[.puz][PDF][Solution] 📜✉️ 📰🕵🏽♀️
This week’s grid is a Sunday-sized offering, which means that if you’re solving on a desktop browser, the clues aren’t going to present on the side of the puzzle like they normally do. (Note that the clue of the selected answer will always appear at the very top of the puzzle.) As such, you might want to consider downloading the .puz and solve offline using AcrossLite. Or you can be romantic and download and print the PDF.
The winter doldrums are upon us! Jessie and I just booked a tiny house weekend getaway in the woods for early February, but until then we plan to remain hermetically sealed in the apartment with Ruby. For a window into this world, do consider signing up for the Boswords Winter Wondersolve event on 1/31. Jessie and I are constructing one of the tournament puzzles, and there will be a video interview during which you can diagnose how deranged we three really have become since quarantine began nineteen years ago.
Thoughts on “Follow the Money” after the jump!
So, this one took a while. The main problem was in connecting the PAPER TRAIL in the center of the grid. In a normal 21×21 puzzle, this would have to happen by connecting a PAPER answer passing either vertically or horizontally through the center square *on both ends* to the PAPERs leading in opposite directions. That wasn’t happening.
The solution was to have the R at the end of PLAIN DEALER sit next to the T in THE REGISTER (also a slight cheat in that it uses the article), and have them fused, in a way, by the central revealer answer PAPER TRAIL passing directing through the adjacent R-T. To accommodate this, the grid needed to be 22×21 (no centered middle column).
But at the end of the day, I think it works pretty well. Our intrepid FINANCIAL REPORTER follows the paper trail to the WHITE COLLAR CRIMES, and all is right in the world! (Until no one goes to jail, and the criminal’s company pays a nominal fine and conducts business as usual.)
Happy solving, friends!
-Ross
Fun puzzle. It reminded me of your “Web of Lies” in the NYT several months ago. I went off on a wild-goose chase at 19A (which you may have trickily intended?) because EXPATRIOT has the same number of letters as BUCCANEER. Btw, I think the clue for 105A should be “Femmes fatales”, not “Femme fatales”.
The 19A misdirect *did* occur to me… perhaps 5% too devious? And as for 105A, I went back and forth on whether I’d irritate more people with “femmes fatale,” though strictly speaking I think you’re correct.
In that vein:
https://www.theonion.com/william-safire-orders-two-whoppers-junior-1819565735
Whee! This was a fun ride — and I appreciate the grid, which allowed me to dutifully follow the PAPER TRAIL without too many stops. Thank you so much for the treat!
P.S. It’s “femmes” but I didn’t mind 🙂
I’m glad the oversized grid didn’t put you off! And “femmes” is totally the accurate way… I just figured I’d alienate slightly fewer people doing it the gauche common way: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Femme_Fatales_(TV_series)
Are you kidding? The “oversized” grid meant more enjoyment!
Kelly <—–who wants to be a femme fatale when she grows up 😉
It’s good to have dreams!
This was the best yet! I like the larger size and loved the linked newspapers, the crime, and the paper trail. I don’t care about femme vs. femmes. It was just plain fun!
You’re very kind, Maria. I’m glad you enjoyed it! And boy-howdy, your last time is just amazing crossword theme fodder…