Saturday Puzzle – This is David B. Williams’ second crossword for The New York Times, following his debut in August which also ran on Saturday. As promised by Mr. Williams, both puzzles have identical grid patterns, and this appears to be the second part of a series inspired by Wallace Stevens’ poem “Thirteen ways to look at a blackbird“. Who doesn’t like a touch of suspense with its solution? Only one comment on the August Network’s Wordplay post mentioned a Stevens reference, but he didn’t make it clear, and I don’t see a connection between the poem and any puzzle. It may be hidden in the geometry of the puzzle itself, since it’s static, or In the cross-hatching of the entries at its center. If anyone finds breadcrumbs, please share them.
Today’s build is excellent and very difficult, although not as difficult overall as Ryan McCarty’s Swamp of Lumberjacks a week ago. I ran into the biggest problem in the same place as in Mr. Williams’ August puzzle, the southeast corner, which seems like a coincidence. But we’ll see what happens when we get the next piece.
Difficult evidence
16 a. The hyphen in “Run-down” makes it an adjective. There is also a verb form, “rundown,” and a noun, “rundown,” which is a term like “low” or “skinny,” meaning the real scoop. “Run down” means worse for wear, or in this puzzle, DECREPIT. I love the sound of that word; In LatinIt means “from cracks or breakage,” like old, dry, dusty bones.
19 a. We seem to be looking for the word Janus, or contradictory, here; “Sharp…or the opposite of sharp.” However, there is a play on words in the word “sharp”; In the manual, it either means “dangerous” or serious, or it has a harsh tone – As in “é” in “déjà vu”. The opposite of a sharp accent is a GRAVE accent – as in the “à” in “déjà vu”.
31 a. “Yo-yos, somehow” made me think of roller coasters or seesaws or any number of things that aren’t an actual yo-yo in someone’s hand while walking the dog — a cool trick.
35 a. This is one of two three-letter entries in this corner, which I entered both confidently and incorrectly, causing great frustration. I thought “part of the mic check” should be “one” or “two,” because This is how you do it. I chose “two” after spotting the 35D, but it’s actually TAP (is that thing on?).
51 a. The first letter of this definition for “value” is the last letter in 47D, “Certain Bank Deposits,” and the other three-letter entry in this corner. I thought “value” would be “respect”, and “some bank deposits” would turn into “ore”. This took a long time to work out: “value” is evaluation, as in “verification of value.” Then “Some Bank Deposits” is an OVA, which surprised me.
2D. “secret code?” In this manual is the “code” of silence maintained by OMERTA’s followers. You may think of the mafia, but the word applies to Groups of people all over the world Who tend to keep their affairs private.
10 D. Here’s a nice pun: “Member of the ‘big’ trio?” It is the leg of the piano. I’ve never thought about why grand pianos only have three legs; Apparently, it makes them Easier to move. I would never have guessed this, I was lost in thought about the three zeros in a thousand.
31 D. Another entry I wouldn’t have thought of without there being a lot of messages from crossover entries. The setting of “Hansel and Gretel” here is WOODLAND, which the black Forest certainly.
Creator Notes
second road.
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