Henry Lin-David makes his New York Times Crossword debut.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
TUESDAY PUZZLE — If Henry Lin-David’s Times debut is any indication of his puzzling prowess, I predict that he’ll enjoy a long career in crossword construction. I mean “career” in the figurative sense, of course — I have yet to meet a constructor whose puzzles pay the bills in toto.
The grid is a treat to solve, but its theme is what I found utterly spectacular. I’m always delighted by the clever themes in early-week crosswords — it’s the rare one that makes me feel clever for having solved it, too. Did you experience a similar postpuzzle glow? Let me know your impressions in the comments.
Today’s Theme
The foods at 17-, 25-, 48- and 56-Across make for a strange smorgasbord, but there’s more than meets the eye (or stomach). MOOSE TRACKS ice cream, MAPO TOFU, MINI TWIX and something called a MEAT TORNADO — a [Fictional burrito on “Parks and Recreation” that “literally killed a guy last year”] — all share initials in common.
Phonetically, these initials, M and T, represent [What many junk foods contain]: EMPTY (M.T.) CALORIES (34A).
Tricky Clues
20A. To have [Bathed, old-style] is to have LAVED. Now we just take showers.
27A. Speaking of fancy words from the Middle Ages, this word for [Speaker’s platform] sounds like something from the Knights of the Round Table: DAIS (pronounced DAY-iss). Coincidentally, it may once have described a round table — DAIS is derived from the Latin word “discus.”
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
