Thursday, May 31, 2007
Puzzle by William F. Stephens, edited Will Shortz
!efas ton si dlrow eht ro eman a evah tsum gnihtyreve ekil -- elzzup "emeht" a siht llac ot gniog si enoemoS
It's just a crossword puzzle with four answers entered backwards with the word "back" missing -- that hardly makes it a "theme" -- let's get over this "theme" and "rebus" fixation -- a "theme" puzzle would include all entries in the puzzle and a "rebus" puzzle would do the same! The good Lord did not say we must have a name for everything, but if we must have a name, name it correctly -- again, "a crossword puzzle with four backward entries" -- that's it!
Check the grids above, can you find a "theme"? That out of the way, the four entries (with a fifth "clue" entry) are:
BACK (55D Missing word in 21-, 31-, 40- and 50-Across, applied literally)
ENOERAUQSOT (21A From the beginning again) -- (BACK)(TOSQUAREONE)
DAEDEHTMORF (31A Revived) -- (BACK)(FROMTHEDEAD)
ERUTUFEHTOT (40A 1985 Michael J. Fox film) -- (BACK)(TOTHEFUTURE)
ELDDASEHTNI (50A Controlling things once more) - (BACK)(INTHESADDLE)
The only other backward/forward entries are ERIE (51D I-90 runs along it) and EIRE (61A U2's home) which cross each other in the bottom center of the grid, ELBA (40D Napoleon's home before his Hundred Days campaign) (e.g., ABLE WAS I ERE I SAW ELBA), and EWE (20A Milk source) -- all of which are oft-seen fill that just happen to be palindromes.
There is no "theme", just four answers entered backwards with a missing word supplied in another area of the puzzle!
Further commentary to follow...(Uh...read "Comments" for this day's post instead.)
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For today's cartoons, go to The Crossword Puzzle Illustrated.
The New York Times Crossword Puzzle solution above is by the author of this blog and does not guarantee accuracy. If you find errors or omissions, you are more than welcome to make note of same in the Comments section of this post -- any corrections found necessary will be executed promptly upon verification.
Puzzle available on the internet at: THE NEW YORK TIMES -- Crossword Puzzles and Games
If you subscribe to home delivery of The New York Times you are eligible to access the daily crossword via The New York Times - Times Reader, without additional charge, as part of your home delivery subscription.
12 comments:
Donald,
You are so right about the misuse of the words "rebus" and "theme" to describe certain discernible charactersistics of crossword puzzles. But sometimes wrong usage prevails until it becomes general usage. (Take "home in" and "hone in", for instance, which I previously commented on in another blog.) Is that phenomenon the "slippery slope" that we are warned against?
Maintain standards, Donald.
Keep up the good work.
Jo
characteristics (corrected spelling)
Jo
"Theme" is just the lingo crossword professionals use to differentiate between a crossword with a set of symmetrically placed, related answers (the theme) and one with no such group of answers (a themeless crossword). Themeless crosswords with two long, symmetrically placed, related answers are said to have a "mini-theme."
Is there a reason you click on the "Play against the clock" button rather than the "Check my solution" (or whatever it says) button? Tyler Hinman probably couldn't have solved this puzzle in 2 minutes and 17 seconds!
jo,
Oh I do hope this misuse will at least not infect ALL of puzzledom!
It is a "slippery slope" and "maintaining standards" can activate the pea-shooters, but I have my Michael Meyers hockey mask ready!
Amy,
Just what constitutes a "crossword professional"?
It has been my thought that a professional in any field, whether self-declared or recognized as so by others (or achieving such a status through academic certification) should set an example of adherence to good usage, and not pretend to a throne of what will or will not be.
I am well aware of the descriptive notations to a crossword puzzle which you cited and do not need a refresher course; however,constant error does not make a wrong right.
In reference to "play against the clock", what amount of time would you suggest? I'm sure you know!
