Crossword Puzzles

Brandon Koppy provides us with small pleasures.Jump to: Tricky CluesFRIDAY PUZZLE — Something happens when I’m solving a really good puzzle, and I’m curious whether it happens to you, too.I smile when I write in a particularly lively entry or read a fun clue. For me, this happened in today’s puzzle at 21- and 44A, which were Brandon Koppy’s seed entries, as he mentions in his constructor notes. They are both making New York Times Crossword debuts. I also liked 3-, 7-, 19- and 26D. That last one makes a return to the Crossword after not appearing for 57 years. Oh, and Mr. Koppy has tucked a whopping eight debut entries into his grid.The smile is involuntary, but it’s a response I wouldn’t trade for anything. The joy is real. It’s a small pleasure in a fractious world, and I’m grateful that Mr. Koppy is here to share that with us.Tricky Clues13A. The clue [Knight shtick?] is a pun on the phrase “night stick,” and the answer is HONOR, because it’s a knight’s obligation to behave honorably.15A. It’s funny how the mind works. The clue [Wonderland directive] made me hum Taylor Swift’s “Wonderland (Taylor’s Version)” while trying to solve. It turns out that the answer is EAT ME, the label on the cake that made Lewis Carroll’s Alice grow or shrink.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. More

Rich Proulx and Simeon Seigel encourage us to use questionable table manners.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesTHURSDAY PUZZLE — I’m hungry. A snack would go down really well right now. Are you hungry, too?Rich Proulx and Simeon Seigel have kindly set out a buffet for us, but we will have to figure out what to do with it. You’re probably thinking, “Duh, Deb; we’re supposed to eat it,” and of course, you would be right. Sure, we can snack away, but here’s the question we need to ask ourselves: Are we really getting the most out of this buffet?There must be a way, elegantly or inelegantly, to maximize our snack intake. Just don’t listen to Mr. Proulx or Mr. Seigel, or you might be ridiculed for your table manners.Today’s ThemeThis puzzle has a fun theme and an Easter egg hidden in the grid for snackers who like to know what they’re eating. More on that later.Two things convinced me that there was more going on in today’s puzzle than I had originally thought.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. More

Chandi Deitmer and Kate Hawkins make their collaboration debut.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesWEDNESDAY PUZZLE — No matter your level of skill as a solver, it’s natural to be curious about the logic behind crossword puzzles: why constructors opt for certain words over others, the choice between a vertical theme and a horizontal one, and so on. Anyone curious about these aspects in today’s crossword is in luck; its constructors, Chandi Deitmer and Kate Hawkins, have offered a wonderfully detailed look into the thinking behind their grid and theme design in the Constructor Notes below. Their insights really highlight the complexity of theme creation, and made me appreciate how well they pulled it off.For more behind-the-scenes crossword content, you can also subscribe to the Easy Mode newsletter. In it, Christina Iverson, a puzzle editor, answers a different reader question each week.Today’s ThemeWe’ve got to crack a few entries in the grid before identifying the [classic magic trick that’s depicted figuratively in this grid?] at 58-Across. Since shaded squares are a sure indication of themed content, let’s focus on a couple of those. 32-Across is pretty much a gimme (an obvious answer, in puzzle-speak): [The Wicked Witch of the West, in “Wicked”] is ELPHABA. To the right, at 35-Across, there’s another partially-shaded celebrity figure: The [Grammy’s Album of the Year winner for 2024’s “Cowboy Carter”] is BEYONCÉ. Shaded letters between these two entries read B-A-B-E. Hmm.At 52-Across, the [Kid-lit character with telekinetic abilities] is MATILDA; next to her, at 54-Across, sits the [“Brand New Key” singer, 1971], MELANIE. Between these two names we get D-A-M-E in the shaded squares.Both of these are slangy terms for a woman (for better or worse), which help us identify the “classic magic trick” from 58-Across: SAW A WOMAN IN HALF (58A). Not only do the shaded squares “saw” synonyms for the word “woman” in half, but each half also belongs to part of a woman’s name. MISSUS is split between ARTEMIS at 17-Across and SUSANNA at 18-Across. There’s one thing you can say about either Ms. Deitmer or Ms. Hawkins: When it comes to crossword themes, she never missus. Yuk, yuk! (I’m getting the hook.)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. More

Jared Cappel sticks the landing in his New York Times Crossword debut.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesTUESDAY PUZZLE — Today’s crossword puzzle left me sore. As in it made me realize how sore my back was. After a week of desk work and slumped sitting, I was grateful for the reminder that I should really do something about the twinge in my shoulder. So I thank Jared Cappel, the constructor of today’s puzzle, for pointing me in the direction of some relief.This is Mr. Cappel’s first crossword for The New York Times, and it makes for a fabulous introduction to his sense of humor. I hope he, ahem, sticks around.Today’s ThemeWhether or not you’ve ever tried the [Traditional Chinese medicine component] at 27D, you can appreciate the ACUPUNCTURE-based wordplay in this puzzle. At 3-, 9- and 18-Down, italicized clues hint at expressions that double as things an acupuncturist may do during a session.To [Grasp a central idea] is to GET THE POINT (3D). To [Betray] is to STAB IN THE BACK (18D) (though if you’re feeling actual stabs in an acupuncture session, you might want to find a new practitioner). And if you [Make noticeable progress], then you MOVE THE NEEDLE (9D).I’ve tried acupuncture and enjoyed it, but it’s unsettling to think that, to the outside observer, I probably looked like a character from “Hellraiser” during my sessions.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. More

