This web browser is not supported. Use Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox for best results.

David Kwong author page

23 puzzles by David Kwong
with Jim Horne comments

TotalDebutLatestCollabs
234/1/20064/18/20245
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
4234721
RebusCircleScrabblePGramFresh
531.59245%
David Kwong
Puzzles constructed by David Kwong by year
Thu 4/18/2024
AIDPLUMESMAW
PSIDEFUNCTCFO
ELECTIONDAYCON
SAGAROMPAUG
MOTHEROFPEARL
SOLESALT
ASHAHEADINON
SEARIVIERAEWE
KITSEMBERYET
CUSPRIAN
THECRETANBULL
AOLRISEMOOS
SKIASTARISBORN
AYNPOETICAMRI
POGNESTEDSET

Parse 63 Across as A STAR IS B OR N to make sense of the asterisk clues.

  • 17-Across is Ballot time
  • 23-Across is Nacre on the ocean floor
  • 40-Across is Nice is found on it
  • 53-Across is Bovid of Greek mythology.
  • 10-Down is Bassist in a foursome
  • 32-Down is Nascent stage for a bird

A bovid is a member of the cattle family. Cows, buffaloes, and antelopes are bovids

POW Thu 3/23/2023
SIRESHERBHAD
TRACYCANOEELI
OOCOMMANDERRCA
DDEPARKSADMAN
ETALSTRIPE
WISDOMOFTHEOOO
ATEAMLAUD
STEMGROOTTATA
CODAARABS
THEEASTINDIAOO
SHERYLBOHO
PEDALNIOBERAE
ENGOOOSOURCING
ABESNEAKEASYA
RADEDDYDREAD
Sun 9/6/2020 COULD YOU REPEAT THAT NUMBER?
STRAPTOMBSROPESIAN
IRINAORIONEXERTRBI
LOFTSMANGAVIRGOELL
ONESELFGERIDALANES
YOUONLYLIVETWICE
ODSSPREESBASIEECO
VEEIDEDAILOLDSAWS
UNSEENWIZLAUREL
LITTLEBROWNANDCOMPANY
AREASLICITEWOKS
ROTSONOHEPASIS
SPASMBUILTCLINT
TINKERTOEVERSTOCHANCE
OMEARASNLAUSTIN
INERTIALIECAMPATT
ODESTIEGTOBOOTXES
INTERCONTINENTAL
GENOAIRTREGKEROUAC
RTESOFIAABASESUNRA
ITSEULERMAMIEASIAN
NASDREDDPRESSLETBE

The best thing about TINKER TO EVERS TO CHANCE is that it reminds us of the glorious phrase, gonfalon bubble.

Thu 9/19/2019
ASSARABSMADMN
LAHGOPROABODE
ONOAMRICANCRIM
NTWTAINTACA
GAMOFTHRONES
ASPIREALLFOR
ANTSILOSORCA
SIAHOMLANDACT
ATTATENORUAE
PAELLADROIDS
PANTOMIMQUIZ
AFTSTARSLOE
PRIMTIMEMMYENS
PERILSOFIANET
STORYTSARSTDS
Sun 2/17/2019 TRIVIAL MATTERS
MADESODAPARMJARS
IBETCHRISTENDOMAMAT
ALWAYSHASFOLIAGEPIMA
TAIPEIPOMESULYANOV
AZTECEVERALLINONE
SETCIVILVANOPERAS
OHMANAPINGWES
MOCKHENSTATESEA
ENOLASOWSELMVSOP
TRUANTSLEDAIAMITLL
HIGHSCHOOLSECRETCODE
OCHOMOILACEERITREA
DEEMOLECOLSMOIST
DANPRETTYINRATS
SOBUMASSNOISY
ARMOURMATRELETWKS
CHOOSEUPBOWLAGAIN
CORNEASTIMONINESSE
EDGEDELAWARENICKNAME
SEARSTAYINALIVEUBER
SSNSOPENTYPESITS

The Will Shortz era at the NYT started with a memorable color rebus crossword. We have a list of the other color rebus puzzles here.

Mr. Kwong gave a popular TED Talk in 2014 that had an amazing tie-in to this crossword. Does today's have some connection to his current NY show?

