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State park in the Santa Monica Mountains / THU 7-3-25 / Portuguese currency before the euro / Swerve, as an airplane / Pac-Man ghost with the shortest name / Losing roll in a casino / School of higher learning, in Britain / House cry that sounds like a horse cry
Thursday, July 3, 2025
Constructor: Adam Wagner
Relative difficulty: Easy
THEME: BLINKERS (60A: Directional signals that flash on and off, as suggested by the circles in this puzzle) — the two circled squares in each theme answer function as car BLINKERS—every answer is double-clued, with the first clue working if your left blinker is on (i.e. there's an "L" in the left circle and nothing in the right), and the second clue working if your right. blinker is on (i.e. there's an "R" in the right circle and nothing in the left) (double-clued crosses work in a similar way, with first clue working if the blinker is on, and second working if the blinker is off):
Theme answers:
One of the things I love about this puzzle is that it's genuinely an architectural marvel, but it doesn't *feel* like one—which is to say, the fill doesn't feel strained or compromised, and the grid itself doesn't look very flashy at all. In fact, but for the circled squares, it looks completely ordinary. But I promise you that getting this theme to work inside an innocuous-seeming 15x15 grid, with both the themers and the Down crosses yielding perfectly acceptable answers when the blinkers are "on" and when they're "off"—that's really something. It's hard enough to fill a grid cleanly under ordinary circumstances, but when you've got themer running in both directions—twice as many in the Downs as in the showier Acrosses—it's doubly hard, maybe harder. Except for four very short Acrosses in the SE corner, I don't think there's an answer in the entire grid that doesn't cross a theme-affected answer. That means that virtually every non-theme answer in the puzzle had one square in place that was fixed and immovable (because those themers go in first and then they stay put—they're load-bearing). A fixed square in every answer before you've even started filling? Nightmare. Severely limits your leeway as a constructor. And yet all that work is disguised / hidden / invisible, as the puzzle plays so smoothly (once you figure out the gimmick). This puzzle makes it look easy and it is Not. So many times, look-at-me gimmicks yield awful or at least disappointing results for an actual solver actually solving the puzzle. This puzzle, on the other hand, was a blast, and most of the really impressive work (i.e. simply getting a clean grid to work at all) is inconspicuous. From a craftsmanship perspective, I'm really impressed with this one.
- LIMBORED (16A: Played a bar game? / [Yawn]) (LIMBOED / "I'M BORED")
- BOLOTIE (1D: Southwestern neckwear / Baby's foot warmer) (BOLO TIE / BOOTIE)
- HARM (5D: Injury / Christmas entree) (HARM / HAM)
- LOVERDONE (25A: Friend or family member / Clichéd) (LOVED ONE / OVERDONE)
- IDEAL (6D: Perfect / Concept) (IDEAL / IDEA)
- RANDRY (8D: Was exhausted / Lustful) (RAN DRY / RANDY)
- BLACKTIRE (35A: Formal dress code / what may "burn" in a drag race) (BLACK TIE / BACK TIRE)
- LOLL (24D: Idle / Texter's chuckle) (LOLL / LOL)
- ROIL (37D: Perturb / Frying need) (ROIL / OIL)
- BALDSPORT (50A: Area with no coverage? / Sore loser) (BALD SPOT / BAD SPORT)
- SPLICES (40D: Does some genetic manipulation on / Some aromatics) (SPLICES / SPICES)
- RABBI (51D: Religious leader / Actress Jacobson) (RABBI / ABBI)
Topanga State Park (/təˈpæŋɡə/ ⓘ) is a California state park located in the Santa Monica Mountains, within Los Angeles County, California. It is part of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.
The park is located adjacent to the Topanga neighborhood of Los Angeles. Covering 11,000 acres (4,500 ha), with 36 miles (58 km) of trails and unimproved roads, the park's boundaries stretch from Topanga Canyon to Pacific Palisades and Mulholland Drive. There are more than 60 trail entrances. Topanga State Park is not only the largest park in the Santa Monica Mountains, but it is also considered the largest park located in the limits of a city.
• • •
There's a little conceptual glitch, I think, in that there's nothing in the Across themers that captures the "blinking" of BLINKERS. In the Downs, the "blinking" works perfectly—blinker on, one answer, blinker off, another answer. But in the four Acrosses, you have to turn either one ("L") or the other ("R") on for answers to work. In real life, BLINKERS don't "blink" from "L" to "R"; either the left one blinks on (and off) or the right one does, and that particular phenomenon (the actuality of how BLINKERS blink) isn't quite adequately represented by the four main themers. So on a (very) technical level, those main themers don't quite work. But the level of intricacy and cleverness is such that I'm willing to say "close enough." Yes, a completely filled grid gets you funny-looking nonsense like LIMBORED and BALD SPORT, but I can tolerate that, given that the "correct" answers are easy to see. I found this very entertaining, and any infelicities in the grid (there aren't many) I can forgive given how hard the task at hand was. A fun, if (once again) overly easy puzzle.