Patti Varol makes a charming return.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesMONDAY PUZZLE — I can’t help but notice that, for all the thrill of science fiction stories about evil twins, violent clones and spooky parallel dimensions, most real-world examples of duplication are fairly benign. What’s so scary about identical twins (not counting the Grady sisters from “The Shining”)?Today’s crossword, constructed by Patti Varol, plays on one such instance of lighthearted repetition in language itself. Once you’ve solved it, pass it along to a friend — it’s a puzzle so nice it’s worth solving twice.This is Ms. Varol’s solo debut in The New York Times. Her first puzzle, constructed in collaboration with Doug Peterson, appeared in December 2020. I look forward to seeing where she takes us next!Today’s ThemeThe entries at 17-, 24-, 32-, 45- and 51-Across share a feature that’s hinted at in 63-Across: To [Turn around and return] is to DOUBLE BACK. Read this expression as a noun and you’ll see what the themed entries have in common: “backs” that contain double syllables.The [Girl of classic comics who sported ringlets and a red outfit], for instance, was LITTLE LULU (17A). If something is [Entertaining, as opposed to disturbing] you might refer to it as FUNNY HA-HA (32A). And you don’t have to be a “Little Monster” to know that LADY GAGA (51A) is the [“A Star Is Born” co-star (2018)] in question, opposite Bradley Cooper.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. More

Malaika Handa opens our solving weekend.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesFRIDAY PUZZLE — Every constructor brings something different to the New York Times Crossword, and I’d like to think that I approach each solve with equal enthusiasm. When it comes to the different days of the solving week, however, I’m not ashamed to play favorites: Fridays have my heart.The Times runs two themeless puzzles per week, on Fridays and Saturdays. Because the Saturday crossword is generally understood to be the hardest of the week, I like to think of Fridays as the calm before the storm. These grids give us a welcome change of pace after a week of themed puzzles and serve as a teaser for what’s to come. I don’t know how else to describe what I love about them — they just work.Today’s Friday fare is the handiwork of Malaika Handa, a constructor whose deftness for punchy fill has made her a regular and much-admired figure in the T.C.C.U. — the Times Crossword Cinematic Universe. This is an especially breezy grid, with no ambiguous spanners or any obscure phrasing. It just works.Tricky Clues19A. Here’s today’s tip about solving question-marked clues: Try interpreting words as different parts of speech. In [Leaves for dinner?], for instance, “leaves” seems like a verb. But what if we interpret it as a noun, as in the leaves you eat for dinner? There’s our answer: KALE.23A. Users of the TI-83 — or of any calculators that predate smartphones — may have the upper hand here. [What might be confused with “5” on a digital display] is the letter ESS. (When entries are letters, they tend to be written phonetically.)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. More

Kiran Pandey breaks the rules, and I am here for it.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesTHURSDAY PUZZLE — A crossword constructor needs to adhere to a lot of rules in order to make a good puzzle. There’s the “no fewer than three-letter words” one, the “be fair to the solvers” one, the “don’t duplicate words” one and many more.Kiran Pandey, the constructor’s of today’s crossword, has broken, or at least stretched, some of those rules, and I can honestly say that I am here for it. (For those unfamiliar with the phrase, that’s a good thing.) No one makes me smile more when it comes to crossword puzzles than a rule breaker.This grid may be a bit tougher for newer solvers because there is no revealer or hint about the theme, but once you get it, you may laugh as much as I did. Mr. Pandey capped off this experience with his very funny constructor notes below.Today’s ThemeSome of the entries in Mr. Pandey’s puzzle are duplicates, which, as we know, is a big no-no in crosswords. That is, unless there is a good reason for it: The second word in each pair is incomplete, and our job is to figure out what to add to it in order to make sense of the answer.Side note: This is not a rebus puzzle. There is no need to try to squeeze anything into squares.For example, the word BORN is an answer at 16A and 17A. That can’t be right, but let’s look at the clue for 17A: [Like one with renewed beliefs]. That would make 17A BORN (AGAIN), although it could also be (RE)BORN.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. More

Rebecca Goldstein gives us a witty jump scare.Jump to: Today’s Theme | Tricky CluesWEDNESDAY PUZZLE — “Is this a crossword which I see before me, the pen toward my hand?” OK, so that’s not exactly what Macbeth said, but it’s the reference that sprang to mind as I started in on today’s crossword, constructed by Rebecca Goldstein, which is chock-full of spectral sightings in a certain estate.Let’s solve this grid bravely together, shall we?Today’s ThemeIt’s time for a tour through the rooms of Ms. Goldstein’s HAUNTED MANSION (62A/66A), where everyday expressions reveal various scary locations.First, we have the [Blowout victory, metaphorically]: a BLOOD BATH (20A). Speaking of water features, how about this [Marvel superhero portrayed by Ryan Reynolds]: a DEADPOOL (7D). Tackle your terrifying work tasks inside the [Commercial property left mostly vacant by hybrid work arrangements], also known as a ZOMBIE OFFICE (25D). And finally, we’ll stop for a bite of frights in the GHOST KITCHEN (28D) — a [Restaurant offering delivery and pickup only].Tricky Clues14A. The [Source of a pulse] in a person would be the heart, but this clue is after a pulse used for navigational purposes: SONAR.34A. Remember: A question mark in a clue is essentially a wink. The [Device for taking notes] refers not to the kind of notes you’d take in a classroom, but to bank notes. The answer is ATM.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. More