Connecting Flights
Puzzle Notes
Dear Crossword Nation Friends,
Greetings! This week's puzzle went through many iterations, the last of which kept me up at night. The quandary: "To add circles to the grid, or not?"
After much deliberation, we decided to omit circles (and a revealer) and opt for a slightly-harder-than-usual crossword, whereby the theme hides in plain sight.
Though I've used revealers in a good number of puzzles, I try to avoid them and allow the puzzle title to do the work. The title is often a puzzle in itself; and this offers an added gaming dimension to the mix. After all -- don't we solve puzzles with the intention of being "puzzled" and challenged until we crack the code?
I believe that all crosswords -- even easyish Tuesday ones like our brand -- should still have a puzzling bite to them, with appropriate levels of wordplay and misdirection.
For newer subscribers, please note that the answer grid is included in every subscriber email; you'll find it at the bottom, in a PDF marked SOLUTION. The PDF has sufficient spoiler space; you won't see the answers in the thumbnail. Just open the PDF for the answer grid and an explanation of the theme. Sometimes I'll make a color-coded solution grid to make the theme pop. Okay -- let's get on with the show!
Welcome to Week 677 of Crossword Nation. We cordially invite you to solve "Connecting Flights" as your crossword of the week. Have a great solve and a fantastic week!
Thank you for subscribing to our little shop of puzzles. If you enjoy this crossword, please give it a good rating on Amy Reynaldo's site. Your positive ratings help us stay strong and independent!
Cruciverbally yours and with respect,
Liz
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Solvers of The New Yorker puzzles: Please check out my latest crossword, a "challenging" affair.
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Recovering Lost Puzzles: If, for some reason, our weekly puzzle email doesn't appear in your mailbox on Monday evenings, no worries -- you can always "re-send" the puzzle to yourself.
But first ....
- Please check the Spam folder. Sometimes the Crossword Nation emails are redirected to Spam folders. This can happen after a software or system update. If it's not in the Spam folder, then try Step 2.
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https://xwnation.puzzleanywhere.com/enable-account/
Choose the "Resend Puzzle" link at the bottom right of the page. From there, you can choose which puzzle to send to your mailbox!
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If you enjoy our 'indie' Crossword Nation puzzles, please give them a positive rating on Amy Reynaldo's blog, Diary of a Crossword Fiend. Your ratings help keep our little puzzle shop independent and strong!
Ade Koiki blogs our puzzle every Tuesday. Simply page through Amy's blog to find the Tuesday blog posts. http://crosswordfiend.com/
Happy solving and be well!
Liz Gorski