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Gene Newman author page

15 puzzles by Gene Newman
with Jeff Chen comments

TotalDebutLatest
153/20/19965/18/2015
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0463110
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1.515730%
Gene Newman
View these same grids with comments from:
Constructor (1)Jeff Chen (1)Jim Horne (1)Hide comments

See the 57 answer words debuted by Gene Newman.

Alternate name for this constructor:
G. Newman
Puzzles constructed by Gene Newman by year
Mon 5/18/2015
EMUPAPERSTEAK
RANALICEEAGLE
ROWWITHERINGLY
ORIONODES
LILLIANSAMOSAS
LANDEDMISHIT
TRIGAPEDCHIME
HANGMANIAAFEW
EDGARLICITTDS
FILLETMENIAL
TOYSHOPSTEREOS
EWERDISCO
OFFHANDEDLYSTS
PLAITANNIELEA
TUXESLOADSYTD

One my favorite books about the craft of writing is Stephen King's "On Writing." Aside from being a master of storytelling, King gives great advice about how to make novels compelling. One of his minor tidbits is to avoid adverbs unless absolutely necessary, as those pesky "–ly" words run you the risk of becoming a Tom Swifty farce. I bet King would enjoy today's puzzle as much as I did.

"Uncle Stevie," as he went by in his Entertainment Weekly column

Four great examples of Tom Swifties; I appreciated their outlandish nature. SHIFTLESSLY referring to an automatic transmission, UNWILLNGLY to someone being written out of a will, and OFFHANDEDLY to a Poe-esque dehandification. They exemplify the ridiculous nature that a good Tom Swifty ought to exhibit. WITHERINGLY was a bit too close to the actual look, which makes a person wither like a dried-up plant, but three out of four ain't bad.

Nice, clean grid, much appreciated for a Monday. I noticed OLA as I went and a bit of STS / YTD at the very end, but I appreciated Gene's efforts to keep the grid smooth enough for novice solvers. LICIT is a tough word, but it's easily inferable from the more common "illicit."

It would have been nice to get a little more long fill, though. You see the black square between REAM and AINT? If it had been shifted one square to the right, that would have opened up two nice slots for nine-letter fill (at 19-D and its symmetrical spot). Would have also served to open up the grid, reducing how separated the center of the grid is from the rest.

No doubt this would have made filling the grid cleanly more difficult, but I think it's doable. Entries like TOY SHOP help to spice up a grid, so getting a few more pieces of long fill would have been great.

King once said "the road to hell is paved with adverbs," but I think sparing use is just fine. Plus, if J.K. Rowling's road is one to hell, I'm sticking my thumb out to hitch a ride. (He said, richly.)

