Sat 2/11/2017
| L | A | S | E | R | T | A | G | | S | Q | U | I | B | S |
| U | S | E | D | T | O | B | E | | S | U | N | D | A | E |
| S | P | I | K | E | L | E | E | | R | A | T | E | D | A |
| T | I | N | O | | L | A | W | S | | D | O | C | K | S |
| E | R | E | C | T | | T | H | A | W | S | | L | A | O |
| R | E | D | H | A | T | | I | L | A | | D | A | R | N |
| | | | Y | O | W | Z | A | H | | O | R | M | E |
| H | A | W | K | E | Y | E | | M | O | P | H | E | A | D |
| A | C | H | E | | C | A | R | I | O | U | | | | |
| V | T | E | N | | A | S | A | | S | P | A | S | M | S |
| E | A | N | | D | R | E | W | S | | S | T | O | I | C |
| A | L | T | H | O | | L | E | H | I | | T | O | D | O |
| C | O | H | O | S | T | | G | E | T | S | A | T | A | N |
| O | N | E | L | A | P | | G | E | E | K | C | H | I | C |
| W | E | N | D | Y | S | | S | T | A | Y | H | E | R | E |
Sat 5/28/2016
| Z | I | P | P | E | R | | | | G | L | A | C | E | S |
| S | N | A | R | L | U | P | | | R | E | S | U | L | T |
| A | S | S | E | S | S | E | D | | I | N | S | T | I | R |
| Z | O | T | | A | T | T | E | L | E | T | | G | T | I |
| S | N | O | B | | S | E | L | I | G | | B | L | I | P |
| A | G | R | I | P | | S | U | L | | C | E | A | S | E |
| | | G | A | L | A | X | Y | Q | U | E | S | T | |
| | N | A | T | O | M | E | M | B | E | R | S | | |
| H | I | P | H | O | P | M | U | S | I | C | | | |
| C | A | N | E | S | | R | O | N | | N | A | T | T | Y |
| O | N | E | S | | H | A | D | S | T | | N | E | H | I |
| A | S | I | | R | O | S | E | T | E | A | | S | E | P |
| T | O | R | N | U | P | | L | E | T | S | S | L | I | P |
| E | L | O | I | S | E | | | R | E | T | R | A | C | E |
| D | O | N | N | E | D | | | | S | O | I | S | E | E |
Sat 3/21/2015
| J | U | M | P | I | N | J | A | C | K | F | L | A | S | H |
| A | H | O | O | S | I | E | R | H | O | L | I | D | A | Y |
| N | O | C | A | U | S | E | F | O | R | A | L | A | R | M |
| E | H | S | | Z | A | P | S | | A | C | T | S | I | N |
| | | F | U | N | | | I | N | K | | | | |
| I | T | E | A | | | U | S | M | | | M | A | G | E |
| O | R | A | N | G | E | P | O | P | S | I | C | L | E | S |
| T | U | R | N | E | D | T | H | E | T | A | B | L | E | S |
| A | T | T | E | N | T | I | O | N | P | L | E | A | S | E |
| S | H | O | D | | | L | T | D | | | A | Y | E | S |
| | | | M | O | T | | | D | S | L | | | |
| Y | E | S | B | U | T | | E | D | U | C | | S | L | O |
| O | N | E | A | F | T | E | R | A | N | O | T | H | E | R |
| G | E | T | S | T | O | F | I | R | S | T | B | A | S | E |
| I | S | T | H | I | S | S | E | A | T | T | A | K | E | N |
I remember when I accepted my first triple-triple-stacked crossword for the Times. It was by the illustrious, triply-named Martin Ashwood-Smith back in 2000. I rushed it into print on May 19 of that year, because I thought it was so cool.
Over time, though, I've become a little less enchanted with triple-triple stacking, partly because, well, it's been done multiple times now (22 times, including today, according to XWord Info). Also:
- Today's grid design is inherently flawed, because there's so little connection among the three parts of the grid. Just two letters link the top to the middle, and two others link the middle to the bottom. An elegant grid provides greater flow among the sections, giving the solver more options for how to proceed.
- This grid has an oversupply of three-, four- and five-letter words. Of the 70 entries here, 56 (or fully 80%) are of these short lengths. And almost necessarily there's a lot of crosswordy stuff, like EHS, ITEA, USM, EDUC, ENES, SETT, EAR TO, POA, EDT, SO HOT, EFS, ADAS, IAL, LESE, OREN, etc. Altogether these don't make for lively solving.
What sold me on this puzzle, when I accepted it in April 2012, was the liveliness of the nine 15s. Every one of them is a gem, in my opinion. So the puzzle does provide some genuine pleasures, and I give Fred Healy major kudos for these.
