Erika Ettin makes her New York Times Crossword debut.
MONDAY PUZZLE — It’s always satisfying to watch someone learn to make puzzles and hone their skills to the point where a crossword they’ve created is published.
But there is a substantial learning curve. To paraphrase Boromir from “Lord of the Rings,” constructors do not simply walk into Crossword Mordor and see your byline. There is an art to making a puzzle that fills successfully and uses exciting, legitimate entries. It needs a tight theme if it is a themed puzzle. The clues must be concise, snappy and appropriate for the day of the week on which the crossword is intended to run. Oh, and it’s important to know your market. If you argue with the editors about content that they deem unacceptable for their outlet, you have told them something about yourself: Not only are you not familiar with their product, but you may be difficult to work with. That will not end in your favor.
Many aspiring constructors stop at trying to fill the puzzle, surprised by how hard it is to get good, allover fill. They are also often surprised by how much harder it is to make a puzzle than it is to solve one. And they’re right. Those are two completely different skill sets.
There are also aspiring constructors who believe they can make a puzzle without any help. That may be true for some, but I believe that the majority of people who submit puzzles would truly benefit from learning the ropes from an experienced constructor. There is no reasonable downside to it, and it gives you an advantage: You’re learning quickly and from someone who knows what makes a good puzzle, as opposed to guessing and being rejected.
Being mentored is not a guarantee that you’ll be published, but it sure does shorten that learning curve by quite a bit. Hie thee to the Facebook Crossword Puzzle Collaboration Directory (targeted specifically for constructors from traditionally underrepresented groups), the Cruciverb group, or the Crosscord Discord server (contact Ricky Cruz for an invitation).
OK, enough lecturing. Let’s enjoy Erika Ettin’s debut puzzle.
Tricky Clues
10A. Those “lines at the cash register, for short?” are not the ones you wait on. They are the black lines on your receipt or on the product label, which make up the Universal Product Code, or UPC. The shortened, plural version (you noticed the plural “lines,” right?) is UPCS.
10D. For those solvers who do not live in New York City, the Bronx — one of the five boroughs that make up the city — is north of Manhattan, and the street numbers increase as you move north, which is called going UPTOWN.
Today’s Theme
Ms. Ettin offers us four seemingly disparate theme entries and a revealer, which definitely helps clear things up. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t see the commonalities at first. As Ms. Ettin advises, just ROLL WITH IT.
It’s good advice. If you put the word ROLL at the end of the last word in each theme entry, you wind up with a new phrase. For example, at 17A, the answer to the clue “Sleuth for hire” is PRIVATE EYE. If you add ROLL to the end of EYE, you get an EYE ROLL, which I am sure my fellow parents appreciate.
Similarly — and this one was my favorite, because I love both the song and sushi — the 1977 No. 1 Eagles hit at 36A is HOTEL CALIFORNIA. Add ROLL to that and you get a CALIFORNIA ROLL.
Have that CALIFORNIA ROLL with some pink champagne on ice, and enjoy the rest of Ms. Ettin’s puzzle.
Constructor Notes
I am beyond excited to be making my New York Times Crossword debut — and on my 40th birthday, no less!
To introduce myself, my name is Erika Ettin, and I am a longtime fan of all things wordplay: crosswords, puns, dad jokes, you name it. For the past few years, I have been participating in pun competitions around the country (yes, these exist!), and at the beginning of the pandemic, I decided to try my hand — or, more accurately, my brain — at constructing a crossword puzzle. With the amazing mentorship of a fellow Cornellian, Robyn Weintraub, I was able to put together this fun Monday puzzle. I can’t thank her enough for the guidance.
My favorite clues are the pair at 43-across and 46-down. I probably got too much joy out of writing those. And, though I didn’t say it in the reveal of the theme, 23-across makes both FORWARD ROLL and PAYROLL for a bit of an added bonus.
When not manipulating words for pleasure, for the past 10 years (after a seven-year career in finance), I have been running a consulting business helping people with online dating. And on rare occasions, my two passions — words and love (and spreadsheets, if I’m being honest) — combine.
If you have any questions or comments for me, you can find me at @ALittleNudge on Instagram. Thanks for making my word dreams come true!
Want to Submit Crosswords to The New York Times?
The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit your puzzles online.
For tips on how to get started, read our series, “How to Make a Crossword Puzzle.”
The Tipping Point
Almost finished solving but need a bit more help? We’ve got you covered.
Warning: There be spoilers ahead, but subscribers can take a peek at the answer key.
Trying to get back to the puzzle page? Right here.
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