The Final StearsWords Post

It's time for a change. As of this year, I've been constructing crossword puzzles for twenty years.

I've loved every minute of it. I've loved thinking up interesting themes, creating the grids, and I've especially loved seeing my name in print...on all those lovely checks.

But now, it's time for a change.

I started writing because it was easy for me, and I was good at it. But secretly, I've always loved math. Numbers are the musical notes with which the Universe writes symphonies, and math is the language the Universe speaks.

It's no surprise that I started constructing crosswords, that rare combination of linguistics and mathematics.

To me, mathematics is the greatest puzzle of all. It's the original massively multiplayer game, and it's a game that anyone can play.

And so, I'm going back to college to learn how to teach people the rules of the most incredible game of all time. 

Happy solving,

Robin

Bert's Jobs in "Mary Poppins"

This week’s StearsWords crossword puzzle is dedicated to my nephew, Jon. As a child, he loved “Mary Poppins,” and this week, StearsWords pays tribute to the 50^th anniversary of “Mary Poppins.”

Mary Poppins scares me a little, as Christopher Rule pointed out in his recut trailer for YouTube.

Within the grid are the four jobs that Bert performed in the movie, in the order in which he performs them. Bert seems to be a nice guy. So, take this week’s puzzle with “A Spoonful of Sugar,” and “Stay Awake” long enough for a “Jolly Holiday” of solving! (“I Love to Laugh,” don’t you?)

• Click here to solve interactively.

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Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, August 29 for the answer grid.

"TV Emoji 101" Answers

TV Emoji 101

Back by popular demand! This week's StearsWords puzzle is another emoji quiz with a crossword grid. The theme of this puzzle is "TV Emoji 101."

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, August 22 for the answer grid.

"Ampersand" Answers

The answers to "&" are here.

Robin Williams Tribute

Robin Williams said, "When in doubt, go with a dick joke." Getting over his death will be...long and hard.

I hope you enjoy this tribute to Robin Williams' amazing life. It's too big to be interactive, but a .pdf version is here:

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.

Ampersand

The word ampersand is a corruption of the phrase "and per se and." It's also a hint to this week's puzzle theme. As promised, one of my favorite entertainers is featured, with a bit of one of her songs.

No more hints...you'll figure it out.

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.*Check back on Friday, August 15 for the answer grid.

Movie Emoji 101 Answers

You'll also find a link to a .pdf on my website: https://sites.google.com/site/stearswords224/home/free-crosswords/movie-emoji-101

Movie Emoji 101

And now for something completely different...emoji! Those little smiley faces and other pictures got their start in Japan, but people are communicating with them all over the world now, and on June 16, the Unicode consortium announced the addition of over 270 new emoji. Emoji are a fun way to express yourself, or recreate famous paintings, like Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam.

Depending on your operating system, the pictures I've used may look slightly different from the ones on your phone. If you need a little help, iEmoji.com has a handy look-up guide.

This week's StearsWords puzzle, "Movie Emoji 101," can't be solved interactively, because my software doesn't support Unicode, but I've provided a .pdf with full-color pictures. Guess the movie title represented by the images, and fill in the grid, which is on the last page all by itself.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, August 8 for the answer grid.

"The Asylum" Answers

The answers to last week's StearsWords crossword puzzle:

StearsWords Volume 4 is on sale now!

This digital collection of 50 original, never-before-published themed crossword puzzles is a .zip folder containing 25 15x15 and 15 21x21 crossword puzzles, ready for you to solve interactively on your mobile device or print to solve later.
As usual, StearsWords crossword puzzles are not copyrighted, so share them with your friends.

https://sites.google.com/site/stearswords224/home/buy-stearswords-crossword-puzzle-books

The Asylum

This week, “Sharknado 2: The Second One” premiers on the Syfy channel, apparently because there were so many unanswered questions from “Sharknado.”
Did you know that The Asylum, creators of such mockbusters as “Sharknado,” “Age of Tomorrow,” and “Nazis at the Center of the Earth” have never lost money on a movie?
Filmmakers David Michael Latt, David Rimawi, and Sherri Strain founded The Asylum, and since 1997, have been producing straight-to-video low-budget films. The similarities between their titles and those of major studios are not very subtle, which means this week’s StearsWords puzzle has one of the easiest themes to parse. Seriously, don’t over-think it.
 Happy solving!

