Simon Marotte makes his New York Times Crossword debut.
TUESDAY PUZZLE — There is a Bob Newhart standup routine from 1960 in which he played a beleaguered driving instructor trying to guide a new student through a lesson. (Heads up: The sketch is outdated — as one from 60 years ago is wont to be — and includes the stereotype that women are bad drivers.) During this lesson, he discovers that the student driver has some unique ideas about how to stop the car, one of which includes throwing it into reverse.
I am not suggesting that method as advice on how to drive, mind you, but I couldn’t help thinking about it while I solved Simon Marotte’s debut crossword.
As always, that’s a hint and hopefully not a spoiler. Welcome to the club, Mr. Marotte.
P.S. Mr. Marotte is 16 years old. This doesn’t even phase me anymore. Daniel Larsen made his debut at age 13. If you need me, I’ll just be sitting here, swigging from a bottle of Geritol.
Tricky Clues
47A. The phrase HAD NO HOPE is a debut entry.
57A. A TENTACLE on an octopus, for example, would hold “little suckers.”
62A. Fascinating — for me — historical side note: The entry KUBLAI KHAN has not appeared in the New York Times Crossword since 1969, and this is only the second time the Mongol warrior has appeared using his full name.
6D. I’m turning this one over to you. To my ears, the word “longtime” as in the clue “Longtime ‘All Things Considered’ host Robert” means that he has been there for a long time and is still there. Robert SIEGEL actually retired in 2018. The puzzle editors say that “longtime” can mean current or former. Would you use the word “longtime” or “former” if you were writing this clue? (Hint: There is probably no right or wrong answer here.)
7D. Thank goodness for modifiers such as “in poker.”
18D. I first wrote ASH for “Stuff in cigarettes,” but the ASH isn’t really in them, is it? The answer is TAR.
49D. EVELYN Ashford is a National Track and Field Hall of Famer. Since retiring after the 1992 Olympics, Ms. Ashford has served as a public speaker, adviser and a track and field commentator.
Today’s Theme
Mr. Marotte offers us four theme entries that each contain a set of circled squares. If you read the letters in those squares backward, they spell the names of four carmakers. For example, at 17A, the answer to the clue “They often come out at night” is FALSE TEETH (and not “vampires”). Reading backward, the circled letters spell the name TESLA. Similarly, the answer to 62A is KUBLAI KHAN, and the circled letters spell the name KIA when read backward.
Why are we reading them backward, you ask? Take a look at the revealer at 38A: That “Certain auto gear … as suggested by the circled letters” is REVERSE. Another hint hiding in plain sight is 56D, which reminds us that every make of car has a NAME.
I liked this one. It was a smooth solve and, while I don’t say this too often, it felt more like the Monday we craved yesterday. There was not a whole lot that was new, but it was a pleasant, easy-on-the-brain experience.
Constructor Notes
It is such a joy to be making my New York Times Crossword debut! I am a 16-year-old from Conway, Ark., and I am actually pretty new to the crossword scene. I started solving at the beginning of quarantine last year, and began constructing in the summer after stumbling upon a mind-blowing instructional video by David Kwong. Without a doubt, my decision to reach out to Judge Victor Fleming — an experienced Times constructor in my area — catalyzed my path to success because of his invaluable mentorship and advice. I would highly encourage new constructors to look for a mentor. That was so helpful to me. Mentorship resources can be found at the Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory on Facebook, or the Crossword-related Discord Server. And, of course, the practice of solving every day and reading great crossword blogs (Wordplay, Xword Info, Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle, Diary of a Crossword Fiend, etc.) has certainly made me a better constructor.
The idea for this theme came to me while I was half asleep, surprisingly. After waking up, I reached for my phone and quickly began researching car brands that could be reversed and fit into phrases. While I made my way through the list of brands, I eliminated the ones that obviously wouldn’t work (I’m looking at you ZNEB-SEDECREM) and avoided the brands that aren’t as common on the road. Filling the grid was a bit tough considering the constraints of the revealer, so it was difficult to really open up the grid and allow for some sparkly long downs. Nevertheless, I’m pretty happy with the result, especially with 1-Across to kick things off.
Thanks to the New York Times Crossword editing team for the cluing changes, and thanks to all who have supported me in my puzzling efforts.
Hope you enjoy it!
The Tipping Point
Almost finished solving but need a bit more help? We’ve got you covered.
Warning: There be spoilers ahead, but subscribers can take a peek at the answer key.
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