Brandon Koppy makes space for us.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — I’ve come to expect a trouncing from Wednesday puzzles — last week’s installment by Kathy Bloomer being an especially pronounced instance. So I was surprised to find myself breezing through today’s, constructed by Brandon Koppy. The puzzle has its fair share of midweek “crunch” (a term of art for challenging crossword fill), but is otherwise guileless.
The theme is light and relatively easy to apprehend. In other words, there isn’t much gravity to it.
Today’s Theme
The exact origins of GALAXY BRAIN (61A), as in [Having ideas far too profound for anyone else to comprehend], are hard to pinpoint. The term often refers to a stock-image meme of a man’s brain expanding panel by panel, until it seems to radiate with cosmic energy. As it relates to this puzzle, GALAXY BRAIN gives you the power to see words about the galaxy in each of the themed entries.
The [Honor for “Dune” and “American Gods”] at 18A is the NEBULA AWARD. At 25A, [Swifties vis-à-vis Taylor Swift] are STAR-STRUCK. The song described in 37A’s [Grammy-winning Soundgarden hit of 1994] was BLACK HOLE SUN. And the [Canadian province on the Gulf of Maine] at 52A is NOVA SCOTIA.
Tricky Clues
31A. In academic contexts, a score of 30 percent might be a failing grade. But when it comes to leaving a TIP, [30% is a very good one].
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
