Sam Ezersky’s New York Times crossword, “From Start to Finish” — Nate’s write-up
11.10.2024 Sunday New York Times Puzzle
23A: STANDARD SUB [Six-inch or footlong?] substandard
25A: PENSIVE EX [Who might tearfully wonder “Were we just not meant to be …”?] expensive
27A: MANAGED MICRO [Made it through Econ 101?] micromanaged
42A: PENULTIMATE ANTE [Buy-in the round before going all in?] ante-penultimate
68A: AFRICAN PAN [Vessel for cooking jollof rice or injera bread?] pan-African
70A: SOLVING DIS [“Next time, try reading the clue!” or “Stick to sudoku!”?] dissolving
87A: APOCALYPTIC POST [Something in a doomscroller’s feed?] post-apocalyptic
109A: COMPLETE AUTO [The engine, the steering wheel, the catalytic converter, all of it?] autocomplete
112A: VISION PRO [Eye doctor?] provision
114A: HEATED SUPER [Someone shouting that maybe YOU try fixing your apartment?] super-heated
Each cleverly-clued theme entry in this theme-packed (and theme-stacked!) puzzle does a cute little switcheroo, taking the prefix from a super-long word and shifting it to the end (hence the “From Start to Finish” title). Nice! It’s a classic type of theme (not so WILD ASS), but one that worked well for me, especially with the modern touches (doomscrollers, autocomplete, VISION PRO). The grid took me a bit longer than average to fill in, likely because of the relatively restrained grid, but I didn’t find much of it too gluey or ungettable.
What did you think? How was your solve? Let us know in the comments section – and have a great weekend! (Also, as an Air Force brat, respect to all the veterans out there. Thank you for your service!)
Evan Birnholz’ Washington Post crossword, “Word Gets Around” — Matt’s write-up
Evan Birnholz’ Washington Post crossword, “Word Gets Around” solution, 11/10/2024
Circled squares and cross references – let’s see what we’ve got this week from Evan.
- 23a [Positive or negative mechanism for self-correction .. and a hint to the round word starting in square 13] FEEDBACK LOOP. The “round word” is one of the five rings of circled letters in the grid. This one spells RESPONSE
- 51a [Descriptor for manual labor jobs … and a hint to the round word in the lower-right corner of this puzzle] BLUE COLLAR, pointing to the “round word” BRIDAL – a play on “something blue.” EDIT — this is actually “RIBALD,” definitely a better fit for “blue”
- 68a [Group such as Bon Giovi or Dire Streets … and a hint to the round word in the lower-left corner of this puzzle] TRIBUTE BAND, pointing to HOMAGE
- 86a [Hit home? … and a hint to the round word starting in square 36] BOXING RING (a ‘home’ for ‘hits’), pointing to PUGILISM
- 115a [Group of people making connections … and a hint to the round phrase starting in square 28] SOCIAL CIRCLE, pointing to TEA PARTY
So we’ve got five phrases that play on “circle” or “ring,” that are then used to clue five new words arranged in rings. A fun relationship to think about. I’ll admit that the second layer from theme entries to ring words didn’t play into my solving process much at all, but I quite liked the play on “circles” in the first-level theme entries.
Other highlights: the help of “HP user” in the clue for PC GAMING, which was pinned down without the clue getting too wordy // Actual TRIBUTE BAND names, puns and all, in the clue for that themer // on review, there’s a lot of names and trivia in this grid, but I didn’t notice it much during my solve, so well done to spread those around, among accessible crossings, with clues that provide some bread crumbs, and across a range ot topic areas.
Adam Simpson’s Universal Sunday crossword, “Crawling Back”—Jim’s review
Theme answers are familiar two-word phrases that normally have nothing to do with beetles but since the second word can precede the word “beetle”, the phrases are reinterpreted as descriptions for the critters. The revealer is BEATLEMANIA (96a, [1960’s rock frenzy … or when sounded out another way, what you might feel while solving this puzzle?]). (Not sure about the “sounded out another way” part since “beetle” and “Beatle” sound the same…at least to me.)
Universal Sunday crossword solution · “Crawling Back” · Adam Simpson · 11.10.24
- 25a. [*Frank beetle?] OPEN WATER. Water beetle.
