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David Liben-Nowell author page

13 puzzles by David Liben-Nowell
with Jim Horne comments

TotalDebutLatestCollabs
133/25/20046/19/20234
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1112341
RebusCircleScrabblePGramFresh
111.59152%
David Liben-Nowell
Puzzles constructed by David Liben-Nowell by year
Mon 6/19/2023
PEALOSSWAB
OVERICEPORE
PIRANHAOVEN
SLICEOFBREAD
AYNART
TILSARIFED
AMIEBEEHIVE
RASPBERRYJAM
EXTORTDINO
NASCAR
OHHIABASED
PEANUTBUTTER
TYLENOLERGO
SSESPECISP
SENAUK
SLICEOFBREAD
HAZETRILOGY
AVONCENSURE
MADEHESTAD

Mr. Liben-Nowell has now hit for the cycle.

Sun 6/23/2019 TAKE TWO
THETWITICBMTUNES
HANDHANDMORALOMENS
USDAORCSPLACEPLACE
GIOVANNIBEIGESCAPE
STRINGSTRINGSCOUT
SEASHOREPIRATING
MESERATALLNETDEO
AIMSPASMOLDAGEAERO
IDEATEDPERSONPERSON
WINNIPEGTROPEYUM
ASTORRATERATECISCO
RINBERRASAYHELLO
BANANABANANATORSION
IMOKGOESATSPINEDNA
GOVLAURELSTENHEE
SKIPANTSHEDGEHOG
THROBNATURENATURE
BIASACESITSMARTIES
CLASSCLASSATEMUTES
MATEOKARENBASEBASE
STERNPSSTELALREX
Sat 9/15/2018
CAMPUSMAPPASTA
OHIOSTATEAXIOM
SAMESEXMARRIAGE
ABETAERAINMAN
ORELSEGAG
ROGUESYEOHCEO
APRILJERUSALEM
STANSPLITGERE
PIPSQUEAKAGAIN
SCHRIGSOVINES
OCTHIREES
IMAFOOLNANLGA
SELFDRIVINGCARS
MOVIEFINGERTIP
SWATSTAKESTEPS

How much I love a Saturday crossword depends on a couple of factors largely outside the control of the constructor or editor. The first criterion is whether I can finish, chiefly affected by the overlap of things the puzzle thinks are worth knowing and things I happen to know. The second is how amused I am by the clues, which says more about my sense of humor than anything else.

What makes today's puzzles satisfying (so, yes, I finished and with an amused smile) is that several common words get nicely diverting clues that at first seem impossible but nicely click into place. I know nothing about college football in 1890, but with a couple of letters in place, "Something STATE" seemed likely, leaving four letters to fill in. Utah or Iowa feels less probable than OHIO. I know little about Islam, but the first letter J pointed right away to JERUSALEM. I speak no Farsi, but STAN seems obvious. I don't play Risk, but SIAM fell easily. That's three fun facts I learned from one puzzle.

SELF-DRIVING CARS is a topical entry. "M" or "Z" is an impressive clue for MOVIE. The Edison clues are fun. Senate coverage isn't DOME at all, but TOGA. ASPS are cousins of garter snakes.

The equation x + 0 = x is indeed an AXIOM. Mathematics (also science, technology, etc.) depends on accepting such things on faith. If one of the famed Peano axioms is found to be untrue, your iPhone will suddenly stop working. If you have a Galaxy, it will catch fire.

Fri 9/2/2016
FRISBEESTICKS
BRASTRAPTULANE
GOTLOOSEPREREQ
ALIENATEANDRE
MINTEDBUSACE
ECGWHEELADAY
GRAILSAPIPE
THIRTYTWOACROSS
HEMISMERITS
ERINLASERIMS
OHSJANDATSUN
OSCARBORNINTO
ANYONERIOTGEAR
ROOKEDASPIRANT
TRUETODESSERT
Thu 3/24/2016
HALESTDCCUP
APPLEPIESATIN
LOGICALFALLACY
OPALLIVECHAT
ADONEW
EBECAUSECIRCUL
SEXZIPSOUSA
NATEJECTTBAR
ECRUADLIBAGR
SOAKSOARNEE
ONSEKAMGNINOSA
IGOTEE
CRASSESTASTI
BEGTHEQUESTION
CEELOUNFROZEN
DROPEATSEDS

Jeff feels that BEG THE QUESTION "feels like a tenuous connection" to this theme. The word pedant in me disagrees — that's the answer that made this puzzle sing. While the phrase has come to be (mis)used as a synonym for "raise the question" (this makes no sense to me!) it has traditionally meant "take for granted or assume the truth of the very thing being questioned" which is exactly circular reasoning.

