Is It Hot in Here or Is It Me? - The New York Times

Daniel Grinberg dabbles in smoke and mirrors.

MONDAY PUZZLE — It’s tough to put together a perfectly balanced Monday puzzle. Ideally, it should be novel enough to engage the experienced solver who can breeze right through it, while providing enough rewards to keep newer puzzle fans working until they hear that jingle of success at the end. With today’s offering, Daniel Grinberg has managed to tick all the boxes.

Tricky Clues

The one clue that really confounded me was 35A, “Those who are not among us (or are they?).” I thought of the dead, spiritualism, mediums, automatic writing and all that, but none would fit in three letters. I cast the net a bit wider, thinking of all varieties of ghosts and tortured souls, like the disembodied ones on the other side of the Ouija board who send our fingers gliding across the tabletop or the denizens of the British true crime podcast “They Walk Among Us.” Nope. I was barking up the wrong metaphor. In this case, the answer is ETS, in the extraterrestrial sense. Or “E.T.s” to be precise, I suppose.

The answer to 15A, “Yanks’ opponents in the Civil War,” is, of course, REBS, but when I scanned the grid at first and saw Yanks and a four-letter clue, I nearly typed in METS. It’s beginning to look a lot like baseball, after all.

Right off the bat, though, I was temporarily thrown off by 1A, a three-letter word for “Quick punch.” After a season of “WandaVision” and some other Marvel TV treats, I thought of an exclamatory “bam” or “pow” enclosed by one of those splashy, spiky comic book word bubbles. But those didn’t mesh with the crossing clue for 1D, “Door parts.” Perhaps the answer is a punch of the sippable variety that’s quick to whip up — like a nog? Nah. I mean, seriously, how many parts does a door have, anyway? It had to be a JAB, crossed by JAMBS.

I was delighted to see 2D, “Bitter Italian liqueur,” and I didn’t hesitate for a second before filling in AMARO, which I first encountered at the East Village outpost of Bar Veloce. Amaro and its variations are worth seeking out for their unusual, layered flavor that tastes a tiny bit like a superconcentrated cola, but is way more complex. It’s also an excellent crossword choice, with its abundant vowels. I raise my glass to you, or I will once we all feel comfortable going out again.

Sometimes being overly literal helps in solving puzzles, as long as you can pivot from that approach and see the problem in a different light if you need to. I had that problem with 18D, clued as “Classic eyes for Frosty.” At first, I thought some ogling might be involved, but that was a bit too sly for a Monday and also just weird since everyone knows Frosty had trouble committing. COALS is the correct answer, but I ventured a little way down a rabbit hole wondering whether it was proper — or natural — to say, “I have two coals.” And does that make a single nugget a “coal?” In any event, in Mishawaka, Ind., we used rocks for the snowman’s eyes. We didn’t have coals. But the answer is, of course, true to the song.

Another favorite clue was 15A, “Comedian Jimmy who joked of his “schnozzola.” He could also have been clued as the narrator of the 1969 TV movie “Frosty the Snowman!” I kid you not. To hear a classic duet featuring Jimmy Durante, an ex-vaudevillian and star of radio, Broadway and Hollywood who publicized his prized proboscis, watch this:

Today’s Theme

In a word, it’s combustion. The first theme clue, 17A, “Collectible toy vehicle,” taken alone, doesn’t tell us much. I first tried “Hot Wheels car,” which it turns out is the durable descendant of the midcentury original made in England to fit into a matchbox. Today some of those early models, and rare editions, are said to be extremely valuable.

It makes more sense when paired with the next themer, 29A, “Birthplace of General Motors,” which is not Detroit but FLINT, MICHIGAN. Just typing it in makes me think of the awful little plastic lighter gun thingy I used all winter to torch the kindling in the fireplace. Click. Click. Click. Click. And finally, a little burst of short-lived flame.

Are you smelling the smoke yet? I hope so, because there is only one more themer before the revealer: 45A, “Certain online dating bio,” or TINDER PROFILE. Tying them all up neatly is 58A, “1980 Stephen King novel … or a hint to the beginnings of 17-, 29- and 45-Across.” That would be FIRESTARTER. Positively incendiary.

Constructor Notes

In March of last year, I decided to try to construct 30 crosswords in 30 days. It was a daunting and inspiring stretch of puzzle writing — exactly the kind of mental occupation I needed to keep me from dwelling too much on the frightening state of current affairs at the time. This particular puzzle stands out as special because it was the first in the series. I wasn’t expecting it to be accepted and had written it mainly as an exercise to light that initial spark. (Curiously, the one other crossword that was accepted was the last in the series. What happened to me in that middle stretch?)

A year later, what I find notable about this puzzle is that it became a Monday. I tend to write my themed crosswords as Wednesdays because my favorite aspect of construction is writing punny and misdirecting clues. To me, finding a fresh double entendre to clue an oft-used answer is a legitimate source of joy. Yet, when this puzzle’s answers seemed to present fewer prospects for mischievous punning, it made sense to make it more accessible to early-week solvers. The only clue I feel even a pang of loss for is TINDER PROFILE originally being “Description that may get swiped.” With these new Monday-friendly clues, I hope readers will be fired up by the clean fill (PREREQ crossing SEQUINS is a particular favorite) and feel the burn of a satisfying solve.

Want to Submit Crosswords to The New York Times?

The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit your puzzles online.

For tips on how to get started, read our series, “How to Make a Crossword Puzzle.”

The Flashpoint

Tired of rubbing two sticks together to no avail? We’ve got you covered.

Warning: There are spoilers looming in the answer key, but subscribers can take a peek if they choose.

Trying to get back to the puzzle page? Right here.

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