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wordplay, the crossword column
Ahmed Bayoumi makes his New York Times debut.
SATURDAY PUZZLE — Hello, puzzlers, and what a rare treat to see you all on a Saturday! I’m filling in today for your usual weekend columnist, Caitlin Lovinger. I’ll try to leave everything in good shape, and give you all the impression that I’m as expert a solver as she is.
Since I typically write about the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday Crosswords, I’m used to searching for a theme as I solve. But in a Friday or Saturday puzzle, the grid’s the thing: The fill must stand on its own, without an added “aha!” moment to tie it up with a bow (lucky us — we get 15-letter entries and devilishly ambiguous clues instead). In today’s crossword, however, Ahmed Bayoumi, a debut constructor, has managed to sneak a wonderful mini-theme into his sparkling Saturday fill. (Spoilers ahead.)
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14-Across asks for a term that describes “roughly one-eighth of the U.S. population,” which is AFRICAN AMERICAN. Just below that, 17-Across clues us with examples of two SLAVE REBELLIONS: “The Haitian Revolution and the Aponte Conspiracy of 1812.” And, crossing both, 16-Down gives the added context of U.S. politics in the 19th century — “Republicans in the 1850s, typically” were ABOLITIONISTS.
Mr. Bayoumi explains more of his thinking in the constructor notes below. There was plenty I hadn’t realized about his puzzle until he mentioned it, and I went back to appreciate his work anew. Isn’t it something when a crossword keeps popping kernels even after you’ve turned off the stove?
7A. I had forgotten how ambiguous these end-of-week clues could be. “Dessert with layers” gives us little to go on — even laminated pastry is layered, arguably — but crossings eventually reveal this to be SPUMONI, an Italian treat. (Here’s our recipe for it.)
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NYT Crossword Answers for Sept. 30, 2023 – The New York Times
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