If your point is that the word "theme" has other meanings not strictly adhered to when the crossword folks use the word, I fear you've lost the battle. It's a handy word that constructors use with a mutual understanding of meaning. As defined in Patrick Berry's guide to construction, Crossword Puzzle Challenges for Dummies, "A theme is a common thread shares by a set of crossword puzzle entries. Grid entries not related to the theme are known as fill." The constructor community at Cruciverb.com uses the terms the same way. It's much faster to say "theme" instead of "a group of longish entries that have something in common, but it varies from puzzle to puzzle."
The NYT "Play Against the Clock" forum has regular discussions about "applet cheaters," people who've already solved the puzzle before typing their answers into the timed applet. Some folks get their knickers in a twist about this; plenty of others don't give a damn (it's not as if prize money is at stake). One option is to use the "check solution" button rather than the "play against the clock" button.
I enjoyed the puzzle. Whether or not it constitutes a theme is apparently arbitrary...although IMOO it does...and ultimately not relevant to my puzzle satisfaction quotient. It was enjoyable and it kept me on my toes, which is why I do the NYT, as well as the Sun when time permits.
Liked the backward imaging : )
Amy,
I am disappointed that you have not responded to my questions, but instead have simply elaborated upon your previous remarks.
To reiterate, those questions were:
1. Just what constitutes a "crossword professional"?
(See previous comment for further clarification of the question)
2. In reference to "play against the clock", what amount of time would you suggest?
(Perhaps five minutes and 16 seconds?)
In response to your remark -- “If your point is that the word ‘theme’ has other meanings not strictly adhered to when the crossword folks use the word” -- my response is that it is NOT.
Incidentally, I now have a new question -- in your frame of reference, who are “crossword folks” or is this a redefinition of “crossword professionals” -- it seems Webster’s does not coalesce the meanings of “folk“ and “professional“.
To pepper your response with negative verbiage and redundant repetition of previous remarks is of no use to a positive dialogue.
A democratic, rather than autocratic and dictatorial, discussion is more apt to be productive.
If, of course, that is the intent of your comments.
Donald, You and I use "rebus" and "theme" in their standard English meanings. Among Amy and other crossword professionals (people who get paid or compete for prize money from crossword constructing, solving, or writing about) the two words are used as jargon.
The following is an excerpt from the "jargon" entry in Wikipedia. It is plain to me that according to the last sentence in this article you and I are outsiders, not insiders. That's OK with me. How about you?
"Jargon is terminology, much like slang, that relates to a specific activity, profession, or group. It develops as a kind of shorthand, to express ideas that are frequently discussed between members of a group, and also to distinguish those belonging to a group from those who are not. This is sometimes called "guild" or "insider" jargon. Newcomers or those unfamiliar with a subject can often be tagged by their incorrect use of jargon. The use of jargon by outsiders is considered by insiders to be audacious, since it constitutes a claim to membership of the insider group. Conversely, since outsiders may not see the reference made via jargon, they are all the more sensitive to its more visible elitist social framing. Jargon to the outsider usually comes across as pedantic, nerdy, and divorced from meaning."
Your field surely must have its own jargon, for the sake of efficiency if not elitism.
Orange is only trying to help us fit in with the group. I don't mind her help. How about you?
Best,
Jo
Jo
Thank you for your positive comment.
One of the reasons I began my own blog on crosswords was the intolerance of my viewpoint in Comment sections of other blogs -- certainly, I have no intention of committing the same rudeness toward comments in my blog, and I hope I did not convey same. However, I do not feel I am obliged to agree with an opinion with which I differ. With my own crossword blog where I am free to express and maintain my convictions and opinions, I only make comments when I visit other’s blogs that are entirely focused on the positive aspects of their particular post for that day. I do not expect that someone visiting here will extend the same courtesy -- as a matter of fact, I would rather hear a strong challenge than a polite fallacy. Further, I believe if questions are asked, they should be answered -- mine in this case have gone unanswered. Additionally, challenges to my credibility outside of the particular post of the day have been made that are entirely unnecessary and unfounded.
All of that said, I am sure that your assessment of intentions is accurate, and I am very appreciative of your kind-heart and nobleness.
I remain,
1. See Jo's comment.
2. The amount of time it actually takes one to solve the crossword would seem reasonable and fair.
Finis.
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