In the constructor notes, Mr. Levin explains his rationale for choosing the surnames that we see stretched out in this puzzle. For me, however, they're all LONG JOHNS in their own way: GLENN -- it's a LONG way to the moon and back. LEWIS -- it's a LONG march from Selma to Montgomery and a LONG tenure of service in the House. ADAMS -- it's a LONG time for a President to live until 90 (until Reagan beat that record) and a LONG-term impact on the Supreme Court with the appointment of Chief Justice John MMAARRSSHHAALLLL ELWAY -- it's a LONG touchdown drive of 98 yards to beat the Browns in the AFC Championship January 1987.
@Henry Su You've outdone yourself. This is brilliant! . . . . . . . . There once was an EEMMUU named John His arm was long, say, Like that of the law And much too strong More like a claw And we wait for the day When he'll be gone.
@Henry Su John Glenn never went to the moon. Though I guess you could say his flight's success helped lead to the Apollo program.
Here’s to “our Johns”: John “Jack” McCullough, Ezra, Jersey Coast, Dietsch, Deal, and I’m sure some more who go by other names. I seem to recall @Coloradoz is a John, but I could be wrong. No one can say that Wordplay doesn’t know Jack. The Shakespeare quote reminded me of a passage from Rilke about embracing our fears and that led me on a bit of a goose chase that ended with Auden’s “September 1, 1939,” the final stanza of which are good words to live by in dark times: Defenceless under the night Our world in stupor lies; Yet, dotted everywhere, Ironic points of light Flash out wherever the Just Exchange their messages: May I, composed like them Of Eros and of dust, Beleaguered by the same Negation and despair, Show an affirming flame. -W.H. Auden
@Puzzlemucker My Comment name is my initials phonetically. I'll admit that I should be counted in your list as well. I thought about using JaunTee, but I'm usually more serious than that.
@Puzzlemucker September 1, 1939 was a clue not too long ago. Despite the specific date and context of the poem those lines are timeless.
@Puzzlemucker @Puzzlemucker You are right about my given name as John although I go by Jack. And I think I probably only gave my name once or twice in 6 years, so you have an amazing memory. There are days I have to look at my driver's license to remember my name 😀 And I would have a four letter stretch with last name Zzeelllleerr
Theme was a real stretch. cc: emu handler
Finally equalled my previous streak of 179 games! I know that's nothing compared to the streaks some other people have on here, but, believe me, for someone who can't be bothered to consistently do ANYTHING more than twenty or thirty days in a row, sticking with a game every day for over a hundred days in a row is a huge achievement.
"My astronomy final's today!" "I hope you rocket!" (They're such star students.)
I have finally, finally learned to put STROP instead of strap for razor sharpener. Join me in celebrating, won't you?!
@Scott One might say you've honed your talents.
This morning, having only recently -- and with great joy -- moved from Texas to Maine, I was putting on my base layer, which is something I have not needed to do in the past (mumble, mumble) years. In fact, the last time I needed a base layer, the only kind was available was an off-white, waffle-cloth variety. Today I was donning a thinner, smoother, black version. As I went through the process of sliding them on, I wondered whether people still called these things "long johns" because I hadn't heard that expression since I was a kid in Massachusetts. And then I sat down to do today's crossword...
@Steve - It’s hard for me to imagine leaving Texas without feeling a great weight being relieved from one’s shoulders…
@Steve I saw "base layer" and initially thought of makeup. I was wondering if there was something acne-causing about moving from Texas to Maine... the stress of adapting to a new locale, maybe? A reaction to sea air, pine trees, lobsters?
"The main challenge in making this concept work was finding JOHNS who fit comfortably into the grid and would be familiar to a vast majority of solvers. Getting a good “aha!” moment with this theme requires the solver to think they know the answer right away from the clue, only to realize that the length of the full name is one letter off. If the John in question is too obscure, that won’t happen." --Constructor JOHN I can't begin to tell you, J-CL, how much I applaud the thinking process you describe above in constructing your puzzle. Not only because I think your decision to use well-known JOHNs was spot-on, but even more because you were so obviously thinking about what the solving experience would be like for the SOLVER. It's the most generous and unselfish motivation a puzzle constructor can have -- and I wish there could be a Constructors' Rule written in stone: THOU SHALT GIVETH THE SOLVER THE BIGGEST AND BEST "AHA MOMENT" THAT THOU POSSIBLY CANST.
