Brad Wiegmann author page
4 puzzles by Brad Wiegmann
with constructor comments
Brad Wiegmann is a national security lawyer for the Department of Justice in Washington.
| P | E | I | D | A | M | E | S | S | C | A | R | F | ||
| I | N | D | U | E | T | I | M | E | A | L | T | E | R | |
| S | T | E | P | S | O | N | I | T | M | U | L | T | I | |
| C | R | A | C | K | P | O | T | B | E | A | R | D | ||
| E | E | L | S | A | T | S | E | A | N | I | A | |||
| S | E | S | P | A | N | E | R | A | S | T | A | Y | ||
| M | I | R | R | O | R | Q | U | A | L | |||||
| B | R | E | T | T | B | U | R | N | S | |||||
| L | E | T | T | E | R | C | O | A | F | |||||
| P | A | T | H | S | N | O | B | B | Y | P | C | S | ||
| I | C | H | S | T | A | R | R | A | A | R | P | |||
| S | K | A | T | E | N | E | A | T | I | D | E | A | ||
| A | C | T | I | V | S | E | A | L | A | D | D | E | R | |
| N | A | C | R | E | R | A | C | E | W | A | L | K | S | |
| O | T | H | E | R | A | S | H | E | S | E | S | E |
Q: So Brad, how would you describe today's puzzle?
A: It's just very unfortunate.
Q: I know, right? I was so disappointed not to get my regular awesome themeless Friday today. Do you have any comment for people like me who are feeling a little let down or even annoyed by your work?
A: I dunno ... tough luck?
Q: And then there's the "rorqual" issue. C'mon — who's ever heard of a rorqual? Some kind of obscure whale?
A: Yeah. Didn't you ever tell rorqual jokes when you were a kid?
Q: What?
A: You know, like, "did you hear about the guy who hired a rorqual as his mechanic?"
Q: No.
A: His car was a whale-oiled machine.
Q: No. Just no.
A: Or the rorqual who had a lot of hopes and dreams? . . . He was a wishing whale.
Q: OK. That's a wrap.
| C | A | M | P | A | M | U | S | T | A | R | L | O | P | E | P | |||||
| O | B | O | E | P | A | L | L | I | D | M | O | O | R | T | A | P | E | |||
| H | A | D | N | O | P | R | A | Y | E | R | E | T | E | S | S | L | A | W | ||
| I | C | E | O | L | I | N | D | I | D | N | T | W | O | R | K | O | U | T | ||
| B | U | L | L | P | E | N | O | B | E | D | I | E | N | T | O | L | E | |||
| A | S | T | I | E | S | P | N | M | I | N | B | E | A | K | E | R | ||||
| K | E | T | O | N | E | T | O | N | G | U | E | L | A | T | S | |||||
| C | A | M | E | T | O | N | O | T | H | I | N | G | S | A | H | L | ||||
| A | L | O | H | A | O | E | E | T | S | G | E | N | E | S | I | S | ||||
| R | E | S | E | L | L | G | U | L | L | B | A | O | H | T | T | P | S | |||
| D | U | A | L | L | E | T | M | E | D | O | W | N | A | S | I | A | ||||
| S | T | I | L | L | O | R | E | B | U | N | K | S | I | R | E | N | S | |||
| S | C | I | E | N | C | E | C | O | E | J | U | M | B | L | E | S | ||||
| T | O | O | K | W | O | U | L | D | N | E | V | E | R | F | L | Y | ||||
| T | H | A | I | T | E | N | H | U | T | R | E | L | A | T | E | |||||
| H | U | S | S | A | R | A | I | R | M | E | W | L | A | P | P | S | ||||
| E | M | U | B | E | A | T | T | I | M | E | O | S | H | K | O | S | H | |||
| M | I | S | S | E | D | T | H | E | C | U | T | O | S | H | A | L | Y | E | ||
| A | D | U | E | A | R | A | L | D | I | D | T | H | E | T | R | I | C | K | ||
| G | O | A | T | M | I | N | I | S | E | N | I | O | R | A | C | H | E | |||
| I | R | L | E | A | S | E | R | A | S | T | A | P | E | E | L |
Q: So Brad, tell me, is this puzzle autobiographical in any way?
