Author Archives: Kathy Matheson

Befitting

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New York Times crossword May 19 / Constructed by Jean O’Conor

One of the first tweets I saw when I woke up this morning was from @That_Smoke: “The NYT crossword puzzle was easy enough to do in ink. #sadtrombone.”

So it was with a heavy heart that I went to my corner market to buy the paper, wondering what disappointment awaited. (For those of you who have not discovered the genius of Sad Trombone, click here.) Turns out that “Befitting” was among the easiest puzzles of the year so far, though I will say I enjoyed its theme answers much more than the nonsense in last week’s “Simply Put.”

“Befitting” is an aural clue alluding to the fact that each theme answer tweaks a common phrase by using a “B” sound: “Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic?” are TENNIS SERBS (23 Across), while “Let Justin take care of everything?” is LEAVE IT TO BIEBER (65 Across).

Others: “Tour guide’s comment at the primate house?” is THAT’S A GIBBON (28 Across). “Sign for tourists visiting the Bolshoi?” is BALLET PARKING (33 Across). “Tropical paradise for Barbie and Ken?” is BALI OF THE DOLLS (51 Across). “Passed security at the troubadours’ convention?” is SHOWED BALLAD ID (84 Across). “Prepare to go canoeing?” is GET OUT THE BOAT (97 Across). “Stadium binge?” is a HOTDOG BENDER (107 Across). And “Fortunetellers’ protest demand?” is SIBYL RIGHTS (116 Across).

All in all, not a bad debut for constructor Jean O’Conor, a retired speech-language pathologist and grandmother from small-town Vermont. You can read more about her in the NYT’s Wordplay blog.

Unusual Entries Dept.: “Hyperbolically large” is GINORMOUS (25 Across). “No longer fizzy” is GONE FLAT (4 Down). “Like Nasser’s vision” is PAN-ARAB (74 Across). “Salad ingredient” is TUNA FISH (13 Down). “Google hit units” are WEB PAGES (90 Down). “Like steppes” are TREELESS (27 Across). And “Jordanian port” is AQABA (34 Down).

Doubled-Up Dept.: “Ran” was the clue for both FLED (45 Down) and its neighbor BLED (46 Down). Figuring those out helped me get FBI (“Cry before ‘Open up!’,” 45 Across), which I don’t think I ever would solved otherwise. That, in turn, led me to I SPY (“Children’s game with letters,” 47 Down), which had also stumped me because I never played it as a kid. The answer is usually clued in reference to the TV show starring Bill Cosby and Robert Culp.

First-Name Basis Dept.: “Drudge of the Drudge Report” is MATT (1 Down). “Ghostbuster Spengler” is EGON, a bizarre entry that I knew from countless basic cable reruns of the classic movie from 1984. “Soap actress Sofer” is RENA (50 Across). “One of the Dionne quints” is EMILIE (5 Down). And the cheesy clue “’60s White House name” (55 Down) – which I complained about a few months ago – yields ABE, for 1860s president Abraham Lincoln. #sadtrombone.

Need some solving tips and tricks? I’ve posted some here. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below. You can also visit my Facebook page, or tweet me @crosswordkathy.

Simply Put

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New York Times crossword May 12 / Constructed by David J. Kahn

Not much to write about today’s crossword. Simply put: There’s no payoff.

The puzzle’s theme is ”A piece of long-winded advice,” which is spread among 29-, 44-, 63-, 77- and 93 Across: POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES / OF A PLAN OR DECISION ONE / CANNOT REVERSE SHOULD BE / HEEDED PRIOR TO THE TIME / AN ACTION IS EFFECTUATED.

The “kicker,” if you could call it that, comes at 24 Down: “This puzzle’s long-winded advice, simply put”: LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP.

Ugh. Thanks for that insight.

Long Answers Dept.: Unusual non-theme entries include CLUB SODAS (“Some mixers,” 22 across); LITTLE TRAMP (“Charlie Chaplin persona, with ‘the’,” 103 Across); LETTER GRADE (“One way to measure a student’s progress,” 24 Across); and TABLE-HOPS (“Works the room, maybe,” 4 Down).

