Lewis

Oh, that’s one terrific theme. The marvelous cast of Othello, Jesus, Musafa, Osiris, and Caesar – all who were double-crossed – being visually double-crossed by their double-crossers in the grid. Pure originality – how often do you see a theme like that? Furthermore, IMO, the theme was beautified by those artfully-written italicized clues describing the villainous characters. Then, the skill and talent behind making this. Designing a symmetrical grid to accommodate five sets of three answers plus a 13-letter revealer had to be a bear. Meanwhile, witty clues, such as [Building that shouldn’t have running water] for ICE PALACE, and [Paired chips with dips?] for RHYMED, brightened the way, as did the gorgeous FILCHES bannering the center of the box. My wheelhouse deficiencies provided trouble spots here and there, happifying my work-loving brain. The art and science of crosswords showcased in your quality creation, Gene. Thank you, sir, and bravo!

So, there I was at the point where I was correctly filling in the rebus squares, and had filled in the theme cross of MIDDLEMARCH and BEWARE THE IDES, amazed that the sixth letter of each is E. “Cute theme,” I thought. “But what is all this gorgeously written recipe stuff?” That question crescendoed as I went along. Just as the riddle reached fever pitch, I filled in CAESAR. When that answer’s double meaning hit me, it was like when you trim the Christmas tree, plug it in for the first time, and it transforms the room. It lit ME up – my jaw dropped, I broke into a wide smile, and that grin feeling permeated my entire body and beyond. “Now THIS is what crosswords are all about!” After the fill-in I looked closer at the grid-build. Because the recipe answers were symmetrical, its eight ingredients had to fall into four pairs, each with the same number of letters – BREAD CUBES / LEMON JUICE, ANCHOVY PASTE / DIJON MUSTARD and so on. There’s only one way to say EGG YOLK, ROMAINE, GARLIC, PEPPER, and the others. How can it be that the recipe for Caesar salad consists of four such pairs? How??? Stunning. Otherworldly. And she fit all that plus the rebuses and magnificent center cross in the box! That E square dead center in the box at the nexus of MIDDLEMARCH and BEWARE THE IDES? I have decided it stands for Exquisite. You have made an exquisite puzzle, Miranda, and it’s easily found a home on my Sunday Puzzle Of The Year list. Thank you for making it!

The aha when I realized that hyphens went in the squares and that they worked in both directions, well, that brought on a mighty surge of adrena----. Et tu, emu.

Hello! A brief update from Helene Central… I have greatly missed the commenting family here and being part of it. I tune in when I get enough bars on my cell to access the site (cell service is weak). When I finally get Wi-Fi back, I shall return! Life is very busy here. Let me just say it’s like camping, but certainly not glamping. There is much neighbor helping neighbor, and much humor in the midst of it all. We’re all finding hacks for everything. Anyway, I just wanted to check in, and for those who have asked or wondered, to let you know that I am fine, and my spirits are bright. I miss you all and wish you well!

This forum’s not quite what it was It’s minus a bit of its buzz Replies have gone ghostly But certainly mostly I’m missing “I done did this puzz”

(Third try) [Advice taken by today's theme's creator] GET THEE TO A PUNNERY (Et tu, emu)

Just wondering... who counted on their fingers to get the sixth word in the Gettysburg Address? Et tu, emu.

How many out there confidently placed CUES in for [Pool shooters]? Et tu, emu.

Well, yes, this was a constructing feat. Are you kidding me? Ten theme answers totaling a sky-high 72 squares, with each theme answer working two ways due to the gimmick, crossing revealers, and still the grid has hardly a whiff of junk? But a constructing feat is shallow, not to mention show-offish, if it doesn’t deliver satisfaction to the solver. I can only speak for myself, but this theme was a first-order, multi-level capital-R Riddle, and cracking it brought great fulfillment, the sweet feeling that I earned this. That, plus being wowed by the feat, well, it also brought a huge inner standing O. Sticky areas gave my brain pleasure as well. Truly, a lovely puzzle could have been based on the STEAL A KISS element alone, but Kareem pulled off the double-play, all in a single 15x15 box. Hats off on this one. Bravo, Kareem. Perfecto! An apex Valentine's Day puzzle. Can’t wait for your next, and thank you for a scintillating solve!