A: Do you mean, like, did I ever do jello shots on Marine One with Katie Couric and Orson Bean? No, but it sounds like fun.
Q: No, I mean the whole dating thing. I'm assuming, just based on your personality, you've been in a lot of failed relationships.
A: I wouldn't say a lot. I did date a ski racer briefly, but she went downhill fast. Then there was this cute limbo dancer. I really liked her.
Q: What happened there?
A: She went belly up.
Q: Kind of like your puzzle. A flop.
A: Art imitates life I guess. Or is it life imitates art? I forget.
Q: Honestly, I really wish you'd do something more creative with your puzzles, like the Times usually does. Shakespeare quotes that contain anagrams of breakfast cereals, a connect-the-dots picture of Gandhi — anything? C'mon man.
A: Well, I did have "PEP" in this one. Upper right corner. It's a palindrome — the same spelled forwards AND backwards. Pretty cool.
Q: And you have "KETONE" at 42 across. What the heck is that?
A: Not sure. But it did fit quite nicely there.
Q: [Sigh]
A: What about you — how's your love life going?
Q: If you must know, I had been dating this Marxist professor. Kind, intelligent, funny — and totally hot. But I just broke up with him.
A: Why?
Q: He just wasn't right.
A: Maybe it's for the best.
| D | O | C | S | C | A | B | A | C | H | E | S | T | E | R | M | S | ||||
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| R | E | M | I | G | E | T | A | K | I | C | K | O | U | T | O | F | Y | O | U | |
| I | R | E | M | I | T | E | R | S | T | A | P | L | E | R | S | |||||
| C | A | R | R | Y | T | H | A | T | W | E | I | G | H | T | H | E | R | E | S | |
| H | A | I | O | A | T | A | X | L | E | E | R | A | ||||||||
| C | O | C | O | T | C | E | L | L | R | E | G | A | T | T | A | |||||
| H | U | R | T | S | S | O | G | O | O | D | P | U | S | H | I | T | ||||
| U | S | E | P | U | P | A | E | T | O | M | S | S | K | E | E | T | ||||
| M | E | W | E | V | E | R | T | F | I | N | A | L | E | A | S | Y | ||||
| I | W | A | N | N | A | B | E | S | E | D | A | T | E | D | ||||||
| U | S | P | S | T | E | P | I | D | E | E | L | E | D | Z | A | P | ||||
| R | E | A | L | M | O | R | S | O | A | D | O | R | E | O | D | E | ||||
| S | C | R | E | A | M | I | M | C | O | M | I | N | G | O | U | T | ||||
| A | T | A | T | R | O | T | D | E | N | C | H | M | A | L | E | |||||
| G | N | U | A | L | T | A | A | N | A | A | N | T | ||||||||
| A | M | E | B | A | B | A | B | Y | O | N | E | M | O | R | E | T | I | M | E | |
| C | A | N | A | R | I | E | S | A | B | U | T | S | M | O | T | |||||
| T | H | E | K | I | D | S | A | R | E | A | L | R | I | G | H | T | A | V | A | |
| S | E | R | E | N | E | M | A | R | R | Y | T | A | R | O | L | I | P | |||
| R | O | S | E | S | I | T | S | M | E | S | T | O | P | S | E | E |
Q: So Brad, tell us about your latest puzzle. Why the childbirth theme?
A: Well, I just love babies. They're such great people — so down-to-earth and thoughtful. So I figured, why not a puzzle honoring all the infants out there who work so selflessly to enrich their parents' lives.
Q: But isn't this a Mother's Day puzzle?
A: I guess you could see it that way, since the Times changed the title from "Labor Day Concert" to "Mother's Day Concert." And that's fine. But to me, I believe the children are our future, as Whitney Houston taught us.
Q: You dedicated the puzzle to your mom though.
A: Yes, I did. Hi Mom! If you're reading this, you still owe me fifty bucks.