Aside from the pop cultural names (which are always dangerous, depending on your demographic), there are really only two answers in this puzzle I can see giving solvers any grief. The first, and probably toughest (if you're not from CA) is TOPANGA. If people know that word at all, they probably know it as the name of Cory's girlfriend on the long-running '90s sitcom Boy Meets World. Pretty sure she was named after TOPANGA Canyon, which is how I (originally) knew the word TOPANGA (I went to school in S. California). I had no idea there was a TOPANGA State Park. But I knew the Canyon, so I knew it was a place name, so I got there without much trouble. I gotta believe Adam's original clue was a Boy Meets World clue. That would've driven a bunch of solvers crazy, so ... fair change, but still, kind of obscurish (relative to everything else in the grid). The other potential stumper was ESCUDO (46D: Portuguese currency before the euro). It certainly stumped me. Or semi-stumped—the word sort of crawled out of the back of my brain once I had a couple of crosses. So I've seen it before, but it is not one of the go-to bygone crossword currencies, so it took a bit of effort. Nothing much else about this puzzle took anything like effort. The double-cluing on all the themers actually made the puzzle much easier to solve. The gimmick is supposed to be the tricky part, but instead, today, all it did was smooth the path to solving victory.
["Buffalo soldier, dreadlock RASTA"]
- 22A: Swerve, as an airplane (YAW) — not a word I use a lot, one I'm vaguely aware of. Really glad I knew this couldn't be YEW, because I really thought TOPENGA was spelled just like that, with the "E." I always heard that letter like the "E" in PENGUIN.
- 29A: Comment that might be said with a push ("IN YOU GO!") — my favorite clue / answer of the day. A playful, colloquial three-word phrase. Great mid-range fill. I don't recommend pushing people into the pool this 4th of July weekend, though. Or any weekend. Dangerous, not to mention rude. But still, a fun answer.
- 34A: Actor Sebastian ___ of Marvel Studios films (STAN) — two ughs here, one for the uninteresting and vague clue ("Marvel Studios films" ???), and another for returning to the pop culture well at all here. You've already got ALI "don't write in ALY, you idiot" WONG and PEDRO Pascal in there. Why not go to tennis (STAN Smith) or just the generic word for "superfan"? Did not need another actor, especially one whose films you can't even be bothered to name.
- 57A: Losing roll in a casino (CRAP) — also what you might exclaim after said losing roll
- 66A: Pac-Man ghost with the shortest name (INKY) — one part of my brain: "damn it how am I supposed to know all those stupid ghost names?!" Other part of my brain: "Bro, relax, it's INKY." Seriously, almost simultaneous thoughts. I was more a Donkey Kong person. My sister was the Pac-Man player, though Ms. Pac-Man was more her thing.
- 17D: Animal whose Greek name is the etymology of the word "arctic" (BEAR) — so ... not DEER, then? OK.
- 28D: Olympic sprinter ___'Carri Richardson (SHA) — Did not know "SHA" was a separable name part. Glad I knew her name was not SLA'Carri Richardson, because I Swear To God I still don't know how to spell LHASA (keep wanting it to be LLASA, which looks atrocious, why would I want that?) (31A: City where the Dalai Lama [not Llama] was enthroned)
See you next time.
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97 comments:
Isn’t it “craps,” though? You never say “rolled crap,” it’s “rolled craps.”
Caught on to the trick early and solved it with no cheats. Naturally, I had "Paris" at first instead of ROUEN, but should have known better than to think it would be that obvious. A far more likable puzzle than on most Thursdays, for me.
Agree. Easy for a Thirs. But really fun, really clever
I agree, great theme and a lot of fun. Oddly enough I got in done much faster than a usual Thursday.
Agree with the big guy - huge build chops but highly entertaining. To arrive at the permutations here is pretty neat. Once the trick fell - yes it became easy - plop the LRs in and that’s that.
TOPANGA Cowgirl
Liked the entire SE EN GARDE stack. Needed the crosses for ALI WONG. Part of an extended Portuguese family so ESCUDO went right in. Side eye to CRAP - wonder whether @Anoa will discuss a singular of convenience?
PEDRO the Lion
Enjoyable Thursday morning solve. Despite being fairly easy - on the list for POY so far.
Sitting Here in LIMBO
@REX loved this puzzle too! Started it last night.... got sleepy and had to leave those tough parts (TOPANGA, INYOUGO, STAYOUT, ROUEN.... also had a few answers left in the SE--NICK, BLINKERS, ENGARDE, and back up in the NW hadn't been able to finish on the 1st pass--just ALIWONG and TOTAL were still left. So this morning's cleanup time was pretty fun. Because of the 2-phase solve my time was pretty bad... 50 minutes. TOPANGA crossing STAN was a guess... but figured, even though it was a last name, it wasn't STuN or SToN.... maybe STeN? Anyhoo... loved the theme, amazing to come up with a unique Thursdee theme like this. I like to think I could construct a puzzle but then I feel like all the good themes have been done.... but I certainly haven't seen this one before--and having the Left/Right conceit and all the answers working both ways, and up/down. Very impressive, Adam, and fun to solve! Thanks Adam!!!!
