My candidate for puzzle of the year. Impressive construction AND fun for the solver. A “just challenging enough” Wednesday!
@Greg Anderson and TIL … RIA and TEASEL
Flashy puzzle. That's an impressive feat to arrange all those animal crossings. I really enjoyed this one. Thanks!
@Dan Crosswords must be very important for passing the time, living as you do at the DMV.
I was going to tell a seafood pun, but I'd clam up. (It's kind of a shellfish decision.)
@Mike Your decision warms the cockles of my heart. Let scallop un a pun, emus!
@Mike If you spend too much time in the sun catching your seafood, make sure you use a good skin oysterizer.
That was fun. Like a vocabulary test crossed with Jeopardy! clues. Plus a shout out to Captain Quahog. It was a clever theme and not having heard of the Nintendo game was not an issue.
what a fantastic puzzle - proof that you can create a really neat theme, weave it throughout the entire puzzle [literally all but 2 rows of the grid] and also not be lazy and force a ridiculous amount of proper nouns into the puzzle to 'force' the theme into existence [cough, cough]. bravo, luke - this is top tier puzzling and solving. absolutely top notch.
Opposable thumbs up! I like some of the vertical animals, too. The numismatist for example would be an acceptable one. Or the aglet: a baby agle won't leave the nest until it learns to tie its shoes. And the dandy, a strange animal always wearing its FINEST. Monica Seles is often said to be one of the first women to popularize making rather animal-like sounds when striking the ball (and on the men's side possibly Gustavo Kuerten?) -- hoots, grunts, shrieks, moans -- now so common in tennis that the cacophony of the players (men or women) can sometimes drown out the crowd. I remember a final between Sharapova and Azarenka that sounded like postmodern atonal music for two voices. When you encounter a fairly silent player, like Iga Swiatek, the silence of their game can be eerie. Anyway, do any of the cryptids from yesterday's puzzle count? Would you have accepted YETI? We used to play a game with the kids we made up called "The Animal Game" - we'd each name a different animal til we had exhausted all we knew. At which point 2-year-old Jack contributed "Living Toy?" which made us howl, hoot and holler. A higher than average number of words ending in -ER right? Some rather seedy professions: USURER, BANK ROBBER, BARKER, and a couple animals (REINDEER, ANTEATER), but that didn't make me TENSER; it made me EVER so happy. Surprised Luke Schreiber didn't take advantage of the opportunity for a repeating clue: PR TEAM is also a "Protector against stains."
@john ezra Timothy Gallwey’s book The Inner Game of Tennis was published in 1974 and is still in print. The inner game is played against obstacles such as lapses in concentration, nervousness, self-doubt, and self-condemnation. Among the suggestions for remaining calm and focused during a match is this: The bounce-hit technique in tennis, introduced by Timothy Gallwey, involves saying "bounce" aloud when the ball bounces and "hit" when you or your opponent hits the ball. This helps with timing and positioning during play I believe that this may have spread the practice of vocalizing during every shot. Today the emphasis seems to be on the player's own energy-intensive hit.
ANTEATER is cool, but I'm partial to the Banana Slug.
A lot of you don't know this but shortly after WWI the US asked me to workshop some copy for their upcoming Silver Dollar. They ran with (that I invented!): "E Pluribus Unum" which is Latin for "When many speak, it sounds like stuttering." ... to coin a phrase. Now, they're worth a mint. (I'll, triply, show myself out.)
Enjoyed this one. My only bone to pick is the clue for 9D: "Interprets, as a defense does a quarterback". "Reads" was the only thing that made sense, but it's not football lingo to say that the defense reads the quarterback rather than vice versa. The clue should have been "Interprets, as a quarterback does a defense".
@Mac Agreed 100% in terms of most common usage but certainly the defense reads the quarterback. They follow his eyes. Watch his progressions. Look for play action. Contain rollouts - keep him from getting to the edge. QB Spy. Etc.
