Robert S. Gard senses a novel opportunity.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
TUESDAY PUZZLE — This is Robert S. Gard’s second crossword for The New York Times and his first crack at a theme set. His first grid, published in September 2023, was a themeless Saturday.
Given what I would call a successful themed debut, I find Mr. Gard’s choice of revealer almost paradoxical. Did he second-guess his own talent while constructing, and subconsciously lace his self-doubt into the grid? Or is this just my inner 36-Across reading too deeply into things, as usual? Let’s dive in and find out together.
Today’s Theme
Cracking Mr. Gard’s theme requires nothing more than an appreciation of how one expression — “in different senses” (59A), our revealer winks — might apply to the entries at 17-, 25-, 36- and 49-Across.
What do the “Evidence of a day at the beach” (17A) and a “Chocolate confection with a molten core” (25A) have in common? The answer isn’t immediately evident from the clues’ entries: BIKINI TAN, LAVA CAKE. They both involve warmth, at least.
This theory gains shape farther down with a “Flight of fancy” (49A) — a WILD IDEA — which cooks in its own way, too. It all comes together, I think, with the “Effect of secondhand pot smoke” (36A), otherwise known as a CONTACT HIGH.
We are having trouble retrieving the article content.
Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.
Thank you for your patience while we verify access.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Source: Elections - nytimes.com
