13D. Remember, every word in a clue is doing its part to bring you toward the solution. Take the word in “Part of a rose or a glass of rosé,” for example: We’re meant to consider the anatomy that connects the objects, not their shared color palette or aromas. Each one has a STEM.
42D. “Rare things from far away” are occasionally referred to as EXOTICA, though in recent years the practice of labeling certain foods and not others as “exotic” has come under justifiable scrutiny.
45D. “Claimed a victory, homophonically” is a brilliant way to debut an unusual crossword entry using wit, rather than brute force. Someone who “claimed a victory” WON — “homophonically,” without changing the meaning, they WON ONE.
Constructor Notes
The grumpy solver in me could easily nitpick this puzzle’s many flaws (such as including the overused hall-of-fame words ABBA, ESSO, ETSY and STYE), but here’s why none of them matter today: Around 40 years ago, my mother asked her teenage son for help with a sports-related clue, and a New York Times Crossword solving team was born. As life went on, I would be greeted at every family visit with a hug and a stack of Times crosswords. My mother and I would then retreat — antisocially, some claim — to a corner to slog our way through them while relentlessly complimenting each other (“You are so good at this! No, you are!”).
Mom was always in awe of constructors, and died blissfully unaware that tools like construction software, word lists and xwordinfo.com even existed. The image of her kvelling to her friends in heaven today — making patently ridiculous statements like “I told him he was a genius!” — will have me smiling for months to come.
Marla and Oren: Your patient and generous test solving over the years made this debut possible, and I can’t thank you enough.
If you live in Houston and have interest in being part of an H-town constructors’ community, please reach out!
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Work your way through our guide, “How to Solve the New York Times Crossword,” for an explanation of most of the types of clues you will see in the puzzles, and then test your skills with some fun mini crosswords.