Easy once I got the gimmick, which was early on. I agree it was a lot of fun (unusual for me to say that on a Thursday).
Overwrites:
At 4A, an ante was dropped in the pot before a CHIP was.
We'll always have paris. Except at 15D, which could have been the ROUEN of me (Hi, @Bob Mills)
WOEs:
TOPANGA State Park at 11D
SHA'Carri Richardson at 28D
STAN Sebastian at 34A
ESCUDO at 46D
ABBI Jacobson, 80% of 51D (not a problem)
Very easy Thursday. A clever theme and I love the BEAR BIRD twofer. A sterling puzzle.
WoEs: ALI WONG, PEDRO, TOPANGA.
Overwrites: ante/CHIP, horseS/sworDS/STEEDS.
The ESCUDO is still in use as the national currency of (former Portuguese colony) Cabo Verde. And in case you ever need to know, the florin is used in Aruba.
I frequently get flustered with this type of multidimensional gimmick puzzle, but I was able to really enjoy this one. I definitely relied on the circles to get the trick, and the reveal to confirm.
I got tripped up by TOPANGA, ESCUDO and a couple of the other propers - but other than that no complaints. As recently as six months ago, I probably would have been completely lost with a grid like this, so I’m also happy to know that Thursdays are continuing to grow on me.
Conceptually similar to the mental block that Rex has with not being able to remember how to spell LHASA, I’v probably looked up the definition of diaspora at least a dozen times now - every time I see it, I can’t remember what it means - heck, I’m not even sure I get what it means when I read the definition. I guess we all have our burdens to bear.
Wow. I don’t have much to say because I feel like Rex described every experience and feeling I had with the puzzle, including my knowledge of TOPANGA being a canyon/Corey’s girlfriend (thanks to my kids for latter) and my bemoaning my inexplicable compulsion to spell LHASA as LlASA.
All in all a delightful puzzle that tickled me when the left and right blinkers alternated at the end!
No entres aquí.
Typical Thursday where nothing made sense for way too long until finally I figured it out and then "hmmm okay sure." The post-solve blinky lights aren't for me. I guess it's kinda cool, but nobody wants blinky things except tween girls and drag queens. My car gets all fussy if I change lanes without my BLINKER. Big Brother and the Tyrants of Turn Signals are running society.
I dropped a CRAB in the pot at first. I'm a menace. I might go MARAUDING next.
People: 9
Places: 4
Products: 4
Partials: 3
Foreignisms: 1
--
Gary's Grid Gunk Gauge: 21 of 74 (28%)
Funnyisms: 3 😐
Tee-Hee: CRAP. RANDY.
Uniclues:
1 Bent over for the camera (and the win).
2 Complaint during the Christmas wrapping assembly line.
3 What I suspect when they bring me the bill these days.
4 Eagle's aerie.
5 Objection to {ehem} that kind of massage.
6 Signs right wing wackos want posted at the borders, on bathroom doors, on gated communities, and on health care facilities.
1 LIMBOED ON TAPE
2 I'M BORED ON TAPE
3 TOTAL OVER DONE
4 LARGE BALD SPOT (~)
5 RANDY OIL NAY
6 STAY OUT FOR REAL
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Pasta at the north pole. ANORAK RIGATONI.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Agree one of the most cleverly constructed puzzles so far
Happy brain today. Even though it failed in its quest, its work ethic was well satisfied.
Oh, sure, I caught on quickly that the circled letters were L and R, and I figured they represented “left” and “right”. I also quickly saw their on-again-off-again conceit.
But I also knew that the there was a reveal in the SE, so I left that whole corner blank and made it my mission to figure out what that reveal was. I foraged my mind for phrases containing “left” and “right”, phrases with “off” and “on”. I had “Come on, brain!” periods, waiting for inspiration. What simple eight-letter word could explain what was going on?
Eventually I caved, uncled. But oh, what delicious labor, ambrosia for my brain.
Whatever deflation my ego underwent was easily countered by seeing my LR initials flashing, as if on a marquee, in the finished box online. So, happy EGO too.
Praises go to this very impressive puzzle build (Hi, @Rex!) – requiring extraordinary skill and, I’m guessing, much persistence, trial, and error.
Bravo all around, Adam. So many happy boxes checked on this one. Thank you!
Fun puzzle and fun action graphics. As a solver, was done in by ALIWONG and TOPANGA, but was worth the cheat. The Left/Right blinking is classic.
Lovely how the reveal BLINKER echoes the across theme answers, containing as it does an L and an R in order.