But this is to report ... today's crossword is the last triple-triple-stacked puzzle in my files. And it's likely to be the last one I publish.
I'm still a sucker for elegant construction challenges, including crazy stacking, but it's time for this design to be retired.
Sat 12/28/2013
| J | U | M | B | O | F | R | I | E | S | | S | R | T | A |
| O | N | I | O | N | R | I | N | G | S | | U | I | E | S |
| G | U | N | S | L | I | N | G | E | R | | G | P | A | S |
| S | M | A | | E | D | G | E | R | | P | A | S | S | E |
| | | P | A | G | O | | | G | A | R | N | E | T |
| M | O | J | A | V | E | | S | T | U | C | C | O | | |
| E | D | U | C | E | | B | O | R | N | T | O | R | U | N |
| W | I | S | E | | B | A | R | A | K | | A | T | N | O |
| L | E | T | S | P | A | R | T | Y | | S | T | E | P | S |
| | P | E | O | R | I | A | | P | I | E | R | C | E |
| O | D | E | T | T | E | | | M | I | L | D | | | |
| F | I | A | T | S | | A | T | O | L | L | | D | A | D |
| O | N | C | E | | S | M | I | L | E | Y | F | A | C | E |
| L | A | H | R | | S | E | N | T | I | M | E | N | T | S |
| D | R | Y | S | | A | N | Y | O | N | E | E | L | S | E |
Years ago Will Weng wrote that in his opinion a crossword was a good one if 10% of the entries were fresh and lively. By this standard, Frederick's puzzle is a wild success. Some of the entries I like in it are JUMBO FRIES, ONION RINGS, BORN TO RUN, LET'S PARTY, SMILEY FACE, ANYONE ELSE, SUGAR-COATED, RIP-SNORTER, JUST PEACHY, and SILLY ME — and not too much GUNK! That's handsome work.
Sat 11/23/2013
| J | U | J | I | T | S | U | | J | A | Z | Z | A | G | E |
| E | L | A | T | I | O | N | | S | H | O | O | T | U | P |
| T | A | K | E | A | I | M | | B | O | O | T | E | E | S |
| S | L | A | M | S | | A | L | A | R | M | | D | S | T |
| F | U | R | S | | S | P | I | C | A | | V | I | S | E |
| A | M | T | | D | E | P | T | H | | F | A | R | S | I |
| N | E | A | T | I | D | E | A | | S | A | L | T | O | N |
| | | A | C | E | D | | Z | A | N | E | | | |
| F | I | B | B | E | R | | H | A | N | G | T | I | M | E |
| A | P | L | U | S | | P | A | N | T | S | | C | O | X |
| S | A | I | S | | L | A | N | Z | A | | B | A | R | T |
| T | N | T | | A | U | S | S | I | | P | E | N | T | E |
| C | E | Z | A | N | N | E | | B | U | I | L | T | I | N |
| A | M | E | R | I | G | O | | A | T | A | C | O | S | T |
| R | A | N | K | L | E | S | | R | E | S | H | O | E | S |
My favorite entries here are JUJITSU, JAZZ AGE, TAKE AIM, NEAT IDEA, HANG TIME, GUESS SO, FAST CAR, BLITZEN, and ZANZIBAR. That's a lot of great stuff. There are some minuses, too (the obscurish PIAS, the variant TABUS, and RESHOES). But overall, very handsome. The constructor, one of many Canadians who contribute crosswords to The Times, hails from Port Coquitlam, B.C.
