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Mike Buckley author page

13 puzzles by Mike Buckley
with Editor comments

TotalDebutLatest
138/17/200910/5/2015
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0433300
ScrabDebutFresh
1.605343%
Mike Buckley
Mon 10/5/2015
CRESTSTOPZEST
HOWTOTHORUVEA
ISAAKARLOLIAR
PENNYDREADFUL
ZOOELSEGNU
MATACOCARHEAS
ONERILEAMENRA
NICKELANDDIMING
IMHOMETIOSUIE
CANDOOPELPSAS
ALIRONIPSI
QUARTERHORSES
FOURLACELANZA
ADENOPENATARI
NESSNESTREGAL
Mon 6/15/2015
CABALSMARINAS
ASATEAMOLDNICK
LINOCUTSTANLEY
MAGNACARTAOEDS
CRYULRIC
RATERANYLEAST
EREEARNELNINO
OINKNSYNCTRIG
RESIGNMOOSEPA
GLENNPEWAPRES
GUARDBMI
EMAJDUEPROCESS
SOLOMONSAVANNA
SOTHEREINASUIT
ORANGESDRAFTS
Thu 2/5/2015
TAPASGIRLPAMS
IVANAEBAYERIQ
FORYOUREYESONLY
FWIWKALEUPEND
SHERRIBELLES
STIEGDECODE
ARARATVIAALOU
LONELYTEARDROPS
SISIKOIDEEDEE
WHENCEAPERS
CACAOSANKLES
EDENSSNOWOTIS
LEADEROFTHEPACK
ELSEIDLEELREY
BEERDAYSKESEY

Somehow over time, Thursday has gotten the reputation of being the "trickster" day for the Times crossword. This is when you're most likely to encounter a rebus, answers that read in unorthodox directions, letters getting entered onto black squares or outside the grid, etc.

In truth, though, at least to me, Thursday is just supposed to be harder than Wednesday and easier than Friday. That is all.

Today's puzzle has about as untricky a theme as you'll find — three 15-letter song titles Across intersecting three other 15-letter song titles Down. Amazing. How did Mike find this?! All are titles of truly big songs that are familar to me (although 4D, just barely — that's a little before my time). The construction is pretty damn clean, too.

What makes this a Thursday? Partly it's the puzzle's 72-word word count, which is low enough to meet themeless Friday/Saturday standards. And partly it's that not everyone may know all these titles, in which case they're not so easy to fill in. Naturally, the cluing level has been pitched to a Thursday level to keep everything in sync.

If you like your Thursday themes trickier than this, hang on for future weeks. I've got some doozies on the way. But sometimes a Thursday theme can come in a straightforward variety, too.

Wed 5/21/2014
PASHATAROTGEM
ESTOPELIDEIVY
PLANERAPPERRIM
SANEOUSTRALLY
INDYCARIPADS
BANNEDLIEDER
DOTEDAEONORE
RAVEARTSYBRIN
ATVBLEUARMCO
WHIRLEDPIECE
EPICSCASABAS
BEWIGCEESTUBA
ALEHOARSESHOOS
SIRTORSIHENIE
HASSHEENURALS
Tue 3/19/2013
ADLIBIDTAGNOB
LEICASIEVEEAU
AFTERDINNERHST
NTHBANAESPRIT
ENRYHENHOUSE
USSWASPDOWN
LOOTPHEWITCHY
NIMPARTYONAAA
ALEPHACNEENCL
LASSNUTCAKE
GREENTEAVIOL
RELATEMARMZAX
ABEOFFICEBLOCK
BEGMARGEEENIE
SLYSNOODREEDS
Thu 3/14/2013
SLAPSHYSPAM
PILLSLOEURGE
ABBECAPNMIRA
CREATIVITYMET
EARTHSLAUREL
DSTESSORHODO
DROWSEASTA
ISTHERESIDUEOF
NEROSPINAL
KNITSTESTECU
SOCIALTESLAS
PROWASTEDTIME
OILSSARIAJAR
TTOPSHUNBARI
SARAOLESHOD
Thu 1/31/2013
SPACEJAMDESK
ORGANIZERSINCE
WOEBEGONEANTON
SONARCELERON
FARONTOLERATE
ESESUMMONED
SGTWAHRCRY
TEASTEASETEES
RELSPECADD
INASTATEHSN
MONARCHSOUTGO
NETLIKERAISE
EVITETINDERBOX
SINESEQUITABLE
SLEDSTRESSED
Wed 12/19/2012
PANDACELEBTBS
INERTAKELAALI
KNOWLEDGEISROM
HALROSETTE
KNOWINGATOMATO
TIECUTIRON
ISAFRUITGEL
STREAMSJUNIORS
LEAWISDOMIS
ESAISINNET
NOTPUTTINGITIN
JANEROEATE
OROAFRUITSALAD
ITOLIESTOSAKA
NONSTOATKEBAB
Tue 8/7/2012
GAPSDAHLSCENE
ODINEBAYTONER
RHEABENDAVIAN
DOCIMADDICTEDTO
OCELOTMAHER
NEHIINGMAR
SENSEEXECIAGO
TWITTERSORRYIM
AEROTOGAALONE
BROOCHQUAY
DREAMROASTS
NOTFOLLOWINGYOU
ILIACIDESORAL
MINSKCELTRUSK
HOSTSELLAAPTS
Wed 6/27/2012
MARSHY
STORMINATEACUP
LACKINGSYMMETRY
ALCOAOHMLOAM
YOURAIDPIC
SNLLOADERSIRA
STASHSINAI
CARETZANE
PENTOMINOES
TILEBIGOXAIRS
ONSTERIMOO
OTISETRESPUN
NONINTERLOCKING
ONETRACKMIND
ARENAGOLONG
EWEANTE
Tue 2/7/2012
BOGUSASIAHTTP
URIAHMANSOHIO
MIRROROFTHEMIND
RODRENEESING
ALLSTARRATES
PEEKCASEWORKER
ISHASSNIGO
HAITIGUTIFNOT
EINLEANIAL
PLATEGLASSAVEC
TONGAALABAMA
BRUTXEBECNIM
FAIRHAIREDCHILD
ONCEKEIRTOTIE
REEDASKSSPYON
Mon 2/28/2011
GAGAREFERDADA
OWENALIVEONIT
WARYTATAFORNOW
NYMPHETSHEART
LODEZOOM
MAMACASSELLIOT
ABACKLADYCOB
ABLEJAILSLURE
METTERMBALSA
YAYASISTERHOOD
ANTZIDED
ENEMYTEARINTO
BABAAURHUMDOES
OPAHGOAPEARCH
NANAHEISSHAHA
Mon 8/17/2009
CARAFEABCSAHS
CLEVERMEALLEI
CESARROMEROTYR
TIMGOTOSIDE
CHALICEBATMAN
EARLEAHXRAYS
ODESSARENEE
JACKNICHOLSON
AISLEISSUED
FLAREODESTWO
JOKERSTEAROSE
OTISCHICREF
RINHEATHLEDGER
DOTONZEENDASH
SNOTEEMSAYSSO
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