Garrett Chalfin author page
8 puzzles by Garrett Chalfin
with Constructor comments
See the 52 answer words debuted by Garrett Chalfin.
| E | G | O | S | H | E | A | R | A | W | E | D | |||
| L | E | S | B | I | A | N | B | A | R | R | O | M | E | |
| F | R | I | E | N | D | D | A | T | E | M | O | A | N | |
| H | A | R | D | E | N | S | I | D | E | K | I | T | ||
| A | L | I | S | O | C | H | O | R | O | I | L | S | ||
| T | D | S | B | O | O | N | O | F | E | E | ||||
| B | O | O | M | R | O | A | S | T | E | D | ||||
| W | A | R | M | F | U | Z | Z | I | E | S | ||||
| C | R | I | S | P | Y | B | A | C | O | N | ||||
| B | E | L | C | H | W | A | N | L | O | S | ||||
| B | R | A | S | H | Z | E | A | L | L | O | R | E | ||
| O | A | K | T | A | I | L | I | M | O | V | I | E | ||
| O | D | I | N | S | P | O | O | N | E | R | I | S | M | |
| T | I | N | S | A | P | P | L | E | T | I | N | I | S | |
| Y | O | G | A | Y | E | E | S | H | G | T | O |
| D | R | O | P | L | A | V | A | S | A | T | A | Y | ||
| R | O | V | E | I | W | I | N | P | R | E | G | O | ||
| A | P | A | R | T | M | E | N | T | I | T | C | H | Y | |
| M | E | L | H | I | D | E | S | N | I | H | A | O | ||
| A | S | S | O | R | T | S | A | S | S | |||||
| P | I | S | A | A | L | L | T | A | L | K | ||||
| A | V | R | I | L | T | A | L | E | E | V | E | R | ||
| F | I | E | L | I | E | D | O | W | N | V | I | I | ||
| A | C | A | I | S | A | S | H | A | B | Y | S | S | ||
| R | E | D | C | E | N | T | A | B | R | A | ||||
| M | E | L | T | A | N | D | H | O | W | |||||
| A | C | U | R | A | B | L | I | N | I | A | Y | E | ||
| P | O | S | I | T | L | O | O | K | A | L | I | V | E | |
| O | P | I | N | E | O | A | T | S | O | K | E | D | ||
| P | E | C | K | S | B | D | A | Y | G | U | Y | S |
| R | A | P | T | T | G | I | F | A | P | B | S | |||
| A | C | A | I | W | O | V | E | S | W | E | A | T | ||
| P | E | P | E | L | E | P | E | W | T | E | R | R | Y | |
| I | D | A | E | R | O | S | M | I | D | S | T | |||
| D | I | Y | T | K | O | L | O | L | E | R | A | |||
| S | T | A | S | H | F | A | I | R | T | R | I | A | L | |
| P | A | D | D | A | D | E | D | Y | S | |||||
| P | A | L | I | N | D | R | O | M | E | S | ||||
| O | D | E | S | S | O | O | R | A | D | |||||
| O | N | E | M | O | M | E | N | T | T | Y | P | O | S | |
| O | A | K | P | A | L | W | I | Z | R | U | E | |||
| B | A | S | A | L | K | E | N | O | E | T | C | |||
| G | A | B | O | R | F | L | A | S | H | S | A | L | E | |
| I | N | O | U | T | D | E | K | E | A | C | I | D | ||
| S | K | O | R | R | E | S | T | W | H | E | E |
| S | A | L | A | D | B | A | R | I | R | A | |||||
| C | R | I | M | E | R | I | N | G | C | R | U | X | |||
| O | P | T | I | C | A | L | A | R | T | P | O | R | N | O | |
| W | E | E | L | A | S | S | O | H | C | O | M | E | O | N | |
| G | R | A | D | S | S | U | R | E | S | I | G | N | S | ||
| A | G | A | T | E | C | A | P | U | L | E | T | S | |||
| S | I | R | E | C | O | L | D | P | L | A | Y | ||||
| S | O | Y | C | A | R | S | A | L | E | S | P | A | M | ||
| T | O | P | R | A | T | E | D | W | E | N | T | ||||
| R | I | P | T | I | D | E | S | D | A | R | I | N | |||
| F | L | A | T | S | O | D | A | S | F | I | R | M | S | ||
| L | U | T | H | E | R | A | N | P | A | S | T | I | E | S | |
| A | I | R | E | S | S | C | O | U | T | M | O | T | T | O | |
| N | G | O | S | E | A | R | W | A | R | M | E | R | |||
| K | I | D | R | E | A | L | N | E | A | T |
| S | O | D | P | L | U | M | B | A | H | E | M | A | H | A | ||||||
