See the 11 answer words debuted by Lisa Senzel.
L | I | T | E | R | A | T | I | P | A | D | K | I | N | G | S | T | O | N | ||
L | E | A | V | E | S | T | O | A | N | A | A | D | O | R | A | B | L | E | ||
A | D | D | I | T | I | O | N | N | T | H | B | Y | P | A | S | S | E | S | ||
T | R | A | P | A | D | E | L | E | L | E | N | S | ||||||||
M | A | T | E | O | E | R | A | S | I | N | G | D | Y | L | A | N | ||||
A | H | A | G | R | A | P | E | S | A | G | E | G | A | P | O | B | E | |||
N | E | U | T | R | I | N | O | R | I | D | I | C | U | L | E | |||||
I | M | T | O | A | S | T | P | A | N | E | L | S | M | A | R | T | E | D | ||
O | D | E | A | L | E | V | E | I | N | A | ||||||||||
A | T | E | L | E | S | S | C | A | D | E | T | I | R | O | N | M | E | N | ||
R | O | T | S | T | O | P | I | C | N | E | R | V | E | E | A | S | T | |||
A | N | Y | S | O | N | O | F | A | B | R | A | N | D | O | N | S | A | |||
K | E | M | A | L | S | T | I | R | E | R | S | E | N | I | G | E | L | |||
D | O | O | R | S | S | E | T | T | I | T | R | A | M | E | N | |||||
P | O | L | K | O | C | H | R | E | S | P | A | D | E | O | R | C | S | |||
T | W | O | O | C | H | O | M | E | A | L | S | E | C | |||||||
A | N | G | D | R | O | P | L | E | A | F | T | A | B | L | E | C | S | I | ||
I | D | E | A | S | E | A | L | I | O | N | I | S | L | E | ||||||
R | I | C | O | T | T | A | A | R | T | O | O | A | S | H | A | N | T | I | ||
P | L | A | T | T | E | R | P | L | A | N | T | E | T | A | G | E | R | E | ||
A | L | L | E | S | T | S | Y | R | A | H | S | S | N | S | I | S |
Super fun to brainstorm with Lisa, who solidly understands that landing on the seed of an interesting idea is often a matter of quantity. This DROP LEAF TABLE concept is far, far away from Lisa's original idea, and the path we took to get here reminds me of not all those who wander are lost.
Hopefully, solvers make the connection to the grid art in the middle more directly than that.
And it looks more like a DROP LEAF TABLE than Sauron or Mount Doom.
A few months ago, I was grousing about getting scooped on the BAKINGSTONE minus KINGSTON = BAE find. I thought it might even be a fun, insidery look inside the sausage factory.
Unfortunately, a reader wrote in to let me know that I'd spoiled his crossword experience, since he now would always be thinking about this entry whenever he saw my byline, and knowing of it would feel like cheating to him. He ended up intentionally snapping his three-digit streak of crossword solves, moving on to different activities.
Needless to say, I apologized profusely, and he was graceful in accepting.
After more than a decade of doing this, you'd think I'd have learned everything there is to know, but all I can do is keep striving harder and harder to learn from my mistakes. So, no spoilers from here on out.
G | A | B | S | B | A | Y | O | U | B | A | R | T | ||
U | V | E | A | A | L | U | M | S | E | V | E | R | ||
M | C | A | T | K | O | R | A | N | N | E | V | E | ||
B | L | T | N | E | U | T | R | A | L | N | O | M | ||
O | U | T | D | O | I | R | U | L | E | |||||
B | O | U | R | B | O | N | S | T | R | E | E | T | ||
M | A | R | D | I | G | R | A | S | ||||||
P | E | E | P | B | A | T | T | Y | I | L | K | S | ||
V | E | T | O | Y | E | S | D | I | O | N | ||||
C | L | O | U | D | S | D | R | E | V | I | L | |||
U | T | E | R | I | G | O | O | S | E | |||||
D | E | F | B | I | G | E | A | S | Y | J | F | K | ||
U | P | F | O | R | L | A | P | A | L | A | I | N | ||
S | E | E | Y | A | O | R | E | L | I | Z | Z | O | ||
K | E | E | L | O | L | D | B | Z | Z | T |
It's not only a Big EZ working with Lisa, but an immense pleasure. Two of the most important qualities in new constructors are listening to and processing feedback, and the dedication to grind through hard work. Lisa is exemplary in both areas, as far from a BZZT from me as possible.
It's such a delight to help someone so deserving make her debut today.