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Themeless (PfP #39c)

■ · By Conflux · Published 2021-12-14T01:14:02.103Z

This puzzle was actually designed to have a theme, but no one understood it so I decided to just make the puzzle themeless. If you feel like a wild goose chase (or maybe you happen to recognize the property the two long Acrosses have?), you can try to figure out the ex-theme, but no one who has tried this was successful (that I know of).
Okay, fine, here it is: RESTARTED and STARTLING are "CHOP WORDs": you can continually remove letters and keep getting words. So like RESTARTED to RESTATED to RESTATE to ESTATE to STATE to SATE to SAT to AT to A. You figure out the sequence for STARTLING.
This puzzle was initially published by me on March 26, 2021.
I make puzzles (of all different kinds, not just crosswords!) at https://puzzlesforprogress.net. If you liked this puzzle, you might like those!
Checking for previous play data...

Comments

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  • kieranjboyd 🤓2:18 · 2021-12-14T02:44:02.540Z
    I was aware of the property of STARTLING, but not what it was called. Thanks for the lesson, and the puzzle!
    • Mike D 🤓2:25 · 2021-12-14T12:52:40.384Z
      Very cool! Now I'm going to be trying to think of other chop words all day 😂
      • bice 🤓4:35 · 2021-12-15T06:26:33.234Z
        Very confidently put NINE in for 9A and banged my head against that for a while.
        • Frisco17 🤓1:57 · 2021-12-15T16:52:40.787Z
          Same here.
          • Conflux constructor · 2021-12-15T19:39:48.243Z
            mwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
        • Luc 🤓7:04 · 2021-12-15T16:55:17.178Z
          The "chop words" theme idea is really fun, but I'll admit I didn't get it during the puzzle either 😅
          • dianyx 🤓1:42 · 2021-12-17T23:52:16.675Z
            haha posteritity = posterior basically
            Play today's daily mini crossword
            1A
            Cut
            1
            2
            3
            4
            5
            6
            7
            8
            9
            10
            11
            12
            13
            14
            15
            16
            17
            18
            19
            20
            21
            22
            23
            24
            25
            26
            27
            Across
            1. 1A
              Cut
            2. 5A
              Answer in this puzzle
            3. 9A
              Solution to x(x-9)=0
            4. 10A
              It’s about 200 miles away from Michigan
            5. 11A
              Circle sectors
            6. 12A
              Helper
            7. 13A
              "I __ my computer and it still won't work!"
            8. 15A
              Recede
            9. 16A
              Shocking
            10. 22A
              One of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
            11. 23A
              Evading army duty
            12. 24A
              Meter, e.g.
            13. 25A
              "__ your sources!"
            14. 26A
              Pinkish
            15. 27A
              Body part
            Down
            1. 1D
              Ivan or Nicholas
            2. 2D
              Present
            3. 3D
              Fantasy creatures
            4. 4D
              “...and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our __...”
            5. 5D
              Dress for a funeral (2 words)
            6. 6D
              "Pics __ didn't happen" (2 words)
            7. 7D
              Bike, maybe
            8. 8D
              Title __ (Monopoly card)
            9. 14D
              Approx.
            10. 16D
              __ your speech
            11. 17D
              __'clock (2 words)
            12. 18D
              Rental company
            13. 19D
              “It’s game over” (2 words)
            14. 20D
              Musical symbol
            15. 21D
              Musical TV series
            Loading...