Special collaboration to recognize the 150th published Los Angeles Times puzzle set by Jeffrey Wechsler. We have conspired to show you exactly what happened between JW submitting the puzzle and its reaching publication. So let's start the ride. It will take some time but relax and enjoy it. JW's comments are in this color. Lemon comments are logically orange, and TTP's are the black ones.
Constructor’s note:
Creating clues for crosswords can be a mixture of drudgery and creativity. Writing between 70 to 78 clues for an average puzzle can be time-consuming and tedious, but every once in a while, a really clever or humorous idea for a clue comes along and just about makes the whole process worthwhile. But editors have an important role to play as well. Besides the job of straightforward editing for accuracy, spelling, grammar, and style, editors have to consider clue length and potential repetition of past clues. And perhaps most importantly, editors have generally been accomplished constructors before they become editors, so they have the necessary creativity and experience to devise interesting clues. Therefore, a constructor will occasionally get credit for an excellent clue that was actually devised by the editor. (Of course, there are times that a clue considered quite clever by the constructor is not equally appreciated by the editor, and the original clue disappears, to the constructor’s dismay.) In the crossword field, editors have the final say; a constructor will not know about any clue changes until the puzzle is published. Because this aspect of the crossword world may be relatively unknown to most solvers, today’s constructor and reviewers present a behind-the-curtain peek at cluing. We hope it is interesting and enlightening.
"Needing a LEG Up"
Each of these 4 theme answers requires that you borrow an E and a G from an intersecting Down answer. You probably first noticed that the two letters were EG, and then without hesitation noticed that each occurrence also was on top of an L, So LEG goes up.
15. Vermont alma mater of Alan Arkin and Peter Dinklage: BENNINGTON COLL
They have many others including Betty Ford. LIST.
29. Coin of the realm: L
39. "MythBusters" target: URBAN L
55. '50s-'70s carrier with a Pittsburgh hub: ALL
Original clue: [Defunct carrier with a Pittsburgh hub]. The decades of the airline’s existence offer useful information and I appreciate the addition
63. Assistance, with "a" ... and literal assistance in solving the four longest answers: LEG UP.
Original clue: [Assistance – and literal assistance for solving the starred clues]. The suggested method of using starred clues was ditched -- I can never figure out why or when the “starred clues” system will be accepted or rejected. And of course, that mention of “a” is quite useful
Borrowing a page from Husker Gary's playbook, I'm linking the grid here:
Across:
1. Long-term astronaut's home: Abbr.: ISS. International Space Station - NASA
4. Old TWA competitor: PAN AM.
Original clue: [TWA competitor]. TWA and Pan Am are both defunct and from the same era, so I didn’t think further definition was needed. The editor provided the “old”
9. FBI figure: AGT. Agent
12. Mauna __: KEA. If it's fill in the blank and three letters, enter the A in the third square, and check the perps to determine LO or KE.
13. Sister of Terpsichore: ERATO. Did not know Terpsichore.
14. "But, as he was ambitious, I __ him" : Brutus: SLEW. JW gets his Shakespeare in early this week.
18. Provides with an alarm code, perhaps: ABETS. Loved this clue / answer.
19. Timeworn phrase: BROMIDE. e.g. "Every cloud has a silver lining", i.e. a platitude. Very similar to clichés, which you should avoid like the plague.
20. Judicial prohibition: GAG ORDER.
Original clue: [Judicial attempt at secrecy]. The editor’s clue is accurate and terse. Good call Does look like an improvement.
24. Party nudge: OPEN IT. "C'mon, OPEN IT !"
Original clue: [Christmas morning encouragement]. The editor’s clue is much harder, I think. A “nudge” could be physical, not a verbal suggestion, and lots of parties don’t involve gift-giving Much harder for me.
25. "Bambi" doe: ENA.
