Malaika Handa’s puzzle is lively and satisfying.
Jump to: Tricky Clues
FRIDAY PUZZLE — This is Malaika Handa’s sixth crossword in The New York Times, and, as far as I’m concerned, her work just keeps getting better. Ms. Handa constructs for several other outlets, so she’s not a beginner; it’s just that most of my exposure to her work is through The Times.
But, as I said, she has grown as a puzzle maker, and today’s grid is packed with the “fun and breezy” entries that she mentions in her notes below. I’d like to avoid spoilers, but you’ll know these entries when you see them. They’re the ones that will make you smile as you fill them in. I had that experience several times while I solved her puzzle.
Tricky Clues
11A. This is a very clever clue. [What connects money to everything?] is the word ISN’T, which completes the saying “Money isn’t everything.”
17A. Who doesn’t love a CRAZY STRAW? [It has many twists and turns] and makes drinking any beverage more fun.
42A. A [Fashion line?] is the branded work of a clothing designer, but with the question mark in the clue, we know that the answer can’t be that simple. This line in fashion is a STRIPE.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