Well, that was fun. Also: of all the days for my home delivery guy to sleep in/flake out, leaving me to my laptop, this turned out to be a lucky turn, providing a lively animation at the end to go with my "ta-da" song! I felt like I was at a party instead of alone at my kitchen counter. Woo hoo!
Any true Lana Del Rey fan instantly dropped in TOPANGA today
The L/R flashing gimmick after you solve reminded me more of two flashing yellow signal lights that warn you of something up ahead rather than auto turn signals, like at the end of a freeway/expressway, or a signaled intersection up ahead after a long stretch without one, a particularly steep grade, or a low bridge ahead.
Loved loved loved this puzzle, though that’s probably partly because it was quite easy which made me feel clever.
Very simple but two potential naticks:
ESCaDO crossing SACRaM
TOPANGe crossing STeN
I avoided the second but got caught by the first.
hate the theme.
This was lots of fun, and, especially after reading Rex's explanations, I admire the construction. A very Thursday puzzle!
Super puzzle. Would have been even more fun if proper nouns were more up my alley vs sports and games.But that's fair.
I live in Boston where I think people would have trouble with this puzzle for two reasons:
1. Nobody uses turning signals here.
2. It’s spelled “blinkahs”.
Hey All !
Yes, agree with Rex on the ridiculously hard to construct statement. Holy moly. We need @LMS back here to drive home just how tough this was to make. I wouldn't do it justice.
Silly brain never realized, until the animation at completion, that the circled letters were all L on the Left, and R in the Right. Cmon, man
Liked that the Down counterparts worked with the Across "main" Themers. Like the BLINKING animation upon completion. Like that Adam sacrificed some hair putting this puz together!
As a glutton for punishment, since not working, I've made more puzs, and will submit them to see what happens. Hey, you never know...
IN YOU GO seems like it's said a lot around Thanksgiving, when you put the turkey in the oven.
Welp, that's about it. Have a great Thursday!
Two F's
RooMonster
DarrinV
Great insight
Funny! Delightful puzzle today with fast time for this metro Bostonian.
After reading some comments I suspect this had some on line graphics that made the L and R squares actually blink. My paper copy does not do that, and I have to (sheepishly) admit that although I got the revealer early on and filled the whole puzzle in correctly, the L/R ness thing escaped me entirely. Happy to have finished and did not go back for a post mortem. Oh well.
Today I met ALIWONG, PEDRO INKY and SHA. How do you do? TOPANGA I have at least heard of and ESCUDO I knew. MARAUD is a word you almost never see. The high school where I was last teaching has changed its nickname from the MARAUDers to the BEARS. The old MARAUDer icon was a pirate -looking guy with a knife in his teeth. Good change, as bears are much more common around here.
Construction as accomplished by A Wizard, AW. Happy to have this feat explained to me, and thanks for all the fun.
For the edification of those of you who just do the puzzle and don't bother to read the paper, there is an article on the Dalai Lama in it today on page 4, saying he will reincarnate without interference from Beijing. About to turn 90, he is now based in Daramsala, not LHASA.
For RooMonster: I also "halfway caught" the theme. I recognized the two separate phrases in each case, but not the left-right initialism or their connection with BLINKERS. Rex is right that the construction was classic.
I agree. Otherwise, a very good puzzle.
Clever, intricate, and really well done. There have been other puzzle(s) that had to do with switching R and L as in left and right, but I'm pretty sure it/they weren't done in this way or this intricately -- i.e. changing both the L and the R within a single word. And I'm quite sure it/they had a different revealer.
If I had a memory like everyone else, I'd know what it/they were. Bet Lewis will know.
What I loved about the puzzle was that I sometimes had to use the clever theme to get the other stuff. The other stuff being the [expletive deleted] names, of course. So happy to have at least known you, SIMONE and DEBUSSY. Not so pleased with you, ALI WONG, PEDRO, SHA and STAN. Why does INKY have to be clued with a name at all? It's Marvel and Pac-Man again and will the NYT ever put a stop to it?
You should know. Adam, that I considered this to be a possible POY because of its intricate theme and clever execution. But because of the names you chose to clue it with, I'm afraid I won't be nominating it.
Great explanation on the difficulty of making a complex theme seem smooth and shiny.
We had a Spanish exchange student named 'Iñigo' for a few weeks one summer. And when we went lake swimming off a pier, yes I shoved him in while saying 'Iñigo'. So the 'In you go' clue brought a smile
Beautifully constructed. I am guessing Shortz had zero to do with that. I didn't see the lights blinking until I went back in later. Maybe that was his contribution. I hate to admit that I like these little gimmicks when they happen.
Awesome puzzle !!!
Easy but delightful. So tight yet effortless and fun. The gimmick serves the puzzle.
Awesome construction. Wow. I thought that I understood the gimmick, but didn't see the genius Ls and Rs.