Oh, sure. Anyone can find a pair of words with a one-letter difference, like SLIM/SWIM. But to find such a pair that can be clued with an in-the-language phrase like “Skinny/dip”? Well, okay, maybe once or twice, but even that, to me, is remarkably difficult. But then to do it thirteen times? “Wild/bunch” for ZANY/MANY? “Card/game” for JOKER/POKER? And so on down the line? And then have the one-letter-difference letters form a perfect pangram, each letter used just once? Are you kidding me? Who does this? Derrick does. He does it in all his puzzles. He did one Sunday where every symmetrical pair of answers HAD THE SAME CLUE (12/18/16 – find it and look at it!)! This man is a word quirk genius, a master nerd who creates masterworks. An amazing talent. Every theme answer today jaw-dropped me, and that is a solve that I cherish. This puzzle is easily entering my Best Puzzles of 2025 list. Derrick, you are amazing. You are a Crosslandia treasure. Thank you, thank you for illuminating my day with the sheen of brilliance and for highlighting the astounding possibilities that lie in this quirky language of ours!

Barbara and I took our time with this one. It turns out we have that in common, especially with the cluing. We let the cluing marinate. Barbara is remarkably sharp, astute, and witty. Our goal was to create a Saturday-worthy puzzle, that is, one that in a pleasurable way, activates the minds of experienced solvers. Grateful for all the feedback, which helps me hone my craft. And grateful to this commenting community (and its bloggers) – a treasured hangout. Thank you all!

[ ? Superb ] OUTSTANDING BEYOND QUESTION

So, while anagrams are on the table, I’d like to share one I like that I recently ran into: A DECIMAL POINT – I’M A DOT IN PLACE Et tu, emu.

I would like the brand for the HAND SOAP and FACE WASH to be Dial. Et tu, emu.

And now, a moment of irony: GULF OF MEXICO is a NYT debut answer, finally getting its moment in the sun. Et tu, emu.

This puzzle was made by two pros, Jeremy with 28 NYT puzzles and Tracy with 37. They put their skills on display in this grid, no? That freedom route in the lower grid is masterful, remarkable grid building. Look, please LOOK at its elements: It starts in a small rectangular cell which gets broken out of, then moves through a matrix of constricted spaces, and ends up right at the edge of the grid, ready to burst out into freedom. Not only did they find nine synonyms for narrow spaces, but they interlinked them, made every one of them a part of a word or phrase, AND found a way to have the letters of Andy’s full name appear IN ORDER through the escape. And with all this going on, they filled in the whole area cleanly!!! Hello? Hello? Is this not a feat of feats? Plus, it’s cool, giving the solving experience a visual layer. Having the theme be one of my favorite movies ever, well, that’s piling on, piling on with goodness and having me leave the puzzle feeling warm all over, excited about what can be done in a box of squares, and, corny as this sounds, happy to be alive. Thank you, Tracy and Jeremy, for a puzzle that’s going to stick with me for a long time. Brava and bravo!

I love the backstory, that Brandon came up with this puzzle idea in January, realized it HAD to be done, realized that it was very late in the game to have it come out the first week of May, then fashioned the grid – designed and filled it! – in ONE DAY, then clued 140 answers in TWO DAYS, then hurried it in. I repeat, in single day he crafted a puzzle with such hard-to-attain features (symmetrical theme answers whose fourth letters are rebuses, the first letters of which spell STAR WARS) – and the result doesn’t feel forced! Nor do the clues feel hastily thrown together. Furthermore, the answer set includes sixteen NYT debut answers, including lovelies NON-GMO, SENSUALITY, ELICITING, and DO I EVER. On top of that, there are excellent original clues, such as [Book reviews, of sorts] for TAX AUDITS, and [Baby monitors] for NANNIES. This is a backstory with notes of talent, skill, and passion. It is a story with a very happy ending – an impressive and pleasing-to-many puzzle that successfully landed on the day it was born to land on. So yes, I’m wowed by what led up to your puzzle, Brandon, as well as grateful for the splendid outing it gave me. Standing O!

