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Wednesday Puzzle – Spirit 43-Across and at Similar urgings From the “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” characters, I’ll keep my opening remarks about today’s crossword puzzles to a minimum. Suffice it to say that if you obey the guide at 28-Across, you’ll solve it in no time.
The puzzle is brought to us by designer Billy Bratton. Some may remember Mr. Bratton His impressive appearance In the New York Times in September 2021, where one had to convert all the themed answers into metric measurements to understand them. I wasn’t working here at the time, but the Canadian in me would have asked permission to write that day’s column.
today’s subject
Perhaps a Wordplay columnist is meant to love every type of crossword clue in equal measure, but I have a secret favourite. And this just so happens to be the kind of guide Mr. Bratton used to construct his theme.
These are clues that seem like common expressions with the word “he” in them, except they secretly require you to identify exactly what “she” is. They feel like a pun, but they’re not. They are really really smart.
Take a look at two common expressions we have in today’s web: “Handle it!” (17a), for example, and “Keep it up!” (43a). In every clue, “it” is the thing that allows us to do the action: we can deal a deck of cards, get on a plane with BOARDING PASS.
difficult evidence
16a. “Oh!” Not all that different from the similar exclamation of discovery—”Aha!” – but she has more Ridiculous quality. That’s why it’s affixed here with the phrase “I’m with you now!”
21a. Even an outwardly arid place like “desert or tundra” counts a day.
54a. “Kitchen roll?” What you’re looking for here is neither the tortilla nor the cling wrap. Instead, it’s about the body: APRON.
10 d. Mr. Bratton revealed that he was a sports fan in his constructor notes, so I’m sure he meant “spread builder” to be understood as a person who bets, also known as a BOOKMAKER. However, I would like to show that you can solve this proof with the same entry by interpreting the ‘spread’ as referring to reading materials. be seen? There is something here for everyone.
52 d. Admittedly, both the keyword “Humdinger” and its corresponding entry, DILLY, sound like inventions of the nonsense poet Edward Lear. But it is real – as far as any word is, anyway – and describes superlative examples of a person or thing (say, poor for crossword entry).
Creator Notes
Hey, it’s your favorite crossword puzzle guy again. It’s me, Billy. Don’t You Remember Me? I’m glad I finally got the Packers to an idea — cheese, it’s rising. Also, 41-Down is one of my favorite non-pun clues I’ve written, so I felt the rosy tickle the editors kept. Notable clues besides those: I don’t know, maybe 60-down.
Now it’s time to connect ENO, which is an asset in puzzles and certainly not crossword puzzles. Another Green World is one of my favorite albums, so check it out, if you like it.
Hasty postscript: This might be my last for a while, but I’ll be back. …
Want to submit a crossword puzzle to the New York Times?
The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit puzzles online.
For tips on how to get started, read our How to Make a Crossword Puzzle series.
Tips, Ahoy!
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