Constructor’s notes
I got into crosswords in 2017 on a slow day at work. A couple coworkers would sit down at coffee break with the daily puzzle in the Lethbridge Herald and get solving. One day, I decided to sit down with them and see what I’d been missing. Now I can’t sleep until I solve the daily New York Times puzzle.
As challenging as it was to build a puzzle for the first time, the process was more cathartic than I ever imagined. I sought inspiration from the king himself, Will Shortz, whose tireless efforts to make crosswords accessible for younger generations is the reason I’m addicted to solving today. I’ve learned there are countless ways to inject my own personality into a grid without fear of something being lost in translation (Ross Trudeau is a legend at this, IMO). My only worry now is that I become hooked on creating, too…
My initial vision for this puzzle was to be a nod to my classmates and instructors over the past two years, but I couldn’t settle on a grid I felt was gettable enough. While it was a bit crushing to lose some fun entries (e.g., ASPECTRATIO, BELUGAWHALE, COMMONCHORD, SATURNALIA), I was rewarded by finding a theme that suits moviegoers and doubles as an inside joke among my friends. And I still snuck in a couple fun references to my DCM group.
To the first-timers out there, I know how intimidating it can be to face an empty grid. But remember: this is just for fun! If you hit a wall, take a break and come back later. I promise you there’s no better feeling than finishing a puzzle (except for watching 9-Across, maybe).
Happy solving!
Tricky clues
16A: Ideally, this would just be “year,” but I had to cheat a little to get this one to work. It takes Earth AYEAR to orbit the Sun.
27A: I’m biased (obviously), but I love this clue. Think about the state of the gum when Buddy’s picking it off the subway railing. To eat gum like him is to RECHEW it.
38A: Michelangelo’s statue of David was finished in 1504, but anyone living during that era would’ve known it to be MDIV.
3D: Based on the internal dialogue of a Shiba Inu, DOGE was an internet meme that blew up in 2013.
8D: Shoutout to our on-campus radio station, CRLC The Kodiak – the full spectrum of music!
43D: Sorry, DCMers – it’s not Robert Michaud. This clue refers to a story from the book of JONAH where he was swallowed by a whale then regurgitated three days later on dry land.
