Rich Katz twists our words in the wittiest way possible.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — You may pooh-pooh mnemonic devices as childish things, like Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge (for the notes of the musical staff) and ROY G. BIV (for the order of colors in the rainbow).
The device at the heart of Rich Katz’s crossword, however, serves not just as a singsong memory aid but as a map to his wordplay. I’ll say no more for now, except that I’d hardly need a mnemonic for today’s puzzle: I’m so delighted by it that I’ll have no trouble remembering it for a long time to come.
Today’s Theme
Our revealer arrives early at 19-Across, and it’s a good thing. Between starred clues and highlighted entries, we’ve got a lot to figure out.
The revealer tells us that a certain “mnemonic device for turning 54-Across” is a “hint to the answers to the starred clues.” But what does “turning” a crossword entry mean? “Toolbox tools” (54A) is easy enough to guess: The answer is SCREWDRIVERS. And I trust that at some point most of us have learned the rhyme that guides such tools’ movements: RIGHTY TIGHTY, LEFTY LOOSEY (19/36A).
Meanwhile, our starred clues are still awaiting elucidation. Why does “Closefitting” (9A) solve to SKIN? And how is LEAF “Like some paper and tea” (39A)? The first of these should read SKINTIGHT, and the second should be LOOSE-LEAF. (Can you see where this is headed? I’m getting giddy all over again.)
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
