| Total | Debut | Latest |
| 15 | 9/4/1980 | 4/28/2014 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Scrabble | PGram | Pre‑WS | Fresh |
| 1.66 | 1 | 14 | 49% |
1 Modern Era daily crossword
by Jim Modney
Mon 4/28/2014
| T | O | F | U | | S | A | N | K | A | | E | S | Q | S |
| A | P | E | D | | C | A | I | R | N | | A | Q | U | I |
| H | E | A | D | T | O | H | E | A | D | | R | U | I | N |
| I | N | S | E | R | T | | C | U | R | B | | E | E | L |
| T | E | T | R | A | | T | E | T | E | A | T | E | T | E |
| I | D | S | | C | E | O | | | A | M | A | Z | E | S |
| | | G | E | L | A | T | O | | | K | E | D | S |
| | B | O | D | Y | D | O | U | B | L | E | S | | |
| C | O | L | T | | | S | A | T | E | E | N | | | |
| O | N | E | T | W | O | | | D | E | G | | M | A | W |
| M | A | N | O | A | M | A | N | O | | A | N | I | M | E |
| E | D | D | | N | A | V | I | | S | T | O | L | E | N |
| N | A | S | H | | H | A | N | D | T | O | H | A | N | D |
| O | T | I | S | | A | N | J | O | U | | I | N | D | Y |
| W | E | N | T | | S | T | A | N | D | | T | O | S | S |
Welcome back, Jim! Thanks to David Steinberg, the PreShortzian Puzzle Project has nearly finished digitizing (or "litzing") all the puzzles available, and you can already see puzzles back to 1977 on XWord Info. Be sure to check out Jim's older puzzles. How cool to return to the puzzle-making fold after 30 years!
And what a nice construction today. With five themers, I'd usually expect a 78 or 76 word construction, but Jim ups the ante with a 74 worder. Not easy, especially since the central entry forces big corners of white space. It's an ambitious endeavor to say the least, so I was expecting some unsightly fill as soon as I saw the openness of the grid. But to my delight, nearly everything fell smoothly. Not only smoothly, but with such goodness as SQUEEZES (if only contract bridge were still uberpopular, this could have gotten an awesome bridge-related cardplay clue) and BLENDS IN.
I'll emphasize again how hard this task is. Take a look at some themeless grids (down the list) and you'll see similarities between subsections of those and this grid. It's tough to fill a 4x6 or 3x7 space both cleanly and with sparkle; often taking multiple dozens of attempts before arriving on something pleasing. I love seeing WENDYS and TAHITI in the corners of a Monday puzzle — well done. Obvious that Jim/Will have taken a lot of care in polishing the fill.
Yes, it's debatable whether squeezing the extra Q (in ESQS) was worth it. I do like seeing the two Q's in close proximity because they spice things up, but it it worth having both ESQS and AQUI in close proximity? I'd say no, but as always, it's a personal preference.
I was seriously considering this puzzle for the POW, but I had some hesitations with the theme. I really like BODY DOUBLES as a revealer, and appreciated Jim's explanation of why he saw it as elegant. But I would have preferred something closer to his original approach. Perhaps my hitch was due to the fact that the themers only covered HEAD and HAND, which doesn't really make up much of a body? Anyway, I personally felt like there was more on the table that could have been capitalized upon, in order to achieve a bigger, punchier a-ha moment from the revealer.
Looking forward to more from the prodigal son.