| E | G | O | T | E | A | S | E | R | R | I | P | E | R | D | U | A | L | |||
| A | R | E | H | A | D | A | G | O | O | D | T | I | M | E | U | R | S | A | ||
| L | E | S | U | R | L | A | R | E | A | C | O | D | E | M | A | P | S | |||
| W | O | N | E | A | T | D | I | R | T | R | A | N | D | |||||||
| F | E | N | D | L | I | E | O | N | D | A | D | G | U | M | I | T | ||||
| D | O | L | C | E | G | L | E | N | N | S | O | B | A | M | E | N | U | |||
| E | L | L | E | R | B | E | E | H | E | L | I | O | C | P | R | |||||
| B | I | B | S | E | R | G | E | L | E | E | R | E | R | S | H | U | N | |||
| T | O | Y | S | A | M | E | X | C | A | R | D | S | S | P | A | T | S | |||
| P | H | D | S | P | O | U | N | D | S | A | A | G | ||||||||
| L | M | F | A | O | D | E | A | D | S | E | T | O | N | A | C | E | S | |||
| O | I | L | A | S | S | O | R | T | S | D | E | P | T | H | O | R | A | |||
| A | M | Y | G | A | M | U | T | C | H | I | A | S | M | U | S | |||||
| F | I | E | F | L | A | S | S | S | A | C | H | S | P | U | M | P | S | |||
| S | C | R | I | B | B | L | E | G | E | N | I | I | P | R | A | T | ||||
| R | E | A | L | D | E | V | I | S | E | S | Y | E | N | |||||||
| I | N | D | I | A | N | A | J | O | N | E | S | A | N | N | D | I | P | |||
| T | E | E | N | D | R | A | G | O | N | T | A | T | T | O | O | I | K | E | ||
| Z | I | N | G | O | M | N | I | A | O | N | V | I | E | W | N | E | T | |||
| A | N | T | S | E | E | N | N | O | S | E | S | G | A | S |
| A | W | E | S | C | O | M | A | B | A | R | R | E | ||
| T | A | M | E | O | N | U | S | I | D | E | A | L | ||
| W | H | I | P | P | E | T | S | T | I | A | R | A | ||
| A | O | L | S | T | E | A | M | O | P | E | N | |||
| R | O | Y | A | L | W | E | S | P | A | S | ||||
| P | O | W | E | R | S | U | P | P | L | Y | ||||
| T | E | S | T | R | I | D | E | E | A | U | ||||
| R | A | P | D | I | S | C | D | A | M | A | S | K | ||
| A | C | L | A | I | R | F | A | R | E | S | ||||
| P | H | I | L | I | P | P | I | N | E | S | ||||
| T | O | R | A | H | N | O | W | T | H | E | N | |||
| E | M | P | L | O | Y | E | E | S | E | R | A | |||
| S | E | E | I | N | F | L | I | P | P | A | N | T | ||
| S | T | A | T | E | T | I | S | H | A | V | I | A | ||
| A | S | S | A | D | Y | E | T | I | R | E | E | L |
AK: I got to know Garrett last year in my American studies course at Riverdale Country School in The Bronx. Yes, Garrett was a terrific student, but he proved to be an even better crossword constructor.
GC: It was so cool to be in the classroom with Mr. Kingsley, a constructor I'd always admired. That class will always hold a special place in my heart, and Mr. Kingsley was a great and entertaining teacher (… except for the one time I fell asleep in the front row, sorry!)
AK: The inspiration for this specific puzzle came after I had cooked split pea soup for the first time. I discovered that what makes split pea taste so good is the pound of bacon the recipe requires. I approached Garrett with the theme idea, and it came together quite quickly. This is my second puzzle that looks like it has rotational symmetry but doesn't. I guess that's my thing now.
GC: While I'm sad to be leaving Riverdale, I'm off to The University of Chicago in the fall and am delighted to join an ever-growing community of crossword constructors (hi, Josh Kindler and Katherine Baicker!). When Mr. Kingsley and I started working together last year, we set a goal to get published in the NYT before I graduated, and I'm happy to say — with three weeks to spare — mission accomplished! Oh, and happy birthday, Mom!
