Crossword Help Forum
Forum Rules

Go for it. It's not that hard. The old Atlantic puzzles were often like this; sometimes with no numbers at all.

Note the preamble re 29A. That will help you place one answer and give you a toe-hold for four more.

I find graph paper is handy for this type of puzzle.
Write out the answers and you can see possible crossings of less common letters. The effect is synergistic.

Thanks syzzie

No numbers at all? Almost like a code word. I once did one without any given letters. It depended on one space which could have had only one possible answer from the grouping of the numbers.

thanks again syzygy - only just got round to tackling this. took a little while to be sure of a place to start but then no probs and lots of nice clues, most of them in fact.
why is 25a "a classic Sondheim clue"?

It's just his style.

http://nymag.com/anniversary/40th/crosswords/45747/

wow - never knew that about him, thanks Aristo.

Mr. Maltby is in the same line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Maltby,_Jr.

Thanks, Aristo.

Never made the connection; thought there were two Sondheims.
http://tinyurl.com/ntl7a8f
And Maltby; I believe he was also the puzzle editor at The New York Times (non-cryptic).

Another master:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/arts/03lewis.html

I was wondering about this question:
Is there a connection between cryptic crosswords and music?

http://www.thenation.com/article/talk-richard-maltby/
Quote:
I think there is a connection between cryptic puzzle and lyrics. Lyric writing involves the technical manipulation of language. You have to say what you want in exactly the right syllables and often with the accents or emphasis predetermined. Lyricists therefore become acutely aware of the intricacies of words, their multiple meanings, their diversity of definitions, pronunciations, spelling. We lyricists come to love the shorthand phrases that exist in English that can express a thought in fewer syllables.

I'll have to track down Mr. Lewis's puzzles. He seems to have been practically a neighbor.

Cheers syzygy, your email re October's puzzle reminded me I had yet to tackle this. Had the same query re 9d but these things occasionally creep in. As usual great clues and yet again Ifind myself in total accord with aristo re the 4 12 letter clues. Now to October's.