by Lila Goldenberg & Ross Trudeau
[.puz][PDF][Solution] Difficulty: 3.75/5
If you’re not already familiar with Lila’s work, you’re in for a treat. Not only is she sharing some nice grids at Crafty Crosswords, but she’s also distinguishing herself as the ascendant sartorial maven of crossworld. Check out these looks. If you need any help planning your ACPT 2023 wardrobe, definitely reach out to this tastemaker.
Our gratitude to this week’s test solvers: David, Gavin, Ed, and Will of Half-Baked Puzzles. Thanks, guys! Spoilers and a note from Lila below.
Lila: Hello!!! What an honor to work on this puzzle with Ross!!!!! Ross was actually one of the first names I started to recognize when I began doing the crossword a few years ago, and it feels sort of full-circle to have now made a puzzle with him. He suggested the idea and we discussed themers over Zoom (I had to google what P-FUNK ALL STARS was :p) and we were off to the cruciverbal races! I’m super proud of how this puzzle turned out, and I hope you all enjoy(ed) solving it!
Ross: 6 themers with *very* limited options in multiple slots made this actually kind of a bear to wrangle. Lila’s gridwork here is highly precocious. Remember the name.
Happy solving, friends!
beautifully done!
Early problem I had was thinking ISSEI and then self-correcting but wanting two S’s in NISEI.
But the real problem was being stuck on President Clinton for the last themer…and even though I ‘got’ the trick that was being performed, I could not get past that one long entry. I’m afraid I wanted a C in “P FU-K ?L? STARS.”
Luckily we had a Zoom visit with our Seattle son and his wife, who knew George Clinton (who?) and gave me the missing letters.
50A is not the first time I’ve been misled by a politician, but what a delight to arrive at George Clinton’s joyous funk instead of some forgotten Little Rock donors.
Unbelievably, the gradual disappearing act of the themed answers was not evident to me until completing the puzzle. It made for a great ‘but of course!’ moment which perfectly illuminated the title. Thanks to you and Lila for such an enjoyable puzzle!
I’m grateful that Dominick pointed out the vanishing “penny” in the grid, otherwise I would have never solved the meta. (Maybe Ross can reveal the spoilers in future puzzles so I don’t stay up all night staring at unsolved meta, lol!)
And I think it’s great that Ross is working with a whole gang of neophyte constructors!