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Wednesday grids with the lowest Freshness Factor
These puzzles have the lowest Freshness Factor™ meaning they have a high reliance on common words.
That doesn't mean they're uninteresting. The puzzle near the top by Peter Gordon is one of my favorites.
Constructors and grids:
Wed 1/3/1996
| H | A | L | L | S | | A | S | H | E | | M | E | I | N |
| E | L | I | O | T | | M | O | O | R | | E | D | G | E |
| W | A | S | T | E | N | O | T | W | A | N | T | N | O | T |
| S | I | T | | N | O | E | S | | | Y | E | A | R | S |
| | | S | C | A | B | | A | R | L | O | | | |
| R | I | C | H | M | A | N | P | O | O | R | M | A | N |
| D | E | L | I | | | | A | S | I | N | | A | T | E |
| U | N | O | | P | O | M | M | E | L | S | | B | O | X |
| M | E | N | | O | P | I | E | | | | W | E | L | T |
| B | E | A | L | L | A | N | D | E | N | D | A | L | L | |
| | | E | L | L | E | | D | O | E | S | | | |
| A | L | O | N | E | | | A | I | R | E | | S | T | U |
| G | O | O | D | N | E | W | S | B | A | D | N | E | W | S |
| R | A | Z | E | | S | O | I | L | | E | E | R | I | E |
| A | M | E | R | | P | O | S | E | | E | V | A | N | S |
Wed 7/19/2006
| A | R | D | O | R | | A | P | O | P | | M | E | S | A |
| B | E | R | R | A | | L | E | N | A | | I | M | A | C |
| O | D | I | S | T | | L | E | E | R | | R | U | D | E |
| M | Y | F | O | R | M | U | L | A | F | O | R | | | |
| B | E | T | | A | I | R | | | A | R | O | M | A | S |
| | S | U | C | C | E | S | S | I | S | R | I | S | E |
| | | R | E | A | | N | U | T | | | S | T | E |
| I | R | O | N | S | | W | E | B | | A | S | T | I | R |
| D | O | G | | | T | O | E | | E | L | I | | | |
| E | A | R | L | Y | W | O | R | K | L | A | T | E | | |
| A | M | E | L | I | A | | | A | H | S | | R | E | F |
| | | A | N | D | S | T | R | I | K | E | O | I | L |
| S | W | A | M | | D | O | R | A | | A | M | I | G | O |
| P | A | P | A | | L | O | O | T | | N | I | C | H | E |
| A | X | E | S | | E | T | T | E | | S | T | A | T | S |
POW Wed 2/3/2016
| S | P | I | E | L | | P | U | N | T | S | | S | K | I |
| G | E | C | K | O | | A | L | O | H | A | | T | O | M |
| T | A | K | E | C | O | N | T | R | O | L | | O | R | E |
| S | K | Y | D | I | V | E | R | | | | A | R | E | A |
| | | | | U | M | A | T | H | U | R | M | A | N |
| R | E | P | E | L | | | R | A | N | T | | | |
| M | I | D | D | L | E | C | L | A | S | S | | A | R | F |
| S | C | I | F | I | | A | I | D | | A | G | R | E | E |
| S | E | T | | C | E | N | T | E | R | F | I | E | L | D |
