Today’s Newsday Saturday crossword, by Brad Wilber, seemed easy at first. I started in the northeast corner with 10-A, four letters, “Magician’s accessory.” The clue for 12-D, seven letters, “Admired oneself,” helped me decide which accessory. That corner went quickly. Then to the middle of the puzzle, and then to clues and answers here and there. And all along, 2-D, seven letters, “Simple life,” and 13-A, four letters, “Tahiti sweetie,” had me thinking I’d never get this puzzle right. When I finally saw what had to be (and was) the answer for 2-D, I was happy about solving and impressed (once more) by Brad Wilber’s smarts.
Some clue-and-answer pairs I especially liked:
10-D, six letters, “Shortcuts that take years to complete.” Paradox.
13-D, seven letters, “W-2 addressees.” A helpful reminder to read clues carefully: addressees, not addresses.
17-A, fifteen letters, “Keep-in-touch request.” It felt like a giveaway, and I took it.
22-A, six letters, “Order manager.” I was thinking of shipping and receiving.
46-D, six letters, “Candidates for 10 Down.” Really clever.
55-A, four letters, “It’s in garlic’s genus.” I like it, or them.
My favorite clue in this puzzle: 51-A, eight letters, “How stalactites form.” Dang: do they form on cave ceilings, or on cave floors? Is there a mnemonic for remembering which is which? Is there a mnemonic for remembering the mnemonic? It’s a witty clue, because the difference between stalactites and stalagmites makes no difference to the answer.
No spoilers; the answers are in the comments.
Saturday, July 31, 2021
Today’s Newsday Saturday
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comments: 8
CAPE. PREENED. AMOEBAE (!). AMIE.
CANALS. EARNERS. DONTBEASTRANGER.
ABBESS. ISTHMI (!). LEEK. OVERTIME.
We did this one last night. Dylan was not happy about boatel, I had to look it up to confirm it was a real thing. Isthmi was a bit of a stretch too. But we got it all, so that's alright.
I looked up boatel too — I’d never seen the word before this puzzle. I was thinking of sailors as the people who run a ship. Boatels seem to be more along the lines of fancy stops for people who sail, who are then, I guess, sailors.
I learned to remember the difference with this helpful phrase: “ Stalac tites have to hold on tight! (So they don't fall off...)”
Very nice!
I have a really vague memory now of c for ceiling and g for ground. Is that a thing?
I just looked it up — it is. But the idea of holding on tight is friendlier.
As a kid I learned a mnemonic that has stuck with me since: “stalactites hold tightly to the ceiling, stalagmites might get tall enough to reach it.” -AC
That’s wonderful. Personify!
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