- 27a. [*Relaxed beetle?] LOOSE LEAF. Leaf beetle.
- 37a. [*Twin beetle?] DOUBLE CLICK. Click beetle.
- 46d. [*Delirious beetle?] HIGH GROUND. Ground beetle.
- 51d. [*Miniature beetle?] TOY SOLDIER. Soldier beetle.
- 80d. [*Active beetle?] GOING STAG. Stag beetle.
- 84d. [*Carefree beetle?] EASY TIGER. Tiger beetle.
First off, when I looked at the empty grid, I said to myself, “This better be about beetles,” so I was gratified that it was. Lovely grid art.
Second however, a lot of what I know about beetles comes from Animal Crossing, so most of the beetle phrases were lost on me since they didn’t register. (I’ve never heard the phrases “leaf beetle” or “soldier beetle”, for example.) It wasn’t until I got all the way down to stag beetle that the penny dropped.
So essentially I was solving this as a themeless for most of the time. But it’s a beautiful solve with gorgeous big stacks down the middle. And once I understood the theme, I appreciated that, too.
Fill highlights include WARLOCK, GRANDSON, O CANADA, MINARETS, CHARISMA, ARM SPAN, WEST ELM, SYNAPSE, DEAD SEA, and MARY ANN. I needed every single crossing for MASEKELA [“Grazing in the Grass” trumpeter Hugh], but once I filled it in I gave myself a virtual thump upside the head since I do know the name. Let’s listen to the clued song below. I wouldn’t know it by its title, but I’ve certainly heard it plenty of times over the years.
Clues of note:
- 49a. [California viewpoint that translates to “The Bull”]. EL TORO. People are expected to know the name of a “viewpoint”? Thankfully, the translation part is easy, but the viewpoint part is odd. I know it as the name of a Marine Corps base in southern California, but apparently it was decommissioned in 1999.
- 71a. [Co. famous for making waves?]. RCA. Hmm. That’s a bit of a stretch.
Overall, the theme mystified me at first but I enjoyed the solve. 3.5 stars.
i was really appreciative that you weren’t crossing the picket line for the NYT tech guild! what happened today? :-) / :-(
Thanks for mentioning that. Since the election, I’ve largely stayed away from social media and anything that would have reminded me of the strike, so I’ll admit I just plain forgot. I review the Sunday NYT puzzle here each week as a volunteer thing for the community and as a gift to Amy so she doesn’t have to do it – that was my driving force today like it is each Saturday. Apologies to anyone impacted – it certainly wasn’t my intent to be a scab.
Thats understandable. I guess you could delete it.
This is the first that I heard about a strike, and I probably would have missed the whole thing if it wasn’t for this comment. I’ve been mostly offline since early Wednesday morning, but solving away in the app. I genuinely wonder how many people don’t know about the boycott.
A few of the other days this week have gone unsolved on this site due to the strike. So I guess if that trend continued more people would know about it 😊
First, a question. When I bring up the WaPo Sunday puzzle page, it doesn’t list today’s puzzle. Where can I find it?
NYT: I liked the finished result, but for some reason, it took me forever to complete. My brain must have taken the night off (I usually work the puzzle late Saturday). My worst time in a while.
WaPo – I see what you mean. The HTML link on the Today’s Puzzles tab doesn’t have the current puzzle. However, the pdf and puz (labeled AcrossLite) files are both current if you don’t solve online.
Showed up when I looked later.
I liked the theme for the NYT, but the fill was a bit of a slog. I needed crossings for several of the clues today.
Agreed. I found it interminable. (I got the dead-tree edition as usual on Saturday and Sunday, as usual, so without looking online.)
Same.
We’re in LA, visiting the kids. Elaine has been in the playpen with her grandson for most of the time since we got here.
Unfortunately, our home area was hit with another massive power outage and there’s not much I can do. If they don’t fix it soon, there will be problems with the usual puzzles (WaPo, Jonesin, WSJ, Universals). PG&E is on it.
Fingers crossed. Power’s back and with a bit of luck it will stay on.
WaPo: I believe the review has the wrong circular word that goes with BLUE COLLAR in the lower right corner. I believe the actual word is RIBALD (for blue).
