The trick at the heart of today's NY TIMES puzzle is really brilliant. I won't spoil it for any of you who have not yet done the puzzle, but after a bit, if you wish, I will reveal it. One of the cleverest I have seen.
I was so excited I screwed up the 4x4 KenKen, which I never do. Oh well, win one, lose one.
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/crosswords/kenken.html?_r=0
ReplyDeletePlease do tell us about it Prof!
ReplyDeleteOkay. [I have thrown out the paper, but here goes.] The key, as the answer to one of the clues indicates, is the old Abbott and Costello comedy routine, usually referred to as "Who's on first ." Costello asks Abbott about a baseball team, and starts "Who's on first?" Abbott says "yes." [meaning, as we finally realize, that a player named "who" is on first.] Costello gets increasingly frustrated. It turns out What is playing second and I don't know is on third. "Who is on third?" asks Costello. "No, Who is on first," says Abbott. "I don't know is on third." It goes on for some time and is a classic routine.
ReplyDeleteWell, there is a clue to a long answer the middle word of which is "first." But there is only one square available for the word "first" in the answer. There is a long down answer that intersects at that square and that requires the word "who". So, "who" is on "first."
The third tricky pair have the answers "Tell me something I don't know" with one square available for the words "I don't know" which intersects with the first square of a down answer "third rail". So "I don't know" is on "third."
I thought it was really brilliant. It took me a while to figure it out.