Tue 12/11/2012
DADCUPIDCOMET
ARAOPARTANISE
SINNORMSPESTS
HACIENDAIRISH
ENEMYPRANCER
RAROCHAIRUTE
NEWAGEMABEL
SAINTNICHOLAS
CERTSGLEAMS
UARLOESSADOS
BLITZENECONO
IVIEDPILSENER
LOANSMEMOSNIT
INLETTRADEEDO
ESSAYVIXENRAF
Mon 8/14/2006
MENSAPITTREDO
ATOLLECHOAVER
TONEDCHURCHILL
ANODEAMERTHO
GREATBRITAIN
FIREMANSOBS
LOOESTAASTA
ATLANTICCHARTER
BALITOESARI
NCAALASAGNA
UNITEDSTATES
NODDESISHEBA
ROOSEVELTSOWER
ISLEIREDERECT
PESTLTDSDESKS
Tue 2/15/2005
CASHSATINYTEA
OBOEATONCEART
DEMILOOKALIKES
BREAMAPIECE
FIRSMITEIOTA
IDENTICALTWINS
TERININA
DOPPELGANGERS
IDEEVETS
SPITTINGIMAGES
SPUDSTOREUTE
ARMORSVITAL
DUPLICATESSATE
ACEGALOREIRAS
TEDSTERNSASPS
Tue 8/17/2004
ERICLILACAMEN
DADOABOILPILE
THOMASMOREASIS
BUTSAORTAS
OBLIGEDONATE
LEANEDRUSTRTE
DATERMATESCEL
ITISJAPESCHAD
EENHUGERRAISE
SNLAMORHARPER
OLDBOYODISTS
NAVAJOARIL
ALECJOHNMILTON
SEREELATEOKIE
HESSTAMILNOLO
Tue 12/31/2002
APRILBEETOLAF
SAUCEALPOTILL
HUGHOBRIANTAPE
ELSNUBRANEE
JAMESSTEWART
CAPOTELECAST
ANGLERCOMA
WYATTEARPPLAYER
ELSEELPASO
REPRINTSEKED
KEVINCOSTNER
ALICEEELAOL
RICKHENRYFONDA
METEAGEEINNER
ASSTMOTONEARS
Tue 12/26/2000
BRADFORMAWOMB
LOREIBEAMABEL
USAFGOFLYAKITE
RABELAISTETRA
AIRSMOONSET
DONTBOTHERME
ANISEARCDUBS
DUNLENSCAPPEI
ASEATATLATER
LEAVEMEALONE
DEMILLEARIL
IZAAKDIATONIC
CROSSWORDSVICE
TAREPAYEEECOL
ASISASSNSRENT
Thu 8/31/2000
RADARACDCPAWS
IRENESLOEETAL
DEIGNSIGNRASA
LEFTISTPARTY
DIEGOIRONIES
BADRECEPTION
AMIDIVAPUREE
BOOSENSMOMA
ANTISIRISMIR
MEDICINEBALL
ASSURESCAINE
NUCLEARBLAST
ELIARAREOTTER
SLOTMEANNEWLY
TYNEELMOSNAKE
Mon 7/10/2000
AMASSBRAGISMS
HAVOCLIMOSPIN
SWEAROPTSOONA
PITTERPATTER
PLUMEAEROSOL
CLIPPETYCLOP
OAFSUMONERDY
PIESPIKERSERA
STREPELIARON
DINGDONGDING
JUPITERSARGE
ONOMATOPOEIA
NILEHOARNIMOY
ETONEVILSNERD
SYSTRELYTSARS
Wed 2/16/2000
SWALEOSHAATL
SOMERSAWESRIA
WOMENLIKESILENT
DORSETESSENCE
MTNDEBTFAUN
PRIMPMAPSTSPS
SITOUTBEAST
MENTHEYASSUME
ATOMSSTRONG
PARRREALSNITS
ALECRTESERA
TOSHIBASONATA
THEYRELISTENING
IANOLDSSENECA
ESTNASTDOSES
Tue 9/1/1998
FLAPSTAYSALTS
LIMEURGEEMAIL
ATOPPOOLNASTY
SHOPPINGLISZT
KENYANREELIN
GEWGAWSADA
SHEAINRILUAU
HAYDNPLAINSIGHT
ALPSALTAECHO
ISESTASSEN
GARLICLAOTSE
BACHSCRATCHER
STORKPLOPCOMA
SOLVEAIMSURIS
SMEARMOPEROSE
Wed 3/25/1998
BRIDALARMOIRE
AERATECHESTER
AMAZONSETHOMAS
EMITNEAASP
ACHNOSIRBIER
RHODAUSSWENDY
GEORGERSHWIN
ORDAINOLDIES
PLACIDOMINGO
OHGEEADOAXIOM
LEADSTAFFTSE
ELISACFATE
GENEWMANRIDGED
NOTABLEELNINO
ANOMALYSTANDS
Mon 6/16/1997
ASCAPMIDASFTC
ROONEADOLLORO
CHATTANOOGARIB
HOTORCOLDMETER
NEERODESSA
VIGILSSUNUNU
AREAMORONMSG
LITASALARKTOE
ESTLOCALSEAM
YELLERSCARPS
PASTEDPERM
AMBOYEMOTIONAL
LOUCHICKAMAUGA
EURAERIEENNUI
ORGTHEIRASSAD
Fri 7/26/1996
DOGGERELDATA
SOLARTIMELOGIC
UNDREAMEDIONLY
NAMBYSTGABRIEL
UTESTHIEVES
PENCROCIRISES
FLATSATLAST
ENDRUNSSTILTED
ACCESSPEONS
TRISTEINREBSS
HEPCATSDEAL
UNDERTONEBASTA
SEINERINTINTIN
CAVEDESCORTING
GLADSTEELERS
Wed 3/20/1996
GALADAUBABACK
IDOLIPSOLEGAL
GISTSHMOEARLE
INTHENICKOFTIME
ONEDCAST
ASTUDYBLTYMCA
MARGEBAUERAUS
BYAHAIRSBREADTH
ESCROOTSSPREE
ROTCDUEDURERS
OHOHSUMI
ATTHELASTSECOND
PROOFHOYTOVID
BURSTARNETATA
SEATSSEEDSLAY
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