New York Times, Friday, November 9, 2018

Recently I was asked about using seed entries in my themeless puzzles. I replied that I don't do seed entries — instead, I focus on crafting the best stacks and go wherever my word list takes me. It never works well for me to fall in love with an entry and force the rest of the grid around it. I've gotten pretty inured to "killing my darlings"; good entries resurface when the time is right. I've tried to include both WHO GOES THERE and GLASS CEILING in previous grids, but they never survived to the final cut. Today those two great entries finally get their debut.

At my favorite cookie place, Hello Robin, their bags have the tagline "You had me at Hello (Robin)." Hello, Robyn, you had me at CLOWN CARS! What a brilliant clue — high-occupancy vehicles indeed. I was stuck on the notion of carpools, vans, etc. for the longest time. Made an already great entry even better.

Jim sometimes quotes a single entry in a themeless as the reason he loves the entire puzzle. It often seems like such is his level of delight, that he can overlook anything else in the puzzle. I rarely have that experience, but today, Robyn could have thrown in about ten dabs of crossword glue and three asymmetrical blocks and a two-letter word, and I doubt I would have stopped smiling.

But it didn't end there! Like with all her themeless, Robyn had so much color elsewhere — WHO GOES THERE, FUNNEL CAKES, GLASS CEILING, CANDY CANE, among others — and all of it felt so relatable to a broad audience.

I don't mind when a themeless constructor starts with some person or phrase I'm too uncool to know about — just as long as the crosses are fair. But it's hard to get excited about something that feels unfamiliar (or makes you just plain feel old).

Not the case for something like CLOWN CAR, a term which I'd guess that most everyone knows. And even if you don't know it, it's not hard to figure out. Who doesn't love clowns endlessly streaming out of a tiny VW Bug?

Okay, people who are scared of clowns. Right.

There were a couple of blips in the fill, but they were minor (all short and easy to figure out): SIE SEE TIAS YDS. And CREEL may cause consternation for some — I remember when I first learned the term ... in a hard crossword! But it no doubt is a real thing, and I can't see any of the crosses possibly seeming right any other way. CREAL / THALMA perhaps?

Nah.

Another Weintraub themeless, another POW! Robyn's voice comes through loud and clear in her themelesses, and it's such a joy to experience. When I find a (book) author I like, I go off in search of everything that person has written and devour it. Here's hoping that Robyn continues to be prolific.

If, like Jeff, you like to track down puzzles by a constructor you love, this page is full of solving links organized by the people who made them. Print out your own book of great crosswords for on your next trip. An NYT Crossword subscription is required.