Kathy Lowden gives her all.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
MONDAY PUZZLE — If I ever wake up in a funk, I can trust a crossword puzzle by Kathy Lowden to pull me out of it. I’ve had the pleasure of writing about two of Ms. Lowden’s recent puzzles, both of which were so blithely whimsical that I hardly knew what to do with myself after I’d solved them. Dozens of cousins! Flip-flop flaps! I was left smiling ear to ear.
This crossword theme is more observational than experimental in its humor. It’s a timely nod to a certain group that’s honored each March.
Today’s Theme
I sensed we were in wordplay territory after solving [Emmy-winning actress for “Hacks”] to JEAN SMART (17A): If a name contains a common noun, it’s likely that the theme is going to use it to some witty effect. And indeed, a pattern emerged shortly thereafter: The [Only person in the arts ever to be named Time’s Person of the Year] is TAYLOR SWIFT (24A), and the actress who [played Serena on “Gossip Girl”] is BLAKE LIVELY (49A). Smart, swift, lively … what might all of these complimentary (and possibly complementary) adjectives mean?
The revealer tells us that a certain [Slogan that celebrates a young woman’s confidence and independence] doubles as a hint to the above entries. That phrase is GIRL POWER, which plays on how the last names of the women in those entries express powerful traits.
There’s one more name to solve, split between 40- and 41A. If you don’t think you have the power to get it on your own, you may click to reveal the answer below. (But I believe in you!)
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
