Hemant Mehta opens our solving weekend with one of the crunchiest crosswords in recent memory.
Jump to: Tricky Clues
FRIDAY PUZZLE — Once in a while, readers may hear commenters refer to grids as crunchy or chewy. When applied to crosswords, the terms are interchangeable, and the best way to define them that I can think of is to compare them to peanut butter. Stay with me on this.
An easy puzzle that flows well is like smooth peanut butter.
A crunchy puzzle is like extra-chunky peanut butter. There are smooth areas, and there are areas that require a bit more chewing. The crunchy parts are unique and fun entries that will give you a run for your money, but you are willing to put in the work because you’re having a good time.
The Wordplay column is the refreshing beverage you drink after you finish, to help pry the puzzle off the roof of your mouth.
See? It’s a very useful analogy.
Anyway, Hemant Mehta offers a puzzle that requires a considerable amount of chewing, and I definitely had a good time. His crossword is packed with unique entries (a whopping 10 debuts, by my count), and many of the clues contain that devious wordplay that Mr. Mehta mentions in his note below.
So crunch away on today’s puzzle. I thought it was delicious, and I hope you will, too.
Tricky Clues
19A. [Short elevations?] should be read as “A shortened version of a word that means elevations.” The answer is HTS, which is short for “heights.”
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
