Ryan Judge opens our solving weekend.
Jump to: Tricky Clues
FRIDAY PUZZLE — When constructors mention seed entries for their themeless puzzles, they are referring to words or phrases that enchant them so much that they choose to build entire crosswords around them.
These entries are usually placed in the grid first, just as a gardener plants a seed in the ground. The rest of the fill is entered into the grid around that seed, the clues are written and then the entry is watered in well. With diligence, a dose of well-timed fertilizer in the spring and a bit of luck with regard to the weather, a constructor can look forward to a decent crop at harvest time.
I’m sorry, I drifted. What I meant to say was that these seed entries can sometimes be the most interesting answers in the grid. While today’s puzzle by Ryan Judge is no different, he also includes a lot of other lively fill and clues for us to enjoy.
Tricky Clues
1A. This “Sky-high” is an emotion rather than a location. The answer is IN ECSTASY.
15A. My brain has been trained to look for any misdirection in the clues, to the extent that I sometimes overthink them. I thought that “Solo act?” might have something to do with Solo cups, the ubiquitous party fixtures. In this puzzle, it’s an actor’s solo, and the answer is MONOLOGUE.
17A. I knew that the “Footwear with distinctive yellow stitching” was made by the Doc Martens brand, but I had never seen it referred to as DR. MARTENS. A visit to its website showed me that’s actually the official name.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
