Strong ConVICtions

by George Barany and Friends

This "mid-week level" puzzle is dedicated to one of our newer crossword friends on the occasion of his birthday (pictoral hints—with no small measure of misdirection —to the right). While the puzzle has a strong theme, no specialized knowledge is required to solve it. After completing the puzzle (spoiler), learn more about its honoree by clicking here, and sample a portfolio of actual and potential theme entries by clicking here; here; here; here, here, and here; here; here; here; here [bet you were thinking of this instead]; here (see also this); here; and (last, but not least) here and here [this latter from Wordplay (2006), by permission from director Patrick Creadon].

Click here to view or download the puzzle in PDF format; here to download it as a puz file; here to download it as an ipuz file [requires the free Puzzazz app to solve]; here to solve the puzzle interactively (thanks to Jim Horne); here for the solution. Our puzzling team was headed by yours truly, and included John Child, Sam Ezersky, Charles Flaster, Brent Hartzell, Martin Herbach, Arlene Romoff, and Ellen Ross who beta tested various drafts, and contributed numerous suggestions that improved the fill and the cluing.

If you want to tell others about this particular page, refer them to
http://tinyurl.com/decemberbirthpuz

More puzzles here (all) and here (tributes).

E-mail barany@umn.edu to be added to a bcc distribution list.