@Mac Married to a (retired) defensive lineman. He says the clue is spot-on. Actually, he said, “Ha! You’re either reading the quarterback or reading the receiver. Or both. Or you get traded.” …
Fun, and pretty simple for the most part! Though I do feel like NUMISMATIST crossing USURER feels just a tad more advanced than a typical Wednesday? At the same time, there’s no way the rest of this puzzle would be a Thursday or higher, so it makes sense where it landed.
@Stephen I've never seen, or at least have no memory of, either of those words. Thought it's probably a memory issue, since I now doubt that I will remember them.
I know this one will be in a very different generation than many of the solvers, but thank you Phineas and Ferb for teaching me what the plastic thing on the end of the shoelace is called!
@David Exactly where I learned it! A-G-L-E-T / Don’t forget it!
Wow, what a terrific theme filled puzzle, and in my opinion just right for a Wednesday. I’m definitely looking forward to more from Luke
I enjoyed the puzzle, but putting "buck" instead of CLAM at 22A slowed me down a bit.... buck worked with the clue and the theme but the crosses told me I was wrong. A fun theme and a perfect challenge for a Wednesday. :)
The top half seemed almost Friday level, at least to me. Nice theme nonetheless.
Let’s hear it for some probably not yet used sports team names: The notable NEMATODES The mighty MASTODONS The gallant GUINEA PIGS The tactical TREE FROGS By the way, I’m off on a month long vacation, and am going to give my locations using What3Words.* *possible puzzle theme?
@Cat Lady Margaret Brilliant idea. We have to use What3Words for visitors/delivery drivers the first time they come to us. We’re so off the beaten track (for our little Island) most satnavs refuse to admit we exist.
Cat Lady Margaret, My first ever (conscious) encounter of What3Words. Very interesting idea! Is it Reykjanesbær, Suðurnes ? Am I doing this correctly?
@Cat Lady Margaret great idea! I look forward to following your travels! Enjoy Iceland! Your location made me recall that, years ago, we got frequent posts from my husband’s Icelandic colleague. He was a gifted photographer with an artist’s eye.
@Cat Lady Margaret Funny, I’ve got you going to the south of Holland. That is using “Possible.Puzzle.Theme” . Have I got the correct three words? Have a great trip, where-ever….. — — — — — — — — — — — —
@Cat Lady Margaret Wow, this is one of the coolest things I've ever learned in this forum. Thanks! I'd never heard of What3Words. So much fun finding my own location. I'm completely floored by the precision of the aerial renditions, even showing the lines separating outdoor parking spots in the condominium, and the greenery to perfection. Mind-boggling.
Who even knew we had a state fossil?😆
@Retired, with cats Did you know that Indiana also has a state drink? Look it up: The official Indiana beverage is Water – 2007 115th General Assembly of Indiana Senate Resolution 20. Don't drink and drive in Indiana; the cops love to ticket you for DUW, "Driving Under Water."
@Retired, with cats TIL that the state fossil of Delaware is the belemnite, a cephalopod with a conical head.
@Retired, with cats You’d be surprised by the number of state symbols most states have. 25 years ago (more or less), a group of Hispanic state representatives tried to make the sopaipilla the Official Pastry of the State of Texas. That didn’t sit well with some of the other reps, so (if I recall correctly), the official pastry is the kolache and the official Mexican-American pastry is the sopaipilla. (Both are tasty.)
@Retired, with cats I've heard the state fossil of Kentucky is Mitch McConnell.
Very clever construction, and an approach I don't remember seeing before. A delightful Wednesday morning diversion. Thanks, Mr. Schreiber!
