Jackson Matz makes his New York Times Crossword debut.
Jump to: Tricky Clues
FRIDAY PUZZLE — It’s always fun to welcome a new crossword constructor into the club, but there’s a special pleasure for me when I discover that the puzzle maker is young. People are discovering the thrills of solving and the rewards of constructing at a much younger age now, and I think it’s wonderful that this hobby has become popular with new generations. It looks as if the crossword puzzle has shed its image of being Grandma’s pastime.
I mean, what were you doing when you were a teenager? I wasn’t making crosswords for The New York Times, that’s for sure.
Let’s welcome Jackson Matz, 16, who offers a puzzle packed with lively entries and fun clues.
Tricky Clues
15A. While I was solving Mr. Matz’s puzzle, I had filled in this entry using the crossings, without reading the clue. I remember thinking to myself, “Huh. I don’t know how he clued THREESOME, but it’s going to be interesting.” Imagine my surprise, and confusion, when I saw that the clue was “Jonas Brothers, e.g.,” the trio of related singers. I laughed, Mr. Matz. I laughed.
16A. I love this clue. “Needle on a thread?” makes you think about sewing, but the question mark means that we can’t take the clue at face value. This thread is a series of comments, and someone who needles the original poster or anyone else in the thread is a TROLL.
25A. A VAN is “A mover … but not a shaker, one hopes.”
26A. “Practice squad: Abbr.” refers to those with a medical practice, or DRS.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
