Madison Malone Kircher reports on internet culture for the Styles desk. She enjoys spying on people completing the crossword on their phones on the train.
MONDAY PUZZLE -- My introduction to the New York Times Crossword was through a daily calendar I received in my stocking one Christmas in middle school. It was a collection of Times puzzles and I, a 13-year-old know-it-all, quickly realized that I, in fact, did not know it all. I would not admit this to my parents, naturally, so I completed each puzzle dutifully with a fair amount of cheating by looking up the answers at the back of the calendar and on the family computer.
This method turned out to be an excellent crash course in the basics. Though far too young to legally drink or gamble, I became well acquainted with entries like DRAM, ASTI and ALE, as well as ANTE and SEE. I learned about new sports through JAI ALAI and EPEE, and soon became familiar with the musical stylings of ENO and ONO.
Years later, my self-taught Crossword Puzzles 101 still comes in handy. At least one of those answers appears in today's puzzle, which was constructed by John Ewbank.
Today's Theme
The moment in a puzzle when you nod your head and go, "Oh, I see it!" never gets old. Today was no exception. 28A, clued as [Dissension cause, in Greek myth], stumped me. Though I managed to figure out the answer by completing everything around it -- I've come a long way from my childhood bedroom -- I was forced to revert to a teenage state and look up an explanation online. I am certain my favorite English teacher is somewhere shaking his fists and yelling that he did, in fact, teach me about the APPLE OF DISCORD. To him, I apologize.
That last word, DISCORD, is important. The revealer, at 37A, [Tacks on ... or, when parsed as two words, what 17-, 28-, 47- and 63-Across all have?], makes sense when you think of the answer as two words: APP ENDS. Each of these answers ends with a social media app, like DISCORD or SIGNAL. The theme felt rather apropos for me, a reporter who covers technology and the internet.
Tricky Clues
- 1A: My first thought was "ohms." I must disclose that I have taken exactly two yoga classes in my life: One in college, which I hated, and one last year, about 12 years after the first (thinking I might have misjudged yoga). I also hated it. The [Sound at the beginning and end of a meditation, perhaps] is BONG.
- 9A: If the name Zoboomafoo means anything to you, [Primate native to Madagascar] was probably easy. If it does not, you might have grasped for LEMUR.
- 19A: I was drawing on what little remains in my brain from chemistry class and initially thought "noble." Alas, the answer was a bit broader, as [Krypton and xenon] are simply GASES.
- 23A: I headed confidently to these squares to write "Turner," as in Turner Network Television, only to quickly realize [The first "T" of TNT] was referring not to the cable channel but to munitions. TRI as in "trinitrotoluene," a word I think I've never heard said aloud.
- 27D: I grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of New York, where I learned a few things about deer. If you see one on the side of the road, assume there are many more lurking about. Always wear bright colors in the woods, and be mindful of signage during hunting season. However, it turns out my knowledge has been limited to white-tailed deer, while ROE is a [Kind of deer] typically found in Asia and Europe.
- 31D: This is another classic answer. To this day, I'm not even sure I know what a FOP really is, but I do know it is another word for [Dandy]. Both are men who are quite obsessed with their looks. Now you know, too!
- 37D: "Children" fits the square count perfectly, and I am still smarting about having the back of my chair repeatedly kicked on a recent flight. However, this puzzle is seeking other [Possible causes of in-flight disputes]. They are ARMRESTS, which, to be clear, should be divided like this: Window seat gets the one under the window. Aisle seat gets the one on the aisle. And middle seat, to soften the indignity of being squished in there, gets the other two.
Constructor Notes
This is my 10th crossword in The New York Times, a milestone I never thought I'd reach when I began submitting puzzles six years ago. I think persistence is the key since I must have had at least 40 rejections during that time!
The theme for this one is fairly straightforward, but I like the clue for I'LL LIVE as it recalls this exchange between the Black Knight and King Arthur in "Monty Python and the Holy Grail."
Black Knight (Glancing at his shoulder): 'Tis but a scratch.
King Arthur: A scratch? Your arm's off!
Improve Your Crossword Solving
Work your way through our guide "How to Solve the New York Times Crossword." It contains an explanation of most of the types of clues you will see in the puzzles and a practice Mini at the end of each section.
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Want to Submit Crosswords to The New York Times?
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