NYT Crossword Answers for Thursday, Feb. 8, 2024

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THURSDAY PUZZLE — The first time I heard that Sam Donaldson was coming to the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, I was very excited. Mr. Donaldson had been the highly respected chief White House correspondent for ABC for as long as I could remember, and there were rumors at the tournament that he enjoyed making crossword puzzles as well.

So you can imagine my confusion when a man who was decades younger than the veteran journalist walked up to me and introduced himself as Sam Donaldson. It turned out that the puzzle constructor was a law professor in Georgia with the same name as the correspondent.

I was not disappointed. I made a friend that day, and he is an incredibly nice person who happens to enjoy crossing words. Also, it may be the reason that he now uses Samuel A. Donaldson for his byline.This is his 39th crossword in The New York Times, and I’m happy to see him back. Also, it may be the reason that he now uses Samuel A. Donaldson for his byline.

Today’s Theme

In four places, two theme entries lie next to each other on the same row. Please note that the theme clues are not italicized or starred, but you will know that you are onto something when the answers don’t make any sense. I know. Welcome to the Thursday puzzle.

At 18A, the answer to the clue “Highway crossing” is written as PASSOVER. Now, I have been to plenty of Passover seders in my life, and not one of them took place on a public roadway. There must be more to this entry. In fact, it makes a lot more sense if you flip the word and make it OVERPASS.