I agree. I’ve never heard it as a singular noun, as in rolled craps. I’ve heard it used as a verb, as in “You can crap out”. It would be interesting to have Will stop by occasionally and give us his thoughts on some of these types of things - I don’t think he’s a fan of OFL for some strange reason though.
I got a kick out of reading the themers as if they were not blinking:
Tired of bending over backwards: LIMBORED
ARO convert characteristic: LOVERDONE
Fancy car dress requirement: BLACKTIRE
Terry Bradshaw: BALDSPORT
Kirk Douglas advised Michael to ACTSON.
Don't worry about the DALAI Lama. He's still got LHASA lives to live.
That stack of LARGE CRAP in the SE had me holding my nose.
Delightful puzzle until the ending graphics triggered some unpleasant flashbacks. Thanks, Adam Wagner.
Got it done, figured out the on/offness of the circled letters, yet totally missed the L/R bit! Wow, what a feat of construction and still fun to complete.
I was watching the flashes thinking “Oh look! They’re all Ls and Rs. Why would that be? On and Off, right ? Hmmm. Ls and Rs…. Oh for heaven’s sake!”
Sha'Carri Richardson has been:
1) in the puzzle before
2) famously/unfairly suspended from the Tokyo Olympics for cannabis use
3) a medal winner in *last year's* Olympics for USA women's track in two of the premier events (100m, 4x100m relay)
4) a fashion icon with her hair/nails/tattoos
Pedro Pascal has been:
1) In some massive recent shows/movies (Game of Thrones, the Mandalorian, The Last of Us, Gladiator II, Narcos, Fantastic 4)
2) In a Super Bowl commercial this year
Does nobody in the comments section own a TV?
Agree with @Rex and all - a pleasure to solve and to admire afterwards. For most of the puzzle, I only understood that we had two overlapping answers in those Acrosses....just barely squeaked in seeing the Ls and Rs before working on the reveal.
TOPANGA Canyon I knew from last January when we were visiting L.A. and the area was under threat from the Palisades Fire.
I admired this puzzle more than enjoyed it. Got the trick right away with BOLOTIE/BOOTIE, which was basically a give-away. After that just had to work my way through fairly easy themers , and easy fill.
Much to admire here. I confess I didn't notice the L/R aspect until the end -on the NYT site they got he puzzle to blink on all the Ls on the left and then over to all the Rs on the right. I can't imagine how long it took to get that to work! Also getting the Downs to work with or without the L or R must have been a bear. The Downs were nice and fresh, but didn't tickle my fancy except for the first one mentioned above and AREWEON.
PEDRO Pascal is sure having a moment, with two films out and (maybe) dating Jennifer Aniston. Man of the Year candidate
Great solve for a Thursday, thanks Adam and editors
Nobody cares what you’re nominating. And what an insanely petty reason for not nominating it anyway. And proclaimed with such condescension. Truly astonishing.
I'm sure he's crushed. Not.
This puzzle was very fun to solve. I generally don’t like rebus puzzles, but this one is an exception.
What’s a TV?
This being Thursday, I was all geared up (or down) for a rebus. Thank you for the very pleasant surprise & a fun puzzle, Adam :)
Easy. No costly erasures. I kinda caught the theme early but I didn’t completely see how it worked until I’d finished.
I didn’t not know STAN, ABBI, and SHA.
Clever idea with a cute graphic and what @Rex said about being an “architectural marvel”, liked it.
Store this tidbit - in Ms. Pacman, the shortest ghost name is "Sue"
34 Across should have been clued ______ Lee of Marvel Studio Films.
Who is this other Stan???
That's what I thought. But look it up. The singular form is real.
I'd prefer a better clue, though, like "Take a -----".
I liked the theme a lot. You could have done the trick with random letters, but making them all L-R and using turn signals as the revealer added a touch of elegance.Eliminating all other Ls and Rs would have added another such touch, but would be too much to ask for.
I think of EMANATE as a transitive verb, but I guess it can go either way, so that's all right.
What's not so all right is crossing the surname of some guy in comic-book based movies with the name of a state park in California. I got the TOPANG_ from crosses and it was basically 'pick a vowel.' Somehow, at the last moment, the A seemed more familiar than an O or I, so I solved the puzzle. At least, I think I did -- I haven't checked the solution yet, but I found the park on Google Maps post-solve.
Admirable construction, but the not blinking from L to R problem that Rex pointed out completely ruins it for me.
Also, no mention of the triple TIE?
- BOLOTIE
- BLACKTIE
- TIETO
Mean comments by cowards hiding behind Anonymous.
Those aren’t naticks. They’re just misspellings.
Well, this one was certainly interesting, in that “how the hell did they ever come up with that” kind of way. But it also managed to be an enjoyable solve. Just tricky enough to irritate me but easy enough to allow me the occasional aha moment. And I don’t even have any notes here about things that really pissed me off. I’m still reviewing the grid, so I may find something egregious, but maybe not. Seemed pretty smooth. I guess I liked it.