| | | S | I | L | O | | | E | E | N | S | Y | |
| A | L | L | A | T | I | N | G | L | E | | | | | |
| R | A | I | D | | | | E | A | S | T | A | S | I | A |
| U | S | E | | D | E | A | T | H | E | A | T | E | R | S |
| B | E | G | | O | R | B | I | T | | S | T | E | A | K |
| A | R | E | | C | A | C | T | I | | E | A | R | N | S |
Wed 3/2/2016
| A | H | E | M | | A | B | E | T | | G | A | P | E | D |
| M | A | D | E | | L | E | A | R | | A | L | I | V | E |
| A | B | I | T | | T | A | R | A | | L | U | C | A | S |
| Z | I | T | I | C | O | U | N | C | I | L | M | A | N | |
| E | T | H | E | R | | | | E | C | O | | | | |
| | | R | O | L | L | S | | E | N | D | U | R | E |
| M | O | C | | C | O | A | C | H | | | A | B | E | L |
| O | R | Z | O | I | T | W | O | U | L | D | S | E | E | M |
| S | E | A | L | | | S | U | G | A | R | | R | K | O |
| T | O | R | E | R | O | | R | E | P | O | S | | | |
| | | | A | W | L | | | | O | H | A | R | E |
| P | E | N | N | E | A | N | T | E | P | O | K | E | R |
| M | E | R | I | T | | D | E | A | L | | R | I | G | A |
| A | L | I | K | E | | E | M | M | A | | E | T | A | S |
| S | T | E | E | D | | N | O | E | L | | S | A | N | E |
Wed 1/28/1998
| C | A | T | S | | M | I | L | N | E | | B | A | S | K |
| A | L | I | T | | I | D | E | A | L | | R | I | C | E |
| P | E | E | R | | A | L | A | R | M | | U | R | A | L |
| C | R | E | A | M | E | D | C | O | R | N | E | L | L |
| | | A | S | I | S | | | | T | E | D | D | Y |
| S | C | A | M | P | | | C | A | D | E | T | | | |
| I | O | U | | C | R | E | A | S | E | | T | A | C | O |
| P | O | R | T | A | U | P | R | I | N | C | E | T | O | N |
| S | P | A | R | | S | E | D | A | T | E | | O | R | E |
| | | A | S | H | E | S | | | L | U | M | P | S |
| S | I | E | V | E | | | | S | I | L | T | | | |
| O | B | J | E | T | D | A | R | T | M | O | U | T | H | |
| U | S | E | R | | O | P | E | R | A | | R | A | I | D |
| S | E | C | S | | D | E | B | U | G | | N | U | K | E |
| A | N | T | E | | O | R | A | T | E | | S | T | E | W |
| Rank | Date | Author | Wed. % | Score |
| 1. | Wed Jan 3, 1996 | W. R. Williams | 0.1 | 12.2 |
| 2. | Wed Jul 19, 2006 | Alison Donald | 0.1 | 12.7 |
| 3. | Wed Feb 3, 2016 | Tom McCoy | 0.2 | 12.9 |
| 4. | Wed Mar 2, 2016 | Fred Piscop | 0.2 | 13.2 |
| 5. | Wed Jan 28, 1998 | Mark Gottlieb | 0.3 | 13.6 |
| 6. | Wed Mar 30, 2005 | Richard Silvestri | 0.4 | 13.6 |
| 7. | Wed May 24, 2006 | Adam G. Perl | 0.4 | 13.6 |
| 8. | Wed Jan 19, 2000 | Arthur S. Verdesca | 0.5 | 13.7 |
| 9. | Wed Jul 16, 2003 | Norm Guggenbiller | 0.5 | 14.1 |