“The New York Times crossword puzzles will no longer feature wordplay,” said Games crossword spokesperson Aria DiOreo. “It has grown out of date, worn, and will be phased out.” The reaction was swift: “We’re in treble,” said a chorus teacher. “It’s about tine,” said a resident of Grand Forks. “Don’t shout it, please,” said someone, “but I’d like some confirmention.” “I am in great dis-tress,” said someone else who just shaved their head in protest. “Don’t know what to think of this,” said a see-saw. “They never get it right,” snorted Mr. Ed. “Too busy working my NFL football muscles climbing rungs,” said a ladder-day Saint. “Poppycock!” said a chick hatchling seeing its daddy for the first time. (It’s good to start out April foolish…)

I wanted to open an eatery in a certain Chicago area, but competitors ... KEPT ME OUT OF THE LOOP

The HERE trick lifted this puzzle from ordinary to spectacular. That was one terrific BUTWAITTHERE S M O R E moment!

[Presumptuous ones] WHI(P)(P)ERSNA(P)(P)ERS [The circles in the above answer?] SPLIT PEAS

[One of the 105D Levys tweaking the script] EUGENE EDITING

Sweet how this theme weaves together: • The name of the song, “Break On Through To The Other Side” describes how to get through the wall. • “The Doors” are what the mystery squares literally are -- as the bonus clues open them -- as well as being the name of the group. Very crafty, Brandon.

A puzzle feast – a five-trick-pony theme instead of the usual one. Gymnastic wordplay. Riddles from top to bottom. Not to mention, a capital-P Puzzle. Where first you had to figure out what was going on. Then you had to figure out that the gimmicks were all different, making each theme answer a puzzle in its own right. Oh, there were footholds to help, but not a generous amount, to keep things interesting. All this brought capital-P Pleasure to my brain. Fortified by beauty: NOUGAT, GEISHAS, AL DENTE, AS IT WERE. Not to mention a rarest-of-rare-in-crosswords six-letter semordnilap (LAMINA). And in the middle of it all, at 28D, the true theme of this puzzle from Josh Goodman: MY TREAT. Josh, I’m guessing you know that only one constructor, Andrew Ries, has hit the cycle (had a NYT puzzle every day of the week) in their first seven puzzles. You, now, with a Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, can become the second. Go for it! And thank you for your fabulous puzzlepalooza today. This was, indeed, a treat!

My ten favorite original clues of 2025 (in order of appearance): 1. Play with one's food? (6)(7) 2. Feature of a safe landing, perhaps (4) 3. Literary bird with a one-word vocabulary, apparently (5) 4. Downward facing dog? (5)(5) 5. Caaaaaaar, you might say (4) 6. Adjunct faculty? (5)(5) 7. Focus of an airplane battle (7) 8. Plan B, for seniors (6)(6) 9. Handled press agents? (5) 10. Pan in the butt? (4) DINNER THEATER (Kelly Morenus) RAIL (Simeon Seigel) RAVEN (Robyn Weintraub) CANIS MAJOR (Willa Angel Chen Miller and Erik Agard) LIMO (Ginny Too) SIXTH SENSE (Katie Hoody) ARMREST (Ryan McCarty) SAFETY SCHOOL (Kelvin Zhou) IRONS (Juliana Tringali Golden) GOAT (Kevin Curry)

Okay, here’s something amazing – those triple stacks flanking the east and west? All six of those long answers are NYT debuts, including the gorgeous BEAR THAT IN MIND, CORPORATE GREED, and GET THE MEMO. Those six answers are all touched by ONE OF EVERYTHING, another gorgeous answer (and NYT debut). ONE OF EVERYTHING, as the revealer, had to be in the grid. So those six triple-stack answers of which I speak had to accommodate that revealer’s letters. Thus, not only did Gene manage to do that cleanly -- a very difficult task -- but he did it so gorgeously. Absolutely amazing. Did the grid suffer from this feat? No, it did not. Au contraire, it sung because of it, sung with spark and beauty. This is not a “clever-by-half” feat; it is pure artistry. What a lovely Saturday, with wit and guile. Saturday clues like [Order at a restaurant], for HAVE, where “order” can be a verb or noun, and whichever it is, there are still multiple answer possibilities. I want muddy clues like this on Saturday. I want my HAVE to HAVE to HAVE crosses. An uber-low 62-worder so beautifully filled and satisfying to fill in. Masterful, Gene. An accomplishment that pays off for the solver. I. Absolutely. Loved. This. Thank you!

