I always see the Sunday version of the NYT Crossword as a thematic puzzle with not-so-many hard clues. However, today’s grid is something else and includes seven theme questions with subtle wordplay or even visual hints. If you are thinking of a rebus, I should say that you are wrong; the NYT Crossword of Feb 15 doesn’t have any rebus squares, but it contains run-in entries for which you must use a trick to reach the answers.
I know my explanation may be confusing. Therefore, without any further ado, let’s get to the NYT Crossword analysis Feb 15.
Theme of NYT Crossword of Feb 15
In total, there are seven theme clues in the grid including 24-, 27-, 40-, 93-, 96-, 123-, and 125-Across which are italicized. While solving the puzzle, I borrowed so much help from the crossing entries. However, some answers were wrong at the surface level.
For example, 27-Across (Gaia, by another name) solves to MOTHERE. Or 40-Across’s (Version of a textbook designed for instruction) answer is TEACHERE. When I found out they were the answers for the clues, I was shocked. But I didn’t want to ruin my flow and then I decided to go on until the revealer.
73-Across (“Things are only going to get worse” … or a hint to answering the seven italicized clues in this puzzle) is the revealer of the grid. This clue solves to ITS ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE (It’s all down from here), whose literal meaning is the key to the theme of the puzzle.
When I read the revealer, the whole grid shone with dazzling light. Let’s review each theme clue one by one from now on to see the magic trick of the NYT Crossword of Feb 15.
24-Across (Completely destroy with a blast) solves to BLOWTOSMITHERE. As you can see, the answer is unfinished, but as the revealer said, you should go down from the word “HERE” in the answer. Do that and you see the trick: the real answer is BLOWTOSMITHERE + ENS.
27-Across is MOTHERE and if you go down from here, it will be MOTHERE + ARTH. As I mentioned before, 40-Across is TEACHERE but with a downslide move, it turns to TEACHERE + DITION. The real answers for 93-Across and 96-Across are ETHERE + AL and FEATHERE + DGE, respectively.
123-Across (In back) solves to ATTHERE. Employ the “method” and it changes to ATTHERE + AR. Do the same for 125-Across (“Wait, are we done?”) and you see the answer is ISTHATALLTHERE + IS.
The time I spent for solving this puzzle was more than I expected. But it was worth the time and energy. The moment I reached the “Aha!” moment was really satisfying and gave me a sense of victory; a win against a beautifully designed puzzle with a subtle theme which is a dream for crossword lovers like “us”.
Facts of NYT Crossword of Feb 15
The puzzle grid measures 21 rows by 22 columns and contains no rebus squares. It uses 22 of the 26 letters of the alphabet (J, Q, V, and Z do not appear) and maintains standard rotational symmetry. There are seven unique words in this puzzle: BLOWTOSMITHEREENS, DEAGED, FEATHEREDGE, ITSALLDOWNHILLFROMHERE, RESPELLED, TEACHEREDITION, TOPMODEL, and WEEDTEA.
Did you get “bent” out of shape by today’s downhill theme or did you catch the trick at MOTHEREARTH? Let me know your Sunday solve time in the comments!
If you need the answers for daily crossword puzzles like the NYT Crossword or the NYT Mini, make sure to check Daze Puzzle every day to find the solutions you need in record time.