Wed 12/27/2017
RBIWHOALADIES
ARMAUDIAVENGE
GAGORDERBODEGA
TNOTEWIENER
ADOTATALLTEL
GODOFLOVESHIVA
FINENOBAIL
MISPLAYCOROLLA
OPERASAONE
JANETAGNESGREY
ODDSWEETAIDE
CACHESBRAGS
CHATTYADDERLEY
GASTROGAYETRE
INHALFOMENOSS
POW Wed 6/28/2017
UDDERASTIFLOP
NUEVOSCOWRIDE
HOWIWISHNATALIE
IMACVEENEUTER
PORTMANDATED
ENTLYSARP
ALAINIDOEVEL
JACQUESCOUSTEAU
ARESLYECARPS
RADSSNGPA
SOICOULDCALL
MCLEANUNEARLO
THEMPORTMANTEAU
GIGIRUDEBEAMS
SASSETONASSAY
Thu 6/23/2016
PEDIELLENSOAP
ALECNEARSINGA
ROBERTFORAPPLES
ENTREATSOHYES
INITHALO
PENELOPEPINCH
YORKEROLESHEM
ERASJIBESMELD
WETLOGONSARIS
DOROTHYMATRIX
ERSTIRAS
UPPEDARMYBASE
SYLVESTERASAFOX
ERIEAIREDREFI
DOESLEONASWAT
Tue 5/10/2016
ABCSCLOWNINSO
HAHAAEGISSEER
SLAVEARLWEAVER
CTASKEDDIAS
JOHNJAYDADAS
INANERTONYHAWK
MYMANSAABNSA
HARTCRANE
ENSOUISOASES
TOMSWIFTMORALE
CREPEBIRDMAN
ILEAMOOGRAP
PETERFINCHURSA
AGEDELECTMIEN
WADSNOSEYSADO
Mon 4/4/2016
GOPADMITSHIM
ONAONASSISACE
TETWAYNEKNIGHT
TRAILISWEAR
CLEARSIGNINTO
SURFTASSEL
PISTOLHEATLAMP
AGOREFCNNNOR
NINEBALLGASTRO
BEFAIRHIED
TODOPLAYBILLS
OHIOANNUOVA
BACKCOUNTRYBAD
ERECARPETSODE
YESTHIRDSROW
POW Thu 12/17/2015
TWANGYABROGATE
SECURENONRIGID
PRIDEANDPREJUDD
EDENOYSGOADS
AASFOE
CANDDBERGENMAW
ARBORSURNCODE
LUAUASSOCAXLE
IBETLAHESPIED
FARBODDRIPPERS
AIMONE
STINKPDAEACH
LONGISLANDDDTEA
INCENSEDTSURIS
TSARINASSTELLA
Thu 11/12/2015
SCIATICOSMOSIS
OOMPHPHFLIPPNT
IMPLODEARSENIO
LEEEELINN
SSRLASALLESKY
SAMPECKINPH
KNOWNOTHINGPRTY
NINARONLIRA
OKAYPANDAPCER
BELGYESLEON
AHIUMA
PLIMONYPNACEAS
SALESDEPRTMENTS
SPYTINYTIMSPT
ETASASSILYERS
Fri 3/27/2015
BIGMACREPEALS
ENRICOOPENSUP
ALAMORTLEADSTO
TABERNACLECHOIR
STSNEBOHORSE
MIALINPUTTS
ENTITESISS
UTAHSTATE
ISAATMSSHH
TASESOASHOI
IPODSGRIMASP
LATTERDAYSAINTS
STOOLIESTINKAT
IONBEAMENCAGE
TWEEDLEDEARER
Tue 3/18/2014
BADCOBBSMART
ALIAPARACOMER
BURGLARALITALY
AMTOOITAOTIS
GENTDISTRICT
BOOBOOCHAO
CUPRNACLOGS
AFAREWELLTOARMS
DFLATBIOCAW
TCBYMRBEAN
DEATHWEDOVER
ERIEISABEAST
ERODESNAKECHER
RELOSITSOTERI
EDINAREINMAP
POW Thu 10/31/2013
WOLFMANNAMFLOW
INUTEROARIGATO
MONSTERRETSNOM
PREMIUMNATDEB
IMPMISER
SKATEVIANOTSO
LOCHJARJSBACH
OATATRIACAY
GLOSSYORBEINE
SARAHARKPUTTS
DIALSSAG
ACCABUINSECTS
PHANTOMMOTNAHP
EASESINSWEEPEA
DRACULA

Puzzles with blanks in the solution are very rare. The only Shortz-era precedent is this 2006 puzzle by Pete Muller. Charles Deber had a similar idea exactly 25 years ago in this 1988 crossword edited by Eugene Maleska.

I named this my puzzle of the year for 2013.

