Are Matthew Stock and Brooke Husic just being diplomatic?
Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues
WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — Some people scoff at the idea of continuing their education as adults. A friend of mine has such disdain for the phrase “back to school” that he put together a slide show about why it should be abolished.
Undaunted, Matthew Stock and Brooke Husic leaned into academia as their inspiration for today’s theme. I was as surprised as anyone to discover how much I loved the curriculum therein — and I believe that you are all capable of graduating with flying colors.
Today’s Theme
Any initial ideas?
I hope so, because initials are key to each of today’s themed clues. At 16A, the [B.A. in Communications?] is the BRAILLE ALPHABET — that’s what “B.A.” stands for, and “communications” refers to the use of Braille. A closer look at the [M.S. in Biology?] gives us a MICROSCOPE SLIDE. And you could doctor a [Ph.D. in computing?] simply by using a POCKET HARD DRIVE.
The puzzle’s witty educational credentials are summarized by an expression at 54A: Something [Not distinguished by large differences] is A MATTER OF DEGREE.
A tip for newer solvers: Pay attention to question marks in themed clues. Their presence should make you re-examine the clue’s wording. In today’s puzzle, the question marks in the themed clues hint that those letters, usually associated with academic degrees, stand for something unexpected.
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Source: Elections - nytimes.com