14 pre-Shortz crosswords by Jim Modney
Thu 4/12/1984
| L | A | B | | D | E | E | R | E | | R | O | T | E | S |
| A | B | A | | A | X | M | A | N | | E | V | E | N | T |
| B | O | B | B | Y | P | I | N | S | | R | E | D | D | Y |
| O | V | E | R | S | O | L | D | | C | U | R | D | | |
| R | E | S | E | T | | | | M | O | N | E | Y | E | D |
| | | W | A | R | | T | A | X | | A | B | L | E |
| A | F | T | | R | E | L | A | X | | | T | E | A | L |
| C | L | O | T | | X | A | X | I | S | | S | A | T | E |
| M | I | M | E | | | T | I | M | E | R | | R | E | D |
| E | R | M | A | | A | H | S | | W | E | T | | | |
| S | T | Y | R | E | N | E | | | | L | A | P | A | Z |
| | G | O | N | E | | V | O | C | A | L | I | Z | E |
| J | O | U | S | T | | B | I | L | L | Y | C | L | U | B |
| I | N | N | E | R | | E | N | D | U | E | | E | R | R |
| M | E | S | S | Y | | D | O | S | E | D | | S | E | A |
Sun 7/31/1983 SOUNDS FAMILIAR
| A | L | A | M | E | D | A | | | S | C | A | T | S | | G | A | N | G | U | E |
| R | E | L | A | X | E | S | | | C | O | U | R | T | | A | C | O | R | N | S |
| K | I | L | L | E | R | S | | W | I | L | D | I | R | I | S | H | R | O | W | S |
| | S | E | C | R | E | T | E | | D | E | P | O | S | E | S | | S | E | E |
| A | S | T | O | | Y | S | E | R | | | N | U | K | E | S | | | S | D | S |
| B | E | A | R | | | S | T | E | A | M | | P | E | R | | P | A | P | | |
| B | A | R | D | E | S | | S | N | E | A | K | | D | E | M | O | C | R | A | T |
| A | S | S | E | R | T | | | T | O | N | A | L | | | A | L | C | O | V | E |
| | | R | I | O | T | S | | N | E | R | O | | A | E | S | O | P | I | C |
| W | E | N | | E | R | I | K | A | | S | A | G | E | R | | | S | H | A | H |
| O | R | E | S | | K | N | I | G | H | T | T | I | M | E | S | | T | E | T | E |
| R | O | W | E | | | A | S | H | U | R | | A | M | A | I | N | | T | E | D |
| S | T | Y | M | I | E | S | | A | G | E | D | | A | L | G | E | R | | | |
| T | I | E | I | N | S | | | S | H | E | R | D | | | H | E | E | H | A | W |
| S | C | A | T | T | E | R | S | | S | T | A | R | T | | T | R | I | O | D | E |
| | R | E | O | | U | N | I | | S | W | E | A | T | | | G | L | O | P |
| E | M | S | | | C | I | O | N | S | | | A | L | I | I | | N | E | S | T |
| B | A | D | | M | O | N | O | C | L | E | | M | C | G | R | A | W | S | | |
| B | R | A | K | I | N | G | P | O | I | N | T | S | | R | E | S | E | A | L | S |
| E | N | Z | Y | M | E | | E | M | M | E | R | | | I | N | H | A | L | E | S |
| D | E | E | D | E | D | | R | E | E | S | E | | | S | E | E | R | E | S | S |
Sat 4/17/1982
| F | L | E | X | I | N | G | | S | P | L | I | N | T | S |
| L | E | X | I | C | A | L | | P | R | O | T | E | I | N |
| O | U | T | V | O | T | E | | H | O | N | E | S | T | Y |
| A | C | R | | N | A | B | B | I | N | G | | T | A | D |
| T | O | A | D | | L | E | O | N | E | | S | I | N | E |
| E | M | C | E | E | | S | A | X | | V | A | N | I | R |
| D | A | T | I | V | E | | | | C | O | N | G | A | S |
| | | F | I | X | | | | O | L | D | | | |
| R | E | F | I | L | E | | | | X | E | B | E | C | S |
| A | X | L | E | S | | W | A | R | | S | O | L | O | N |
| T | O | E | S | | T | H | R | U | M | | X | E | N | O |