The zoologist in me loves this puzzle. And there it is! CLAM! And clued in a non-molluskicidal manner! Got to love that! FYI, I learned this as an undergrad: "If all the matter in the universe except the NEMATODEs were swept away, our world would still be dimly recognizable...we would find its mountains, hills, valleys, rivers, lakes and oceans represented by a film of NEMATODEs." Thus safety Nathan Augustus Cobb in 1914. I believe others have extended this to not just landforms, but all the living things on the planet -- even YOU! That is how ubiquitous NEMATODEs are. Apologies to those who replied to me after my problematic Acetabularia comment. I just saw your responses now. JohnWM: When I was a larval marine biologist, I was told that Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis was the second-longest Latin binomial in the animal world, the longest being some insect. I have no idea if that is true, and I don't want to find out either. But I have shared this probable factoid many times. I live in droebach territory now ("droebach" is informal shorthand for these urchins) and I previously lived where Strongylocentrotus purpuratus and Strongylocentrotus franciscanus were the local urchins. The latter two are much more visually appealing than our drab droebachs. I missed replies because I am sleep deprived. As I mentioned a few days ago, I'm tending to a very sick pup. I don't get much sleep and I get to the comments only when I can. I always try to respond. Do, Yoda would say.
@CaptainQuahog - #^@#% autocorrect! What I typed was: "Thus sayeth Nathan Augustus Cobb" Grrrr to the EMUs!
I think I'd rather root for the Antelopes than the ANTEATERs! In any case, the NE corner gave me some trouble. Knew all the other animals---though TEASEL was new to me. Nice that many of the animals were clued in a manner that obscured their animal natures. I suppose one can only do so much when cluing NEMATODE and KINGCOBRA. The two long non-thematic verticals, NUMISMATIST and BANKROBBERS, were both interesting entries.
@Xword Junkie There's a comic strip called "Tank McNamara" in which a dense ex-football player now survives as a sportscaster on a radio station. He's famous for presenting the "norts spews." He often reports on the accomplishments of his team, the "Fighting Sandcrabs." In fact, the Port Lavaca, Texas high school football team is called "The Sandcrabs."
@Xword Junkie Well, the KING COBRA was a roller coaster at Kings Island, in Ohio. It was the first stand-up coaster in the world. Probably before the constructor's time, though - it was retired in 2001. The one I remember from my youth was the King Kobra, at King's Dominion.
@Grant I remember the King Cobra at King’s Island! Loved that one. Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
My emu is very offended by not getting a mention in this puzzle. « What? Even the lowly NEMATODE gets a shout-out! », it exclaimed, before flouncing off in the highest of dudgeons. At least, that’s what I think it said. It now refuses to speak in anything but Klingon. Who put that idea into it’s head, I wonder? It will take at least a whole box of animal crackers to coax it out of this testy mood. It might take a while. In the meantime, peace and long life.🖖. And bonnes vacances.
@Rusty Wheelhouse FWIW, I made it a point yesterday to explain to several people the significance of the laevogyrous dahu (aka dahu senestrus) and the dextrogyre dahu (aka dahu desterus). It’s one of the funniest story’s I’ve run across. Thanks for that… — — — —
@Hardroch That is so kind, thank you. What really got me laughing was your ‘someone who is good at making Dahu sounds’. Gave me a recurring chuckle throughout the day.
Whew! Stumbled around NE corner forrrrrreverrrrr… Shocked when the music played. It actually frightened me! Fantastic puzzle. One of my favorite Wednesdays’ in a while. Thank you Luke!
I liked seeing BARKER adjacent to the ANIMAL CROSSING as a seal or a dog could be considered one. My sister's golden lab's other name was Bob BARKER.
Oh the days when my teenaged son and all his friends covered themselves with Axe. Have mercy! (It was far better than the no-interest-in-hygiene phase, though.)
@Amy Yes! I remember kissing my (then) 12 year-old on the head and thought, “How does his *hair* even stink..?” Axe was a step-up! …
Who else filled in C. ELEGANS for 17A? Anyone? Not a scientist, but ... reader, I married one. I loved this puzzle! Many thanks to the emus, who were left out of this puzzle but are always in the crossworld with us.
@JR I am a scientist and I thought about it! But it didn’t fit my other crossings so I didn’t do it.