The flashing turn signals - which is what I call them, though I know people who insist they are blinkers - were fun. Always fun to see the tech folks having a good time, especially when it enhances, rather than screws up the solving experience. Nicely done.
So, after further review, the best I can find in the “egregious” category is at 35A BACKTIRE. I’ve burned a lot of rubber off the front tires of my FWD fifth generation Honda Prelude in impromptu “drag” races but, as far as I know, real dragsters are all rear wheel drive. Give the win to the constructor here.
A great way to spend a late Wednesday evening. Thanks, Adam Wagner.
I agree CRAPs should be plural. I've never played PacMan , but somehow I knew INKY. Funny how the mind works. Never realized the circles were all Ls and Rs until I came here. Fab construction.
Most fun I’ve had doing any crossword puzzle in a long long time. Thanx Rex for the detailed explanations on construction and L R details. Thanx AW for sharing this Beautiful masterpiece.
Weird and wonderful puztheme. Blinkin great ThursPuz.
Caught onto the theme mcguffin pretty early, but still had to remain on alert thru-out the solvequest, to think like the blinkin puztheme.
staff weeject pick: SHA. Had no idea(l).
fave stuff included: INYOUGO. SIMONE darlin. FORREAL. STAYOUT.
Toughie spot: STAN/TOPANGA/RASTA.
Thanx for a whole lotta fun, Mr. Wagner dude. Fantastic constructioneerin effort. You musta suffered.
Masked & Anonymo4Us
... that was a hard-to-top puztheme, so this runt won't try ...
Stumpy Stumper: "Jaws of Themelessness #23" - 7x9 12 min. themeless runt puzzle:
**gruntz**
M&A
Most people have TVs, but no one show is seen by most people. Game of Thrones was huge, it got about 34 million viewers per episode in its last season -- but that leaves about 300 million who didn't watch it. Of course most of us have heard of the show--but not the names of the actors in it. Heck, I don't usually know the names of most actors in shows that I do watch!
Sincere question: how do people know the names of characters in video games? I mean, I did know INKY (after a few crosses), but can't remember how I learned it. But I used to play Pacman quite a bit, and never saw anything involving names.
It wasn’t a rebus.
Another cute (if intentional) connection to blinkers/blinking is one of Inky's fellow ghosts in Pac-Man is named Blinky.
Could only muster Will Rogers for 11 down.
I don't know the answer to your question, but here they are:
Pac-Man: The protagonist, a yellow, circular character who eats dots and fruits.
Ms. Pac-Man: Pac-Man's wife, also known as Pepper.
Blinky: The red ghost, known for chasing Pac-Man directly.
Pinky: The pink ghost, who tries to ambush Pac-Man.
Inky: The cyan ghost, known for his unpredictable movements.
Clyde: The orange ghost, often referred to as the "ambusher".
Sue: A purple ghost who appears in Ms. Pac-Man.
I have a friend with a chunky little black terrier cross rescue dog named INKY. This dog likes me so much that when I park in front my building in the city to finish my cigar before going upstairs (my truck is a mobile smoking lounge) and Michele is walking INKY, she will walk over and open my passenger door and Inky will leap straight up on to the passenger seat and on to my lap. Lovely dog and she doesn't discriminate against smokers. I always assumed she was named after the colour of her fur but now I'm going to have to ask about Michele's possible Pac-Man obsession.
Agree with Rex, fun puzzle!
I am in awe of this puzzle for all the reasons @Rex mentioned. I did not find it as easy as others but that just added to the fun.
My only real holdup was that I was sure that 35A just had to end in ATTIRE. I couldn't shake that for a long time so that particular themer was slow to come. I'm trying to get better at being more open minded when I think something I put in is a sure thing!
The propers did not bother me at all, so I had to work a little harder for today's STAN, I'm fine with that. And TOPANGA fell with some very fair crosses - so all good.
Like @Rex - I first spelled 31A as LLASA. I'm not familiar with this sprinter so it all seemed fine to me until I realized how funky LLASA looked, something clicked and I got that fixed.
Everything else was pretty close to perfect for me. Cute cluing for CHIP and ENGARDE and a CRAP-free grid in general...well, except for 57A :o)
It's amazing that nothing at all was sacrificed for this incredible, multi-dimensional theme to not only hold up, but to really shine! Adam - this rocked, thank you!
All those expressing such "how could I know this guy?" about Sebastian STAN might want to know he was nominated for a frickin' Oscar this year. Granted, it was for a movie none of us wanted to put ourselves through (The Apprentice), but it's a pretty solid credential.
He also had an outstanding secondary credit, playing a guy with Elephant Man disease in a terrific little movie called A Different Man.
All this in addition to his having been in a slew of Marvel movies (which I dislike as much as anyone, but I can't stay oblivious to what millions of people watch).
So...maybe it's this group here that's sheltered on this particular issue.
