so we'll have to try harder next time to make it 100%. Here's the solution grid to check your work:
Douglas Goodman of Sherborn, MA, writes: "Was it intentional to get OLYMPIKS hidden backwards within SKIPTOMYLOU? Olympiks spelled with a K -- vaguely Russian. 'In Soviet crossword, meta finds you!'" I'd tell you, Douglas, but then Putin would have to kill me.
Alex Boisvert of Santa Monica put the puzzle through his crossword solving program and got this answer:
A R P . E R R V N T . D E M O
S U M . S T O N E S T H R O W
A P O S E . A E A . O D O R S
_ T _ P T O M T L O U . N Y E
. . B E A R . . . H C L . . .
S Y _ N . B R O O M H I L D A
R A T S O . A W L . E P O C Y
S D _ E P S W E E K . L O C N
. . . R T E . . . O S O S . .
A G E . I C E P R I N C E S S
D E N I M . _ _ O . A K B A R
E N D R O A D W O R K . A T T
L O O K . T I E D Y E . L E A
E A R S . M O U S E R . L D S
Not too bad, but AI solving seems to still be a ways off.
Last but not least, we had two contestants who play curling themselves. Check out these in action shots of Erin Rhode of San Francisco.
And here's Elizabeth Saindon of Tacoma Park, MD.
Thanks to all who entered. Our randomly selected winner is Chris Johnston of Parts Unkown.
Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.
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 
