Peter Gordon & Ben Zimmer’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Know Your Roots”—Jim’s review
Theme answers are made-up phrases with two words that are seemingly unrelated. Yet the revealer tells us otherwise: ETYMOLOGY (60a, [What the two words in each starred answer have in common with each other]).
Wall St Journal crossword solution · “Know Your Roots” · Peter Gordon & Ben Zimmer · Wed., 12.18.24
- 17a. [*Sentry for a hospital division?] WARD GUARD. These don’t seem that far apart when you consider the word warden. Both come from Germanic roots.
- 24a. [*Make a fake copy of a textile?] FORGE FABRIC. Both come from the Latin word fabrica. Makes sense when you think of the word fabricate.
- 37a. [*Ridiculous sticker?] COCKAMAMIE DECAL. This one’s crazy. Dictionary.com says in its original sense, a cockamamie was a “paper strip with an image which could be transferred to the skin when moistened.” This was an alteration of the French word decalcomania.
- 51a. [*Headdress made of cup-based flowers?] TULIP TURBAN. Both come originally from the Persian word duliband.
Some interesting stuff there. It just goes to show how language has a life of its own and how words evolve and meanings deviate and become something else entirely given enough time. I don’t know how much this theme actually helps a solver fill in the grid if they get stuck, but it was interesting to look into these fun facts.
I’m digging the long fill, too: RARE BREEDS, TAKES ISSUE, ARMY ROTC, CHILEANS, and GLAMPER. Also I got a bit stuck at the crossing of USMCA and proper name LACEY. Couldn’t remember the full initialism and I simply had no idea about the actress. Fortunately for me I live not far from LACEY, Washington, so the C seemed the obvious choice. I’m also giving the skeptical side-eye to SAWS UP [Turns into lumber].
Our new as-yet-unnamed TUXEDO cat.
Clues of note:
- 22d. [Like a stern look?]. AFT. I get what’s going on here, but would you really describe a look toward the back of the boat as AFT?
- 46d. [Two-toned type of cat]. TUXEDO. Hey, whaddya know? We just got a new dapper li’l guy a week or so ago. Alas, he is still nameless. Care to give us some suggestions?
Interesting puzzle. 3.75 stars.
Jeffrey Martinovic & Will Nediger’s New York Times crossword—Amy’s recap
NY Times crossword solution, 12/18/24 – no. 1218
The theme revealer is CONSIDER THE ODDS, and each theme entry is a two-pronged answer to its clue. 18a. [*Mendel studied them] clues both GREEN PEAS and, in letters 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 (THE ODDS), you get GENES. FRAZZLE and FAZE are also synonymous. ALL SORTS and A LOT are … sort of synonymous? Book designer’s FOOTNOTE and FONT choices. [Ones with good aim] are ARCHERS, but ACERS? Come on, now. ACERS? Pfft. You can have a sticky SITUATION or a sticky (eww) STAIN.
Lots of ways to clue SAN ANTONIO, but 3d. [Southwest point of the Texas Triangle] doesn’t resonate.
For future reference: 12d. [Sylvan ____ (electropop duo)], ESSO. A handy grouping of letters, that ESSO, but this is not a band that has come within sneezing distance of the Top 40 charts.
3.5 stars from me.
NYT: Thought this was a fun and clever theme. Pretty impressive feat of construction to find short words within longer words that both work with the clue – and have the letters of the embedded word show up at the odd-numbered letters in the longer word! But unlike some themes that are feats of construction, this one also helped with the solve (after I saw the revealer).
I was okay with ALL SORTS/A LOT – since I retired, I have ALL SORTS of time on my hands.
Amy – the answers for that “Ones with good aim” clue are ARCHERS and ACES (which seems to work in the air warfare context, at least).
It works even better if it’s ACES in the baseball context!
Given the Texas Triangle comprises three of the 9 largest cities in the US (Houston at #4 I believe, and San Antonio and Dallas at something like 7 and 9th place) that feels like a fair clue. oh amd Austin! not a corner of the triangle, but it’s not far behind in something like 10th or 11th place.
4 of the approx top 10 largest cities within a day’s drive counts as a significant feature i think.
LOVED the clue for WORSE (Response during an eye exam).