Jessica Zetzman author page

This puzzle is a lot like parenting — no ME time. Trying to remember the trick was frustrating (also like parenting), but I resolved to find each and every one of them (warning: Dad Joke alert), even if it killed ME.

Perfect puzzle for haters of the ME generation; ME removed from regular entries to form equally valid entries. Twelve times! I like symmetry, especially for thematic entries, but that's near impossible when you're trying to pack in such an immense quantity.

ME is a common bigram, and there are a ton of possibilities (try our Replacement Finder). Crosswords should genreally feature long theme entries, but there isn't much to choose from that's both long and surprising. Something like ARE YOU KIDDING ME to ARE YOU KIDDING … I'm sure many solvers would ask, are you kidding me?!

Because the base phrase isn't clued, it can be confusing to use a multi-word entry. I love CON GAMES to CONGAS and COME HERE to COHERE because of the space changes, but I can see how some solvers would stare at the unclued CONGAMES and never understand how the wool got pulled over their eyes.

Splitting up a revealer is a reasonable choice, especially when it can be perfectly halved. I don't mind LEAVE ME and OUT OF IT not residing in symmetrical spots, especially since they're at the bottom of the puzzle, delaying the revealing moment. Putting the second half first is so inelegant, though. I'm sure it worked out best this way due to the fortuitous intersection of OUT OF IT and IM HOME, but there are better presentations available.

Although the overall solving experience came across as somewhat haphazard, there are a lot of interesting finds, like MENORAH to NORAH and IM HOME to IMHO.

I sadly don't have time these days to play contract bridge, but I spend an embarrassing amount of time thinking about it. And then thinking some more. So I was elated today, seeing that the world had rolled back a century to the Golden Era of contract bridge when everyone would know that the revealer was JUMP RAISE!

Not only did I misguess the revealer, but a bridge jump raise goes up at least two levels, not just one.

As my old bridge partner often says, I should have passed.

Super clean puzzle, the co-constructors showing more finesse than me. The only place I bid out of tempo was at K-TURN. I've only known this as a "three-point turn," but seeing the Wikipedia illustration, I can imagine it as a K ... with some squinting.

Given the grid's silky-smoothness, I'd like to see if some color could be injected for minor costs. It is difficult to grid around themers that shift levels, but I'm sure there are some 76-word layouts that would allow for more bonuses. This is especially important for the non-card-playing solvers out there.

Although there's not much snazziness in the phrases — typically, themes need to carry more zing than only PIE CHARTS — it's a solid concept that works as a literal interpretation of JUMPSUITS.

You're breaking my heart! Literally, HEART in the middle of THE ART OF WAR, separating by one square at a time. I appreciate the extra layer, helping to elevate this from the standard "hidden words" pack.

Great theme phrases, too. HEAD FOR THE HILLS almost felt related, referring to the eternal struggle between the HEAD and HEART. It's been a minute since I've heard IN THE AIR TONIGHT, but the tune snapped right back.

I'm hoping that the earworm will head for the hills soon.

Like Kim mentioned, I would have loved for the final themer to have the HEART broken further to the right, completing a progression from NW to SE. I was surprised to find that there are few possibilities for that last one. Couldn't find anything that was 15 letters, but WEATHER CHART or THE DEPARTED would work with a matching length.

I love the notion of the shaded squares looking like a heart (when turned sideways)! You can always "flip" a grid along the NW-SE diagonal, making Across answers Down and vice versa, so that would have accomplished it.

Will Shortz doesn't often take puzzles with the same letters in sets of circles or shades, because it becomes too obvious. Once you realize the HEART letters will fill the second set, you can plunk them into the rest. I wondered, was there a way to avoid this? I doubt it, since without the shaded squares, it'd be impossible to figure out.

Five themers, with three spanning the grid, is no easy feat. Well done to incorporate CHEF'S HAT, a delightful entry. Even more impressive when considering it strings through three theme answers. There aren't many possibilities. Our word lists have only that one entry for the C??F?H?? pattern.

With a theme set like this, the problems usually occur when you get to the perimeter, having to work through two themers. Take the bottom right, for instance. The K in LIKES makes it even tougher, and few constructors would aim to end with LOEIL in their grid.

Not the smoothest ride today, but full of ups, what with all the pizzazz in the themers and bonuses. Appropriate for a puzzle about love and heartbreak.