Well, I'm feeling for John Ewebank. Here he came up with a sweet theme idea and expertly crafted a grid to showcase it. Absolutely, complain away about its unsuitability for the day it landed on -- that's what this forum is for, to express sincere reactions -- but also tip the constructor when deserved, giving credit where credit is due.

What really enhances this theme – gives it pop – is that of its eight answers (including the revealer) six have never appeared in the 80 years of the NYT puzzle. They not only have sizzle for that reason, but they’re excellent answers as well: DAMN WITH FAINT PRAISE THIS IS JEOPARDY SILENT AUCTION TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR CINNAMON BREAD SCIENCE PROJECT So, there’s that, on top of finding words with silent letters, all from the word AUCTION, and placing them in the grid in the order that the theme demands. Lots of goodness and skill, and on a NYT debut puzzle, as well. Bravo and congratulations, Zachary – looking forward to seeing what you come up with next!

John has had 13 Times puzzles in the past two years, which is impressive enough, but 11 of them have been Sundays. Sundays are beasts to make – you not only have to come up with a worthy theme, but you have to design a grid to accommodate it, fill it, and come up with clues for some 140 words! John not only does this ably, but he injects humor and inventiveness as well. Here’s an example from today’s puzzle that incorporates both – [Apt name for a narcissist?] for MIMI. That’s an answer seen well more than 100 times in the major crossword outlets, almost always clued to a famous Mimi in real life or the character in Rent or La Bohème, but never with the narcissism angle before. Plus, the clue made me smile. It’s a little thing, that MIMI clue, but also a big thing. I’ve learned over time that when I see John’s name atop a puzzle, I know I’m in for the unexpected and for a dip into levity, and I plunge in with great expectations. And, as with today’s puzzle, I end up well rewarded. Just want to thank you for that, John. You are a one-of-a-kind and a pro.

Note to editors, who do such remarkable work. I have a request, and I’m guessing I’m not alone in this request. For years and years, Thursdays were not only marked by trickiness, but were also tough to fill in, often as tough as Fridays and Saturdays. As one who became skilled at solving the more difficult puzzles through doing Monday through Wednesday grids, I loved the process of cracking a tough puzzle – thinking laterally, learning oft-repeated answers, seeing answers with fewer and fewer letters filled in. By being tricky, Thursdays were fun, and with the layer of difficulty added to it, they became riddle-fests supreme, requiring brain-loving effort, and bringing deep satisfaction. Recently, the difficulty has dropped, shifting Thursdays closer to the early week rather than the later week, and as one spoiled by how things were before, I have to register my discontent. You provide puzzles for newer solvers not only Monday through Wednesday, but also in the minis and midis now offered. Oh, I love puzzles such as today’s, with its wit, beauty and humor, but I would have loved it more had it included more rub. Please shift Thursdays back to where they used to be, and, IMO, where they belong. Thank you.

It’s a little-known fact, but James Bond prefers playing badminton to tennis; it has something to do with the feel of thwacking the object in the game. It may only be a shuttle difference, but to James, it’s everything. Et tu, emu.

