Observe: No WSJ puzzle as a result of vacation. Completely happy Thanksgiving, y’all!
Pao Roy’s New York Occasions crossword–Zachary David Levy’s write-up
Problem: Straightforward (8m3s)
Pao Roy’s New York Occasions Crossword 11/23/23 1123
At the moment’s theme: DOT THE IS (Take note of particulars… and a touch to filling in seven of this puzzle’s squares)
- (DOT) (DOT) (DOT)
- PALE BLUE DOT
- POLKA DOT DRESSES
- CONNECTS THE DOTS
- DOT COM CRASH
The rebus phrase DOT runs horizontally, whereas the literal DOT sits atop the I on the vertical entry. As soon as once more, I picked up the rebus instantly, as PALE BLUE DOT just isn’t solely (arguably?) essentially the most iconic {photograph} in human historical past, however Carl Sagan’s 1994 e book of the identical title was an actual eye opener for me. His oft-quoted caption of the picture bears repeating as soon as extra:
Look once more at that dot. That’s right here. That’s dwelling. That’s us. On it everybody you’re keen on, everybody you already know, everybody you ever heard of, each human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The combination of our pleasure and struggling, hundreds of assured religions, ideologies, and financial doctrines, each hunter and forager, each hero and coward, each creator and destroyer of civilization, each king and peasant, each younger couple in love, each mom and father, hopeful little one, inventor and explorer, each trainer of morals, each corrupt politician, each “famous person,” each “supreme chief,” each saint and sinner within the historical past of our species lived there–on a mote of mud suspended in a sunbeam.
Clearly, the puzzle gained me over each due to how shortly I breezed via it, and since it gave me one other alternative to recollect one of many nice ambassadors of science.
Cracking: WEIRD AL — I haven’t seen the tongue-in-cheek biopic but, however seeing Daniel Radcliffe in that mustache is sort of definitely worth the value of admission.
Slacking: UTA— the abbreviation saves you one entire letter, which makes it look extra like a typo than anything. Honorable point out to HORNY, which doesn’t go the breakfast desk check. Extra honorable point out to SYMBOLS, as a result of the correct title for a pseudo-minced oath like that (&#$!@) is a GRAWLIX (which is an infinitely extra satisfying phrase.)
Sidetracking: PAEAN — in recognition of the truth that we’re on the precipice of essentially the most great day of the 12 months, get pleasure from this 90s-era tribute to Thanksgiving courtesy of Garfield and Buddies.
