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“Match Fixing” is a special installment for anyone enjoying watching Team USA kick ass in France this summer. *SPOILER ALERT* This puzzle is… different. If you’re delighted, pissed off, or confused, scroll down for an insight into its construction. (Or just peep the solution.)
“Match Fixing” is an example of a quantum crossword, where two possible answers can both fit in the same spot. The most famous such example came in the New York Times back in 1996, when the puzzle appeared to have predicted the winner of presidential election. In fact, CLINTON and BOB DOLE were both viable answers.
In “Match Fixing”, you can put either AMERICA and ENGLAND as the winner of tomorrow’s match, with all the relevant down answers creating two different words that can be clued the same way. For example, [A]YE and [E]YE are both [Homophone for “I”]. The other down clues are:
GRAM / GRAN: Mom’s mom, informally BAE / BAG: An instagrammer might show this off on her arm #newaccessory! 😉 ART / ALT: Music genre modifier ISU / ASU: Sch. that lost an 11-v-6 seed match-up in the 1st round of the 2019 NCAA hoops tourney CODE / NODE: Computer network component ETD / ETA: Flight board fig.
All that being said, we know who’s *really* winning tomorrow. -RT
GAH! You had me convinced you’re rooting for ENGLAND. (Maybe you are.) Wonderful construction!
My best friend is an Englishman and I’m best man at his wedding in August… but my allegiances are firm 😉
Necessary and appreciated spoiler alert. Definitely sort this one under “saucier, cheekier.” OGLING and EYING in the same puzz, with different clues was fun. Liked ENOCH and SEDER too.
I thought DUDETTE roiled a bit, as it felt contrary to the revealer. Similar issues of visibility, access etc in surfing
I’m all for ENGLAND in my first go through. How dare you set it up to be wrong 🙂
P.S, the “ETD / ETA” pair in the write-up is bringing out the [8 ACROSS] in me.