NYT Crossword Answers for July 5, 2024

Jump to: Tricky Clues

FRIDAY PUZZLE — If you are not a constructor, you probably sit down to solve your crosswords without giving much thought to how difficult it is to fill a grid.

That’s OK. Analyzing the puzzle and its construction is usually not part of the solving agenda. But it is something that constructors look at when they encounter other people’s puzzles.

Without getting deep into the weeds, I’d like to point out a few things about today’s crossword, constructed by Trent H. Evans, that I believe merit a second look. Follow me past the jump below for a short discussion. If you don’t want spoilers, please skip to the Tricky Clues section.

The thing I enjoy most about themeless crosswords is that, well, there is no theme. I love a good theme, mind you. It’s just that seating the theme in the grid entails placing a whole lot of black squares around them, which cuts up the spaces where long, exciting entries might go.

Most constructors enjoy the extra space allowed in themeless grids, and there are a few ways in which they make their puzzles shine:

• They edit their word lists by adding fresh and unique words and phrases to excite their audiences. Junky entries in the lists are pruned judiciously.

• They try to find at least one top-of-the-line seed entry to be the first fill in the puzzle (and the seed often anchors the grid). I believe Mr. Evans’s seed was probably 35A, A LITTLE HELP HERE, which also makes a debut. That’s an entry that will put a smile on most people’s faces, because it’s colloquial and unusual to see in a crossword.

• They build lively stacks. A stack is a series of crossword entries that sit either on top of one another (like 1A, 15A and 17A) or beside one another (like 12D and 13D). If all of the entries sparkle, that usually ensures that at least that quadrant of the grid will be enjoyable for the solver. A stack that includes winners such as the Northwest’s TRUST FALL, SOCIAL CUE and ALL ABOARD is going to entice solvers to continue. The trick — and this is partly how I judge whether a stack is successful — is to make sure that the crossings in the stack are also interesting and not obscure words or abbreviations. In my opinion, all nine entries that cross 1A, 15A and 17A are good.

So after you’ve solved, go back and take a closer look at Mr. Evans’s work. If you are noodling around with crossword grids and aspire to become a themeless constructor, this is a good example of the kind of submissions that are accepted by the puzzle editors. It’s more work than one might think, but the end result is worth it.