| I | C | E | | T | R | A | F | F | I | C | | A | D | O |
| N | A | T | U | R | A | L | | F | L | A | T | T | O | P |
| G | R | E | N | A | D | E | | L | A | R | A | I | N | E |
| S | P | R | A | Y | E | R | | E | N | T | I | C | E | D |
Sat 9/12/1981
| E | G | G | E | D | | | W | R | E | S | T | | |
| Q | U | I | T | O | | | A | U | R | O | R | A | S |
| Q | U | A | R | T | E | R | F | I | N | A | L | I | S | T |
| U | I | N | T | A | | E | A | V | E | S | | T | H | O |
| I | N | A | S | | L | A | Z | E | S | | T | O | O | L |
| R | O | C | | M | O | L | E | | | M | U | N | R | O |
| E | X | O | T | I | C | I | S | M | | O | L | S | E | N |
| | | B | R | O | Z | | E | O | N | S | | | |
| T | A | H | O | E | | E | J | E | C | T | A | B | L | E |
| E | L | A | N | D | | | O | K | A | Y | | E | A | T |
| E | L | S | E | | D | U | K | E | S | | I | N | T | O |
| T | D | S | | P | I | K | E | S | | D | O | Z | E | N |
| H | A | L | F | H | E | A | R | T | E | D | N | E | S | S |
| E | Y | E | L | E | T | S | | | S | A | I | N | T | |
| | D | O | W | S | E | | | S | Y | C | E | S | |
Fri 7/10/1981
| T | E | L | L | | | P | A | L | S | | S | A | R | A |
| A | R | I | A | | H | E | L | E | N | | U | L | A | N |
| L | I | M | O | | O | D | E | T | O | | B | A | N | D |
| C | E | N | T | E | R | O | F | G | R | A | V | I | T | Y |
| | | S | W | I | M | | O | T | T | O | | | |
| S | Q | U | E | E | Z | E | R | | S | O | C | K | E | T |
| O | U | T | | R | O | T | O | R | | M | A | N | G | Y |
| R | E | T | S | | N | E | V | E | R | | L | O | R | N |
| B | R | E | W | S | | R | E | S | E | T | | B | E | E |
| S | Y | R | I | A | C | | D | I | A | R | I | S | T | S |
| | | N | U | L | L | | S | C | U | D | | | |
| M | I | D | D | L | E | O | F | T | H | E | R | O | A | D |
| O | B | O | L | | A | G | R | E | E | | E | R | L | E |
| R | I | D | E | | R | O | A | R | S | | A | C | E | S |
| O | D | O | R | | S | S | T | S | | | M | A | C | K |
Thu 5/28/1981
| A | D | D | S | | | B | L | A | H | | J | A | V | A |
| L | O | O | T | | K | O | A | L | A | | A | N | E | W |
| A | M | U | R | | A | T | I | L | T | | G | Y | R | E |
| M | I | S | A | N | T | H | R | O | P | I | S | T | S | |
| O | N | E | W | A | Y | | S | T | I | R | | H | I | E |
| S | O | D | | I | D | A | | | N | A | T | I | O | N |
| | | E | V | I | L | L | Y | | | A | N | N | E |
| M | I | X | E | D | F | E | E | L | I | N | G | S | |
| C | A | S | A | | | A | S | L | O | N | G | | | |
| A | L | O | M | A | R | | | P | V | T | | O | V | A |
| P | A | T | | L | E | S | S | | E | R | O | T | I | C |
| P | H | I | L | A | N | T | H | R | O | P | I | S | T |
| F | R | E | D | | L | O | Y | A | L | | T | O | T | O |
| D | O | R | E | | M | O | L | L | Y | | I | S | A | R |
| R | P | M | S | | S | T | E | T | | | C | E | S | S |
Fri 5/1/1981
| S | H | O | C | K | | | | T | I | R | A | D | E |
| S | T | O | L | L | E | N | | D | O | N | K | E | Y | S |
| P | I | L | L | A | G | E | | A | R | B | O | R | E | S |
| E | L | L | I | S | | A | C | T | O | R | | O | R | E |
| S | L | Y | E | S | T | | R | A | N | I | N | | | |
| | | | I | O | W | A | | T | E | E | T | H | E |
| E | G | G | | C | R | A | C | K | O | F | D | O | O | M |