[Hans Geiger?] COUNTER REVOLUTIONARY

On Saturday, I want resistance. I want the puzzlemaker(s) to throw obstacles in my path, to entice me onto roads to nowhere, to cause me to forage for long-sleeping knowledge in my brain. I appreciate on Saturday a scattering of fairly crossed no-knows, but mainly I want tough figure-outs – knotty riddles – and vagueness that makes me wait for confirmation. I want that precious feeling of knowing that my brain is working on something but the light bulb hasn’t arrived yet, but also knowing it will if I take my attention elsewhere and let the brain keep working on its own. I want a fill-in that’s earned, that’s sparked by a staccato of ahas, that I leave walking a little taller. “Check!” on all that today. This was a beaut of a Saturday. It was brightened by seven first-time answers in the NYT puzzle, including the how-has-this-never-appeared-before BRAIN SURGERY, and the lovely UNDYING. I loved the palindromic pair of OMEN and NEMO, and the neighboring Scandinavian NILS and backward SAAB. Above all, I loved coursing through the Saturday experience I hope for and treasure. Congratulations, Carolyn, on your debut, and I bow to you, Jeff, not only for your skill, but for passing it on to others. Thank you both for a terrific outing!

Road bumps is a fitting theme from one with a degree in civil engineering, as today’s constructor has, according to his notes. I’ve done puzzles before with theme answers that require the bumpy gyration that today’s have, but what makes today’s stand out to me is that the bumps are over a particular word (ROAD). That’s a variation I don’t remember seeing before. Furthermore, each of the bumps is directly centered over ROAD, that is, over the letters OA, which had to make the construction even tougher. This is also a tight theme; I don’t think we’re going to see many alternative theme answers in the comments today. It’s also original – there’s never been a bump-in-the-road theme in any of the major crossword venues. In fact, BUMP IN THE ROAD is a debut answer not only in the Times, but in any of the major crossword venues. So, tight theme, lovely execution, and original. But, most importantly, how was the solve? I found it to be a lovely mix of footholds and resistance. Satisfied my brain’s work ethic in some places, brought the delight of quick figure-outs in others. So, a splendid outing, for which I’m grateful. Bravo, and high congratulations on your debut, Mat!

Well. There it is. A quintessential Thursday. Crafty theme, slippery and clever cluing, no-knows, all teaming up to create a riddle-fest. Totally Thursday, IMO, in difficulty level and trickiness. Marvelous concept! For me, cracking it brought a very satisfying aha. In the theme answers, I love how the marriage of Roman numerals and what they’re counting make legitimate words, so there’s no gibberish in the box. I liked seeing a clue that ended in “e.g.” – [Laudanum, e.g.] – echoing Tuesday’s terrific E.G. puzzle. I also liked the solving experience, a mix of quick-fill areas with brain-loving pesky ones. Most impressive for a debut, Yitzi. This was a wow. What the heck can you follow it up with? I can’t wait to see. Thank you for a puzzle that filled me with GRINs!

My ten favorite original clues of 2025 (in order of appearance): 1. [Switch hitter?] (7)(2)(5) 2. [Hunks of plastic?) (4) 3. ["Human beef" and "Chicken pox pie" on a menu, one hopes] (5) 4. [One who manages to get by?] (4) 5. [She's so full of herself!] (10) 6. [Pitches low and inside?] (6)(3) 7. [Phrase on ID tags] (6)(8) 8. [One whose hard work is showing?] (7) 9. [Way of getting online that might sound like "Beep beep beeHAW beeHAW beeeeeep SHRHRHRHRH"] (6) 10. [Drawer with knobs?] (4)(1)(6) FLICKER OF LIGHT John Kugelman KENS Jake Bunch TYPOS Ginny Too BOSS Katie Hale and Scott Hogan MATRYOSHKA Spencer Leach SUBWAY ADS Natan Last FAMOUS POTATOES Peter Gordon REALTOR Willa Angel Chen and Matthew Stock DIALUP Henry Lin-David ETCH A SKETCH NYT Editing Team (according to constructor Jim Burch)

[Puck, for one] CRAFTY FAIRY

Did this puzzle feel fresh? That is, did you feel like you ran into many answers you’ve never seen before? Well it is. Amazingly is. This puzzle has eight answers of 11 letters or more, and every one is a NYT answer debut. That includes all six answers of the top and bottom stacks and those two long downs at 7D and 19D. Wow! There are actually 11 debuts. Not all have zing, but, IMO, many do, such as MACARONI SALAD, ROPE INTO, WAFFLE MAKER, and GOOD SPELLERS. New answers and their clues remove the easy gets that come from having seen them before in puzzles. They happify the brain by giving it new territory to conquer. Mark has been making Times puzzles for 42 years, and it’s clear he’s sharp as ever, crafting this uber-low 62-worder with plenty of GRIT and yes, pulsing with freshness. BTW, I love those photo-album corners! Mark, I found your puzzle satisfying and richly punctuated with pleasurable moments. Thank you, and don’t wait so long, please, before your next one!

