Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of puzzles that end up on this blog. The first are those that I construct specifically to post here. Usually a puzzle in this category will contain something -- a marquee entry, some possibly-interesting-but-probably-only-to-me bit of esoterica -- that renders it unsellable to any legitimate crossword-publishing venue. Other times it might be more of a toss-up, but I decide I really want to go all in on some of the clues and don't want to risk my intentions being overwritten in the editing process. I think Crossword #132 falls loosely into this category (see the clues for 28-Across, 54-Across, and 21-Down, among others). Anyway, that's one kind. The second kind are puzzles that have been rejected everywhere I've sent them, but that I believe are still worth sharing with the world (or at least the internet). My feelings about these puzzles are mixed. I mean, I've written them, so they're still imbued with my personal voice as a constructor, but they also feel slightly out of place among the comparatively unfiltered constructions that I create specifically with this venue in mind. I usually revise a lot of the clues before posting one of these puzzles, and tbh it's probably much more difficult than I imagine for anyone who's not me to distinguish between the two categories. But they still feel distinct in my mind, and I don't really know what to do about that. Probably just note the contrast and continue on? I've considered tagging "rejected" crosswords, but that would open up other gray areas: puzzles I've partially regridded, or ones I might have submitted somewhere on a lark, knowing with 99% certainty they'd be turned down. So I haven't done that. Ultimately, things are always going to be a bit eclectic around here, and I can live with that.
So ... sorry if you were expecting a poignant conclusion to that little ramble :) Just a roundabout way of introducing this weekend's puzzle -- which belongs to the second category, if you hadn't already guessed. A few of my favorite blog-exclusive clues: 57-Across, 44-Down, and 52-Down. Hope you enjoy <3
