Many Indulgences - The New York Times

Sridhar Bhagavathula opens our solving weekend.

FRIDAY PUZZLE — Sridhar Bhagavathula makes his New York Times debut here, and what an entrance! This is a simultaneously impressive and difficult Friday puzzle that made me sweat a bit. Don’t let that dissuade you, though, as your perseverance will be handsomely rewarded. This puzzle is an excellent reminder of why I love themeless puzzles, and I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

Tricky Clues

7A. In this clue, “Trace” refers to the artistic process, not a small amount of something. One might use a STENCIL to trace an image.

33A. AKIRA KUROSAWA makes his full-name debut. Mr. KUROSAWA was a Japanese screenwriter and director. He was known both for his recreations of western and Japanese literary classics, and his unique directorial style. One of my favorite Kurosawa films is “Rashomon,” an adaptation of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s short story of the same name.

46A. Twyla THARP is an award-winning choreographer, director and dancer. Her work has appeared in films, Broadway shows and television series. She is known for her innovative, modern style of ballet, showcased in dances like “Push Comes to Shove.” Parts of the original 1978 version of that ballet can still be viewed online, and I’ve included an admittedly grainy piece of footage for your enjoyment.

54A. Pilot EPISODES are the first in a TV series, and they’re used to pitch a show to a network or streaming service.

58A. “Plant” in this clue refers to a crude oil REFINERY, not a plant that can be pressed for cooking oil.

3D. A FAKE BOOK is a type of sheet music used mostly by working jazz musicians. Low-quality transcriptions of jazz standards were often available in FAKE BOOKs, which musicians could use to learn the basics of how to play a standard. In the 1970s, a group of students at Berklee College of Music set out to create high-quality, accurate sheet music for these songs.

7D. “They may be blowing in the wind” does not refer to the Bob Dylan song, but rather to SPORES from a mold or fungus.

11D. “Bread” in this clue refers to money, not a baked loaf. To turn chips into money in a casino is to CASH IN.

24D. Gore VIDAL was a prolific American writer and actor known for his outspoken opinions and intellectual fiction.

30D. Iago is the antagonist of “Othello,” and while he often appears in grids by his true name, in this clue, Lodovico refers to him as a VIPER.

40D. We’re not looking for TV pilots in this clue, but rather the aeronautical sort. A pilot STEERS a plane to its destination.

Constructor Notes

I wanted to make a grid around AKIRA KUROSAWA because he’s so often seen in puzzles on a first-name basis (understandably), but he deserves more than that. I’m not sure if the entry is a first, but it’s certainly rare. I clued it via a lesser known, but marvelous, film of his; I can only hope that some people will go watch “Stray Dog” after solving this puzzle. I also had a little Shakespearean strain throughout the clues as an homage to Kurosawa, who is in many ways the Bard’s modern equivalent.

I’m pretty stoked to have my Times debut on a Friday, which is my personal favorite solving day. I’ve been making puzzles for several years now, but very sporadically and mostly for my friends. I enjoy constructing crosswords, especially freestyles, because it’s an interesting exercise to take an algorithmic framework — in this case, strings of letters in a grid — and imbue it with some of the more inscrutable aspects of culture — slang and humor, for instance. The dichotomy pleases me.

When I’m off the grid, as it were, I’m a classical flutist. I also have a podcast, “Impolite to Listen,” where I chat casually with my friend about classical music and its attendant matters. I find that the motions of the mind are similar between constructing crosswords and making music. Is there some truth there? I don’t know — I am not my mind’s accountant.

The Tipping Point

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