New York Times, Friday, March 17, 2017
| Author: | Jacob Stulberg |
| Editor: | Will Shortz |
In the version of this puzzle that I sent to the Times, each of the "foolish" answers had its own clue — e.g., [___ straw] for SILLY. INANE was clued as [Synonym for four of this puzzle's answers...or, with two spaces, how those answers are arranged]. Even after sending in the grid, I was uncertain whether Will and the solvers would accept SENSELESS as a synonym for INANE, so I was glad to see the final version elegantly sidestep this issue.
(Fun fact: the quotation in 24-Down's clue follows the line "I am too childish-foolish for this world.")
Neat mini-theme — did you catch the giant E made of INANE words? I've highlighted them below. Fun to parse INANE as IN AN E, accurately describing the shape.
Top-bottom symmetry is rare. Will has rejected one of mine where I've used up-down symmetry, saying that it just looks odd. (I tend to agree, looking back on it.) I like the novel image today's presents, but my left-right eyes want me to turn my head 90 degrees so that symmetry will be more pleasing.
At first, I wondered why Jacob didn't use regular crossword symmetry — or even left-right — by shifting the giant E one space over to the right. But that would have forced him to use a symmetrical answer to SENSELESS, requiring a Y???Y???Y pattern. I couldn't find anything that would work with all those pesky Ys.
Stupid crossword gods!
As much as I like the INANE IN AN E notion, I felt like EMPTY and SAPPY didn't quite hit home. Yes, both are in the thesaurus for INANE, but it would have felt much more powerful to me if somehow Jacob could have used ABSURD, ASININE, DAFT, STUPID, etc. (I didn't mind SENSELESS as much as Jacob did.)
Stupid English language, not conforming to what crossword constructors want!
I can see why Will ran this as a "themeless," as it would have felt like a very thin theme on a Wednesday or Thursday. And there were some nice bonuses like MADE TO LAST and ON THE SLY.
Themelesses are rarely done with left-right (or up-down) symmetry because normal symmetry allows for so many more long grid entries in general — the typical themeless uses a set of triple-stacked long answers in each corner, which left-right (or up-down) symmetry does not allow.
Jacob does well to get in four grid-spanning entries, but none of them did much for me. Along with some minor LPS, SRS, LTRS, ETDS, ETAS holding it all together, it didn't give me the same impact as a typical themeless.
Tough, when you have to work with that inflexible giant E formed in the center of the grid.
Wish the a-ha moment had been stronger, but I do like the creative thinking here.
1 H | 2 A | 3 H | 4 A | 5 R | 6 A | 7 M | 8 P | 9 S | 10 G | 11 A | 12 M | 13 E |
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14 E | T | A | S | 15 A | T | A | R | I | 16 A | M | I | S |
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17 L | T | R | S | 18 M | A | D | E | T | 19 O | L | A | S | T |
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20 L | E | D | 21 S | I | L | L | Y | 22 V | I | T | A | E |
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23 O | N | T | 24 H | E | S | L | Y | 25 J | U | L | E | P | S |
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26 D | O | I | N | 27 C | O | M | E | U | P | |||||
28 B | A | S | E | S | 29 A | 30 L | 31 A | R | Y | 32 E | R | R | 33 S |
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34 A | N | T | 35 E | M | P | T | Y | 36 F | O | R |
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37 M | C | A | 38 L | L | I | S | T | E | 39 R | 40 S | O | P | S |
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41 E | R | I | E | 42 R | A | 43 P | T | O | R | |||||
44 A | S | B | E | S | 45 T | 46 O | 47 S | 48 P | A | R | T | I | 49 I |
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50 S | H | O | 51 S | A | P | P | 52 Y | 53 L | A | B | A | N |
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54 K | E | A | 55 N | 56 T | R | I | O | 57 S | O | N | A | T | A |
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58 M | E | R | E | 59 A | A | N | D | P | 60 G | L | E | N |
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61 E | T | D | S | 62 S | H | E | A | F | 63 E | L | S | E |
| Across | Down | |
| 1. "Hilarious!" : HAHA 5. Flight alternatives : RAMPS 10. Tag, for example : GAME 14. HH : ETAS 15. Centipede creator : ATARI 16. "Lionel Asbo: State of England" novelist, 2012 : AMIS 17. Some paperwork: Abbr. : LTRS 18. Well-built : MADETOLAST 20. Ran : LED 21. Foolish : SILLY 22. Curriculum ___ : VITAE 23. Sub rosa : ONTHESLY 25. Bourbon drinks : JULEPS 26. Off : DOIN 27. Arise : COMEUP 28. Amount before bonuses : BASESALARY 32. Slips : ERRS 34. Hill dweller : ANT 35. Foolish : EMPTY 36. Dedicated to : FOR 37. Fort ___ (Civil War landmark near Savannah) : MCALLISTER 40. Gravy go-withs : SOPS 41. City on Amtrak's Boston-to-Chicago line : ERIE 42. Osprey, for one : RAPTOR 44. Once-common building material : ASBESTOS 48. Sequel : PARTII 50. "Homeland" airer, for short : SHO 51. Foolish : SAPPY 53. Jacob's father-in-law : LABAN 54. Thomas who headed the 9/11 Commission : KEAN 56. Bach's "Musical Offering" includes one : TRIOSONATA 58. Simple : MERE 59. Supermarket chain until 2015 : AANDP 60. ___ Rock, N.J. : GLEN 61. Displays near gates, briefly : ETDS 62. Stack of papers : SHEAF 63. "Who ___?" : ELSE |
1. When its second syllable is drawn out, "Are you out of your mind?!" : HELLO 2. Skipping record? : ATTENDANCESHEET 3. Command for turning sharply right : HARDTOSTARBOARD 4. Biblical mount : ASS 5. "Groundhog Day" director : RAMIS 6. Whatsoever : ATALL 7. How one might fall in love : MADLY 8. Hunted : PREY 9. Be idle : SIT 10. Region bordering Lebanon : GALILEE 11. Recreational soccer, to Brits : AMATEURFOOTBALL 12. Embezzles, e.g. : MISAPPROPRIATES 13. ___ Park : ESTES 19. Sex-ed subject : OVUM 21. Foolish : SENSELESS 24. "___ thee to hell for shame": "Richard III" : HIE 25. Beatitude : JOY 27. Jon of "Two and a Half Men" : CRYER 28. Comic book sound effect : BAM 29. Question in response to an insult, maybe : AMI 30. Some wax : LPS 31. Phone inits. : ATT 33. Top class: Abbr. : SRS 38. Be idle : LIE 39. Grammy category : RAP 40. Off : STRANGE 43. ___ Alto : PALO 44. "Shoot!" : ASKME 45. Byes : TATAS 46. The "O" in television's OWN : OPRAH 47. Title locale : SPINE 49. Foolish ... or, when read as three words, how this puzzle's other four "foolish" answers are arranged : INANE 52. Robe-wearing trainer of cinema : YODA 55. Dr. Mario console : NES 57. Abbr. in a beach bag : SPF |
Answer summary: 4 unique to this puzzle, 1 debuted here and reused later.
Found bugs or have suggestions?