Four-Letter Blocks: Nursery Rhymes (15x15)

Question

I've designed a new type of puzzle called Four-Letter Blocks that mixes crossword puzzles with jigsaw puzzles. You are given a crossword puzzle that's been filled in and then cut up into blocks of four letters, as well as the usual set of crossword clues. Use the clues to assemble the grid. The bad news is that the clues aren't numbered in the normal way - 1 Across might not be in the top left. The good news is that every word has at least the first letter given. For large puzzles like today's, each corner uses a different suit for the clues.

At 15x15, today's challenge is at the expert level, and it's the finale in my series of puzzles. Try the previous puzzles for an easy, medium, or hard challenge. You can either print out this page or the PDF version, or download the image and solve it in a paint program. Gluing onto cardboard or felt will make the pieces easier to work with.

Across
2♣. Dug like a pig
4♣. Isn't it obvious?
5♣. Couldn't get her poor dog a bone
6♣. Pair of hill climbers (3 words)
7♣. Bond, not James Bond
8♣. Chocolate or golden dog, for short
9♣. Not fauna
10♣. Turn a plane sideways
12♣. Swallowed by a whale
15♣. "Get 'em!"
17♣. Wife of Zeus
3♢. Jacob's hairy brother
5♢. T, in a sorority
7♢. Old woman who lived ___ ___ shoe
10♢. Lovelace, the first computer programmer
11♢. Frozen waffle
14♢. Fleece as white as ___
15♢. The days of Mother Goose
2♡. Honest Mr. Lincoln
7♡. Change or newfangled, for short
8♡. Modern Persia
9♡. Notions
10♡. What Miss Muffet said to the spider
12♡. Made a mistake
13♡. Three, four, knock at the ___
14♡. What the king called for after his pipe and bowl
17♡. Funny Caesar
18♡. What 6♣ Across went to fetch
20♡. Bitter chocolate or bitter comedy
21♡. Original language spoken in 14♡ Down
2♠. Where Cleopatra sailed her barge
3♠. Soap ingredient
6♠. Snakey fish
9♠. Lots of energy
10♠. Tribute poem
11♠. Rubber around a British wheel

Down
1♣. Measures a corner
3♣. Portuguese greeting
11♣. Q follower
12♣. LBJ's predecessor
13♣. What a sentence is about (abbr.)
14♣. Kids dream of a 64 pack from them
15♣. Got rid of a small building?
16♣. Who Canadians stand on guard for
1♢. With the least strength
2♢. Commercial messages
4♢. Hope to get on a flight (2 words)
6♢. Orange coat
8♢. Without the most common vowel (2 words)
9♢. The proverbial beaver
12♢. Trimmed or took small steps
13♢. Saying "You've got mail" since 1989
14♢. Talk like a drunk
15♢. Honolulu's island
16♢. On the frontlines of a chess board
1♡. Not well
3♡. What Old McDonald hears here and there
4♡. Hawaiian necklace
5♡. Wouldn't take no for an answer
6♡. Approves without speaking
7♡. Centre
11♡. Lowest price
14♡. A place for Internet users to discuss things
15♡. Famous potatoes
16♡. Shakespearean actor
18♡. Sassy
19♡. Child pirate?
1♠. Grinder, sometimes powered by wind
4♠. What Bo Peep lost
5♠. Thin layer of paper or wood
7♠. A very long time
8♠. A trip to Mecca
10♠. Facing away
12♠. Spain's longest river

Answer 1

That was quite a challenge! The final grid should look like this (suits indicated in the corners):

My entry point:

FIDDLERS THREE was the most useful long word to construct first, followed by MOTHER HUBBARD, JACK AND JILL and PAIL OF WATER. It was then a case of building words off these and seeking out shapes that were needed to fill 'dead ends'. (Still, it took about an hour and a half to complete the puzzle, including formatting the solution grid in Excel as I went along...)

A full list of clues matched to answers:

Across:
2♣. Dug like a pig NOSED
4♣. Isn't it obvious? DUH
5♣. Couldn't get her poor dog a bone MOTHER HUBBARD
6♣. Pair of hill climbers (3 words) JACK AND JILL
7♣. Bond, not James Bond GLUE
8♣. Chocolate or golden dog, for short LAB
9♣. Not fauna FLORA
10♣. Turn a plane sideways YAW
12♣. Swallowed by a whale JONAH
15♣. "Get 'em!" SIC
17♣. Wife of Zeus HERA
3♢. Jacob's hairy brother ESAU
5♢. T, in a sorority TAU
7♢. Old woman who lived ___ ___ shoe IN A
10♢. Lovelace, the first computer programmer ADA
11♢. Frozen waffle EGGO
14♢. Fleece as white as ___ SNOW
15♢. The days of Mother Goose OLDEN
2♡. Honest Mr. Lincoln ABE
7♡. Change or newfangled, for short MOD
8♡. Modern Persia IRAN
9♡. Notions IDEAS
10♡. What Miss Muffet said to the spider EEK
12♡. Made a mistake ERRED
13♡. Three, four, knock at the ___ DOOR
14♡. What the king called for after his pipe and bowl FIDDLERS THREE
17♡. Funny Caesar SID
18♡. What 6♣ Across went to fetch PAIL OF WATER
20♡. Bitter chocolate or bitter comedy DARK
21♡. Original language spoken in 14♡ Down LATIN
2♠. Where Cleopatra sailed her barge NILE
3♠. Soap ingredient LYE
6♠. Snakey fish EEL
9♠. Lots of energy OOMPH
10♠. Tribute poem ODE
11♠. Rubber around a British wheel TYRE

Down:
1♣. Measures a corner ANGLE
3♣. Portuguese greeting OLA
11♣. Q follower ANON
12♣. LBJ's predecessor JFK
13♣. What a sentence is about (abbr.) SUBJ.
14♣. Kids dream of a 64 pack from them CRAYOLA
15♣. Got rid of a small building? SHED
16♣. Who Canadians stand on guard for THEE
1♢. With the least strength WEAKEST
2♢. Commercial messages ADS
4♢. Hope to get on a flight (2 words) STAND BY
6♢. Orange coat RIND
8♢. Without the most common vowel (2 words) NO E
9♢. The proverbial beaver EAGER
12♢. Trimmed or took small steps EDGED
13♢. Saying "You've got mail" since 1989 AOL
14♢. Talk like a drunk SLUR
15♢. Honolulu's island OAHU
16♢. On the frontlines of a chess board PAWNS
1♡. Not well BADLY
3♡. What Old McDonald hears here and there BAA
4♡. Hawaiian necklace LEI
5♡. Wouldn't take no for an answer ORDERED
6♡. Approves without speaking NODS
7♡. Centre MID
11♡. Lowest price FREE
14♡. A place for Internet users to discuss things FORUM
15♡. Famous potatoes IDAHO
16♡. Shakespearean actor OLIVIER
18♡. Sassy PERT
19♡. Child pirate? KIDD
1♠. Grinder, sometimes powered by wind MILL
4♠. What Bo Peep lost SHEEP
5♠. Thin layer of paper or wood PLY
7♠. A very long time AEON
8♠. A trip to Mecca HAJ
10♠. Facing away OUTWARD
12♠. Spain's longest river EBRO