MGWCC #870

 

hello, and welcome to episode #870 of matt gaffney’s weekly crossword contest, a week 1 puzzle called “Home Improvement”. i didn’t use the instructions this week, but the email suggested that the meta would explain why the puzzle came out a day late (and why it wasn’t the january week 5 we were expecting, but rather the february week 1). what were the theme answers?

• {You can go with the flow on one} NAVIGABLE RIVER.
• {From that point onward} FOREVER AFTER.
• {Show with episodes titled “June’s Birthday,” “Wally’s Test,” and “Ward’s Golf Clubs”} LEAVE IT TO BEAVER.
• {She starred in “An American Werewolf in London” and “The Eagle Has Landed”} JENNY AGUTTER. this is a name i know only from crosswords—perhaps even from constructing crosswords. i have this vague memory that i saw AGUTTER in my word list and assumed it was a terrible 7-letter partial, but no, that’s just her last name.
• {Saquon Barkley in 2024 and Christian McCaffrey in 2023, e.g.} RUSHING LEADERS, in the NFL.

these all contain parts of a roof—GABLE, RAFTER, EAVE (twice!), GUTTER, and SHINGLE, which makes roof the meta answer. very simple, as a week 1 should be—the puzzle practically gives you the answer for free. you might even say it’s on the house.

still, i think it’s worth mentioning that this is a very crisp construction. it’s a nice touch to include the shortest roof part (EAVE) twice in its theme answer, just to leave no ambiguity.

bits & bobs:

• {Max ___ (Dutchman who was world chess champion from 1935 to 1937)} EUWE. perhaps the least remembered world chess champion ever.
• {“I’ll show you how ___ am” (Muhammad Ali line)} GREAT I. oof, speaking of ugly partials.
• {B-movie producers of the 1920s-50s, disparagingly} POVERTY ROW. never heard of this, but there’s a lot i don’t know about old hollywood.
• {Crossword award} ORCA. timely! have you voted yet?

that’s all i’ve got this week. how’d you like this one?