Besides the themers, astonishing number of words/phrases with double letters: Allie, naan, illegal, Ann, attests, innate, annal, eel, nee, adds, air ball, NCAA, malls, I'll be...had me seeing double! Also admirable are some of the other dualities found here: the vertical combination of Algeria -- Heathen pared with, in precisely the same vertical on the other side, Attests -- Glory Be, testifying to the twin pillars of Christianity & Islam that inform all of northern Africa to the Dead Sea.* Or Dead Sea, the lowest region on earth in the NE, with Ad Astra, the highest point away from earth, in the matching SW. History as spoken (oral) and written (annal). For example, we know from written annals that lances were indeed used, along with other pole-arms, during the Crusades, which were winding down just as Dante began writing. Those touches, meant or accidental, make this puzzle flow & glow a little more for me. Also like that Lance crosses with John Glenn: the most famous Lance these days is disgraced biker Armstrong, but back in Glenn's day, it was his buddy Neil.** Ad astra, boys! *The same can't be said for the 3rd columns over: Illegal Android & Laotian Airball don't reverberate... or do Laotian androids play b-ball? **Maybe not. "Lance Armstrong" 6.5M hits on google. "Neil Armstrong" 14.5M hits. PS: John Adams was quite portly & would have looked a sight in long johns. Critics called him His Rotundity. PPS: World's shortest poem: EYEYE - Aram Saroyan
@john ezra It seems that Aram Saroyan has outdone himself, and that the Guinness Book of World Records has credited him with his even shorter poem, m E = mu²
@john ezra Very interesting observations on the construction, Mr. Eezzrraa!
@john ezra What's truly admirable is your ultra-perceptive take on this puzzle. Way to go, JE!
DEAD SEA brought back a funny memory I haven’t thought about in ages. Some 40 years ago, a bit out of college, and traveling, I went there on a crowded day, lots of people on the beach and standing in the water. It was a hot day, and the water looked so inviting, I couldn’t wait to get in. A wide stretch of sand stood between me and the sea, and I broke into a sprint toward what I envisioned as a refreshing splash and dunk. At this point, in my memory, everything shifts into slow motion. Suddenly, it seems, everyone in the hoards on the beach and in the water looked at me in panic, pointing toward me, then started waving their hands overhead in an effort to get me to stop, shouting “NOOOOOOOOOO!”. That is what I remember most, that slow-motion cinematic moment with the panicked faces, yells, and motions. Oh, happy ending, I did stop in time, and I learned that the hyper-saline water sharply stings the eyes; it's torture to be splashed upon. But oh, did I unite a host of humans in terror that day! As I did at the Dead Sea that day, I sprinted through your puzzle with zeal, John-Clark. I especially liked the four N’s in a row in the first theme answer and the rare-in-crosswords five-letter semordnilap (STROP). But I’m especially grateful to you for rekindling this marvelous memory, which I’ll smile at all day. Thank you!
@Lewis Your Dead Sea story evoked a memory for me, too. My then-husband, a non-swimmer, was probably the only person ever to have been rescued from it. As soon as he got in, the buoyancy lifted him up, and he began to panic and shout for help.
@Lewis I remember my father and grandmother floating in the Dead Sea while reading a newspaper, such was the buoyancy.
An easy breezy puzzle; got the trick with John LLEEWWIISS and understood what all those Ns were doing in John Glenn's name. I especially enjoyed the constructor's notes and his explanation of why the 5-letter last names worked better for the puzzle layout. I like the behind-the-scenes information!
Well, that was a stretch. 😁 A gentle-enough Wednesday with a simple trick is always welcome in my house. Also liked the clue variety and all the double letters. Thanks, John-Clark
Thank you Mr. LLEEVVIINN for this fun puzzle!
