Nathan Hale makes his New York Times debut.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — Among the especially fitness-conscious, the days of the week may be remembered not as they appear on the Gregorian calendar but by the parts of the body that get exercised on them. Leg day, I am told, is the Monday of workouts.
Since I’m more of a mental-fitness buff myself, I like to think of Wednesday as my brain day. It is on this day that the crossword invariably pushes my wits to their limits in ways that no other days’ crosswords do. For example, in today’s grid — his New York Times debut! — Nathan Hale has crafted a two-part theme that blends wordplay and trivia. His deftly worded clues also require some patient rereading. I managed to solve the puzzle, with some effort, but I think I pulled something in my frontal lobe.
Shall we do some reps together?
Today’s Theme
If you are the kind of crossword purist who prefers your theme content neat as a pin, with no additional enjoyment beyond that which is required to solve the puzzle, then you may be disappointed by Mr. Hale’s antics in today’s grid. He has chosen to give us additional wordplay at no extra charge, albeit with little relevance to the final reveal at 51-Across.
Question marks punctuate themed clues at 20-, 34- and 41-Across. All of the entries for these clues follow a similar pattern of punning: One who “Prepared to fight Goliath?” (20A) READIED A ROCK, for example, which plays on the sound of the common expression “ready to rock.” To have “Invested on Broadway, say?” (41A) is to have BACKED A WORK (sounds like: back to work). Mr. Hale’s central theme, however, hinges on noticing what these witty Across answers do to the gray-shaded ones at 6-, 24- and 29-Down.
Did you notice what a certain “Presidential nickname of the early 20th century” (6D) had in common with an “Owie” (24D) and “Motown legend Robinson” (29D)? TEDDY, BOO-BOO and SMOKEY are the names of famous bears. And each of today’s themed Across entries “Betrayed Paddington?” (51A) — that is to say, they CROSSED A BEAR.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
