New York Times, Tuesday, May 25, 2021

KRISTIAN: Mike had the initial idea for this puzzle, sending me a grid with three of the four theme answers that made the final cut plus another one that we ended up replacing to make the theme a little tighter. I suggested that we use the same clue for each of the theme answers, but the editing team decided to mix it up. Once we were happy with the theme answers, I took a stab at filling the grid, then we took turns tweaking the puzzle until we got a result that we liked.

I like how snappy all the theme answers are, and I'm a fan of 59-Across as an answer but not as a condiment, because I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food. Enjoy the puzzle!

MIKE: I hope that my 2nd NYT puzzle (another collaboration with old pal KH) doesn't give people whiplash, i.e. this here straight-forward-themed Tuesday after last month's themeless Saturday! As even editors said on acceptance, while this theme is more straight-forward than what they might normally publish, they liked the theme entries and some of the longer fill like CHILI SAUCE and EVEN BETTER and THE VOICE (and even the shorter BARNONE).

As usual, I sent Kristian an idea with theme entries and some fill, and he worked his mojo to fill the grid. I think K tweaked THATSCRAZYTALK from something else that I'd had in there, but I'm most proud of NO FRIGGIN' WAY — that's just a fun entry, theme or no theme.

I did insist to Kristian that our clue for ASTRO should avoid certain (ahem) cheaters, and so… The Jetsons! [sound effect of the Jetsons' little flying pods lol].

I hope you enjoyed our puzzle, and I hope to see y'all real soon on my own!

The last example of a "similar colloquial expressions" crossword was seven years ago? Say it ain't so! That can't be right! Fugeddabout ... no, fuhggedda … oh, forget about it.

Like its predecessor, today's puzzle featured four great phrases that I'd use in a themeless. I'm with Mike; my favorite is NO FRIGGIN' WAY, maybe because it reminds me of one of the best grid entries of all time.

This played much harder than a usual Tuesday because there are so many possible answers to each clue — in some ways, it's like doing a quote puzzle, since you're solving the theme answers mostly using the Down crossing answers. Hard isn't bad but having to push through an early-week puzzle tends to make me feel like a moron. (Never mind that it's true.)

I often carp about long Across bonuses muddying themes (Rich Norris at the LAT is staunchly in this camp, too). Will Shortz doesn't often care about this issue, choosing to give his solvers more credit for being able to discern theme/non-theme. It is true that EVEN BETTER and CHILI SAUCE are clearly not phrases that express disbelief.

I liken them to banner ads, though — they draw your attention away from what's important with their "hey, look at me, or EVEN BETTER, click on me!" Who wants ads in their daily experience, anyway?

Huh? You point out that XWord Info runs ads? [Angels don't see them! — JH]

Fuggeddabout it!

I'd have asked for a revision on the west section, with CRAG and APSE crossing RPI. We hardcore crossworlders know that Tyler Hinman — your 2021 ACPT champ! — went to RPI. We also know terms like CRAG and APSE because they're so useful to constructors that we're forced to learn them. I don't think it's fair to expect Joe Tyro to get those crossings correct, though.

I'm curious to see what the generation 3 puzzle will look like, seven more years down the road.