| 10. | Wed Jan 8, 1997 | J. D. Leavy | 0.6 | 14.8 |
| 11. | Wed Jun 23, 2004 | Jim Goodsell | 0.7 | 14.8 |
| 12. | Wed Mar 10, 2004 | Richard Silvestri | 0.7 | 14.8 |
| 13. | Wed Jul 18, 2012 | David Levinson Wilk | 0.8 | 15.0 |
| 14. | Wed Mar 1, 2006 | Richard Silvestri | 0.8 | 15.1 |
| 15. | Wed Apr 28, 2021 | Hal Moore | 0.9 | 15.4 |
| 16. | Wed Jun 15, 2005 | Richard Silvestri | 1.0 | 15.5 |
| 17. | Wed Apr 28, 1999 | Nancy Salomon | 1.0 | 15.6 |
| 18. | Wed May 16, 2001 | Richard Silvestri | 1.1 | 15.7 |
| 19. | Wed Nov 24, 1993 | Nancy S. Ross | 1.1 | 15.8 |
| 20. | Wed Sep 10, 1997 | Randall J. Hartman | 1.2 | 15.8 |
| 21. | Wed Sep 26, 2001 | Stephen Budiansky | 1.3 | 15.8 |
| 22. | Wed Mar 27, 2002 | Sarah Keller | 1.3 | 15.9 |
| 23. | Wed Jun 21, 2000 | Greg Staples | 1.4 | 16.0 |
| Wed Sep 27, 2000 | Fred Piscop | | |
| 25. | Wed May 20, 2015 | Jacob Stulberg | 1.5 | 16.1 |
| 26. | Wed Aug 3, 2011 | Paul Guttormsson | 1.6 | 16.2 |
| 27. | Wed Jun 19, 2002 | Janet R. Bender | 1.6 | 16.4 |
| 28. | Wed Jun 5, 2002 | Richard Silvestri | 1.7 | 16.5 |
| 29. | Wed Mar 6, 1996 | N. S. Ross | 1.7 | 16.5 |
| 30. | Wed Aug 9, 2006 | Maxwell H. D. Johnson Jr. | 1.8 | 16.6 |
| 31. | Wed Mar 14, 2001 | Greg Staples | 1.9 | 16.6 |
| 32. | Wed Sep 11, 2013 | Patrick Blindauer | 1.9 | 16.7 |
| 33. | Wed Oct 26, 2005 | Adam G. Perl | 2.0 | 16.8 |
| 34. | Wed Oct 12, 2005 | Paul Guttormsson | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 35. | Wed Apr 27, 2005 | Lyell Rodieck | 2.1 | 17.0 |
| 36. | Wed Dec 4, 2002 | Richard Hughes | 2.2 | 17.1 |
| 37. | Wed Dec 27, 2006 | Manny Nosowsky | 2.2 | 17.1 |
| 38. | Wed Aug 25, 2004 | Richard Silvestri | 2.3 | 17.1 |
| 39. | Wed Apr 6, 2005 | Michael Doran | 2.3 | 17.1 |
| 40. | Wed Nov 5, 2003 | Nancy Kavanaugh | 2.4 | 17.2 |
| 41. | Wed Oct 10, 2001 | Richard Chisholm | 2.5 | 17.3 |
| 42. | Wed Mar 26, 2008 | Michael Langwald | 2.5 | 17.4 |
| 43. | Wed Jul 23, 2025 | Joseph Gangi | 2.6 | 17.6 |
| 44. | Wed Nov 12, 1997 | Randall J. Hartman | 2.6 | 17.7 |
| 45. | Wed Oct 27, 1999 | Chris Sallade | 2.7 | 17.7 |
| 46. | Wed Dec 14, 1994 | Wayne Robert Williams | 2.8 | 17.8 |
| Wed Aug 18, 1999 | Nancy Salomon | | |
| Wed Jan 30, 2002 | Randall J. Hartman | | |
| 49. | Wed Sep 5, 2007 | Richard Silvestri | 2.9 | 17.9 |
| 50. | Wed Aug 6, 2003 | Jay Livingston | 3.0 | 17.9 |
| 51. | Wed Nov 30, 2005 | Seth A. Abel | 3.1 | 17.9 |
| Wed Feb 10, 1999 | Nancy Salomon | | |
| Wed Jul 3, 2002 | Peter Gordon | | |
| 54. | Wed Aug 25, 1999 | Richard Hughes | 3.2 | 18.0 |