Q: Let's shift gears. How did you pick the songs for this puzzle?
A: That was tough. There are so many great songs about childbirth. "Stand and Deliver" by Adam Ant. "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix-a-Lot. And more recently, "Despacito," which I understand means "obstetrician" in Spanish.
Q: Any regrets about doing a crossword that makes light of the hardships of pregnancy and labor?
A: There is one song/clue I kind of regret not including: "Greeting to expectant Mom who just bought some new maternity clothes? [Peggy Lee 1966]"
Q: I'm afraid to ask. . . . OK, what's the answer?
A: "Hey Big Spender."
Q: I think it's best you left that one out.
Thanks to Carol and Theresa, my favorite moms!
| T | R | E | B | E | K | V | A | L | I | S | E | S | D | E | B | O | N | E | ||
| O | H | I | O | A | N | I | M | A | L | O | N | E | E | P | I | P | E | N | ||
| L | E | N | T | T | O | B | A | R | E | L | Y | M | A | N | A | G | I | N | G | |
| L | A | S | T | S | E | E | S | V | A | I | L | W | E | E | ||||||
| O | B | S | E | S | S | I | V | E | S | L | E | E | T | |||||||
| B | L | A | M | E | O | N | M | A | N | Y | M | O | O | N | S | A | G | O | ||
| L | A | D | L | E | S | T | H | A | T | T | O | O | N | O | T | Y | E | T | ||
| A | N | D | E | S | R | O | E | G | D | R | A | G | S | L | E | I | ||||
| D | A | I | S | R | A | W | R | E | C | R | U | I | T | S | W | O | K | S | ||
| E | I | N | S | T | E | I | N | H | A | D | A | T | F | I | R | S | ||||
| P | E | N | N | O | P | I | N | E | E | T | O | N | ||||||||
| R | E | I | N | B | E | R | E | T | S | M | I | R | N | O | F | F | ||||
| E | A | S | T | C | O | M | I | C | S | T | R | I | P | S | I | L | E | R | ||
| R | I | C | L | E | W | I | S | A | I | N | T | I | N | D | I | E | ||||
| I | N | A | B | I | T | L | I | V | E | M | A | S | E | N | G | I | N | E | ||
| E | X | P | O | S | U | R | E | T | I | M | E | C | L | O | S | E | T | S | ||
| E | C | A | S | H | S | O | R | E | P | O | I | N | T | |||||||
| A | P | E | E | S | T | A | L | U | S | T | R | E | A | L | ||||||
| F | U | L | L | Y | R | E | C | O | V | E | R | E | D | I | C | E | A | X | E | |
| I | T | A | L | I | A | A | R | I | S | I | N | G | S | E | A | S | O | N | ||
| T | O | N | I | N | G | R | E | S | T | D | A | Y | T | O | K | E | N | S |
Q: So Brad, tell me, how long have you been obsessed with nudity?
A: Thanks for that question. I'm actually more prude than nudist. I keep my clothes on at all times. Even in the shower.
Q: Interesting. So why the puzzle au naturel then?
A: It was an act of desperation. I wasn't having much luck getting published. After a bazillion submissions, I thought: so many great artists throughout history featured naked people in their work. If Michelangelo could get the Sistine Chapel gig by painting a lot of nudes, maybe I could do the same in the New York Times crossword. It worked!
Q: With all due respect, Brad, you're no Michelangelo. Your naked jokes are lame, and your fill isn't colorful.
A: Well, I do have RAINBOW at 51-Down. So there's that.
Q: The one thing I loved about your puzzle was the title: "Crossword Buff." Clever!
A: Yeah, that was from the Times' staff. My original title was "Altogether Now."
Q: I don't get it.
A: Exactly.
Q: I have to be honest. The contrast between your puzzle and the amazing stuff the Times usually publishes is pretty stark.
A: Oh, I get it — stark! Like stark naked. Good one! You mean my puzzle is em-bare-ass-ing?
Q: Awful. This interview's over.
A: Why? You gotta take off? Get it? Take off?
Q: [Sigh]
Thanks to Kim and Steve for doing my puzzles!