Andrew Kingsley and Garrett Chalfin have a pitch-perfect puzzle for us.
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
TUESDAY PUZZLE — With the exception of professional musicians, it seems as if everyone I know has, at some point, quit a musical instrument. “Quit” doesn’t mean “failed at” of course — or that’s what I keep telling myself about my stints with the piano, the drums, the guitar and, briefly, the ukulele. Some have even said that quitting with intention can be a leap toward your goals. (My goal was to stop having to practice piano.)
Today’s crossword, constructed by Andrew Kingsley and Garrett Chalfin, may unite quitters and hangers-on alike in the joys of musical wordplay. The constructors’ themed clues are musical notes — but they have to be interpreted differently in order to be solved.
Let’s dig in once more, with feeling.
Today’s Theme
Just four themed entries are in today’s grid, but each one is positively delightful once you understand the game. At 17-Across, the musical note “A♭?” is read “A flat.” What’s another word for flat? APARTMENT. And how about “B♭?” (38A), which would read more like “Be flat?” That action sounds a lot like LIE DOWN.
These are witty ways to “Follow a composer’s notation” (33D), or READ MUSIC. We interpret the themed clues by reading them — presumably aloud, in our heads — and then solving them as regular crossword clues.
To “B♯?” (63A) — as in “be sharp” — is to LOOK ALIVE. If you are “E♯?” (11D), you’re TECH-SAVVY. (Think of the “E-” as an all-purpose prefix, like how it behaves on “e-filing” taxes.)
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
