Martin Schneider calls ’em like he sees ’em.
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WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — It’s no secret that crossword puzzles are a good place to expand one’s base of trivial knowledge. Grids regularly feature defunct car makes, academic abbreviations and celebrity first names. While it can be frustrating to lose out on a few minutes of solving time just to guess at an entry I don’t know, I always find myself grateful for having learned it after the fact. Where else can one discover both the full name of the Rubik’s “Cube creator” (39A) and the identity of the “Brian who composed the original start-up sound for Windows 95” (41A) in a matter of minutes?
Today’s crossword, constructed by Martin Schneider, scatters plenty of trivia tidbits among wordier entries. I learned, and I loved it. I hope his puzzle teaches you something new, too.
Today’s Theme
As a crossword columnist, I generally celebrate creative uses of the English language. But Mr. Schneider’s theme brought out my inner pedant, who makes an appearance when the occasion demands it.
Today’s occasion is DOUBLE MISNOMERS (34A), as in items whose two-word names don’t describe what they actually are. “Carbonated fountain drinks” known as EGG CREAMS (18A), for instance, contain neither EGG nor CREAM. Some “Unusual meat courses” (23A) are called SWEETBREADS, even though they aren’t SWEET and there is no BREAD involved. And what’s the deal with airline food?
Mr. Schneider’s list of DOUBLE MISNOMERS is impressive — contagious, even. Have you got any name-based bones to pick? I’m looking forward to seeing your contributions in the comments section.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
