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Evan Birnholz author page

8 puzzles by Evan Birnholz
with Editor comments

TotalDebutLatest
810/3/201310/23/2015
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
0001124
RebusScrabbleFresh
11.6972%
Evan Birnholz
Puzzles constructed by Evan Birnholz by year
Fri 10/23/2015
COWTIPPINGIHOP
AMENCORNERMAGE
FANTASYFOOTBALL
ENDNICOUSAGES
KNEESPACE
RADIOSDOORKNOB
OPARTJEANSDNA
LANKTURKSBARR
ORCFRIESSUZYQ
STEPBACKWUSSES
CRONYSENT
LARAMSSKIDDIP
PLAYBOYMAGAZINE
GAZEMEETHEADON
AWEDSWEETSPOTS
Sat 8/29/2015
AXEICBMTABSET
NBABOREEROICA
NORALUMREDDOT
OXFORDCOMMAENT
YOLKSEPALFOOL
ENACTLAYITONME
DEPORTEDMILEY
RAVEWINK
WARMSHATCHECK
SEXAPPEALTEXAN
TILLEVILSROME
ERRSCAREQUOTES
ADONAIGNUSIRS
MASALAEDIECOE
YLEVELLABSANT
Fri 12/12/2014
ABBESSAMPEDUP
COOLAIRCOLGATE
TOSTADACROONER
OKTOBERFEST
NEONKEEPITREAL
ERNFIGHTWILCO
VICARJICAMA
HIJINKSBASEMEN
ADONISSECTS
ZONESMILKSCAP
ELISHAOTISYULE
LEDZEPPELIN
THEWIREFRANKEN
RETINOLSALTINE
EYETESTTEENSY
Sat 10/18/2014
MESSKITSCROTCH
AGELIMITLAURIE
NOSECONEASTUTE
SEEKAPPSSTEP
PSYCHOPATH
AWLTUTEEURIAH
VIAAMINSTINGO
ALSORANCOOPERS
SCENTSCALCSEE
TORTEROLEOSEA
DIRTYHARRY
CRIPTEEMRAFA
HUSTLERAREBIRD
ASCOTSERICBANA
DESERTDICTATED

Evan's handsome construction today has quite a few names, some of them uncommon, which is always cause for concern — especially when they're in the same area, and especially especially when they cross. LAURIE (16A) crossing RAS (10D) may give some solvers pause, but I think "A" at the intersection is the most likely letter to guess. I also worried about SOLER (35D) crossing the difficult STINGO and ROLEO. Evan's clue for SOLER was "Baroque composer Padre Antonio __," who, I have to admit, I'm not familiar with. So I changed this to something more inferable, even if it's rare. Overall Evan writes excellent clues. The ones here for 15A, 36A, 43A, 4D, 12D, and 28D are all his.

POW Sat 4/26/2014
CAMPHOWDAREYOU
EVERINAUGURALS
DIDOMELONBALLS
ALITOATSEAEAR
RACECARDWTS
SUMMITOKBUT
EASTLASEWYOKE
CALVINANDHOBBES
OREOACEATOAST
NEWTOHYDROX
ERNWIFESWAP
ARTLIMOSSEEME
RETROVIRUSAWAR
ANYONEELSETOTO
BELTSANDERSNIT
Wed 3/5/2014
CHEGRAMSEPSOM
HEMCELIAROUTE
AYEHELLIFIKNOW
MYRIADDATES
POINTIMSTUMPED
SULKADIOSOOZE
SHREDINTRA
GASBEATSMESAD
OUTGOELUDE
OTOEAEROSDEAR
DONTASKMEFIRMA
EERIEJETSET
IHAVENOCLUEACT
ROGETUPENDTHE
KEENETANKSZED
Sat 2/22/2014
ALCHEMISTSBASE
PIRATESHIPOMAR
STAYATHOMESEMI
ERNSHOWDVORAK
SEETOTDSEMIRS
AAAOLAYCIA
BLACKMAGICWATT
RISKSITMTSINAI
OPTSCOMEUNDONE
ARRJIMIPEE
DEOROSNLERASE
BADEGGIANIRAS
ADOSARCHANGELS
NEMOWHATASHAME
DREWDOMINATRIX
Thu 10/3/2013
HULAHOFFSLOTH
OHOSORALCANWE
SUCKSBYOUAFTER
PHOENIXBALOVER
DOTSEDER
TAXIHEREGAEA
OPENAREASEEMSB
MANBORNOTBITO
BRIDEBCHESSSET
STAREWESCHET
YPRESAPR
BHONESTBRIEFED
GOMERBORNBWILD
UMASSARIAISSA
NORSERITZTHEY

In the print edition of the Times, the solution to this puzzle will be shown as SUCKS2BYOU, 2BORNOT2B, etc. For online, though, the solution shows "BB" in the theme squares, as we felt that's what solvers are more likely to guess. This was the playoff puzzle at last Friday's Westchester Crossword Puzzle Tournament. As I write this, I'm anxious to see how quickly (or not) the contestants catch onto the trick.

ADDED NOTE: Winning time for this puzzle at the 17th Westchester Crossword Puzzle Tournament, held last Friday in Pleasantville, NY:

1st — Bob Mackey, perfect in 8:36

2nd — Jeffrey Schwartz, perfect in 10:34

3rd — Glen Ryan, 11:56 with one error

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