Those of you who follow this blog closely may have noticed that this puzzle is not being posted on Wednesday as promised. There’s an excuse: the computer which contained all of the appropriate software, word lists, and supporting technology toasted itself. Apparently it failed to realize that it’s best to roast chestnuts at least 36 inches away from the power supply and the result, along with the computer, is history. Therefore this week’s puzzle comes to you one day late, but it does come with an appropriate computer emergency theme included.
In more positive news our trusted team of reviewers has recovered from the figgy pudding incident. This puzzle has therefore been tested; corrected when it failed; given the stamp of approval; and assigned a rating of “Wednesday” on the classic NYT rating scale. (Thanks team — the puzzle wouldn’t be nearly as good without you.)
In spite of the delays, some things never change. You can still download the puzzle in one of two highly popular forms: either in Across Lite format or as a printable PNG image. We look forward to getting back to our regular schedule next week, and to sharing another good year of cruciverbalism.