Ryan and Brian Do Crosswords

Was I supposed to do 7 < (2+6) < 9 or something like that? I never know how Ryan’s fuzzy math works.

This is going to be a short blog for two reasons. One, I’m writing it, and I’m just not as interesting as Ryan. And two, because it’s late, and I’m exhausted. However, I did this puzzle earlier today, and it was quite a bit of fun. It was designed by part-time first baseman for the Boston Red Sox, part-time something-or-other for Pixar (please, tell me what it is you do there!), Kevin G. Der-Hyphen-Youkilis.

You may remember Kevin’s wonder week a while back where he first trounced everyone with his fewest black squares record-breaking puzzle — which was followed shortly by the one where you fold the grid into a paper airplane. Awesome! Kevin once again dazzles here with a jumbo-sized 23×23 grid of vertical symmetry (unlike the standard rotational symmetry of most crosswords) AND it’s got circles in it (at least, in the Across Lite version) AND it’s a rebus AND it has a ton of theme answers AND the rebus squares make a shape AND it all ties together (AND if you want, you can still fold it into a paper airplane, although that has nothing to do with the theme).

First, the long answers:

• 2D. 1981 film in which Helen Mirren plays a sorceress : EXCALIBUR
• 4D & 12D. 1889 Twain novel : A CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT. This was a my breakthrough. The title came to me, even though I’ve never read the book. Go figure.
• 14D & 76 D. 1953 Ava Gardner film … as depicted elsewhere in this puzzle? : KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE
• 71D. 2001 Anjelica Huston miniseries, with “The” : MISTS OF AVALON. Wait. Was this part of the theme? I have no idea what this show is.
• 137A. 1963 animated film with the song “Higitus Figitus,” with “The” : SWORD IN THE STONE. For way too long, as a child, I thought this title was “Sword AND the Stone.” I don’t know what that movie would be about, but probably a sword and a stone singing and dancing together as they traipse across medieval Europe.
• 143A. 1998 animated film featuring the voice of Pierce Brosnan : QUEST FOR CAMELOT. Never heard of this. Camelot? Yes. B.C.’s Quest For Tires? Yes. Quest for Camelot? No.

Then we also had five circles in the grid which, if you drew a line connecting them all, you’d make a larger circle (technically a pentagon — unless you didn’t connect the dots in sequence, in which case you make either a star or a lopsided nothing of a shape). Each circle had SIR in it — making a very clever round table of knighted gentlemen. Lovely.

I kept trying to blur my vision to see if the rest of the black squares of the grid made a picture — like it was one of those illusions that if you stare long enough, it becomes a painting or something? Can you people do those? I can’t. I have a totally messed up left eye, and I cannot do those fancy magic eye things for the life of me. I think it’s all a hoax, and you are in on it, just to mess with me. Am I right?

Okay — this is it for now. Ryan might add to this in the morning. More likely, he’ll be coming over to the BeMoreSmarter studios to record Episode 64. Tune in.

And register for Lollapuzzoola! Just four weeks away! Hurrah!

See you Monday.