by Ross Trudeau
[.puz][PDF][Solution] Difficulty: 3.25/5
I started working on this puzzle a couple of years ago, but set it aside when I gave up hope that the center was a realistic goal. But (spoiler in link) one of the New York Times puzzles from last week inspired to me to keep pecking away it, and–fueled by nervous World Cup energy–the grid fell into place.
Drawing inspiration from lovely gridwork is a regular occurrence for me. When I started making puzzles, I most regularly found myself riffing on the work of C.C. Burnikel, Will Nediger, and BEQ. And nowadays, from time to time I’ll get emails from folks who’ve tinkered with a theme concept of mine and produced creative and satisfying, what, companion pieces? This is always a joy for me.
Thanks to Todd, Jill, and Niche Corner Jayne for test solving “Gathering Clouds.” Thoughts and spoilers–including the test case grids that preceded today’s final draft–below.
Noted artist and activist Parker Higgins looked at an early version using just CROWS and noted that I was on my way to a (ahem) Corvid-19.
Obviously the middle stack is the centerpiece of this puzzle, but I also generated 15/16x grids for various of the flocks just to see how much was possible. The constraints I set were to include only one answer that actually used an example of the bird in question, while hiding the rest in valid crossword answers. I maxed out at 10 hidden OWLs, and 7 hidden CROWs:
When these two test cases fell, I moved on to the RAVENs. Building out a massive open swath in the middle of the grid took for frickin’ ever, but the end result feels both clean and fun. I hope you thought so too!
Happy solving, friends!
-Ross
Wow, highly impressive! This is not at all for-the-birds. I’m very glad you picked it up again after having (almost) given up on it. And judging from the fact that no one else has commented yet I imagine myself to be (ahem) the early bird getting this worm.
I have a funny off-color comment about the NE corner, but as this is a family audience I will withhold it.
Anybody who has not read the book referenced in 54A is genuinely missing out, it is an all-time great.
Thank you for this masterpiece!
It was a huge letdown for me when most people started politely ignoring off-color homonyms right around age 19. Glad to be able to count on you, Rich.
fun puzzle!
(i got hung up on 12d/41a because i didn’t know 41a and had an S there for a long time – until i remembered it’s also good with Z)
12D is hard! It was only at the very periphery of my knowledge base… and I still mostly see it as a Bart Simpson for President supporter.
Ross, thank you. You really tapped into the intelligence of the universe to construct this puzzle.
That big bird brain in the sky… thanks for solving, Mark.
I always enjoy your puzzles each week, but this one is a real stand-out. Great theme that seems to have prompted some really interesting fill. Between this one and the NY Times crossword you referenced, it seems that birds are the gift that keeps on giving this holiday season.
🎶 and a partridge in a pear tree 🎶 Thanks, Zef! Appreciate you!
I intend to keep a copy of this puzzle in my personal “Hall of Fame” crossword file, but I respectfully request permission to fix what I “thank” (😜) is a typo in the clue for 44A.
I think you’re overthanking this one, Ken 😉
Beautiful, ambitious grid. Solving it really made my day.
You’re very kind, Andrew. Thanks for dropping by to say so–means a lot.
Thanks, Ross. I enjoyed this flight of fancy, but the pedant in me, who taught film studies for 40 years or so, feels obligated to suggest that 61D should be “long take,” meaning a continuous, uninterrupted shot, rather than “long shot,” which refers to distance and scale. Ahem.
This is good intel! Pedantry always welcome here, Blaine. Thanks for solving!
As always a really fun puzzle! Thanks again.
My pleasure, Ralph! Thanks for dropping by!
I’ve been enjoying your collection of puzzles since stumbling into the site a couple of weeks ago. I’ve done all of 2023 with only a couple of head crashes (anyone else old enough to remember those?) but mine were neurological, not electro-mechanical. This one was a real gem. I cannot imagine the construction process and the number of iterations required. Only two very minor nits. I solve on paper, printing the PDF grid, safely ensconced in my favorite chair with the morning brew in hand. THAT is how the curmudgeons in the crowd insist on puzzling!! None of that fat-fingered huntin’ ‘n peckin’ hunched over a keyboard… I have never been comfortable with on-screen editors and seem to spend more time correcting errors than entering answers. So, the PDF grid prints with the SW flock right shifted in the bottom 3 rows. Doesn’t affect the solve and it’s obvious when you look back to the primary grid. Nit #2 is that I had to use a Uni-ball pen to fill the cloud areas instead of the vastly preferable 0.5 mm mechanical pencil used by all true believers. I did mention the curmudgeon thing, right?
Take care, Ross and thanks again for all of your work.