[.puz][PDF][Solution] Difficulty: 3.75/5
N.B.: This week’s puzzle is 21×21, so the clues may populate above/below the grid on the site. If you find the color scheme distracting, both the .puz and PDF solving options are in good ol’ B&W!
If you’re reading this after 6:45pm Sunday, allow me to officially reintroduce myself as Mr. Dr. Jessie Trudeau. I’ll share some wedding photos here later in the week, but for now let me just say that life is good, the future looks bright, and I appreciate all the kind words you Rossword solvers have shared in the last few days.
For those of you who need more Big Puzzle With Nonstandard Symmetry in your life today, click on over to the Sunday New York Times puzzle, which is another Jessie/Ross collaboration.
Thank you ever so much to Parker, Gavin, Migo, and Daniel & Jacob for test solving today’s puzzle! Thoughts and spoilers on “Putting Down Roots” below.
We’re presently gripped with debilitating wedding excitement, so forgive the brief nature of these notes. This puzzle is a pretty classic example of the extent which I think 100% thematic symmetry can really make a puzzle solution sing. You’ve read my thoughts on the subject here before; I get severe brain itchiness without the hundo-p-sym. And as it happens, that symmetry allowed us to “build” THE HANGING GARDENS visually with the use of PuzzleMe’s grid shading functionality.
Happy solving friends!
-Ross & Jessie <3
What a beautiful grid, and what lovely execution of a very visual theme. The colors made me wonder whether 9D was in use. And after doing the NYT Sunday last night, I half expected 65A to lead to [spoiler redacted].
Congrats to you both. Today is the first day of the rest of your life.
I’m so happy for you both, and that was a really fun puzzle.
Thank you, Nancy!!
Thank you, Rich! It was a visually *rich* past week or so; had to drop a grid that honored the mood!
Congrats!
Thank you, Tom!
Mega congrats to Dr. Trudeau, Mr. Dr. Jessie, and—of course—Cursewords scene stealer Ruby! 💞🥰🍾 Wishing you all the very very best!
Ruby RSVP’d “no” to the wedding, which was weird, but I guess we were glad not to have THAT scene stolen, too… thank you, Melissa!!!
Great puzzle! Loved the colors. Wishing you both much happiness.
Thank you, Char! <3
Congratulations, and all best wishes.
Now, can moving day be far behind?
Thank you, Blaine! In fact, Jessie doesn’t start her professorship until next August… so we’re sticking around Cambridge for a while!
What a visually appealing grid! I hope you also had sunshine and a lovely sky on your wedding day with beautiful foliage around the church.
Congratulations!
Jessie had the reception area dripping in greenery… very in keeping with the puzzle 🙂 thank you, Denise!!
Congrats and happy life to you and Jessie! <3
Thank you, Leslee! We appreciate it!
Beautiful and brilliant
Thank you, Idriss! Thanks for solving!
Congratulations to you both!
Thanks Nora 🙂 much love to spread around these parts!