Hello from your long-lost correspondent, still wrested from communications by Hurricane Helene, with spotty cell service and no wi-fi, and still without water flowing from our spigots. This is hardly an adverse situation compared to that of many in the area, but it, in addition to the many tasks related to helping ourselves and others, has kept me from posting here, to this Crosslandia community that I sorely miss. Just to let you know that when regular internet returns, so shall I. It may be days; it may be several weeks. I have been keeping up with the puzzles and with tracking the clues, so that when I do come out with the “Best Clues of 2024” list, there will have been no omissions due to solving gaps. Wishing you all well, and looking forward to the day, when I can rejoin the conversation!

Rainbow puzzles have been made before – but never like this. Credit to Adam for coming up with this concept. Credit to him for much more, which I’ll get to in a moment. First, though, the most important question: How was the solve? For me, it brought much pleasure, as there were a good number of areas that puzzled me, that I had to return to, and that I was able to crack. I get much pleasure out of figuring things out. Now, dear reader, look at the build of this grid: • The lines that include color are symmetrical! • The colors are in the order of the rainbow’s colors! • Every theme word is legitimate as well as that word with the color letter inserted, such as CANTEEN and CANTE(V)EN! • Those theme words are stacked in a certain order to spell the names of the colors! • Those theme words interlock! Are you kidding me? This is a bow-down wow build. And bravo to you, Adam, for pulling it off. So, my brain thanks you, and that part of me that loves beauty, such as the beauty in this construction, thanks you. This was a stellar outing!

[Messed up office space that’s difficult to put in order] RUBIKSCUBICLE

Man, this grid has serious pop. Ten NYT debut answers. Now, debut answers aren’t automatically good things. They can be boring or arcane. But not these ten. I mean, look at them – ARE WE OKAY, COW TIPPER, DEPRAVITY, DON DRAPER, EASY FIXES, FLU SEASON, FRANZEN, OFFLOAD, PAYWALL, RETWEETED! Every single one of them, except maybe COW TIPPER, is so in the language, IMO, and all of them, to me, have an interesting ring, verve. All of them make me wonder, “How can this answer not have appeared in a Times puzzle before?” Freshness abounding, then, in this puzzle, especially in that center stairstep stack, containing four debuts and one answer that has appeared but once before in the Times. Wow! Freshness like this, to me, is not a constructor showing off. It’s a constructor exhibiting skill, as good debut answers are not easy to come by. It’s a constructor focused on entertaining the solver through answers and clues never seen before in the NYT puzzle. The solving enjoyment, for me, was padded by sweet wordplay misdirects, such as [Meeting places] for FORA and [Run slowly] for SEEP. Spark, shine, and play, on top of satisfying my brain’s workout ethic. What a lovely puzzle, Evans. Thank you so much for this, and bravo!

Anyone else confidently slap in TEE for [Culture center?]? Et tu, emu.

Oh my. Here it is. Beauty, humor, wit, and skill at the top level in the box today. The art and science of the crossword puzzle paradigmed for our viewing and solving pleasure. Even before filling in the first square, that gorgeous grid. It reminds me of those fireworks that transform through various colors, and end with a matrix of popping dot-like flashes. There’s that matrix centering the grid. Those black squares are not random, as this grid has both 90- and 180-degree symmetry. So, Katie started with the grid design rather than let it change during the grid build. That can be constricting, but this answer set shows no strain, no hints of desperation. No, it shines and shimmers with beauty, unblemished. Look at those triple-stack 10s! Every one of them interesting, adding spark. Six of them have never graced the Times puzzle before – GO EASY ON ME, GOLDEN GOAL, HOME BREWER, OBOE SONATA, ROBO DIALER, WHAT A BLAST. And the cluing! A clinic. Not only searing wordplay and wit – [Adjunct faculty?] for SIXTH SENSE, are you kidding me? – but even mini clue themes, like three involving the word “spot”. Misdirects, sparkling riddles, clues that yield several answers, like [Zip] – is it meaning “nothing” or “spark”? I came in with great hope, as your last puzzle had me singing high praises, Katie, and my hope was more than met. Thank you for a marvelous outing. You can be sure that your next one is EAGERLY AWAITED. Bring it on!