Haha Dept.: “‘A horse designed by a committee’” is a CAMEL (99 Down).

Happy Mother’s Day Dept.: I am both grateful and horrified to have inherited the grammar gene from my mom, the (now retired) high school English teacher. Now I spend my time wondering when “iced tea” became ICE TEA (“Cooler in hot weather,” 89 Down).

If Only Dept.: “Pitching muscle, for short” is a DELT (116 Across). Here’s hoping the Phillies get some to replace Roy Halladay.

Philly Shout-Out/Dragon Tattoo Dept.: “Former Swedish P.M. Palme” is OLOF (30 Down), which I know from my current reading of “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest.” By coincidence, the king and queen of Sweden were in Philly over the past couple of days. As we were waiting for them to arrive at City Hall, a fellow journalist asked me if I was gathering string for a future crossword post _ yes! And thanks for reading.

Need some solving tips and tricks? I’ve posted some here. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below. You can also visit my Facebook page, or tweet me @crosswordkathy.

Crunch Time

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New York Times crossword May 5 / Constructed by Alan Arbesfeld

If you’ve ever felt “crunched” for time, today’s puzzle is for you: Constructor Alan Arbesfeld requires solvers to squeeze abbreviations for the days of the week into single squares. “Early entrepreneurial efforts” are LE(MON)ADE STANDS (23 Across), with MON crunched into one square; it then crosses with AL(MON)DINE (“How trout may be prepared: Var.”, 3 Down).

Other days of the week:

_ STA(TUE) OF DAVID (“Florentine attraction,” 28 Across), which crosses with VIR(TUE)S (“Good qualities,” 12 Down).

_ STE(WED) PRUNES, which was clued by a surprising attempt at bathroom humor (“Food to go?”, 43 Across) and crosses with BO(WED) OUT (“Withdrew,” 31 Down).

_ BUDAPES(T HU)NGARY (“Birthplace of Harry Houdini,” 69 Across), which crosses with GREEN (THU)MB (“Nursery gift,” 39 Down).

_ BETTY (FRI)EDAN (“Big name in feminism,” 93 Across), which crosses with A(FRI)CA (“Isak Dinesen novel setting,” 88 Down).

_ CATCHE(S A T)RAIN (“Just makes the 7:47, perhaps,” 110 Across), which crosses with U(S AT)LAS (“50-page book, maybe?” 106 Down).

_ And GOE(S UN)DER COVER (“Does spy work,” 118 Across), which crosses with ETAT(S UN)IS (“___ d’Amerique,” 94 Down).

'Crunch Time' does not refer to the Nestle's candy bar.

‘Crunch Time’ does not refer to the Nestle’s candy bar.

I figured there’d be some squeezing involved after seeing the word “crunch” in the title, a hunch that was confirmed when I ended up with CATCHE_R_ _ _ for 110 Across. Something would have to give in order to get the word TRAIN in there. Then I realized that 106 Down wasn’t just ATLAS but US ATLAS after guessing RUDI at 105 Across (“Designer Gernreich”). So I squeezed in SAT, but I was still puzzled. Was today the weekend everyone takes the SAT? If so, who cares? Why would that be the basis for a puzzle? Then I figured out the theme answer involving TUE, and it became clear.

Cinco de Mayo Dept.: I’ll take this opportunity to highlight some Spanish words in honor of today’s date marking an obscure military victory that’s often mistaken for Mexican Independence Day (which is actually Sept. 16). The doubled clue “Spanish precious metal” yields PLATA (“silver,” 63 Across) and ORO (“gold,” 121 Down). “Durango dinero” is a PESO (115 Down). And “That, in Tijuana” is ESA (126 Down).

Philly Shout-Out Dept.: I thought today’s Philly shout-out was going to be a breeze when I saw “Eagles’ org.” at 93 Down. I quickly wrote in NFL … and then saw that the “L” had to be an “A” in order for 108 Across to be PAAR (“Carson’s predecessor”). Eventually, I figured out that it was BSA, for Boy Scouts of America – but it so happens that Philly has a connection there, too. On Friday, the city resolved a long-running dispute with the group stemming from its ban on gay Scouts. I’ll also throw 52 Down into this category as well: “Certain tournaments” are OPENS, and the U.S. Open is coming to the Merion Golf Club just outside Philly next month.