Original clue: [Bambi relative]. Putting “Bambi” in quotes marks it as a title, and “doe” makes the answer female. Careful editorial definition
26. Andy is her nephew: AUNT BEE. There's Aunt Bee, Andy, Clara and ??? No idea either?
Original clue: [One attending to Opie]. The editing change makes the clue much harder. Andy who? There are a lot of Andys out there
28. Boomer?: TNT. CSO to Boomer!
31. Disco era adjective: GO GO.
Original clue: [Type of 1960s dancer]. Equivalent, to my mind – each clue comes from a slightly different direction This edit is also more difficult for me.
32. Robert of "The Sopranos": ILER. A.J. SOPRANO.
33. "Got it": I SEE.
36. Infant's place in Hyde Park: PRAM. That would be Hyde Park, London, not Hyde Park, Chicago.
44. Gloaming, in verse: EE'N.
Original clue: [Poetic contraction meaning “yet”]. Ah, the ubiquitous EE'N, one of the many poetic saviors/bugbears of the crossword constructor! I can understand that editors crave new ways to clue such words. I appreciate “Gloaming” as an exquisitely poetic clue, but it is also likely mysterious in meaning to many solvers and therefore rather hard
45. NAPA store item: FAN BELT. NAPA is the initialism for National Automotive Parts Association.
Original clue: [Occasional auto engine replacement]. I suppose you must be familiar with NAPA to get the editor’s clue. If so, no problem. If not, your solving just hit the brakes
47. Green span: LEA. I thought of Alan first, but the space between told me no.
Original clue: [Grazing place] Because many of my puzzles are considered by commenters to be among the most difficult at the LA Times, I often try to maintain a certain proportion of simple clues. The editor created a somewhat harder clue, although it’s quite evocative
48. Bothers, as one's conscience: NAGS AT.
50. Ali, per Ali: GREATEST.
Original clue: [Ali, as self-described]. Proper editorial terseness. Brevity is the soul of wit
52. Perch in a lullaby: TREE TOP. Why do we tell babies to go to sleep after landing on their heads?
Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all
Original clue: [Lullaby cradle perch]. Removing “cradle” makes it slightly harder, but not by much, given the well-known source. Very reasonableWhen the wind blows, the cradle will rock
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall
And down will come baby, cradle and all
54. Fuming: IRATE.
59. Genre with hard-boiled characters: NOIR. Many favorites for me in this category, and still discovering them on the old movie channels. Great books and graphic novels as well.
Original clue: [Moody film genre]. Removing the film reference makes the clue slightly harder, but quite gettable, especially given the frequency with which NOIR appears in crosswords. Hey, maybe because the answer has four letters, the editor was trying to fool some solvers into inserting EGGS!
60. Greet the day: ARISE.
Original clue: [Greet the new day]. Terseness, terseness
61. Encumber, with "down": BOG. Details are often the culprit.
62. Letters replacing a list: ETC.
Original clue: [List substitute]). Equivalent, I’d say
64. Small amount of work: ERG.
Down:
1. Floral art: IKEBANA. The Japanese art of flower arrangement.
2. French-speaking African country: SENEGAL.
3. __ Domingo: SANTO. The capital of the Dominican Republic.
I love how Tom presents parallel pictures.
5. Braz. neighbor: ARG. Argentina. Chile has the longest border with Brazil.
Original clue: [Neighbor of Uru.] No difference that I can see – I wonder why! More limited geography knowledge.
6. D.C. athlete: NAT. The Washington Nationals
7. Small step: A TO B.
Original clue: [First stage of an ongoing pathway] At the Crossword Corner, I often read comments like “Oh, that Wechsler is always creating tricky or difficult clues!” Well, ultimately a puzzle’s degree of difficulty is often determined by the editor. I was trying to make an unusual entry easier for the solver, but it was not meant to be
8. Louisiana Purchase negotiator who later became president: MONROE.
Original clue: [He helped negotiate the Louisiana Purchase] Here the editorial makes things easier for the solver. I think he was quite right to do so
9. Utterly enrapt with: ALL INTO.
10. Castrated equine: GELDING.
Original clue: Donkey or mule, for example) Well, well, well! There I was, trying to craft a clue that danced around the obvious definition – maybe making a pun with “fix” – and the editor cuts to the chase, gets down to the nitty-gritty, and simply writes “castrated”. I really thought that word was going to be a no-no, a victim of the so-called “breakfast test” for disturbing crossword content. All I can say is – Bravo, editor!”
