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?)

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

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."

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• 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:

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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.

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

"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!

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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.

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!

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

Batman Trivia 100 Answers

Happy birthday, Batman!

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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..

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• 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).

Easter Puzzle Answers

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

"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!

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• 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!

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.

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

The Beatles

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in my usual way...puns! Happy solving.

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

Hercules

For a minute, I thought I was seeing double--there are two different Hercules movies coming out this year. Then, I wondered how many actors have portrayed Hercules, and that search inspired this week's crossword puzzle.

Hint: Arnold Schwarzenegger does not appear in this puzzle. His name is too long.

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• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Sunday, January 19 for the answer grid.

Christmas Crossword Card

The Christmas spirit is still strong within me. This week, an actual Christmas card with a crossword puzzle. There's a message in the puzzle, which makes it perfect for printing and sending to your favorite puzzle fan(s). As usual, it's copyright-free, so share it as much as you want. It prints double-sided on one page; fold it in half to make it a card. Scroll to the end of the page to see the holiday message.

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SPOILER ALERT!!

*The message inside the card reads: I WANTED TO SEND/SOMETHING EPIC/BUT THE MAILMAN/COULDN'T LIFT ME

Christmas Card

Merry Crosswords! I love to tell jokes about Christmas, so does that make me a Christmas card? This week's puzzle features some truly horrible holiday puns. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.

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• Click here to see the answer grid. *Check back on Friday, December 13 for the answer grid.

Turkey Leftovers

This week's puzzle has a Thanksgiving theme: What to do with leftover turkey. It's the reason I cooked a 15-pound turkey for only two people. Coming up: Turkey Hash, Turkey Salad and gallons of Turkey Soup. This week's puzzle features some of the things you can make with leftover turkey. As a bonus, the .pdf version has links to the Food Network's recipes so you can use those leftovers to make something delicious.

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• Click here to see the answer grid.  *Check back on Friday, December 6 for the answer grid.

Dystopia

The biggest movie this week is the "Hunger Games" sequel, "Catching Fire." My daughter loved those books, and after hearing her talk about them, I just had to check them out myself. Unlike the time I checked out the "Twilight" series, the "Hunger Games" books were a pleasant surprise. Yes, they're Young Adult books, but that doesn't mean they're not enjoyable.

This week's featured StearsWords crossword puzzle is a salute to dystopian futures in literature. So, hide your books and grab a dose of Soma. There are so many dystopian futures, this week's puzzle is extra large.

Next week: A new contest! I'm doing some Christmas shopping for a few lucky fans. If you know someone who would love a copy of "StearsWords: Volume 1," all you (or someone you know) has to do is send me an email telling me why your friend or family member deserves a free crossword puzzle book. The contest starts on Thanksgiving, and ends on December 15.

On December 21, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the modern crossword puzzle, I will offer 100 themed crossword puzzles for only $1. But Team StearsWords members will receive it free! Tell your friends. Everyone loves freebies.

Meanwhile, there's a puzzle to be solved! May the odds be ever in your favor...

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