NYT Crossword Answers for Oct. 28, 2024

Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky Clues

MONDAY PUZZLE — New York City has been teeming with team spirit for the past few weeks as the Mets, the Yankees and the Liberty moved simultaneously into postseason games. It was a rare convergence, and I shared in the rah-rah revelry like any responsible home-team fan. My sportsmanlike attitude about our losses, however, turned out to be highly unpopular.

I understand. It’s unlikely that any sports fan would reduce the stakes of a season to “the friends made along the way.” But there’s a case to be made for striking a balance between fandom and frivolity — which, in a sense, is exactly what Michael Lieberman has done with today’s crossword.

Today’s Theme

Among nursery rhymes, “Mother Goose” stands out as standard fare. Three rhymes in this collection happen to involve similar mishaps: HUMPTY DUMPTY (28A) fell off a wall; JACK AND JILL (17A) fell down a hill; and the LONDON BRIDGE (45A) seems to be in a permanent state of falling down. Each of these tumbling tales can be aptly described using our revealer clue at 59A, [Nickname for the World Series]: FALL CLASSIC.

Even as one unfamiliar with the nickname, I appreciated Mr. Lieberman’s humor all the same. And while no clear explanation has emerged for why falling seems to be such a popular theme in nursery rhymes, couldn’t it furnish inspiration for writing one of your own? It’s one jumping-off point, anyway.

Tricky Clues

19A. I aspire to be the kind of home chef who can season her dishes with psychic precision. For now, though, I prefer to get spice guidance from recipes. [How salt and pepper may be added, in a recipe] is TO TASTE.