James Mattina author page
1 puzzle by James Mattina
with Constructor comments
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Florals? For a spring crossword? Groundbreaking.
If you're wondering if The Devil Wears Prada 2 sponsored me for a stealth marketing campaign to promote the recent release of the iconic film sequel in theatres now... sadly no (but my DM's are open, Meryl). I am an internist living in Montréal, and I am thrilled to make my NYT debut today with a puzzle that I hope will make people smile, as we transition from April showers into today's theme!
The idea came from seeing the 15-letter CROSS-POLLINATED in print, and thinking it would be(e) the perfect marquee revealer. I wanted the theme answers to be symmetrical, but when I found the current configuration with words like HOLY TOLEDO (BATMAN!), ODD NUMBERS, NOT FOR ME, and INTRIGUE... well I decided "not to force nature's plan." Sometimes, things are just a bit more beautiful in asymmetry.
Originally, I clued the flowers with literary and pop-culture references like PRIMROSE Everdeen, Iggy AZALEA and Ari ASTER, but the editors brought the puzzle back to botany. It keeps the grid feeling fresh and I learned new things about flowers along the way. For 1-Across (LIE), my original clue was [Many a reason for being late]. My boyfriend's thoughts? "You have trust issues." Well, that clue also got changed and I'm still suspicious that he had something to do with it.
For a more immersive experience, just imagine the flower crosses beaming into colour [sic] once you complete the puzzle, with a NYT Spelling Bee icon pollinating the B-E-E-S circles... or go to the park, you do you. Anyway, I'm still buzzing from the excitement of this puzzle. Buzz buzz.
Miranda Priestly glare
That's all.