Sat 8/24/2013
| X | E | N | O | | A | L | I | S | T | | G | R | A | F |
| A | T | O | N | | L | E | N | T | O | | H | A | L | O |
| C | H | O | C | O | L | A | T | E | S | H | A | K | E | S |
| T | A | K | E | N | O | P | R | I | S | O | N | E | R | S |
| O | N | S | | C | U | T | A | N | D | P | A | S | T | E |
| | | G | U | T | | | M | O | T | | | | |
| Z | A | I | R | E | | S | E | A | W | O | R | T | H | Y |
| A | R | N | O | | S | P | U | R | N | | A | S | I | A |
| K | I | C | K | S | T | A | R | T | | O | N | K | E | Y |
| | | | P | E | R | | | M | F | G | | | |
| I | M | A | G | I | N | E | T | H | A | T | | S | A | M |
| C | O | M | E | T | O | T | H | E | R | E | S | C | U | E |
| A | P | P | L | E | P | I | E | A | L | A | M | O | D | E |
| R | U | L | E | | A | R | U | D | E | | U | N | I | T |
| E | P | E | E | | D | E | N | S | E | | G | E | T | S |
Sat 6/4/2011
| X | I | N | G | | K | A | R | A | O | K | E | B | A | R |
| E | W | E | R | | A | D | A | M | A | N | D | E | V | E |
| R | A | T | E | | N | O | S | I | R | E | E | B | O | B |
| O | S | C | A | R | S | | S | N | E | E | | R | N | A |
| X | H | O | S | A | | P | L | O | D | | M | A | L | T |
| E | A | S | Y | R | I | D | E | R | | L | E | V | E | E |
| D | D | T | | E | T | A | S | | P | O | S | E | A | S |
| | | I | B | I | S | | W | A | S | H | | | |
| A | C | T | S | I | N | | B | R | I | E | | S | A | O |
| C | A | R | E | T | | L | O | A | N | S | H | A | R | K |
| C | L | U | E | | S | O | A | P | | I | O | W | A | S |
| L | O | S | | G | A | R | S | | S | T | I | T | C | H |
| A | R | T | O | O | D | E | T | O | O | | S | O | H | O |
| I | I | M | A | G | I | N | E | S | O | | T | I | N | O |
| M | E | E | T | H | E | A | D | O | N | | S | T | E | T |
Sat 4/30/2011
| J | A | M | B | | D | O | J | O | | | B | L | O | G |
| U | S | E | E | | E | N | O | S | | Q | U | I | L | L |
| B | I | L | L | | B | E | L | T | B | U | C | K | L | E |
| I | D | O | U | B | T | I | T | | R | A | K | E | I | N |
| L | E | D | G | E | | | | | E | V | A | D | E | S |
| A | F | R | A | I | D | S | O | | E | E | R | | | |
| N | R | A | | N | A | I | V | E | | R | O | O | D | |
| T | O | M | S | | D | R | I | L | L | | O | V | I | S |
| M | A | P | S | | S | T | I | E | S | | E | M | P |
| | | R | O | B | | Z | A | N | E | G | R | E | Y |
| D | A | N | U | B | E | | | | | T | O | W | N | S |
| A | L | I | C | E | S | | N | O | T | S | O | H | O | T |
| H | A | V | E | I | T | M | A | D | E | | D | E | V | O |
| L | I | E | U | T | | E | N | D | S | | I | L | E | R |
| S | N | A | P | | | N | A | S | T | | E | M | L | Y |
Sat 2/6/2010
| H | A | R | S | H | | | | | | N | O | N | C | E |
| A | R | E | T | E | | P | R | E | R | E | C | O | R | D |
| B | A | G | E | L | | R | U | S | T | E | A | T | E | N |
| I | M | I | M | P | R | E | S | S | E | D | | U | V | A |
| B | E | S | T | W | I | S | H | E | S | | C | P | A | S |
| | | H | A | N | S | E | N | | T | O | T | S | |
| A | V | E | N | G | E | D | | M | I | R | O | S | |
| N | A | T | T | E | R | | F | A | N | N | I | E | |
| I | C | I | E | R | | B | A | S | K | E | T | S | |
| M | A | D | D | | L | U | T | H | E | R | | | |
| B | A | N | E | | M | O | T | H | E | R | S | D | A | Y |
| A | T | T | | C | E | N | T | E | R | S | T | A | G | E |
| D | I | L | L | I | N | G | E | R | | D | O | R | E | N |
| G | O | O | D | D | E | E | D | S | | A | R | E | N | T |
| E | N | T | R | E | | | | | | M | E | S | T | A |
Fri 2/6/2009
| J | A | N | E | F | O | N | D | A | | D | E | P | T | S |
| I | M | O | N | A | D | I | E | T | | O | W | L | E | T |
| G | O | L | D | W | A | T | C | H | | R | E | I | N | A |
| G | R | O | I | N | | | I | A | M | A | R | O | C | K |
| L | A | S | T | | O | L | D | N | A | G | | C | E | E |
| E | L | S | | G | R | E | E | D | Y | | K | E | N | O |
| | | U | P | E | N | D | | | B | A | N | T | U |
| H | A | N | S | O | L | O | | L | E | A | N | E | S | T |