| 55. | Wed May 4, 1994 | Louis Sabin | 3.3 | 18.0 |
| 56. | Wed Jan 21, 2009 | Fred Piscop | 3.4 | 18.0 |
| 57. | Wed Nov 2, 2005 | Randall J. Hartman | 3.4 | 18.1 |
| 58. | Wed Aug 13, 1997 | Richard Silvestri | 3.5 | 18.2 |
| 59. | Wed May 25, 2022 | Christopher Youngs | 3.5 | 18.4 |
| 60. | Wed Feb 2, 1994 | Robert Katz | 3.6 | 18.4 |
| 61. | Wed Jul 28, 1999 | Manny Nosowsky | 3.7 | 18.5 |
| 62. | Wed Mar 10, 1999 | Wesley R. Johnson | 3.7 | 18.5 |
| 63. | Wed Apr 18, 2001 | A. J. Santora | 3.8 | 18.5 |
| 64. | Wed May 4, 2022 | Eric Bornstein | 3.8 | 18.7 |
| 65. | Wed Nov 29, 1995 | Nancy S. Ross | 3.9 | 18.8 |
| Wed Jul 23, 2003 | Ed Early | | |
| 67. | Wed Feb 2, 2000 | Richard Chisholm | 4.0 | 18.9 |
| 68. | Wed Apr 25, 2001 | Mel Taub and crossword class | 4.1 | 18.9 |
| 69. | Wed Feb 28, 1996 | F. A. Longo | 4.1 | 19.1 |
| 70. | Wed Aug 9, 2017 | Adam G. Perl | 4.2 | 19.2 |
| Wed Oct 25, 2017 | Jules P. Markey | | |
| 72. | Wed Feb 26, 2025 | Dan Caprera | 4.3 | 19.2 |
| 73. | Wed Jul 13, 2016 | Tom McCoy | 4.4 | 19.2 |
| 74. | Wed Jun 4, 1997 | Nancy S. Ross | 4.4 | 19.3 |
| 75. | Wed Aug 10, 2005 | Kurt Mengel and Jan-Michele Gianette | 4.5 | 19.3 |
| 76. | Wed Dec 27, 2000 | Michael S. Maurer and Bonnie Prystowsky | 4.6 | 19.3 |
| 77. | Wed Feb 8, 2006 | Patrick Merrell | 4.6 | 19.3 |
| Wed Oct 25, 1995 | Larry Nargi | | |
| 79. | Wed Sep 16, 1998 | Richard Silvestri | 4.7 | 19.4 |
| 80. | Wed Jul 6, 2011 | Peter Collins | 4.8 | 19.4 |
| 81. | Wed Apr 24, 2002 | Sheldon Benardo | 4.9 | 19.4 |
| 82. | Wed Jan 26, 2022 | Michael Schlossberg | 4.9 | 19.4 |
| 83. | Wed Jan 18, 2006 | Sheldon Benardo | 5.0 | 19.5 |
| 84. | Wed Mar 24, 1999 | Nancy Salomon | 5.0 | 19.5 |
| 85. | Wed Sep 10, 2008 | Lucas Gaviotis Whitestone | 5.1 | 19.6 |
| Wed May 31, 2006 | Trip Payne | | |
| 87. | Wed Nov 3, 2004 | Ed Early | 5.2 | 19.6 |
| 88. | Wed Dec 15, 2004 | Zach Jesse | 5.3 | 19.6 |
| Wed Jan 4, 2006 | John Minarcik and Nancy Salomon | | |
| 90. | Wed Jan 27, 1999 | Leslie Billig | 5.4 | 19.6 |
| 91. | Wed Mar 6, 2002 | Richard Silvestri | 5.5 | 19.7 |
| 92. | Wed Mar 18, 2009 | Robert A. Doll | 5.5 | 19.8 |
| 93. | Wed Oct 25, 2000 | Nick Grivas | 5.6 | 19.8 |
| 94. | Wed Dec 29, 1999 | Robert O. Dillman | 5.6 | 19.8 |
| 95. | Wed Apr 4, 2001 | Alan Arbesfeld | 5.7 | 19.8 |
| 96. | Wed Nov 29, 2000 | Peter Gordon | 5.8 | 19.9 |
| 97. | Wed Mar 24, 2004 | Norma Johnson | 5.8 | 19.9 |
| Wed Oct 15, 1997 | Randall J. Hartman | | |
| 99. | Wed Aug 27, 1997 | Jonathan Schmalzbach | 5.9 | 19.9 |
| Wed Sep 2, 1998 | Randall J. Hartman | | |