Nice gentle trick that was perfect for a Wednesday.
I started in the NW corner and quickly got the need to double the letters in Glenn. From there doubled Lewis was obvious and the game was afoot. Wondered what was the reason and saw the revealer and laughed out loud. Really fun and fast puzzle for me today. Thanks!
As always, I’m in awe of the constructor. Fun puzzle, created with skill, wit, and humor. Today the comments thus far are equally impressive. Extra credit goes to @johneezzrraa and PM for extraordinary observation and poetry. I’ve missed the forum for a couple of weeks, trying my best to uphold a decent streak over four time zones on a work trip. It’s a treat to return to it on a day like today.
I liked it. Clever theme and an unusually smooth Wednesday solve for me. Half caught on early with knowing it had to be GLENN and LEWIS*, and then just a bit of working the down crosses and I got the trick. Knowing the other two themers just from the clues was a big help in the rest of it. Not quite a Wednesday record but close. *When we lived on the other side of town, it was within walking distance of Lewis' district, and... I actually got to shake hands with him once. What a wonderful person he was. Might put my puzzle finds in a reply. ..
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: This one was 'long,' - wondered about 'double.' Well... a couple of puzzles: First one a Thursday from February 18, 1999 by Robert H. Wolfe. There was no 'reveal' in this one - just question marks in the clues. Some examples: "Betray?" CROSSCROSS "Secretive figure?" AGENTAGENT "Amazed looks?" TAKESTAKES Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/18/1999&g=10&d=D" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/18/1999&g=10&d=D</a> I'll put the other one in another reply. ..
@Rich in Atlanta Somewhere I have a letter from John LEWIS, responding to one I had written to him on the issue of health insurance (grrr) and the impact of our daughter's congenital heart defect. How touching, and amazing, was it that he not only read, but responded, to my letter? That's the kiind of man he was.
John Glenn did not fit in 17A, but Buzz Aldrin and Gus Grissom did. This messed me up for a while (tried one, then the other), but thank goodness the downs weren't too difficult. I was confused by the string of Ns for a bit, but the revealer made everything warm and fuzzy. One of my best Wed times "Make a fast stop?" for EAT was my favorite clue
Solid. No complaints. Very cute theme that was Wednesday-appropriate.
In 16A I misread Shak. as Shrek. Had me looking for a quote from Shrek.
@Kevin Since you asked: Shrek: “The Princess will be up the stairs in the highest room in the tallest tower.” Donkey: “How do you know that?” Shrek: “I read it in a book once.”
Srsly! Am I too "fictional" for your puzzle?! My eye!
Nope. Just too many letters. The L, you say! my emu
Someone give me some DAP 👊🏾 for a great Wednesday. Fastest personal Wednesday time yet! Despite what the entomology guide suggests, it’s unlikely that this word springs from 19th century stone skipping. More likely, it’s onomatopoeic for the sound made while slapping hands or fists (some skin). I have lived through its rise and fall in AAVE, and I’m anecdotally convinced I’m correct 🤣. After a weird Monday, yesterday and today’s puzzles have been delightful!
@Pani Korunova I'm the *last* person to be criticizing an honest typo, but . . . I assume you mean "etymology," but the idea of all those insects high-fiving (high-sixing?) one another makes me smile :-)
The photo shows the Pleiades and Hyades (with Aldebaran, in Taurus) right of center and Auriga (with Capella) left of center; the Milky Way goes through Auriga. This would be facing east (around 10:30 pm in late October or 7:30 pm (after daylight saving time ends) in late November).
@Blue Moon - I was very excited to see my favorite binocular objects in the photo. Good to have skywatcher company.
I was zipping along until a few sports and other unknowns in the SE caused me to shift into low gear at the end. I had NhL, didn't know AIR BALL, FLAGS, EELLWWAAYY, PROM and I keep forgetting that AYLA name. I actually knew LAILA, so that helped and the other crosses were pretty kind, so it all worked out. EAT for Make a fast stop? was clever. I thought of Linda Jo's comment from yesterday when I saw 3 D. In case you missed it: "That sort of repetition and echoing of clues and answers day to day is quite common. It is a wink to the regular readers, lagniappe, like frequent solver points. It helps you remember the answers and gets you used to the NYT puzzle style. Appreciate it as a friendly hello." I loved that.