I absolutely loved this puzzle- it's not often you get a totally unique theme, but I've never seen one like this before. Plus, the fill is good, both on the themers and regular answers. I was gushing about it to my wife after finishing it, which doesn't happen very often.
I noticed the connection immediately and REALLY enjoyed it. (Of course, as a big video game nerd, I enjoy any answer that's even a tad deeper than MARIO or ZELDA or TETRIS.)
Wow this is brilliant what a puzzle
Stare at the completed graphic long enough and you will start to hear "Ping. Ping. Ping. Ping...." and see a message superimposed on the grid "Turn Signal On."
The puzzle and Rex sell Sebastian Stan short. He is good actor in many more movies than just Marvel dreck. From Wikipedia "Known for his work in both blockbuster and independent films, his accolades include a Golden Globe Award and a Silver Bear, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award and a Primetime Emmy Award."
I was very reluctant to put in LHASA, since I knew no Dalai Lama had lived in Tibet since the Chinese invaded long, long ago. They could have clued this more correctly.
Villager
Puzzle deserved the high praise Rex afforded it - was duly impressed even before realizing the blinking letters were always L and R. I’m not a constructor but appreciate the cleverness amid the constraints.
Bartended at Topanga Corral in 1977 - such a fun job, with house bands like T Bone Burnett’s group and Little Feat. Crazy long commute from Hermosa Beach up the mountain road, but little traffic coming home at 3 am.
Just read (48 years later) that it was allegedly the inspiration for The Doors’ Roadhouse Blues. Burned down twice but before that, let it roll, baby, all night long!
TOPANGA Corral!
To Tom Q.: Respectfully...you certainly MAY stay oblivious to what millions of people watch. Professional wrestling, for one example (there are many others).
Wow. This is truly a masterful, creative and artistic feat of cruciverbalism. I am impressed with Adam’s skill and the obvious perseverance required to make the gimmick work as well as it does. Looking at the completed puzzle, I was impressed with all of the obstacles that had to be overcome for this to work.
But . . . the gimmick only works to impress if the solver solves electronically. And that’s my objection. Sure, solving on paper, you simply “ignore” the L/Rs. But in so doing, “the big reveal” BLINKERS is meaningless since the solver does not need visually to “read” either left or right to reveal the answer to a clue. But, solving electronically it’s pretty nifty - and that’s high praise from this old solver who as a rule loathes grid art.
Alas, I got the idea immediately at the BO(L)OTIE/(L)IMBO(R)ED cross and just solved as a themeless. Was I surprised to see actual BLINKERS? Nope. And, as @Rex mentioned the gimmick fell a tad short on the across theme answers. So, put me in the crusty, set in my ways solver category. I applaud Mr. Wagner’s construction prowess and recognize what a tour de force this opus represents.
And, as an occasional gambler, 57A should be CRAPs (hi @Bob Mills and @Conrad). And if two of my BFFs did not own adorable little cottages in Bernay, I would have tossed in Paris at 15D, but since I don’t usually rent a car when I visit, I take a bus from ROUEN to get to Bernay. Saved by my friends - again!
Very quick solve. Very few nits re fill. Very impressed with the architectural constructing skill. Yet, I still prefer not to have grid art and I loathe technological gimmicks invading the purity of the crossword’s pencil and paper domain.
And yep, this old lawyer still prefers a yellow legal pad to her computer - upon which she solves many crosswords every day solely in the interest of environmental advocacy and awareness.
But I love the freedom of expression we enjoy here in the US and respect everyone’s opinions. Celebrate and protect this crucial right!
Fantastic puzzle - clever and lots of fun. I didn’t know any of the names but got them from the crosses - so very fair.
"Craps" is correct, not "crap" as clued. The best clue for crap would have been ____ out, with a reference to gambling in the clue.
Count me among those who were completely awed by this marvel of constructioneering (™M&A). Not only is the intricacy of crossing blinking themers impressive, there is also a bunch of bonus goodies to kick my solve buzz up another notch.
I like the music of both DEBUSSY and Bob Marley and just recently listened for the umpteenth time to "Buffalo soldier, dreadlock RASTA".
I got a kick out of STAY OUT crossing IN YOU GO.
EN GARDE used to be a chess phrase to warn opponents that their queen was under attack. Maybe that's a bit passé these days.
We get an AVIATE and a YAW connection. YAW, pitch and roll are the three basic motions of an airplane. Ships also get those plus heave, sway and surge. Feeling queasy yet?
All in all, not a single thing in this one to elicit a "Holy CRAP! Not this again!"
Have to share that at least one clue was easy for me. Last night I got to see the Wailers (alas, no Bob Marley,) in concert and they sang their hit Buffalo Soldier. :-)
As I've become more familiar with this blog, I confess I'm truly fascinated by the discord and frustration that is brought on by Proper Noun answers and how generational differences are the main fuel for the angst they generate.