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, August 1 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" Answers

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"

Can you believe it's already been seven years since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was published? And if that doesn't make you feel old, how about this: The first book in the Harry Potter series was published seventeen years ago.

When the first book came out, I started reading it to my daughter, who was in elementary school at the time. By the time the final book in the series came out, she was reading them by herself and no longer asking me "What does this word mean?" We even went to a Harry Potter party in honor of the Deathly Hallows, and she was delighted to be permitted to stay up until midnight--she even dressed up like Professor Sybill Trelawney!

This week's StearsWords puzzle pays tribute to the final book in the Harry Potter series, with a Trivia 101 crossword. The puzzle features 101 trivia questions related to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I hope you'll share it with your Potterhead friends; that's why my puzzles are always copyright-free.

Happy solving!

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, July 25 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" answers

Here's the answer grid. Yes, I know, the puns were terrible. Thank you to everyone who pointed that out.

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

I loved the old “Planet of the Apes” movie series, and I’m loving the new series just as much. Clearly not playing second banana to its predecessor, it’s chimply awesome! Gun-toting, horseback-riding chimps and gorilla warfare…it’s a great ape movie.

If you think those puns were bad, wait until you solve this week's puzzle.

And would somebody please give Andy Serkis an Oscar already?!


Happy solving!

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, July 18 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords.

"Transformers"

Much like corduroy pillows, Transformers are making headlines this weekend! "Transformers: Age of Extinction" opened last Friday, and StearsWords pays tribute with a crossword puzzle. And because I really like Transformers, it's an extra-large puzzle.

But it's not a trivia puzzle. Just something for fun. I hope you enjoy my sense of humor as much as I do.

Happy solving!

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, July 4, or join Team Stearswords to get the answers.

"It's a Contest!" Answers

What do PLAYING CARDS, SPIRAL NOTEBOOK, DIGITAL CAMERA, CAN OPENER, COMPUTER MOUSE, PAIR OF SCISSORS, and BALLPOINT PEN have in common?

These are all things that drive left-handed people crazy.

Nobody won the contest, so I'm going out for coffee by myself. :)

Everybody’s a Winner, or Why I’m Giving Away a Crossword Collection

This June marks a very special anniversary for me. Twenty years ago, I constructed and submitted my very first crossword puzzle—about a year later, I actually got paid for one.

It all started in August 1991, when my daughter was born, and I decided I wanted to be home to take care of her. My husband and I left our home in New Hampshire, and moved to Ohio to be near my family, and for about two years, I was a moderately happy stay-at-home mommy.

But I could feel my brain turning to cottage cheese. I’d always been active, and I’d been working a steady job of one kind or another since I was 14 years old.  I needed something to do to fill the naptime/preschool hours, and I turned to solving crossword puzzles. I filled up dozens of crossword puzzle books, and my mother suggested that I try to construct a puzzle.

Armed with a stack of dictionaries, graph paper, pencils, and erasers, I finally managed to construct a reasonably interesting 15x15 puzzle in about a week. I typed it on a typewriter and filled in the black spaces with a Sharpie marker, and mailed it. Then, I set to work on the next one. I’d spend hours at the library, researching and looking things up. Eventually, I got pretty good, and it only took me a few days to make a 15x15 puzzle; but it still took more than a week to make a 21x21.

I saved up the checks I received, and bought a computer. The first thing I did was create a clue database. The second thing I did was create a template for the grids. And then I started making more puzzles.

These days, thanks to Crossword Compiler and the Internet, I can whip together a reasonably interesting 21x21 puzzle in less than an hour. I’ve long since given up the stacks of dictionaries in favor of The Free Dictionary and Wikipedia.

So, that’s why I’m giving away this collection of crosswords to anyone who enters my contest this week. It’s an anniversary present, from me to crossword lovers.

It's a Contest!

This week's StearsWords puzzle has a mystery theme. The seven theme entries all have something in common. Figure out what it is, and send me an email.
Your email should contain a few words explaining the theme, not a completed grid. Emails that contain picture files or have picture files attached will not be eligible to win.
Everyone who enters will receive StearsWords: Volume 4, a digital collection of 50 original crossword puzzles.
A randomly selected winner will receive Starbucks® gift card.
Answers must be received by Thursday, June 26, 2014, 11:59 pm (EDT). Answers will be posted on Friday, June 27, 2014.
Happy solving!

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, June 27, or join Team Stearswords to get the answers.

