I subscribe to the New York Times Crossword which gives me instant access to the daily puzzles. One can play on the computer or a mobile device such an iPhone or iPad. For those interested, it's only US$16.99 per year (or you can pay it monthly, if you wish).
The reason I bring this up is that last Thursday (March 25), the puzzle, constructed by Patrick Blindauer, was one of the smartest and cleverest ones I've ever seen. I'm going to explain the reason, so spoiler alert! If you love doing crosswords, I recommend you try the puzzle first before reading on.
If you have access to the syndicated NY Times puzzles through various newspapers around the country, the Monday-Saturday puzzles come out six weeks after initial publications in the Times. That puts this particular puzzle coming out on September 5. If you newly subscribe to the crossword program, you will have access to all the back puzzles, and you can solve it that way as well.
Last chance...SPOILER ALERT!
What is brilliant about this particular puzzle is that it had two gimmicks instead of the usual one. The clue to both gimmicks was the center down answer "Double Feature." As Rex Parker, in his blog "Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle" puts it:
...the double-feature answers are movie titles of identical lengths that must be written in side-by-side, in the same single answer, for the Acrosses to make any sense...
I would ad that the letters "written side-by-side" are contained in single squares. The second gimmick is the across fills contained double letters in single squares as well so you see, for example, a clue that seems to be a five-word answer has only four squares! Then you had to figure out to read the two side by side movie titles downward (or...double features!). So, you had two movies in one square (a double feature) and two letters in single across-clued squares (another double feature!). Brilliant!
I know this may sound confusing, especially to the novice puzzle solver, but just click on the link and you can see the actual puzzle with the answer. Mr. Parker is a puzzle expert and has often competed in the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament. Here is his take on the puzzle:
Astonishing. I don't think I've solved a better puzzle this year. Imaginative concept, perfect execution. Any infelicities in the fill...are minimal and can easily be excused given how perfectly, neatly, delicately this puzzle comes together in the theme material. Like two perfectly functioning zippers, those DOUBLE FEATURE answers are. This Thursday puzzle did what a Thursday puzzle should do, at its best—go off book, make me work to figure out what's up, and then make me go "whoa..." when I figure it out. It helps that this puzzle was not exceedingly difficult.
A side note: The NYT puzzles go from relatively simple on Monday to quite challenging Friday and Saturday. The Thrusday puzzles tend to have some sort of gimmick (such as two letters in one square, or a special character representing practically anything).
A wonderful puzzle, especially for a movie buff like me. Kudos to Patrick Blindauer!
I would also like to give a huge "attaboy" to Rex Parker. His daily breakdown of the NYT puzzles are a treat to read, and I love checking him out after I've solved (or given up on) the puzzle.
