Puzzle 29 – “One-Woman Focus Group”
puz here / pdf here / solution here
This puzzle is for my dad, whose birthday is this week.
He loves old cars, particularly the Ford Edsel, which to him is not a historic failure but an art object with a devoted following.
And I love American poetry, including the work of Marianne Moore.
So we both love the strange story of Ford asking Moore to suggest names for the car, then in development, that would become the Edsel. One can only wonder if the Edsel’s fortunes might have turned out differently had they used any of her 43 suggestions. You can see her list of proposed names here, though clicking there before you do the puzzle will spoil the theme answers.
Obviously, my favorite elements of this puzzle are the four theme entries. But I also like the clues for 15-Across and 36-Across, as well as the fun misdirect in 22-Down.
As always, happy solving, and I hope you enjoy. Comments welcome. Happy new year, friends, and happy birthday, Dad.
This was a great puzzle!
Glad you enjoyed!