@Nancy J. I first had NhL, too. It was an optimistic fill, since I was really hoping we could get a sport other than football for once. In the brief moment of consideration before plunking in the "h", I thought of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Detroit Red Wings, confident there are more teams and assuming it would total five! I suppose NFL is more appropriate, sitting in the grid as it does just above Elway. Oh well! // I got to the Tuesday puzzle in the middle of the night last night, too late to engage with your lovely post. So I wanted to make sure I "caught" you today to tell you how much I loved your story about the lettuce and the cows and the egg creams! Perhaps because I was a bit of an odd little kid too, perhaps because I wish I had thought to feed the steer in the field across from my house, perhaps because the mention of a soda fountain reminded me of a favorite childhood place on Cape Cod which served egg creams (and may still). Any which way, it certainly resonated with me. Thanks for that!
This was a perfect puzzle for the Winter we've all been having; LONGJOHNS-perfect. I breezed through three quarters of it and then scratched my head in the SE, having to look up ELWAY and SAMOYED. "Talk to shrilly" completely threw me off and made no sense to me however much I stared at it. Was it a typo? I only got it when I read it as "Talk toO shrilly." Grateful if someone could explain what I'm missing. All in all, I very much enjoyed this puzzle from the moment I saw all those Ns in GGLLEENNNN and caught on to some magic being afoot. Thank you for a wonderful Wednesday outing, Mr. Levin!
@sotto voce I think it means: to “talk to [someone] shrilly” is to yap at them. It took me a second because the wording threw me off-it sounds awkward without the object. However, since there are very rarely, if ever, those sorts of errors in the NYT crossword, I was working backward from the assumption that it was correct and I was probably missing something.
@sotto voce I had the same thought on "talk to shrilly," but I think it means if you talk *to* someone shrilly, you [[SPOILLER]] "yap at" them.
@sotto voce The preposition “to” in the clue implies the corresponding AT in the solution. And to YAP is to “talk shrilly”
Recently, I’ve been off by one on the day of the week, a phenomenon which was rare before retirement. I was just getting properly aligned when this puzzle came along and had me thinking, waaaiiittt just a darn minute, is this really Wednesday and I’m doing the Thursday puzzle the night before, because I really thought it was Tuesday and I was doing the Wednesday puzzle the night before. Even emus confuse me.
Excellent puzzle. Wednesday personal best for me, perhaps because I SAW the theme immediately from the GG in GGLLEENNNN. The dozen seven-letter vertical entries were all solid, and SAMOYED was especially interesting. Bravo to the constructor!
Am on holiday in india - so have got to the comments very early for me. Enjoyed the puzzle… the NNNN piece told me something was being stretched!
As your resident alphadoppeltotter, a role I’ve inexplicably taken over the past seven years, I must report to you that this puzzle has an unusually high number of double letters with 35. (I consider any 15x15 puzzle with 20 or more double letters unusually high.) Today’s puzzle comes with an asterisk, however, as it is theme related. The last non-theme-related unusually high double letter puzzle was three years ago; it’s a very rare event. The record for double letters, since I started tracking, is 41, from a 6/3/21 puzzle – also theme related.
@Lewis Fascinated by alphadoppeltotter - I can't find that "word" (collection of letters?) anywhere online (Google had exactly two search results, both of which were comments you made). "Alphadoppel" and "doppeItotter" don't appear anywhere. I can pretty clearly deduce that it means one who counts double letters (did find that "doppel" is double in German, although the source for "totter" as some sort of counter eludes me). Anyway, what a fun word! Did you make it up?
If not for a slight delay in the SE, would've crushed my Wednesday PB by a few minutes.
nice quick puzzle. Cute theme. enjoyed it.