That’s what I came up with, too.
Fun and pretty fast WaPo this week. I did use PUGILISM to help me get BOXING RING quickly, so that aspect did play into my solve. Also, it helped me eliminate SO NEAT for OH NEAT. Nice work, Evan!
I really enjoyed Sam Ezersky’s Sunday NYT. Characteristically clever theme, and just the right amount of difficulty for a Sunday.
Eric H, I believe it was, recommended that those of us giving up on WSJ contest puzzles try this one. I should report that I am as reliably dense as ever. Oh, well.
I suspect I approach them in too much the same way as I look for a theme in ordinary puzzles, looking for symmetrically placed long answers with some common feature such as hidden words or synonyms. None of that really applies to contest puzzles. I’ve also learned from past examples, although I can’t replicate them, that Mike Shenk’s answers often turn on clues rather than answers and a hint may appear in the last across entry or, if the grid permits one, a central entry.
Of course, I’ve seen many examples by now. And some posts meant as a tutorial, to me at least, were less instruction than more examples. Maybe I’m just too reliant on more structured puzzles, like the ones I know from physics and math. I probably wouldn’t know where to begin in an escape room either.
Without giving too much away (I hope), it’s a two-step meta. The title helpfully points to the first step. The second step a fairly common technique in these puzzles.
If you’ve never read Matt Gaffney’s guide to solving meta puzzles, it’s helpful.
https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/crosswordcontestguide.pdf
Out of curiosity, I tried it too. The title isn’t helping me find anything.
The only time I try metas is when Evan does one on Sunday. Occasionally I figure them out but mostly I don’t. At this point I have no interest in trying to learn how to solve them. It’s an entirely different mental game from solving a crossword and one that doesn’t engage me.
Add me to the list – I have almost never gotten one of the Friday metas.
I see four words that clearly are relevant to the solution, but at that point see nothing in common or anything that leads to the answer.
I couldn’t find the four words. Sad!
Can’t say I have either, and of course I can’t say more about what I tried without reference to the puzzle, a no-no.
I will say that pretty much all Friday answers have taken two (or occasionally three) steps, although Gaffney’s two examples each have only one. And they do all start, as he instructs, with looking for themers in light of the title, so that’s only a given. Oddly enough, I’d have gotten his two examples, but never mind.
I agree it is fairly easy, as the first meta of the month seems to usually be. Keep at it.
I would respect the spirit of the contest and avoid any hints, though.
Universal Sunday: With respect to Jim’s review, I don’t understand the answer EL TORO for the California viewpoint clue. El Toro is the older and arguably sleazier portion of my community, incorporated into the city in 1991, and the whole area is essentially a bedroom community about 10 miles inland. What in the world is there to view here?
My guess is that this is the “El Toro” to which the clue refers:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Toro_(California)
Is that the one near you?
Eric: No, and never heard of it! It certainly makes sense – far more than this suburban area, hundreds of miles away.
Thanks!
You’re welcome.
Like Jim, I thought it a bit much for the puzzle to include a “viewpoint.” But including the translation of the name made it easy.
I worked for 10 years at an IBM lab within a couple of miles of this summit and never heard of it.
Me neither, see below… I don’t live as close as you but have driven by it on the 101 innumerable times… didn’t know the name of it. Very odd obscurity, when even close-by people don’t know it , but the translation makes it gettable.
You’ve outed yourself as a Socalite with “the 101.”
Some folks driving by the very picturesque El Toro without knowing its actual name and seeing it is by/in the town of Morgan Hill conclude that the name of it is “the Hill named for Mr. Morgan” .
Town is actually named for (Hiram) Morgan Hill, nothing to do except proximity to the rise in the land, El Toro. Most don’t even know the real name of the Hill named for Morgan :D :D …
(the “some folks” are family members of which I speak… and I just learned after many years driving by it and questioning an 95 year oldster who claimed to have known relatives of Mr. Morgan…LOL)
A nice piece from Fiend favorite Natan Last of the role of crosswords when paying attention to the news can get exhausting.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/10/opinion/crosswords-comfort-crisis.html
Thanks for sharing that.
And unlike the typical Natan Last puzzle, there were only a couple of people mentioned whom I’ve never heard of. :-)