My favorite day to construct
“What’s your favorite day of the week to construct and why?” — Sam, Buffalo. From Christina: I’ve had puzzles that have run on every day of the week, but roughly a third of the puzzles I’ve made have been Sunday puzzles. Sundays are both my favorite day to solve and my favorite kind of puzzle to construct. The main reason for this is that my favorite types of themes are wordplay themes that lend themselves well to a Sunday puzzle. A 21x21 grid means you can fit in a lot more theme material, and the theme entries themselves can be longer. I tend to find longer phrases more fun and funnier than shorter entries, because it’s easier to pick up on what the base phrase is. When you read AN ELEPHANT IN THE WOMB, for instance, it’s immediately apparent that the pun is based on the phrase “an elephant in the room.” However, it might take a minute to discern what a two-word phrase is punning on. WET BUTLER or WAVING MAD follow the same pattern as ROOM to WOMB, but the puns are a little less apparent. Here are some of my favorite theme entries from Sunday puzzles that wouldn’t fit in a daily puzzle:
Besides finding Sunday themes more fun, I also really enjoy the challenge of working with a Sunday-size grid. Building a 21x21 grid is much more difficult than a 15x15 grid, but there’s also a lot more flexibility. In a 15x15 grid there really aren’t too many places that you can place black squares while following all of the rules. With a 21x21 grid there are many more options, and I enjoy working with the larger canvas.
Solve Friday’s Crossword on Easy Mode!
In today’s Wordplay column, Deb Amlen writes about the ambitious choices in this grid’s design. For expert hints on today’s puzzle, read her column here. Were you able to solve the Friday puzzle with Easy Mode? We want your input! Share your experience with us on the X platform, on Threads or by email. A Quick Cool-DownHow fast can you solve today’s Mini?
Get a ClueMy favorite clue from last week is 44-Down from Saturday, Sept. 13. My kids are both very into the business referenced in this clue, so I found it especially fun. 44-Down: Whose business is just around the block?
How are we doing? Thanks for playing! Subscribe to New York Times Games. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can sign up to receive it regularly here. P.S. The answer to Get a Clue is LEGO.
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