Michael Lieberman, an attorney with Fairmark Partners in Washington, D.C., has created a new crossword puzzle featured in the latest Sunday edition. This marks his 29th puzzle for The New York Times. According to Lieberman, he enjoys constructing puzzles while watching baseball and completed this particular puzzle last October, providing a welcome distraction during the stressful playoff season.
The puzzle’s theme is titled “Heart Transplants” and contains eight themed entries across various clue numbers. Each entry features a pair of gray squares and is phrased as a question. As a seasoned solver, Lieberman initially believed the gray squares held significant importance, yet this assumption did not aid his progress with the clues, which he described as challenging but engaging.
Today’s Theme
Lieberman noted that the cleverness of the theme lies in how each entry manipulates a familiar term. For instance, 34-Across, with the clue “Secrets known only to E.N.T.s?”, leads to the answer “EAR CANAL ARCANA.” Initially misreading “E.N.T.” as a personality type, he later realized it referred to ear, nose, and throat specialists. He also pointed out the connection between the letters in the shaded squares of the answer: the “E” and “L” from EAR CANAL ARCANA.
Another entry, 23-Across, led to the solution “KLINGON LINGO,” which Lieberman found more straightforward than the previous entry. He highlighted this example as a playful take on language, where the first and last letters of the terms are removed from the last word in the answer. You can hear the rhythm in “KLINGON LINGO,” which makes it catchy and engaging to solve.
As for the tougher entries, 75-Across posed a challenge with the clue “Spark joy?” leading to the whimsical answer “ELICIT FELICITY.” This unexpected answer, according to Lieberman, was endearingly silly and contributed to the enjoyment of solving the puzzle.
The puzzle exemplifies Lieberman’s skill with rich wordplay and intricate structures, keeping solvers engaged with clever twists in language. Its creativity and challenge provide a fitting conclusion to his latest contribution, encouraging enthusiasts to test their skills.