I am not a fan of gimmicky themes, and to see them spread to another day of the week makes me slightly annoyed. This is at least the second Thursday-ish Wednesday puzzle in a row. What's next? A Wednesday rebus? Many solvers would probably enjoy that - but not me, and I cannot be alone in that sentiment. I figured out today's theme quite quickly (but I really would prefer a less gimmicky puzzle). I needed to look up some answers though, and this time not only trivia but also some words and expressions. MY EYE I found very weird, the clue for PROM was hard for me (I know what a prom is but that's about it), and as a non-American I took a long time to figure out FLAGS.
@Andrzej Yeah, basically the same as me. A lot of weird specific general knowledge needed I think and a gimmick that just seemed cheap (to me)
@Andrzej They're most common on Thursdays, but rebuses have appeared on every day of the week.
@Andrzej Those of us not into sports don't find those sports clues any easier, so I share your frustration. And expressions like MY EYE are very old-timey, even for a senior like me. Kinda backwoods, too.
Loved this one. Solved it pretty quickly, though didn't set a PB. "My eye" is what my mom always said when she didn't believe us, so cool!
Baffling until you see the revealer. Then all the baffle disappears and the puzzle becomes really, really easy. "You WILL tell me, yes, why Glenn is being spelled GGLLEENNNN?" I said to the puzzle early on, with just the slightest trace of annoyance. But when my eye caught sight of the words "winter underwear", I knew in an instant what the trick was. And since all the other JOHNs were extremely well-known, I just doubled up their last-name letters and wrote them all in. Making the puzzle unusually easy for a Wednesday. The theme is cute. It's true that Constructor JOHN could have made the puzzle much harder by putting in some Rapper JOHNs and some rock band JOHNs and some sitcom character JOHNs and some action hero JOHNs. I'm so glad he didn't. Thanks, JOHN.
@Nancy Remember. Harder for you, Not necessarily harder for everyone. Difficulty is in the eye of the beholder. !!!
This is pretty picky, and verging on the need to be outraged, but John Glenn was a stutterer (as am I), and this could be looked at as ridiculing his disfluency. I'm sure it was not intended, but it's a bit of a black eye.
@Jerry Slaff I like your style - educational without finding an insult where none was intended. Thank you for presenting this in a thoughtful manner. I see your point.
@Jerry Slaff I shared your comment with my husband, who is an aviation buff. He said it was actually John's wife Annie who stuttered. Your point is still well taken, but I thought you would like to know. See her obituary below: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/us/annie-glenn-dead.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/19/us/annie-glenn-dead.html</a>
Solved a decent bit faster than my current Wednesday average - doing the puzzle daily has improved my speed and so did this theme. While originally quite thrown that "John Lewis" didn't fit, the revealer had it all clicking just a few moments later. This was a solid puzzle.
My first entries were 6-7-8-9D, which totally gave the game away, NNNNo doubt about it. NBA before NFL.... Larry Bird, Meadowlark Lemon, (yeah, yeah, yeah. I know)... but I don't know NFL player names. Buzzard? Shrike? Spoonbill? Whippoorwill? Grosbeak? Junco? The MAGNETS are just there to hold the cartoons, shopping lists, recipes, reminder notes, and Zoom passwords. They might be somewhat decorative, but that doesn't mean they are 'decorations.'
@Mean Old Lady The "members" of a league are the teams, not the players. Falcons Eagles Seahawks Ravens Cardinals No emus.
@Mean Old Lady the NFL clue refers to team names: Cardinals, Ravens, Seahawks, Falcons, and Eagles!
@Mean Old Lady I have a friend whose son at about age four was obsessed with patterns and sports, and would rattle off a list of all the teams named after birds (or mammals, or predators, or whatever other pattern he discovered). So I got that it was teams right away, although I still wasn't sure if it was NFL or NHL or NBA.
This was fun! Only had to look up one answer (football-related). Football puts me to sleep -- so sue me. Knew that 17A had to be John Glenn, but obviously that did not work, so... hmm... what was going on? Possibly my Canajian ignorance of some of the theme answers was a plus here, as there were no preconceived notions (er, Washington did not work for the president). A nice combination of fun and tricky. I actually LOLed when realizing how to write in the "special" answers. More from this constructor, please! (The demons who create British cryptic crosswords are referred to as "setters" -- woof!)