As a late 30s New Yorker, PEDRO, SHA, ALI WONG, INKY were all immediate gimmes or required one or two letters. I am often surprised by the master @Rex struggling with answers that seem Monday-level to me. On the other hand, as a Colombian who immigrated to the USA in 1997, I am often stumped and vexed by American-centric references that predate the 1990s.
I have never, however, viewed the use of a Proper Noun as a blemish on an otherwise beautifully constructed puzzle. It is impossible for every solver to know a reference or for a solver to know every reference. I instead channel my frequent ignorance as motivation to learn something new and (hopefully albeit unlikely) make a future reference easier to recognize.
@Nancy, I hope that you recognize how incredibly well constructed this puzzle is, the improbable almost unanimous amazement expressed by the readers of this blog and that your unfamiliarity with the Proper Nouns used today is more a reflection of your cultural sphere and not the constructor's failure.
Isn't it true that the across answers are real blinkers? The left answer uses L and the right answer uses R. The downs just use the on/off motif.
Anonymous 8:18 AM
Rex made up the term natick as a criticism of a puzzle cross some ten years ago. V Two obscure proper nouns or names crossing at an uninferable letter.
N.C.Wyeth an illustrator more known for being the father famous painter crossing with a small town on the Boston Marathon route, Natick MA.
Sacrum,a significant bone, is just too well known to be part of a natick. I am just saying that there’s nothing wrong with that cross. We can’t know everything.
Jae
Rabbi took care of Abbi who I hadn’t a clue about! So the theme helped.
Trigger
But Stan as in Lee was Waaaay overused and too well known by crossworders. So stale crosswordese, which they try to avoid. Also this puzzle is fairly easy outside the gimmick and so they picked a fairly well known rising star with many successes.
Anonymous 2:45 pm
The clue didn’t say where he lived.
Where he was enthroned
And he hadn’t been kicked out yet so the clue is accurate
Exactly!
@Noni - great observation!!! Makes
Sense of what I thought just looked a tad problemmatic. A great examle of why I adore reading all the comments every day. Thanks!
Wonderfully designed puzzle! Realised the trick with the down clues fairly quickly but took bit more time to fully understand the trick going across! Incredibly impressive to have such restraints on the grid and yet have fairly smooth fill
Denied the gold star by two incorrect squares - couldn’t get the H in LHASA and didn’t get the square crossing TOPANGA/YAW. Still, a lovely solving experience!
Felipe -- did you happen to notice the lavish praise I heaped on this puzzle for its cleverness and intricacy of construction? I was ready to nominate it for Puzzle of the Year for heaven's sake -- not exactly a small thing, and the Wordplay blog indeed accepts such nominations at the end of the year. What stopped me were the surfeit of proper nouns which put me off. Using a lot of proper nouns is a conscious choice of many constructors -- but happily not all. It's a choice I seek to discourage. Here's why:
If you know the proper name, it's a boring "gimme" for you -- nothing to "puzzle out" or think about at all. You just write it in on automatic pilot -- as I did DEBUSSY and SIMONE. Did I feel proud...or excited...or pat myself on the back? Not in the least. I just knew them. Yawn.
Conversely, if you don't know a name, it's completely ungettable -- except through crosses. There's nothing to "figure out", it's just an impenetrable roadblock. Frustrating, but without being in the least thought-provoking or intellectually challenging.
I much prefer wordplay clues and answers. That's what supplies "Aha Moments". That's what supplies humor. That's what allows you to pit your wits against the constructor. These are the constructors I really admire. Many youthful constructors began with puzzles that were trivia-fests and gave it up as they became far more sophisticated and imaginative. David Steinberg is a prime example -- and I applaud his transformation. He's become one of my favorite constructors.
I'm also so tired of the assumption that proper name complaints are generational complaints. They're not at all. I no more like a puzzle based on the pop culture of my own era than I like one based on the pop culture of your era. And there was every bit as much pop culture in my own era as in yours. Go to xword.info and look at the 7 puzzles I've co-created. There is almost NO pop culture from anyone's era. I strive to make a puzzle where all solvers will be on an equal footing -- where small bits of ephemeral , utterly forgettable trivia about such things as sitcom casts and Billboard hits will not be the difference between solving and not solving.
There are a huge number of solvers who feel as I do. They are of every age and comprise every level of solving ability. Our feelings and preferences are absolutely valid, they are based on specific reasons, and they deserve to be respected.
I'm sure it's impossible, but I wish the only Ls and Rs in the puzzle were the blinking ones
I think if you regularly read a newspaper (for example, the New York Times), these names would be quite familiar to you.
Visiting Rouen for the first time next week, so there was a “oh right, it’s on the Seine!” moment. Thought the puzzle was very clever and somewhat hard, but I was playing in dark mode and couldn’t see the circles at first. Also didn’t notice that all the blinkers were L and R until the blinking graphics. A great puzzle!
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