| I | D | E | E | S | | | S | I | L | K | S | | | |
| G | R | A | D | | T | I | C | K | L | E | | K | O | S |
| H | O | R | | G | A | S | H | E | S | | K | A | R | N |
| S | I | B | E | R | I | A | N | | | S | Y | R | I | A |
| P | T | E | R | O | | Y | O | U | R | H | O | N | O | R |
| O | L | E | O | S | | N | O | N | E | A | T | A | L | L |
| T | Y | R | O | S | | O | K | E | Y | D | O | K | E | Y |
Fri 10/24/2008
| J | U | L | I | A | C | H | I | L | D | | S | A | K | S |
| I | R | O | N | M | A | I | D | E | N | | A | M | A | T |
| M | I | C | R | O | N | E | S | I | A | | T | E | R | R |
| A | S | K | O | U | T | | | | S | E | A | R | L | E |
| | | | R | O | B | O | T | | A | N | I | M | A |
| H | E | S | S | | R | E | M | I | T | S | | C | A | M |
| O | X | L | I | P | | A | N | N | I | E | H | A | L | L |
| T | H | E | B | E | S | T | | Y | O | U | A | N | D | I |
| T | I | E | S | A | K | N | O | T | | P | R | M | E | N |
| A | L | P | | L | A | I | D | O | N | | M | E | N | E |
| M | A | E | V | E | | K | A | T | E | Y | | | | |
| A | R | R | E | S | T | | | | W | A | F | E | R | S |
| L | A | C | S | | O | N | E | C | A | L | O | R | I | E |
| E | T | A | T | | D | E | A | D | R | I | N | G | E | R |
| S | E | R | A | | S | T | R | I | K | E | Z | O | N | E |
Sat 1/12/2008
| K | I | C | K | S | T | A | R | T | | S | P | L | A | T |
| C | L | E | O | P | A | T | R | A | | P | E | A | B | O |
| A | L | L | C | O | M | E | R | S | | E | R | N | I | E |
| R | E | S | H | I | P | S | | | D | E | F | I | E | S |
| | | | L | E | T | S | L | I | D | E | | | |
| S | C | O | R | E | R | | M | T | P | O | C | O | N | O |
| H | E | R | O | D | | R | E | G | I | S | T | R | A | R |
| E | D | E | L | | S | A | L | O | N | | T | A | D | S |
| R | E | A | L | I | T | Y | T | V | | A | E | R | I | E |
| M | D | D | E | G | R | E | E | | A | S | N | E | A | R |
| | | R | O | A | D | R | A | G | E | | | | |
| S | H | E | B | O | P | | | C | A | P | E | C | O | D |
| P | I | L | A | F | | F | I | R | S | T | T | A | K | E |
| E | F | I | L | E | | R | A | I | S | I | N | P | I | E |
| W | I | E | L | D | | I | N | D | I | C | A | T | E | D |
Fri 10/19/2007
| S | Q | U | E | E | G | E | E | S | | O | H | W | O | W |
| A | U | S | T | R | A | L | I | A | | D | U | A | N | E |
| N | O | N | E | A | T | A | L | L | | I | N | I | T | S |
| E | T | A | S | | E | Y | E | S | | E | A | T | I | T |
| R | E | V | | | S | N | E | A | D | | N | A | P | E |
| D | Y | E | R | | E | N | D | U | P | | S | T | R |
| | | N | O | S | | S | I | M | O | L | E | O | N |
| B | I | G | T | A | L | K | | P | A | L | A | C | E | S |
| O | V | E | R | D | O | N | E | | S | O | S | | | |
| R | E | T | | S | P | A | M | S | | S | T | I | R | |
| A | H | A | T | | S | P | O | T | S | | | N | O | B |
| B | A | L | E | S | | S | T | E | P | | A | B | B | Y |
| O | D | I | S | T | | A | I | R | I | N | G | O | U | T |
| R | I | F | L | E | | C | O | N | C | O | U | R | S | E |
| A | T | E | A | M | | K | N | E | E | P | A | N | T | S |
Mon 5/24/2004
| D | I | R | E | | T | R | A | M | P | | C | A | S | A |
| I | D | O | L | | R | E | C | U | R | | A | V | O | N |
| R | E | D | S | K | Y | A | T | M | O | R | N | I | N | G |
| T | S | E | | H | I | P | S | | | A | V | A | I | L |
| | | B | A | N | S | | F | I | N | A | N | C | E |
| S | P | R | A | N | G | | S | O | A | K | S | | | |
| I | R | A | N | | | K | I | N | T | E | | T | W | O |
| D | O | G | D | A | Y | A | F | T | E | R | N | O | O | N |
| E | W | E | | R | E | N | T | S | | | O | G | R | E |
| | | S | N | A | G | S | | D | R | E | A | M | S |
| T | E | M | P | E | R | A | | H | E | A | L | | | |
| A | L | O | E | S | | | S | O | L | I | | A | C | E |
| B | L | U | E | S | I | N | T | H | E | N | I | G | H | T |
| L | E | N | D | | B | E | A | U | T | | R | E | I | N |
| E | N | D | S | | N | O | T | M | E | | E | D | N | A |