I strongly believe that “How was the solve?” is a far more important question than “How impressive was the construction?” (And the solve was grand for me!) But I don’t want to neglect that second question today, because Brandon’s crafting of this puzzle was superb: • The skillful use of the entire grid. The East and West, from top to bottom, house the song title, and theme answer HOLES IN THE WALL. The center, from top to bottom, is occupied by the phantom THE DOORS, and the words connected by the letters of THE DOORS. • The wordplay. Turning BEET and OVEN into BEETHOVEN, in effect, eight times. Plus the theme-related meanings in HOLES IN THE WALL, and BREAK ON THROUGH TO THE OTHER SIDE. • The symmetry. Making this all work in the confines of a symmetrical grid. Also, in the black wall, the letters of THE DOORS are symmetrically spaced! • The creativity. How did Brandon even come up with this multi-leveled theme? One involving melding pairs of words by adding a letter between them, not to mention a black wall, a band, and a song? Scintillating! • The grunt-work. Coming up with those pairs of words, which included having them fit symmetry, so that, say, GOB / TWEENS, a three and a six, worked with MENSCH / IRS, a six and a three. Impressive build? Very, and bravo Brandon!

A crosswords-in-general comment. There was a piece in yesterday’s Times about the value of fostering intergenerational understanding by bringing older and younger people together – which results in benefits for both. I see that in crosswords. When I solve a puzzle made by one in their teens or 20’s, say, it provides a glimpse into the world as they see it and into the way they think. I find that so enriching; it broadens the way I see things. In the puzzle comments, I often hear the olds complaining about puzzles by the youngs, and vice versa, and it makes me sad. This promotes us-them thinking and begets tension and stress. Thing is, when unfamiliar not-part-of-my-generation words appear in a grid, the Times puzzle team is so good, that they make sure that these answers are fairly crossed. These words can be bridges rather than moats. They, in my view, are precious gifts, and may they continue!

Zhouqin’s last Times puzzle came a week after Helene hit. It was like the Twilight Zone here. And what do I remember most? Everybody was out of their homes helping everybody else. “What can I do for you?” “How can I help?” “What do you need?” What I learned was that beneath a world that might feel dark at times, there lies a well of light that feels infinite. This brings me solace and hope, and reminds me of Ghandi’s words: “When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it – always.”

I come into a later-week puzzle hoping to have plenty of riddles to crack and to be entertained. After solving, I like to look the puzzle over and hope to be wowed by what it took to pull it together. I got all that today. The art and the science. Riddles? Plenty of no-knows and vague clues to provide my brain with a happy feast of labor. Entertainment? Plenty of wordplay in the cluing; I especially liked the original and devilish [Stage props?] for HAND. Also, spread throughout was beauty in answer, which makes my heart happy: LADYBUG, ENAMOR, VELVET, FULL DIVA, BEAGLE, LUCHADORA. If a puzzle can make my brain sweat as well as my heart smile, it is one of the special ones. Very impressive skill in the build. Getting those T’s where they had to be, making the rows where the T’s are missing consist of bona-fide words, and getting theme answers that fit symmetry requirements – wow! Color me happy, satisfied, and impressed. Standing-O, John, and thank you. This was a beast!

To those commenters who mentioned the puzzle I made with Jeff Chen that was referred to in Simeon's notes (and thank you, @PM for those kind words) -- yes, a bit of déjà vu at coming across today's theme. But please note that Simeon's notes make it clear that he came upon this theme on his own, independently. And when I realize, even in this small instance, that his mind and my mind thought alike, he with his Hall of Fame inventive mind, well, that humbles and thrills me to no end.