Tuesday Mini

The book pictured above (the author of which is in this puzzle) was one of the most raved about books of 2019. It's a novel in the form of a letter from a Vietnamese American son to his illiterate mother and it is a thing of beauty. If you're looking for something new to pick up while staying at home, look into this one. And enjoy today's solve! 🧩

Amanda

Guest Midi by Steve Mossberg

I'm so thrilled to say that today's puzzle comes courtesy of constructor Steve Mossberg, who was kind enough to provide this lovely midi to start off your week. Steve also has his own site called Square Pursuit where he posts puzzles each week, and you may have also spotted his name in your local paper! Thanks again, Steve, for your contribution and I'm lucky to have you!

In other news, the presence of 3-Down in this puzzle is very obliquely giving me the opportunity to post a picture of one of my favorite people: the one and only Tony Bennett. Not only is he a phenomenal human being (fingers crossed that it's as true as it seems), but he is also just so, SO adorable. I had the pleasure of seeing Tony in concert at the Hollywood Bowl a couple of years ago (yes, Lady Gaga did come out for a few duets), and one of my absolute favorite things about Tony is how much he loves performing. After every single song, he opens his arms out wide like he's trying to give the entire audience a hug (see photo above), and it's just enough to make my heart explode into crooner confetti. And his version of "The Way You Look Tonight" is my absolute favorite.

Here's Steve: "When I started an indie crossword blog a few months ago, I set myself the daunting task of making sure a grid went up each week, and believe me, I still sweat it. Naturally, I'm blown away by the fact that Amanda pulls this off on a daily basis, and even more so that she kills it every time! It's an honor to get to poke my head in with a midi on her site. I hope you all enjoy the solve!"

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Puzzle #7: Rhyme Schemes

I swear I'm not trying to terrorize you with these delicious food pictures. They are at LEAST tangentially related to things in the puzzles. (But also, how delicious do those look? They remind me of being 13 and going to a million bar and bat mitzvahs). Anyhow! Ross and I are back with another collab grid and, if I'm not mistaken, this is the first 21x21 I ever worked on way back when. How far we've come! *wipes a tear*. And keep your eyes peeled, because we'll be back in the Times again this week. Happy Sunday!

Amanda

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Saturday midi

Hello everyone. I accidentally put my whole entire personality into this 8x8 puzzle. So either you're welcome or I'm terribly sorry. Oh, that image? Yes, that is the famous #19 pastrami sandwich at Langer's Delicatessen here in Los Angeles. Some say it's the best pastrami sandwich in the country. As a self-appointed expert in Jewish delis, I will say it's certainly in my top 2. (It is the best of it's kind, but since it's not exactly a traditional pastrami sandwich, we have to leave room in the rankings for those who are acing the traditional presentation of their craft). Either way, if you ever find yourself in LA, it's worth the almost $20 it costs to have one. I know I will certainly be picking one up soon. And since this is not the content you came here for, without further ado: the Saturday midi.

Amanda

Friday minis

Welcome to the end of another week and, therefore, two more minis puzzles! I hope they're a bite-sized and opportune distraction from whatever else you have going on today. Happy solving! 🧩

Amanda

Theatre Thursday #7

And we're back for another edition of Theatre Thursday – one of my favorite days of the week! Today's puzzle commemorates 14-Across, who was born on this day in 1887. In his nine decade career, he probably worked on at least a handful of shows that you like. Some highlights include: The Boys From Syracuse, Pal Joey, On The Town, A Tree Grows In Brooklyn, Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game, Damn Yankees, Once Upon A Mattress, Fiorello!, and A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum (pictured above). To name a few. He also produced and wrote the book for many of these as well. The actual list of shows he worked on is too lengthy to go through, but that's what Wikipedia is for ;) Enjoy today's puzzle and I hope it gets at least a few show tunes stuck in your head.

Amanda

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Wednesday midi

Halfway through another week! Give yourselves a pat on the back...or a round of applause...or some other congratulatory gesture that feels appropriate given your achievements thus far ;) Enjoy today's midi puzzle, and I'll see you tomorrow for Theatre Thursday! 🧩

Amanda

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