11. Send a short message: TWEET TO.
Original clue: [Direct a short message at] Hmm…. Interesting. Yes, I can see that “send”, without an added preposition, can imply the word “at” that concludes the answer. That’s very subtle and somewhat more difficult, I think
14. Vague quantity: SOME.
Original clue: [Not very many]. Ironically, I think the word “vague” is, in this instance, more precise!
15. Torus-shaped food: BAGEL.
Original clue: [Edible torus]. Equivalent -- although I think my clue sounds funnier
16. Nation since 1948: ISRAEL. Me too!
17. Deal: COPE.
Original clue: [Deal (with)]. Another instance of the disappearing preposition. I’ve noticed this reductivism especially in clues for Saturday LA Times puzzles, where one-word clues are common. I suppose “deal” and “cope” are synonyms, but I feel that the “with” makes the equivalency more natural
21. Sci-fi classic set on an arid world: DUNE.
22. Gridiron maneuver: END RUN.
23. GPS datum: RTE.
27. Hush money payer: BRIBER.
Original clue: [One involved with dirty money]. Again, terseness
30. Cratchit kid: TIM.
Original clue: [Cratchit family member]. More precision = easier to solve
31. Salon supply: GEL.
34. Large word on a mall sign: SALE.
Original clue: Word written large on a mall sign). Sure, why not
35. Involve: ENTAIL.
36. Compound with five carbon atoms: PENTANE.
Original clue: [C5H12]. I knew this one would be changed. The publishing format for producing the puzzles probably cannot create chemical numerical subscripts in the clues, but I figured I’d give it a try
37. Parking in back: REAR LOT.
Original clue: [Parking for a street-front store, perhaps]. Short but sweet – good work, editor
38. Like a sleeping baby: ANGELIC. A bit grumpy Jeffrey.
Original clue: [Like an ideal child]. I think the new clue falls short because I don’t think a sleeping baby necessarily looks angelic by definition – I seem to recall several who did not
40. "Notorious" court initials: RBG.
Original clue: [Initialism that titles a 2018 biopic of a U.S. Justice]) Besides being way too long, my clue was wary of whether the majority of solvers knew the phrase “The Notorious RBG” in reference to Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I’m glad the editor took this route
41. Franklin's wife: ELEANOR.
Original clue: [Franklin’s mate]. The editor was right to use the word “wife”. After all, this is a tricky clue: I assume that most solvers will first consider Franklin to be the last name and might wonder: “So that rat Wechsler expects us to know the name of Benjamin Franklin’s mate?!” And “wife” will at least deter people from considering Aretha Franklin as the subject
42. Financial planning target: NEST EGG.
43. Teen gossip fodder: DATES.
45. It's inevitable: FATE.
46. Without a key: ATONAL. This was not a lock for me.
Original clue: [Like music without a key]. Terseness that makes things a bit tougher
49. Very, in Vienna: SEHR.
Original clue: [Essex : “Excellent! :: Essen : ___ gut!”). I thought the phrase “sehr gut” might help solvers recall the German word
51. Erie or Huron, but not Superior: TRIBE. I like this clue.
53. Ritual heap: PYRE. Musical interlude.
56. 2008 bailout co.: AIG.
Original clue: [Global NYC-based insurance and finance corp.]). By this point, we can all say the magic word together – terseness!
57. Ames sch.: ISU.
Original clue: [Sch. With an Ames campus]). Remember, everyone! Ters… oh, enough already! Perhaps easy for the midwestern solvers, but does everyone know the Iowa State Cyclones are from Ames?
58. House fig.: REP.
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