This Friday's New York Tmes X-word is mine...

[Puzzler]

Last edited Thu Oct 13, 2016, 11:57 PM - Edit history (3)

... just in case anyone is interested. It should be up on their on-line site today (Thursday) at 10pm EST. And to state the obvious in Friday's paper. [edit: it's next week, Friday Oct 21... D'oh!]

It's an unthemed toughie, and has a grid that has a lot of open white space. So it'll look quite unusual.

Makes a great lining for the bottom of bird cages

FYI: I've been contributing crosswords to the NYT since 1991 (Washington Post too).

Happy solving

[self-promotional boast-mode: OFF]

-Puzzler

- AKA: Martin Ashwood-Smith

[PennyK]

1. Thank you!

Solving The Times' puzzle is one of my special everyday treats. Very excited that you posted about this and looking forward to your Friday puzzle! May I ask how Will Shortz is doing these days?

[Puzzler]

2. Will Shortz...

Hi... my last communication with Will was a couple of weeks ago, and he seemed to be doing fine. The same as ever.

Between NPR and the NYT he keeps a very busy schedule. Luckily, most of the time he is able to do most of his work from home, a few hours away from NYC.

Regards,

-Puzzler/MAS

[Sanity Claws]

3. A Friday puzzle! Congratulations on your skills.

I usually stop doing the NY Times crossword puzzles by Thursday. After that, they are just too hard for me.

[Puzzler]

4. Thank you...

... at the risk of sounding self-aggrandizing, I think it's one of at least 60 plus Friday NYT's I have had published. Most of the others have been Saturdays.

Incidentally if anyone would like a PDF printer's proof of the puzzle email me at:

smithashwoodm at gmail.com

But please do this late Friday or on Saturday. And please let me know you are members of DU. And be careful of the email heading, so my spam filters don't accidentally block your email.

Regards,

-Puzzler/MAS

[sharp_stick]

5. That's cool, I'll have to get it for my wife

she loves the toughies. If possible I'll try emailing you for the pdf on the weekend.

Thanks.

[Puzzler]

6. No problem!

Feel free to email me. If I forget, it's simply because I'm often (out) on my iPhone and not at my PC. So don't hesitate to remind me.

Also if anyone has any questions (both positive and negative) about the NYT puzzles in general. I'm happy to answer them if I'm able to (within reason). But please understand that I am not in any capacity able to speak officially for the NYT as a spokesperson.

-Puzzler/MAS

[Puzzler]

7. It's next Friday not this Friday!!!

Last edited Thu Oct 13, 2016, 02:01 PM - Edit history (2)

Very sorry. We got advance copies a week earlier than usual. Hence my idiotic error!

[Puzzler]

8. Can I do a Trump and blame Clinton? n/t

-P

[pinboy3niner]

9. Blame the New York Times, silly

Have your lawyer send them a letter threatening to sue if it happens again.

[Puzzler]

10. Good idea...

... but seriously the error is mine.

-MAS

[IcyPeas]

11. 7. Down - Idiotic Error

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __

[panader0]

12. How cool. I am a crossword puzzle junkie.

I do the NYT Sunday puzzle every week (in ink). I would challenge anyone to beat me.
I have noticed that the Friday puzzles, though smaller, can be tougher than the larger
Sunday puzzle. I will look for your name.

[Puzzler]

13. Yes, they get progressively harder...

... the Friday and Saturday puzzles (usually 15x15) are unthemed and are the hardest. Often the Saturday is the hardest of the two, but that is not always the case. A very flashy grid will often be run on a Friday, because the Friday's typically have a higher solver-ship.

The Sunday's (21x21) are usually about a Thursday level. But Will often runs one easier Sunday, then 2 medium Sundays and a hard one in a month.

But you observation is correct.

-Martin Ashwood-Smith

[panader0]

14. Our local guy, a Tucsonan named Merl Reagle, died last year.

The Tucson paper still prints his puzzles on Thursdays. His stuff is themed
and often quite clever.

[Puzzler]

15. Merl Reagle...

... was a friend of mine. He was one of the greatest puzzle minds ever. He died a little over a year ago.

Merl had been a towering figure in the crossword puzzle world. His sudden death sent us all reeling.

Personally I had only just talked to him a few days before his death. He sounded his usual jovial self. A wonderful, talented person, and so filled with humor.

I am at liberty to say this: he died of a sudden acute pancreatitis, that had been misdiagnosed in the hospital ER.

On a happier note:

If you remember, both Merl and Will Shortz appeared in that Simpsons crossword episode. Merl wrote all of the puzzles.

Fun fact: Merl was not with the rest of the cast when he appeared. He told be that he went to a studio with some writers/producers to record his lines. Even though he only had a sentence or two. The assistant producers asked him to say the same lines 25 times. They weren't retakes, but each one had a slightly different tone or stress on particular words.

Anyway, sorry for the odd mix of sad and happy in my reply. But he was a wonderful person, and we all miss him greatly.

Requiescat in pace

[panader0]

16. Born in NJ and died in Fla.

I'm not sure why I think he is local (Az). I think he may have lived here when
he was in school. His stuff always seemed to have a local feel. Of course, he may
have done many puzzles I haven't seen yet.

[Puzzler]

17. He lived much of his life...

... in California, I believe.

Incidentally we lost another major figure in the crossword world a few weeks later: Henry Hook.

Shortz, Reagle, Hook, Mike Shenk and Stan Newman were all responsible for vasty updating the general style of crosswords in the 80s (mainly through Games Magazine and the Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament).

FYI: I highly recommend the 2006 award-winning documentary about the ACPT "Wordplay". Even if you only have a passing interest in crosswords, it's so well done, it can be enjoyed by a wide range of people. By that I mean even people who hate them! Sounds odd, I know, but it's that well done.

[Puzzler]

18. Here's Merl Reagle...

In 2010, at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament:

[PennyK]

19. Wonderful!

I miss his and Henry Hook's stuff a lot...longtime Games-er from its first issue. I even attended one of the Stamford competitions a long time ago.
Patrick Berry seems to be the most devious, all-around constructor I'm seeing these days.

[Puzzler]

20. Indeed he is! n/t

.

[Puzzler]

21. Re Games Magazine...

... I reposted one of my Games Ornery 25x25 crosswords:

https://www.facebook.com/martin.ashwoodsmith/posts/843959565741218

[PennyK]

22. Got it!

I'm all over that like white (disgruntled non-college-educated males) on Trump!

[Puzzler]

23. Great...

... also I hope you enjoy meeting many of my FB friends.

-MAS

[Puzzler]

24. FYI: Today's Washington Post Crossword is. mine...

(Yes I know this is damn trivial compared to all of the crap going down politically right now... literally every hour) ... but if you go to the WP site, or look in today's (Saturday) paper: the themed 15x15 puzzle "Following Along" is mine.

It's not super-difficult and the theme is fairly straightforward. But the diagram/grid has less black squares than the average crossword.

Anyway, give it a shot... or line your budgie cage with it

-Martin Ashwood-Smith