NYT Crossword Answers for Oct. 9, 2024

Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues

WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — Crossword themes often play on patterns in the English language. Desirée Penner and Jeff Sinnock’s Monday grid, for instance, pointed out that the word “time” could be applied to each word of two-word phrases: “slot machine” became “time slot” and “time machine,” and so on. Themes that hinge on visual or symbolic patterns rather than on verbal ones are far rarer — a reason I think that Jeffrey Lease has accomplished something special in today’s puzzle.

Mr. Lease offers us a few ways to appreciate the symbol at the heart of his theme. He combines straightforward themed entries with a revealer that doubles as instructions for a quick game of connect the dots, which then reveals the symbol’s shape traced throughout the entries. The result of this combination is nothing short of electrifying.

Today’s Theme

Even without corroboration from our as-yet unknown revealer, we can safely assume that the [Character with a 37-Across on his forehead] must be HARRY POTTER (56A). What other characters are known for having something on their foreheads? Charles Manson, maybe, but a) He’s not a fictional character and b) I’d prefer not to see him in my morning crossword, thank you. In any case, this points us to the likeliest solution for 37-Across: LIGHTNING BOLT.

That symbol is, indeed, associated with the CAMERA FLASH [Photography option] (18A), the Los Angeles CHARGERS [N.F.L. team] (23A) and GATORADE (50A). An added flourish: A LIGHTNING BOLT is [formed by connecting this puzzle’s circled letters from A to F and then back to A]. It also appears for digital users as an overlay that follows the completion screen.

Tricky Clues

4A/22A. We refer to [Self-assurance] as APLOMB because the French expression from which the word derives means balanced and upright. Does this mean that one who lacks this quality will appear [Like Igor’s posture] HUNCHED?