@Natdegu Fun fact, just for you: George Washington was the only US President not to have a party affiliation. In fact, he warned against factionalism in his farewell address. Apparently, that advice was not heeded.
Such fun in a Wednesday puzzle! Quite a bit of easy short fill, but it was clear early on that something different was afoot. Really delightful. The background article about the origin of MY EYE was fascinating too. I had never heard the full version, with Betty Martin. The things we learn about while doing crosswords! 😊 Lots of weather out there, so stay safe and warm everybody.
It's Wednesday, not a day for this sort of twee tedium. Who approved this boring silliness?
@TLC seemed pretty fun to me
@TLC You must be real fun at parties. Why pay for premium crosswords when you can find ordinary ones for free all over the internet? Amirite?
Cute theme! Some real brain-tickling clues today too.
I'm not a veteran solver, Maybe this is a common feeling. But when I tried to include the name "John" in the answers and they were all off in length, I started to question my memory.
First of all, thanks much for a crossword for us crazy kids that were teens in the 70s: M*A*S*H*, Kate & Allie, Clan of the Cave Bear … good times! (well, actually not on a global level but we got through them, so here’s hoping) Was taken aback that John Glenn didn’t fit, and knew the man from Selma was John something, so understood what 35a was looking for but it wasn’t until I hit Algeria that I understood the gentle but clever spin for the day. Thanks for a gentle start to the day
SE corner was brutal for a Wednesday. Perhaps the four Johns listed are familiar to Americans, but it was certainly a STRETCH for non-Americans (some of the unused examples in the constructor’s notes would have been much more welcome!). Of the four I only knew John Adams, and that too from the Hamilton musical hah.
I got the theme pretty quickly and yet this one fell a little short for me. The theme felt more forced than clever to me. It just didn't resonate with me personally. It stands to reason that once in awhile a puzzle might not resonate with me as well as others and I am A-OKAY with that!! I've never heard of the term MY EYE but I am from a land of people who have long said, "My foot!" 😁 I assume it's pretty much the same thing!! Neither quite makes sense to me! Hehe! I might explore the origin someday but it's the wee hours of the morning here in Minnesota and I think I'll take a hard pass right now. Feel free to enlighten me if you choose! Introductory course... SALAD was my favorite in this one! Cute! Also, John Lewis.... ❤️
I enjoyed the puzzle and thought the theme and revealer were clever. Only thought is that it might have come out even more if the them answers were placed vertically. One could consider these to be wide JOHNS!
I’ve spent a lifetime honing my vocabulary and spelling things correctly. As soon as I see a puzzle that has cutesie spellings, or rebuses, or anything other than just straight correctly-spelled words crossing each other, I’m out. It’s bad enough that I usually abandon the crossword every Thursday in disgust. Now we’re going to do this on Wednesday too?? Why not just make a crossword that has *every* word misspelled? Oh how fun!!
@Steven Brunton You sound like a would-be football fan who doesn't care for the forward pass. Which became legal in 1906. Trickery in crosswords has existed almost as long. If you don't like crosswords the way they are, why not take up...I dunno...chess?
@Steven Brunton: actually, if someone were to create a puzzle unified by some theme involving “misspelling” of every word, and solving the puzzle meant you had to crack that code - wow, I’d love it! To each her own…
@Steven Brunton Can't find a puzzle with EVERY word misspelled, but I did come across this one: A Sunday from April 27, 2008 by Oliver Hill. The clue and answer for the 'reveal': "Like the answers to the 10 asterisked clues, more often than any other English words, according to a 1999 study." IMPROPERLYSPELLED And the theme answers (with the asterisked clues): INNOCULATE EMBARASSMENT HARRASSES NOTICABLE SUPERCEDE PERSEVERENCE ACCOMODATE OCCURENCE ..
I think a SLAP is a bit excessive for "How rude!". It could get you arrested. Plus I'd be going around slapping people and probably getting slapped all day! LOL