Yesterday, cryptozoology, today real zoology! Loved this puzzle, as I am an animal lover. I've never played the 14D video game, but have heard about it plenty. Quite clever to have every CROSSING answer be an ANIMAL. Thanks, Luke.
@Linda Jo Not to mention a correctly spelled YETI in the Mini. !!! !!! Emus aren't real.
@Linda Jo I have to share! Today I spotted a little anole in my Blue Mouse Ears hosta pot; he looked kind of odd. Turned out to be shedding his skin (molting!) and was rubbing against the pot to help the process. What a treat to watch. I love these anoles.
Yo. Haven't finished it yet but just got the theme and had to come rn to say CLEVERRRRRR. Nice work. Great, fun, cohesive theme.
Numismatist? Nematode? Come on! It’s WEDNESDAY! I wish I had an extra thumb so I could give this puzzle THREE thumbs down!
I heart Animal Crossing, so it was cool when the “animals crossed” the clue. At our house years ago, we were all playing so much that sometimes we would describe projects or activities and others needed to ask “in Animal Crossing or real life?” Happy Wednesday everyone
Delicious! I don't know Nintendo, but I sure enjoyed finding all the animals! Great puzzle. Thank you Mr. Schreiber and NYT crossword team.
NEMATODE was a gimme for me, and my first entry— although TIL that they exist even in the deepest oceans— but I was unaware of the Nintendo game series and had no idea of the UC Irvine athlete. Unfortunately, 7D led me quickly to Pavlov doG for 18A, which fit nicely with the crossing G, and then I filled in buck for 22A— which fit with absolutely nothing! So I abandoned the North, and moved on down, where everything seemed straightforward and easy. I had CROSSING well before I returned to the North, corrected my mistake and filled in the ANIMAL. What was great about the puzzle was that the clues for all the crossings were so diverse that I never really noticed all those critters in the grid until I was able to fill in the name of the game! (And it was interesting that my two wrong but reasonable answers were also animals.) That seemed to me an earmark of a beautifully constructed puzzle! Thanks, Mr. Schreiber, for the fun solve!
Despite my head still being stuffed up I thoroughly enjoyed this. Still felt quite hard for Wednesday, but maybe that’s just me and my virus this week. I remember the kids being into 14D, never played it myself. Once I caught onto the animal theme there was a lovely Aha moment when I worked out each one. I only know NEMATODES from gardening, useful little critters for keeping the bugs off the veg plot. Cupid got me good; I kept on with Roman God for far too long. Once REINDEER became clear I laughed like a drain, if a little phlegm-illy. Off to steam my head again now.
What a fun puzzle! With one of my favorite plants..teasel..which had an industrial use in fulling wool. I don't find it invasive at all, rather it is a biennial and difficult to keep in my garden.
@chris There are two of us!! Fans of The TEASEL, Unite!
Nice Wednesday puzzle. Typical long workout for me, but working the reveal was a big turning point and it ended up being an enjoyable solve figuring out each of the crossing entries. Interesting puzzle find today - I don't recall seeing another like this - it was all in the clues. A Sunday from November 5, 2006 by Derrick Niederman with the title "Missing links." Some clue/answer examples: "White ___ House :" CHRISTMASTREE At least that answer made sense by itself, but then.... "Orange ___ Bowl :" JULIUSCAESARSALAD "Easter ___ bunny :" SEALSOFFKEYCHAINSAWDUST "i ___ Pod :" QTIPTOPBANANASPLITPEA "Big ___ time :" APPLEJACKFROSTBITPART Don't think I would have had much a chance at that one. Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/5/2006&g=117&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/5/2006&g=117&d=A</a> ..
Love this one! The Animal Crossings were really fun!
TIL there are 60 billion nematodes per human in the Earth's topsoil. No wonder my tomatoes get attacked by nematodes! It's a losing battle!
@Joe I'm not surprised. I don't imagine that there are many humans at all in the Earth's topsoil. I'll leave now. !!! !!!