Happy Father's Day Answers

Happy Father's Day

Being a dad is a lot like living in a frat house: everything is broken, you never get enough sleep, and there's a lot of throwing up. StearsWords celebrates Father's Day with an extra-large crossword. Solvers will discover a secret message that dads will understand. As my dad always used to say, "Go ask your mother."

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, June 20 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

Baseball Hall of Fame Trivia 100

This week, StearsWords pays tribute to the boys of summer in a Trivia 100 crossword. The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown celebrates its 75th anniversary, and this week's StearsWords puzzle includes some great baseball trivia about some of the Hall of Fame members.

As usual, StearsWords crossword puzzles are not copyrighted, so feel free to share them with your favorite baseball fans.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, June 13 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

Stephen King Trivia 100 Answers

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• Click here to see the answer grid. 

Stephen King Trivia 100

This week, StearsWords celebrates Stephen King with a Trivia 100 puzzle, just in time for his latest book release: Mr. Mercedes hits the stores on June 3.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, June 6 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

Batman Trivia 100 Answers

Happy birthday, Batman!

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• Click here to see the answer grid. 

Batman Trivia 100

Somebody's celebrating a birthday this month, and it's not me. It's Batman! The Batman first appeared in "Detective Comics" issue 27 in May 1939. He looks pretty good for 75 years old.

I'm not that old, but I do remember being a big fan of Adam West when I was a kid. I'm still a big fan of Batman...he taught me that anyone can be a hero, and that you don't need superpowers, just dedication, education, and a genuine desire to make the world a better place.

This week, StearsWords celebrates Batman's birthday with a Trivia 100 puzzle.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, May 30 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

Godzilla Answers

Godzilla

If you watch "Godzilla" backwards, it's about a dinosaur who enthusiastically puts a city together and then moonwalks into the ocean. This week's StearsWords puzzle celebrates Godzilla in a special way. Hidden within each of the theme entries is the name of one of Godzilla's classic foes.

And while you're solving this puzzle, you might also enjoy listening to one of my favorite classic hits: "Godzilla" by Blue Oyster Cult..

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, May 16 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

"How I Met Your Mother" Trivia 100 Answers

Challenge Accepted!

"How I Met Your Mother" Trivia 100

This week's puzzle is a special Mother's Day treat, honoring one of the most famous mothers of all time--the one who took us nine years to meet. The "How I Met Your Mother" Trivia 100 crossword is legen--wait for it--dary. Will you accept the challenge? This puzzle is redonkulous.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, May 16 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

"Star Wars" Trivia 100 Answers

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• Click here to see the answer grid. 

"Star Wars" Trivia 100

Star Wars Trivia 100

This week, I'm experimenting with a new type of trivia crossword--instead of the usual grid, this week's StearsWords puzzle is freeform, with precisely 100 clues and answers related to the topic. I'm calling it the Trivia 100, and I'm thrilled to debut it with one of my favorite subjects: "Star Wars."

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, May 9 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

What's My Sister's Name Answers

(My sister's name is Jennifer)

What's My Sister's Name?

This week's puzzle honors my sister. Her birthday was Saturday, April 26.

All you have to do is figure out what the theme entries have in common, because what the theme entries have in common is my sister's name.

Send an email with your guess to Robin Stears.

Your email should contain just a word or three or four, not a completed grid. Emails that contain picture files or have picture files attached will not be eligible to win.

A randomly selected winner will receive a Starbucks® gift card!

Answers must be received by May 1, 2014, 11:59 pm (EDT). One entry per solver. Answers will be posted on Friday, May 2.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, May 2 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

4/20 Answers

The answer grid for the 4/20 puzzle:

Next week: A contest!

The 4/20 Puzzle

This week, in keeping with tradition, StearsWords features the second annual 4/20 crossword puzzle.

Do you know what San Rafael, California group originated the term "420"? Or the cannabis strain that recently became famous for easing seizures? Or the Roman emperor whose doctors recommended marijuana for earache relief?

This week's Stearswords puzzle will both entertain and educate.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, April 25 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

Easter Puzzle Answers

The theme entries in this puzzle are two-word phrases made up of words that can follow "Easter."

Easter Eggs

This week, a little wordplay for the Easter holidays. I love doing the trivia challenge puzzles, but for this week's puzzle, back to basics with some puns.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, April 18 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

Answers to "The Big Bang Theory" Trivia Challenge

"The Big Bang Theory" Trivia Challenge

Last's week's puzzle was for a fan, but this week's puzzle was all my idea. I'm a huge fan of "The Big Bang Theory," and have watched every episode many times. So, if you know what Stuart majored in at the Rhode Island School of Design, or which theoretical physicist played Words with Friends with Sheldon, or what Mrs. Wolowitz's favorite cookie is, bazinga!