If this feels wrong to you, take comfort in knowing that we word pedants always lose in the long run. "Irregardless" will become standard form, "I could care less" will somehow make sense, and the original (Aristotelean, apparently) meaning of "beg the question" will be lost forever.

Anyway, I love logic puzzles and I love crosswords so a crossword about logic works for me.

Tue 6/7/2011
PULSESACADOAK
ONECARMLLEILE
SHORTISTALLLOG
TINASARMYACES
STABQUADTAR
BLACKISWHITE
AGILITYPEISAY
CINEMAUNRIPE
ARSIRECREASED
BLUNTISSHARP
MRSTWITMAMA
ZIMAMAILDURAN
IDALITTLEISBIG
OERALECONIONS
NAYMESHSECRET
Fri 12/30/2005
FRATHOUSESPARS
INTRANSITTIDAL
NAVYSEALSACURA
ABOILANKLET
APREURSOLUTES
TEASETSTREP
BEGINPOUTYLIPS
ALEXTURNAINRE
TESTPILOTONLOW
YELLSSLEEVE
LABFEESTHYTED
ERRORSPERMS
IDARETELEPATHS
CENTSATEDINNER
ANDYSSEXSCENES
Fri 8/19/2005
SHALLIATTAGIRL
PILEONBARBECUE
UMLAUTSCOOTING
ROISTERTOMS
SMEEREBPBANDJ
SANTASSHORE
AGEGIANTSIDOL
DONTASKDONTTELL
DUDETEAMUPSLO
TRUSSSNACKS
ODETTAACKTODO
CASTHAIRGEL
PTBARNUMWAILED
JOUSTINGAMPERE
SEMESTERYASSER
Wed 8/3/2005
SLUGSBLTABETS
GENOALOOLENIN
TWOBYFOURLADLE
AEONSREMOTE
HUNDREDYEARSWAR
ISOSSEMIGSTS
FETEVISIT
IDEMANDARECOUNT
SPOILOREO
ATAPRESSSGAP
THREEMUSKETEERS
LEMANSCIRRI
AWORDTHEBIGTEN
SHUNTHERPHOTO
TORSOYDSSTEAD
Wed 6/29/2005
THAWSCATASKED
VINCIAWEACELA
ASDFGHJKLROYAL
INTOWDOUBLE
ACHESLAMINTO
COULDERASSAPS
CONDORDRABRAE
OPTSOUTTREADLE
REAMBASMANIAS
DRNOEMUSVISTA
DRONEBEESTEW
EXPATSGRETE
LEECHTOUCHTYPE
UNCLEHAMUTURN
LAKERELSDEMOS
Thu 3/31/2005
MANASPENTHY
OTISBEARONHAM
JONISCRAPERIC
OMENSSATESETA
DELIDOTTHEIS
GROWINTOSEED
UAWPROXYAROMA
LINKENIACEWAN
FLIERSCRUBNIT
SPAYANDROIDS
SOFTBOILSANS
AHABUMPSGETAT
VALIDEALSARCH
ERSTITIANLURE
SEEGARBOEEN
Fri 7/9/2004
QUEEREYEMARCEL
UPINARMSAPERCU
ANNERICEDOTELL
MICAOEDIPAL
CAPITAHUPTET
HALEYMITRAL
IRASMISSOREGON
LONRUNSOUTUNE
INTHEFIELDGROW
UNFOLDMOUNT
FARINFRAISES
POLLENSTENN
ENLISTWINDGUST
ADONAIAVEMARIA
RAYGUNDOESTIME
Thu 3/25/2004
PAPASHASTAIVY
OPUSTORPORFAA
WIRYAERATENCO
WESLEYRADUATE
OCEANYEPREBA
WEDDNAFIDEL
ALYSSARABBI
DIRECTEDBYLEE
SIMMSINRAGS
ARIASYAPTRE
PENNTHAASHEN
LIBYOVERNMENT
ADOIGNOREAFAR
NOVNUDISMCAME
TEESPARESKNEE

Across rebus squares are interpreted as YANG, and down ones as YIN.

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