Matt Gaffney’s Wall Street Journal contest crossword, “Make the Connection” — Conrad’s writeup.
We’re looking for a five letter word this week. There were five long across entries:
- [Precede]: GOAHEADOF
- [Sign at a light]: NORIGHTONRED
- [“It’s been a long time…”]; DOYOUREMEMBERME
- [Brainstorming session announcement]: WEHAVEANIDEA
- [“How’s everything?”]: SOWHATSUP
75a (PUT), the final horizontal entry served as an additional hint, clued as “___ two and two together (finally figure out something that seems obvious in retrospect).” So we needed to add two and two together. I spotted ONE in the grid (clued as “Common lunch hour)”, and thought that NOON would have been a better answer. I noticed that GOAHEADOF had two two-letter words (GO OF), and I had the rabbit: each theme entry contained two two-letter words that formed other words when put together, each serving as an alternative clue answer:
WSJ Contest – 05.20.22 – Solution
- 9a: Option for those not eating solid food
- JELLO
- (SO)WHATS(UP) -> SOUP
- 33a: Common lunch hour
- ONE
- (NO)RIGHT(ON)RED -> NOON
- 47a: Jokester
- IMP
- (GO)AHEAD(OF) -> GOOF
- 63a: Do a mother cat’s job
- NURSE
- (WE)HAVE(AN)IDEA -> WEAN
- 74a: Architectural feature
- TRUSS
- (DO)YOUREMEMBER(ME) -> DOME
The first letter of each mapped grid entry spell JOINT, our contest solution. I closed with Elastica’s Connection for Matt’s Dude, Where’s my Car meta last month, so I thought I’d end with the song Elastica borrowed the riff from: minimalist 70s British punk band Wire’s Three Girl Rhumba.
Why does 63A specifically mention a cat? Why not just “Do a mother’s job”?
My guess, given all of the recent discussion regarding breastfeeding vs using baby formula, would be best to stay away from the topic of nursing being a mother’s job; being sensitive to the fact that not all mother’s are capable of nursing. I believe puzzle creators are often encouraged to stay away from certain bodily functions as well.
Very true, thanks!
My mind immediately went to Meet the Parents and the riff on milking cats. But I guess sensitivity to human parents works for me, too.