It's nice to see my favorite Jedi getting some appreciation :)
NW gave me some issues, as always. I think it’s a mental thing with me. Nothing seemed too tough in that quadrant once I had it solved but, for whatever reason, the minutes ticked away as I battled with it. Fun puzzle. (More fun than Animal Crossing!) Thanks, Luke K. Schreiber
@Striker Your last line looked like it was a signatue, and it had me thinking that you are actually Mr. Schreiber, and you were signing off. It took me a minute to realize you were thanking him, not that he was thanking everyone.
Such a lovely theme, and I really love the idea of every crossing being a theme entry! It's as refreshing as I'm sure it was challenging.
Golly! What a fine puzzle. Very well done, indeed. My highest encomium to you, and thanks for the fun.
Trust the force Luke. Ignore all that you are taught about machine learning models and what is touted as AI. Teach us how to spell NEMATODE. Nice one Luke, thank you.
What self-respecting athlete calls himself an ANTEATER? I mean really! And when you also don't know either the worm...or the Jedi... or Chris, the comic actor, what you're going to end up with is a big fat DNF in the NE corner. Which I did. And I struggled in a lot of other places too. Overall I found this pretty joyless.
@Nancy I imagine that the student at UC Irvine who gets a football scholarship with the hopes of making it to the NFL or the intent to get a college education for free does not care much what the team name is. (Although I really don't have any idea whether they award football scholarships or are a viable path to the NFL or any other pro league.) At least, such student is not at UC Santa Cruz, where the teams are the Banana Slugs. That University of California has quite a creative streak in naming their teams.
@Nancy I feel compelled to point out that I work for a school whose mascot is the terror-inducing gopher. And we are D1. SKI-U-MAH! er... E-MU...gah.
Enjoyed this puzzle a lot! Clever construction!
Why? I’m guessing less than 0.0000000001% of the crossword world has ever heard of some of these words. Congratulations Luke, you have access to a thesaurus. We are impressed. NUMISMATIST USURER NEMATODE BARKER
Darren, That is a pretty precise guess! Either you are an expert on the level of someone who would know all those four words you mentioned, or your chances of being right are in that same numerical range. Either way, respect for putting it out there! :-)
@Darren - All four of those were pretty easy gimmes for me. Have you ever considered that the shortcoming is not with the constructors, but with the solver?
@Darren Well, that percentage is much less than a single human on the planet, in fact, much less than one out of all the humans that have ever lived. But I would imagine there might be a nematode or two that know them.
@Darren So many words, so few crosswords, sigh.
@CaptainQuahog The insult in this comment is really unnecessary.
@Darren Sometimes they gotta be extra tough so the geniuses can break a little sweat too. I used to get hot and bothered at puzzles like this but then I realized that the journey is the destination, man. The puzzle only wins if you let it win. Other consoling platitudes.
As a huge Animal Crossing fan, I got a big kick out of this one! I couldn’t help imagining a NEMATODE showing up as one of the adorable bobble-headed villagers in the game, which is quite the mental image…
So, we’ve had cryptozoology on Tuesday and zoology on Wednesday. What’s next for Thursday — ichthyology? My biggest gaffe today was misspelling NEMATODE (nematode). Yikes, my ninth grade biology teacher is probably rolling in her grave.
@Marshall Walthew In a Stephen King novel she would have risen from her grave to have her revenge on you. Possibly involving nematodes. .
@Marshall Walthew The Universal Sunday puzzle “Sea, the Sights” had a fishy theme that was kind of fun (and more nuanced than I realized when I solved it). <a href="https://crosswordfiend.com/download" target="_blank">https://crosswordfiend.com/download</a>/ You’ll need AcrossLite or something similar that handles .puz files. The HTML link takes you to a different puzzle.
@Eric Hougland Thanks for the fishy puzzle tip. I see autocorrect corrected my misspelling (should have been nematoad).
Happy to see EDA LeShan clued for a wonderful book that is sadly out of print. Nice Wednesday puzzle!