| T | H | A | W | S | P | R | O | O | F | S | G | A | B | I | S | L | E | |||
| L | O | V | I | N | L | A | P | T | O | P | A | C | E | F | O | O | D | |||
| C | H | I | L | I | F | A | C | T | O | R | Y | S | T | R | A | Y | D | O | G | |
| O | D | D | D | U | C | K | H | I | P | P | I | E | B | O | O | T | Y | |||
| G | E | N | E | S | C | E | N | E | S | A | L | U | M | S | ||||||
| B | R | I | S | K | R | E | O | R | G | S | S | L | E | W | ||||||
| P | O | I | N | T | Y | O | U | T | I | E | T | I | L | I | S | L | A | |||
| A | G | O | G | R | I | L | L | N | O | S | Y | B | E | S | T | I | E | |||
| M | O | T | E | L | A | N | I | B | A | S | S | L | A | H | I | R | I | |||
| R | E | S | T | S | L | R | S | U | F | O | S | L | A | O | ||||||
| C | D | S | S | W | E | E | T | I | E | T | R | E | A | T | Y | L | S | U | ||
| R | E | P | L | I | S | P | M | A | Y | A | T | S | A | I | ||||||
| O | L | L | I | E | S | S | P | E | D | T | I | C | S | T | R | E | P | |||
| W | H | I | N | Y | S | T | O | R | Y | E | T | N | A | C | A | R | L | |||
| S | I | T | S | A | N | T | C | R | A | F | T | Y | F | A | I | R | Y | |||
| T | A | R | T | A | L | A | S | N | O | H | A | N | D | S | ||||||
| C | H | I | N | A | S | L | O | P | E | S | L | E | N | T | ||||||
| P | H | O | N | Y | B | O | O | K | I | E | H | E | A | T | H | E | R | |||
| L | O | G | C | A | B | I | N | T | E | S | T | Y | G | R | O | U | P | I | E | |
| E | R | A | T | I | N | N | E | S | T | A | D | O | D | R | E | S | S | |||
| D | E | N | S | S | K | Y | R | H | Y | M | E | S | S | T | E | E | P |
So nice to be back for puzzle #2!! After a few single sound change submissions didn't work out, I got the idea to double down (literally!) for one last attempt. Once I started getting some amusing results (especially SWEETIE TREATY) I knew this one had a chance to go the distance. Big thanks to Christina Iverson for sticking with me through a couple of theme revisions and my co-counselors, Alex and Alex, for keeping me company when I wrote this grid's first draft. Here's hoping this one was nice and ease … e!
Clues I was excited to see survive the edit:
- [Not a big Mac?] for LAPTOP
- [I'm toast!] for BREAD
- And, of course, [___ Park, home to the University of Chicago] for HYDE
Themers I was sad to leave on the cutting room floor:
- [Like a memorable moment?] for SELFIE WORTHY
- [Sign for a spooky broadway show?] for EERIE MARQUEE
Lastly, echoing Adam Wagner's note from a little while back: this puzzle was accepted ~2.5 months ago; that Sunday queue is short! If you're a new constructor with a Sunday theme you like, I'd encourage you to grid it up — you've got a shot!
| B | O | O | E | D | E | L | S | A | R | A | F | A | ||
| M | A | T | E | Y | V | O | O | M | A | M | E | X | ||
| W | H | O | L | E | B | E | A | N | C | O | F | F | E | E |
| S | U | E | V | E | N | M | O | H | T | M | L | |||
| W | A | L | K | F | A | Y | E | |||||||
| C | A | R | E | T | O | E | L | A | B | O | R | A | T | E |
| L | E | A | D | W | E | E | S | U | S | S | E | X | ||
| I | I | I | L | I | L | A | N | I | ||||||
| N | O | S | T | R | A | C | O | P | I | D | O | L | ||
| G | U | E | R | I | L | L | A | W | A | R | F | A | R | E |
| O | S | L | O | P | I | E | S | |||||||
| T | R | U | E | L | W | O | R | D | U | S | E | |||
| T | H | E | P | R | I | C | E | I | S | R | I | G | H | T |
| S | A | N | E | D | A | R | N | U | R | G | E | S | ||
| K | I | T | S | S | T | E | T | M | E | S | S | Y |
I'm a rising high school senior at Riverdale Country School in New York City. It's beyond an honor to have today's puzzle!
I'm not certain, but I'm pretty sure I thought of this theme on a Sunday night while I was sitting on the red chair in my living room trying not to do my homework, although, admittedly, that's how I come up with most of my puzzles. I sent this grid in with a bit of trepidation — since I know a hidden word theme is a tough sell these days — I was so happily surprised when the team told me this one was going to be a yes.
I want to thank the editing team, especially Wyna Liu and Tracy Bennett, for giving me kind and thoughtful feedback on my puzzles. Most of all, thank you to Andrew Kingsley for being the best cruciverbal partner-in-crime (and English teacher!) in potentially the history of cruciverbal partners-in-crime. Collaborating with him has made me the crossword constructor I am today, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Andrew and I have some cool stuff in the works, so hopefully, you'll see us under the bright lights sometime soon.
Happy solving!