Bella here again reporting on today’s NYT crossword.
Current streak to date: 218
Today’s time: 38:32
This puzzle was challenging, no doubt. The main issue was that the fill ping-ponged between gimmes and complete naticks. There weren’t any entries that were satisfying to solve. There was a lot of obscure fill and weak cluing, but the constructor admits that in his notes on the puzzle. Apparently it was the only way to make the theme work.
When I saw SN, I realized the theme and immediately thought it was brilliant. The science nerd in me geeked out, but then the critic in me poked holes in it. As far as the used elements go, I think they’re well known with ND and SM being notable exceptions… Honestly it’s just unfair to use elements from that separated block on the table because who would know those unless they studied science?
GELLER was an easy gimme (not sure why NYT sorted it as tricky clue, what humanoid hasn’t heard of that oh-so-popular 90s sitcom?) BONFIRE is not what I would say a Burning Man staple is, maybe more like EFFIGY. BONFIRE seems too lowkey for what that festival is about.
Wrote in RHYME before RLESS because at least RHYME is an actual word that people use, whereas RLESS is meaningLESS junk. Not sure when people say I WILL SO as a comeback. And also not sure why sting means SMART. The two long entries are good, but took too long to see and most of the crosses were not friendly with obscure ESSENES and that vague clue for DAUNT.
Honestly, I think reading about this puzzle’s construction is more interesting than solving the final product. The author clearly put a lot of thought into the puzzle. The grid is designed to look somewhat like the Rutherford-Bohr model of the atom.
You kind of have to want to see it though. Have a good Thursday 🤓