Haha Dept.: “George W. Bush acquisition of 2008″ is a SON-IN-LAW. Jenna Bush and Henry Hager recently had a child.

Where In The World? Dept.: “Alberta’s third-largest city, named after an animal” is RED DEER (18 Down). “Amerique du ___” is SUD (22 Down). “World’s leading exporter of bananas” is ECUADOR (90 Down). And a “Neighbor of a Belarussian” is a LATVIAN (16 Down), although I distinctly remember a clue that stumped me a few months ago in which a resident of Riga (the capital of Latvia) was called a LETT.

Rhyme Time Dept.: “Priest, in an Ogden Nash poem,” is a ONE-L LAMA (59 Across), which requires some explaining if you aren’t familiar with his quirky genius:

The one-l lama,
He’s a priest.
The two-l llama,
He’s a beast.
And I will bet
A silk pajama
There isn’t any
Three-l lllama.

And then Nash added a classic footnote as a kicker: “The author’s attention has been called to a type of conflagration known as a three-alarmer. Pooh.”

Need some solving tips and tricks? I’ve posted some here. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below. You can also visit my Facebook page, or tweet me @crosswordkathy.

Soft T’s

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New York Times crossword April 28 / Constructed by Patrick Berry

There’s no soft-peddling it: Today’s puzzle was completely given away by the title.

“Soft T’s” is an aural clue that common phrases would be tweaked by changing the sound of a hard T. So “What faking a stomachache might entail?” is CREATIVE WRITHING (23 Across), while “Gun belts, holsters and nightstick straps?” are THE LEATHER OF THE LAW (30 Across).

“Softies” would have been a less obvious title, in which case you might have said the crossword is for those who are too LENIENT (“Willing to let things slide,” 66 Down). OK, not really.

Other theme answers: “Dismounts like an expert gymnast?” is GETS OFF LITHELY (45 Across). “Women’s pants with pictures of wood shop tools?” are LATHE BLOOMERS (66 Across). “Become a new person by washing up?” is BATHE AND SWITCH (86 Across). “Unpopular ophthalmologist’s implement?” is A SCYTHE FOR SORE EYES (95 Across). And “What the giggling supporter of the Salem witch trials was told?” is NO LAUGHING, MATHER! – referring to Boston minister Cotton Mather.

Higher, Faster, Stronger Dept.: “1992 Olympic tennis gold medalist” is Jennifer CAPRIATI (84 Across). “Gymnast Gaylord” is MITCH, who competed on the 1984 team in Los Angeles. And a “City near Turin,” where the 2006 Winter Games were held, is ASTI (79 Across).

Speaking Of Mount Olympus Dept.: One of my favorite Greek myths tells the story of the ill-fated weaver ARACHNE (“Athena turned her into a spider,” 21 Across). But even though I know my Bulfinch’s fairly well, I didn’t know that “Blood of the Greek gods” is ICHOR (12 Down), which I got from crossing words.

Haha Dept.: “New releases?” are PAROLEES (39 Down). “Uses a keyless entry system?” is BREAKS IN (50 Across).

Slang Dept.: Surprised that Y’KNOW (“‘… see what I mean?’,” 96 Down) met with Will Shortz’s approval.

Classical Notes Dept.: “E equivalent” is F FLAT (36 Down). Also found a couple of music-makers in the grid – TESH (“‘Music in the Key of Love’ composer,” 72 Down) and SATIE (“‘Gymnopedies’ composer,” 11 Down). And the puzzle had two references to Bach: JESU (“Bach’s ‘___, meine Freude’,” 62 Across) and TOCCATA (“Many a Bach composition,” 88 Down).

For Fun Dept.: Unusual entries in the puzzle included ALOE VERA (“Coating on some facial tissues,” 1 Across), TOENAIL (“Painted thing, sometimes,” 18 Down), TAIL FINS (“They were big in the ’50s,” 60 Down), FREAKISH (“Bizarre,” 40 Down) and TRIOXIDE (“Arsenic ___ (ratsbane),” 120 Across).

