Friday, February 28, 2025

Michael Lierberman’s New York Times crossword—Amy’s recap

NY Times crossword solution, 2/28/25 – no. 0228

Maybe a little on the hard side for Fridays? But not too far afield.

Entries I’m not sure I’ve seen in a grid before: PUBLIC POOL ([Splashy government expenditure?] is about local governments), PAJAMA DAY (such as at a school, when students and staff can wear PJs all day), MISO PASTE, CAR TITLES, and a baseball PITCH CLOCK.

Fave fill: EASY DOES IT, a coconut MACAROON, ATHLEISURE, PEEKABOO, “OKAY, I GIVE.”

Three more things:

• 23A. [Some overhead expenses?], BEANIES. What’s the cost of a knit cap these days? I’m old-school and steadfastly avoid calling such things “beanies.” Back in the day, beanies were little caps not much bigger than a yarmulke, and if you were lucky, your beanie had a propeller on top.
• 55A. [Fruit harvested by the ribeirinhos], ACAI. Looked Portuguese, the ACAI is Brazilian … Wikipedia says the ribeirinhos are a traditional rural group in the Amazon, living near rivers as you might guess from that “ribeir-” bit. Not something we’re expected to know–just “word looks Portuguese, try that Brazilian word that’s 3/4ths vowels.”
• 56A. [Subject of some grainy photographs?], SILO. No, I don’t care for this clue. A photo of a silo that conceals the grain stored within cannot plausibly be called a “grainy photograph, get it?” Too stretchy.

3.75 stars from me.