Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 27, 2009
I Swear...
Rest of the puzzling story
Vic Fleming
On Oct. 12, 2006, the Arkansas Times blogged that I “wrote five puzzles with clues related to [my daughter’s] wedding. They were included in a new Simon and Schuster puzzle anthology that was given to members of the bridal party.”
Since inquiring minds want to know more, here is the rest of the story. (WARNING: The rest of this column is a “spoiler” for puzzles 1, 12, 20, 30 & 50 in “Simon & Schuster Crossword Puzzle Book, Series #252,” so do not read it until you have solved those puzzles.)
In August 2005, I submitted a puzzle titled “Altar Attire” to Simon & Schuster Puzzle Books’ editor John Samson. The theme of the puzzle went like this:
OLD HABITS DIE HARD
NEW YORK STRIP
BORROWED TIME
BLUE COLLAR WORKER
In the puzzle also were the following entries, symmetrically placed:
“Dixie” composer EMMETT
Prince Harry’s grandmother ELIZABETH
Tied a love knot? WEDDED
I told John that Elizabeth was my daughter and that she’d just gotten engaged to Emmett, and that if the puzzle was accepted, I’d give them the book it was in as a wedding present.
John accepted the puzzle and suggested that I submit four more with marriage themes and hide the names of the wedding party in them. He said he would put them all in one book to be published just before the wedding and donate a slew of books to be given to guests. That led to puzzles with these titles and themes:
“Fair Trial” - Groucho Marx quote: I WAS MARRIED BY A JUDGE. I SHOULD HAVE ASKED FOR A JURY
“The Better to See ...”
Poetic observation:
LOVE MAY BE BLIND
I HAVE HEARD FROM THE WISE
BUT WEDDING BELLS CAN OPEN
BOTH SETS OF THEIR EYES
“Union Square” — SAWEDOFFSHOTGUN, ALLOWEDIN, HIGHBROWED, NEWEDITION, SWEDISHMEATBALL, CROWED, ASHWEDNESDAY, OWEDTO, ELBOWED, BORROWEDTIME.
“Without a Hitch” — LOVEMATCH, ENGAGEMENT, MARRIAGERITES, DOUBLERING, HONEYMOON, WEDDINGCEREMONY, REHEARSALDINNER.
In these puzzles were the first names of the groomsmen, bridesmaids and parents of the bride and groom:
“Ice Age” sabertooth DIEGO
Danson of “Mumford” TED (groomsman and grandfather of groom)
Morning in a Judy Collins song CHELSEA
Dapper one DAN
Goliath’s slayer DAVID
Harry Truman’s mother MARTHA
Senator Graham LINDSEY
Spider-Man’s secret identity PARKER
Great guy? SCOTT
Tracy in “Father of the Bride” SPENCER
2004 candidate KERRY
Ballerina Pavlova ANNA
Short-story writer Mansfield KATHERINE (there was actually a bridesmaid named Katherine and one named Anna Katherine)
Member of Fagin’s gang NANCY (bridesmaid and grandmother of groom)
“The Tommyknockers” character BECKA
Lazy girl? SUSAN (groom’s mother AND bride’s mother)
“Finding Nemo” shark BRUCE (groom’s father)
“Gone with the Wind” director Fleming (Samson wrote this clue: mine was “Mature in
film”) VICTOR (groomsman and, well, ...)
© 2006 Vic Fleming v
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