Quack Quack Dept.: How have I never heard of “Blueberries for SAL,” the classic children’s book in 26 Across? I’ve definitely heard of its author, Robert McCloskey – his “Make Way For Ducklings” is a famous book whose main characters are also a popular sculpture in Boston’s Public Garden.

Need some solving tips and tricks? I’ve posted some here. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below. You can also visit my Facebook page, or tweet me @crosswordkathy.

Front Flips

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New York Times crossword April 21 / Constructed by Jonah Kagan

I just flew in from San Francisco yesterday morning, and boy are my arms tired. (Rim shot.) Actually, my brain is tired because I took the red-eye and am still a little behind on my sleep. Good thing today’s puzzle required only basic mental gymnastics – or “front flips,” as the title calls them.

The theme requires solvers to reverse (“flip”) the first (“front”) word of several common phrases in order to create amusing new ones. Thus “Keep under wraps” becomes PEEK UNDER WRAPS, the answer to “Try to see what you’re getting for Christmas?” (34 Across).

Others: EVIL FROM NEW YORK (“Tammany Hall corruption, e.g.?” 24 Across); PERP SCHOOL (“Academy for criminals?” 45 Across); RAT’S TREK (“Journey from the nest to the kitchen, say?” 51 Across); POT SECRET (“Hidden drug habit, maybe?” 64 Across); GULP IT IN (“Drink greedily?” 76 Across); DOOM SWINGS (“Playground apparatus of the Apocalypse?” 81 Across); DIAL DOWN THE LAW (“Be a lenient judge?” 91 Across); and REVILED THE GOODS (“Maligned merchandise?” 105 Across).

Names You Don’t Hear Every Day Dept.: There were quite a few unusual first names in this grid, such as GUINEVERE (“Lover of Lancelot,” 110 Across), EMILE (“Actor Hirsch of ‘Speed Racer’,” 111 Across), JUDE (“Title fellow in a Beatles song,” 83 Down), the Jetsons’ ELROY (“Cartoon boy with an antenna on his cap,” 109 Across), OLIVIA (“Lover of Cesario in ‘Twelfth Night’,” 90 Down), DELIA (“One of the Ephrons,” 115 Across), IRMA (“‘Harry Potter’ librarian Pince,” 54 Across) and – my favorite reference of the day – TOBIAS (“‘Arrested Development’ character Funke,” 53 Across). Rumor has it they might make an “Arrested Development” movie. Also in this department is GERTIE (“‘___ the Dinosaur’ [pioneering cartoon short],” 17 Down), which I probably would have clued using a reference to Drew Barrymore’s character in “E.T.” In case you’re wondering about Gertie the Dinosaur (I was!), here’s a clip:

Love Is In The Air Dept.: A couple of long answers that did not fit the “flip” theme created a mini-theme of their own – FIRST KISS (“Memorable romantic moment,” 4 Down) and PROMISE RING (“Commitment signifier,” 63 Down). I’ll also put SAY ANYTHING (“1989 John Cusack romantic comedy,” 15 Down) in this category, since the film is perhaps most famous for its declaration-of-love scene featuring a boombox that blares Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes.”

In Memoriam Dept.: “Margaret Thatcher, e.g.” was a LADY (50 Down). The former British prime minister was laid to rest last week. And film critic Roger EBERT wrote “Awake in the Dark” (46 Down). His funeral was held earlier this month in Chicago.

Doubled-Up Dept.: “Land on the Arctic Cir.” is NORW, for Norway (80 Down), while “Arctic Circle sights” are BERGS (96 Down).

Sick As A Dog Dept.: The doubled clue “Possible flu symptom” yields both AGUE (93 Down) and NAUSEA (94 Down).

Words I’ve Never Heard Dept.: ESKER (“Gravelly ridge,” 18 Down) and ATRIP (“Up, as an anchor,” 39 Across).

Need some solving tips and tricks? I’ve posted some here. Feel free to ask questions or leave comments below. You can also visit my Facebook page, or tweet me @crosswordkathy.

(This post was updated to include the Roger Ebert reference.)