| T | A | R | A | | | I | K | E | | | S | W | A | M |
| C | R | A | C | K | O | F | D | A | W | N | | N | R | A |
| H | Y | B | R | I | D | | O | S | S | A | | | | |
| | | E | N | D | O | W | | W | I | N | G | E | D |
| P | O | D | | E | L | A | N | D | | L | O | R | N | A |
| A | V | I | A | T | O | R | | E | L | I | S | I | O | N |
| P | E | R | M | I | T | S | | M | A | N | I | P | L | E |
| A | N | T | I | C | S | | | | O | G | R | E | S | |
Sat 4/11/1981
| W | E | B | | | S | L | A | K | E | | A | S | H | E |
| H | A | I | R | | W | I | R | E | R | | S | W | A | T |
| A | C | T | I | V | I | T | I | E | S | | S | A | L | T |
| T | H | E | D | E | V | I | L | T | A | K | E | Y | O | U |
| | | G | R | E | G | | S | T | E | M | | | |
| C | O | L | E | S | L | A | W | | Z | E | B | R | A | S |
| A | Z | O | | T | E | T | E | S | | L | L | A | M | A |
| N | O | R | M | | D | E | I | L | S | | E | N | I | D |
| S | N | E | A | K | | D | R | A | Y | S | | E | R | A |
| T | E | N | N | I | S | | D | U | M | P | I | E | S | T |
| | | I | N | C | A | | G | M | A | N | | | |
| S | P | E | A | K | O | F | T | H | E | D | E | V | I | L |
| T | A | L | C | | F | L | A | T | T | E | R | I | N | G |
| O | L | L | A | | F | A | C | E | R | | T | A | K | E |
| W | E | A | L | | S | T | O | R | Y | | | L | Y | S |
Fri 3/20/1981
| J | I | B | S | | L | A | P | P | S | | B | O | O | B |
| U | G | L | Y | | U | R | I | A | H | | U | L | V | A |
| M | O | O | N | | T | I | N | L | I | Z | Z | I | E | S |
| P | R | O | D | D | E | D | | | R | E | Z | O | N | E |
| | D | I | E | S | | P | U | T | N | A | | | |
| J | O | Y | C | E | | C | I | T | | O | R | L | E | S |
| A | R | M | | P | L | A | Q | U | E | | D | A | L | I |
| M | B | A | | S | A | T | U | R | N | S | | Z | I | G |
| E | I | R | E | | C | L | A | N | C | Y | | Y | O | N |
| S | T | Y | L | E | | I | N | S | | R | E | S | T | S |
| | | B | R | U | N | T | | L | U | L | U | | |
| A | D | J | O | I | N | | | R | E | P | O | S | E | D |
| B | R | O | W | N | B | E | T | T | Y | | I | A | G | O |
| L | A | K | E | | A | B | E | E | T | | S | N | A | P |
| E | Y | E | D | | R | E | E | S | E | | E | S | N | E |
Sat 2/14/1981
| A | T | T | A | | E | B | B | E | D | | | C | P | I |
| B | O | R | N | | L | A | Y | T | O | | S | U | R | D |
| L | O | U | D | | S | W | E | E | T | I | E | P | I | E |
| E | T | E | R | N | A | L | | | | L | A | R | V | A |
| | L | E | A | S | | T | A | L | L | B | O | Y | S |
| C | L | O | A | K | | R | A | M | O | S | E | | | |
| L | U | V | | E | N | A | M | O | R | | E | V | A | N |
| A | C | E | | D | I | S | T | U | R | B | | A | M | A |
| M | E | S | A | | S | C | A | R | E | R | | L | O | B |
| | | B | R | E | A | M | S | | U | S | E | R | S |
| T | O | E | N | A | I | L | S | | J | I | N | N | | |
| A | L | L | E | N | | | | T | I | N | Y | T | I | M |
| H | E | A | R | T | T | H | R | O | B | | D | I | C | E |
| O | A | T | S | | R | A | I | S | E | | E | N | O | L |
| E | N | E | | | A | M | A | S | S | | R | E | N | T |
Thu 1/22/1981
| B | A | B | Y | | S | H | E | B | A | | C | A | V | E |
| E | L | L | A | | L | E | M | O | N | | O | B | E | Y |
| A | T | O | N | | E | L | I | Z | A | | N | U | D | E |