Happy solving!

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, April 11 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers).

"The Walking Dead" Trivia Challenge Crossword: The Answers

Click here to solve the puzzle

 

Join Team StearsWords and get a new puzzle every Friday!

"The Walking Dead" Trivia Challenge

Season 4 of "The Walking Dead" ends this Sunday, which makes this a perfect time for "The Walking Dead" trivia challenge.

Confession: I don't watch the show. I'm not a fan of Zombies, unless it's the group that sang "She's Not There." I love that song. But undead people eating brains? Definitely not my thing.

But I know there are a lot of fans of "The Walking Dead," and someone requested it, so here it is: "The Walking Dead" trivia challenge crossword.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, April 4 for the answer grid, or join Team StearsWords to get your free weekly puzzle (with the answers) on Friday!

March Madness

Last year, for March Madness, I made up a basketball trivia puzzle to satisfy all the sports fans. This year, I decided to cater to the rest of the world, particularly the ones who don't know much about basketball.

This week's March Madness puzzle includes some of the worst basketball puns I've ever seen. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, March 28 for the answer grid.

The Irish

This week, I'm exploring my Irish heritage with an extra large crossword that includes some of the Irish people I admire. You won't find James Joyce in this puzzle--although I'm a huge fan of the song "Finnegan's Wake," the book was not as enjoyable to me.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, March 21 for the answer grid.

Donate to StearsWords

Donate to StearsWords and help me pay my $300 water bill.

Click the Donate button on my Home Page. https://sites.google.com/site/stearswords224/ 

Girl Scouts

This week, I pay tribute to a group that's near and dear to my heart: Girl Scouts! As a former Girl Scout, and Girl Scout troop leader, I was involved in the Girl Scout program for over 20 years. And since next week is Girl Scout Week, this is a perfect time to remind everyone to buy the cookies.

As always, StearsWords crosswords are not copyrighted, so feel free to share this special puzzle with any Girl Scouts you might know.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, March 14 for the answer grid.

The Pixar Theory

Who doesn’t love a good conspiracy theory? Jon Negroni spent a year untangling the secret embedded in Pixar movies, inspired by Cracked.com’s “After Hours” video “Why Pixar Movies Are All Secretly About the Apocalypse.” The Pixar Theory can be viewed in its entirety at his blog.
This week’s StearsWords crossword puzzle is equally tangled and convoluted, and will require both a devious mind and a detailed knowledge of Pixar movies.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, March 7 for the answer grid.

Crypto-Crossword Puzzle

StearsWords fans have all the best ideas! This week's StearsWords crossword puzzle was also inspired by a fan, who wrote: "Why don't you make all the clues a cryptogram?"

Challenge accepted!

This week's StearsWords crossword is a puzzle-themed puzzle within a puzzle. In the print-friendly version of this crossword puzzle, the clues are all encrypted using an alphabet substitution cipher. Decode the clues, then solve the crossword.

Hint: The interactive version features clues that are not encrypted.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, February 28 for the answer grid.

Fab Four Trivia Challenge

This week's crossword was inspired by a fan. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a Beatles crossword to honor their 50th annivesary, and someone pointed out that the Beatles surely deserved the "trivia challenge" treatment.

Challenge accepted! This week's Stearswords puzzle celebrates the Beatles with an encore--the Fab Four Trivia Challenge!

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, February 21 for the answer grid.

Shirley Temple Tribute

Shirley Temple was one of the most well-known and best-loved stars of the twentieth century. She giggled and danced her way into our hearts, and we sang along with "Good Ship Lollipop" and "Animal Crackers in My Soup." She brought joy to generations of people, and part of me hopes that Bill "Bojangles" Robinson met her and they tap-danced up the stairs to Heaven together.

• Click here to solve interactively.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.

Valentine Crossword Puzzle

Love is in the air...and this week's StearsWords puzzle is my valentine to you! The grid is shaped like a heart, which makes it a suitable valentine for your loved ones, too.

StearsWords puzzles are never copyrighted, so feel free to share it with everyone you love.

• Click here to solve interactively.

• Click here for a print-friendly version.

• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, February 14 for the answer grid.