Fri 5/3/2013
YIDDISHAIRMAIL
ARIANNACLEANSE
WISHFULDRINKING
ENBLOCEYETESTS
DAEKFCDAG
LAEAAHOSHA
TWITTERFOLLOWER
ONETOGOPAYDIRT
SEVENOFDIAMONDS
STENFENENG
DETAGOFUR
TRIAXIALWINONA
MIDNIGHTINPARIS
ELECTRADESPITE
NEMESESORESTES
Wed 4/11/2012
HENCEHOPSQUID
ALOHAENTOUNDO
MILITARYASSAULT
ATICTEXAIMEE
SEEKOUTATTN
LABORPROTEST
PLAITISONBIB
LENTCASEYFATS
ENERAREBUYUP
BOWLINGSCORE
OLEOANALYZE
ADAGEARCLOAM
NOJOYINMUDVILLE
OLAFDOESINKER
SERFARNOMESSY
Sun 1/24/2010 ABRIDGED EDITION
CCLAMPFONTIGLUTBONES
FLORIOOMOOTRIPABSENT
LAWNBOWLINGSOCIALCHAIR
ARLOREDSEAEVENSOALDA
TOYSMAPSSALETINSESP
LANAISIFSHASTA
ORIGINGOULDZENAMI
RENALFENCEPSATAPICES
BEDSIDESHIDALGOSHEETS
SLOTALOEARNEPOESCAG
AIRDATEADAMANCYAPT
HASPSMADMAGAZINEALPES
OSHSWANSONGENDLATE
STEPINDTIEDXBOXSHOE
POKEATBEETREDOVERHAND
SPENDSAURACOMTEOARED
LAMARRBADATRUNDRY
LATKESLRIROBOT
TANNOELTERAAMASBTEN
ULEEPLIERSPATRIARAVE
NEWSCHANNELSCHOOLPAPER
ARETHAESAIENOWICHIRO
STRAITDEKESENSEBERTS

Click here to see how the empty grid appears in print and here to see the folded answers. I did an extended interview with the constructors for Wordplay.

Here is how to parse the long answers: FOLD PAGE SO A AND B ARE LINED UP IN THE TOP AND BOTTOM ROWS. The A and B refer to the only As and Bs in the top and bottom rows of the grid. In Mad Magazine, you had to fold the page so that A matched up to B above and below the drawing. When this puzzle is folded the highlighted answers reveal more things that fold.

Mon 2/16/2009
PLIECIGARBLAM
ROSYOMEGAREPO
IRAEKARATOXEN
SNAPDECISION
MACAOPONTIFF
TRAPSMETER
CRACKLEWAREILE
ROTHPRIDEOSLO
EMOPOPMUSICIAN
DANTESETAT
ONEARTHMULTI
RICEKRISPIES
QTIPELIOTLENO
ESAILINDAETON
DONTLOGESTORE
Tue 7/29/2008
BOGIEKIAPECOS
EARNSNONTIARA
THEDECENTGATSBY
HUGELEEZAHESS
ELOMAE
GOODBARRIERREEF
UPNSKEINCORAL
EROSSHARPRITA
SANYOATESTCUR
THENOTBADESCAPE
OPEUKR
MOWNRIGIDARAL
OKAYBALLSOFFIRE
PRIMEKENITALO
SALSASETNYLON
Sun 2/18/2007 MAGIC WORDS
TBONEMUIRAEONSSLED
AARONATNORELEECOPA
ETATSREFSGREATBRAIN
BITINGCROSBYOPULENCE
ONECARORIOLESPEE
ERESNOENDSUNOCO
DEADLYSITINVIIEULA
UNSSTLOSHORTCIRCUS
RENEWSOONAIKMANHET
ARETHASLAINANTI
NOWYOUSEEITNOWYOUDONT
MODELEACHERENOW
SHAPIRATEHEILNOTSO
SUNVISITORSASEAHIP
RANIFARHUNTINGPERM
SCENEVBARONSOIR
ETALHORSESDROWSE
AREYOUOKONEARMEDBAND
TITANLINESATTAELSAS
ASTRTREATTMANRETIE
TEEDSEERSSESSSMELL

David Kwong who co-constructed Magic Words is a working magician.

Wed 2/7/2007
EPEECAROLPATS
SARAACELAROAN
QWERTYUIOPOLIO
UNCLESDROOP
ESTERASDFGHJKL
SILLHEELS
DINSAIDAATSEA
RNAZXCVBNMTIT
ANGLEEDENSSNS
NIGERTESH
KEYBOARDSPEARL
ASSHESURREY
JOANTYPEWRITER
ARNOAMOREFILE
WRENRETIEFESS
Sat 4/1/2006
HOSETADIRONON
IKESORRSEEMTO
TALSSENATESEAT
OPLACETOGO
NITAAHLOGICAL
SOARANIASAMI
CELENAMORED
OUTSIDETHEBOX
ENLISTEDABA
WEAVENYCARNO
ERNESTOOILOMI
OVERFLOWET
DREAMWORKSFARS
EILEENMEAFITI
ECHOESARYSTAN

The secret to solving this puzzle is to THINK outside the box. Write that word outside each corner and it all makes sense. See answers below.

An interesting counterpart was published a few weeks earlier.

XWord Info Home
XWord Info © 2007-2024, Jim Horne
96 ms