Daniel Grinberg adds a themeless grid to his portfolio of New York Times crosswords.
Jump to: Tricky Clues
FRIDAY PUZZLE — “Beware the Ides of March,” a soothsayer warned Emperor Julius Caesar in Shakespeare’s play. Sure enough — spoiler alert — Caesar was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C.
Thankfully, there is nothing remotely like that at stake for us this Ides, but Daniel Grinberg’s crossword is still a Friday toughie for those who are not used to the less straightforward nature of late-week puzzles. So beware the Ides, but by all means have fun.
Mr. Grinberg incorporated a basket weave of six grid spanners into his 15×15 design, making the solve a bit more challenging but a lot more fun for me. Look at all those great, long entries! The placement forms a kind of frame or skeleton of the grid. The fill is mostly lively, with a nice mix of high-value Scrabble letters, such as J, Z and X. Those letters do not appear frequently in English words, so they are fun to find in a puzzle.
This is the kind of crossword that newer solvers may enjoy if they take their time. Fill in the gimmes, take a break and try again. Be patient and keep coming back to the grid. If you’re persistent, you may find Mr. Grinberg’s first themeless puzzle for The New York Times a fun and satisfying brain teaser.
Tricky Clues
17A. PHILLIS WHEATLEY, who was captured from Africa and enslaved, went on to become a poet who is considered the first American of African descent to publish a book. Her story is moving and fascinating.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