| R | O | C | K | A | N | D | R | O | L | L | S | T | A | R |
| | | E | N | D | | | | Y | O | U | | | |
| B | O | L | D | N | E | S | S | | Z | O | M | B | I | E |
| E | N | E | | | R | O | C | K | E | T | E | E | R | S |
| E | T | A | S | | | R | O | N | | | S | T | A | T |
| R | O | C | K | B | O | T | T | O | M | | | E | T | E |
| S | P | H | E | R | E | | T | W | A | D | D | L | E | R |
| | | P | E | N | | | | S | E | A | | | |
| D | O | N | T | R | O | C | K | T | H | E | B | O | A | T |
| A | M | O | I | | M | O | I | R | E | | B | R | A | E |
| M | A | R | C | | E | N | T | E | R | | L | Y | R | E |
| A | R | M | S | | L | E | E | K | S | | E | X | E | S |
Sat 9/27/1980
| J | A | W | | W | H | A | M | | | Q | U | A | R | K |
| U | R | I | | H | U | L | A | | B | U | N | C | H | E |
| M | I | N | T | A | G | E | S | | E | A | S | T | E | R |
| B | E | G | S | T | H | E | Q | U | E | S | T | I | O | N |
| O | S | S | A | | | | U | N | T | I | E | | | |
| | | R | A | M | M | E | D | | M | A | N | G | Y |
| A | F | T | | C | O | O | S | | M | O | D | U | L | O |
| B | R | U | S | Q | U | E | | L | A | D | Y | B | U | G |
| B | A | R | Q | U | E | | P | O | L | O | | S | E | A |
| E | N | N | U | I | | L | E | G | I | S | T | | | |
| | | A | T | T | A | R | | | | A | P | S | E |
| T | W | E | N | T | Y | Q | U | E | S | T | I | O | N | S |
| H | A | R | D | E | R | | S | Q | U | I | L | L | A | S |
| D | I | N | E | R | O | | A | U | L | D | | A | R | E |
| S | T | E | R | S | | | L | I | K | E | | R | E | X |
Wed 9/10/1980
| D | A | S | H | | N | I | S | E | I | | C | A | N | A |
| I | S | E | E | | I | N | C | A | N | | A | J | A | X |
| S | E | A | L | | G | L | A | R | E | | R | A | V | E |
| C | A | R | D | S | H | A | R | P | S | | D | R | Y | S |
| | | A | R | T | Y | | | S | I | S | | | |
| G | A | L | L | I | C | | | A | E | R | O | S | O | L |
| O | V | A | L | | A | C | I | D | | S | N | O | R | E |
| A | I | N | T | | P | O | K | E | R | | T | H | A | N |
| D | A | C | H | A | | R | E | N | O | | H | O | L | Y |
| S | N | E | E | Z | E | D | | | O | D | E | S | S | A |
| | | C | O | P | | | S | M | U | T | | | |
| G | A | Z | A | | I | N | T | H | E | C | A | R | D | S |
| O | N | E | R | | C | A | R | A | T | | B | U | R | P |
| S | T | U | D | | A | M | E | N | T | | L | E | E | R |
| H | E | S | S | | L | E | Y | T | E | | E | D | D | Y |
Thu 9/4/1980
| D | U | S | K | | B | O | L | L | | | E | T | C | H |
| E | S | T | A | | A | L | O | E | S | | C | H | O | O |
| B | E | E | T | | R | I | A | T | A | | R | U | S | S |
| T | R | A | I | N | S | O | F | T | H | O | U | G | H | T |
| S | M | E | L | T | | | S | I | R | | | | |
| | | | R | O | M | A | | B | E | H | I | N | D |
| A | L | L | A | B | O | A | R | D | | L | E | R | O | Y |
| W | O | O | L | | L | I | L | A | C | | M | O | T | E |
| O | C | C | A | S | | D | E | T | R | A | I | N | E | D |
| L | I | O | N | E | L | | S | A | A | R | | | | |
| | | | M | I | A | | | N | I | C | H | E | |
| R | E | A | D | I | N | G | R | A | I | L | R | O | A | D |
| U | R | S | A | | E | N | O | L | A | | E | R | G | O |
| M | I | E | N | | D | E | P | O | T | | A | S | E | S |
| P | E | A | K | | | S | A | T | E | | M | E | R | E |
