MONDAY PUZZLE — Today’s crossword, constructed by Michèle Govier, is practically Keatsian in theme. It’s a rare talent that can render the poetry of nature so effectively in a black-and-white crossword grid, and Ms. Govier, in her third puzzle for The New York Times, has achieved it. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to her fourth! Looking forthward, I guess.
Today’s Theme
Our revealer at 57-Across hints at a term for [Punches the air], which is SHADOWBOXES. This entry doubles as a description of how the entries at 13-, 29- and 37-Across cast “shadow boxes” — i.e., shaded squares — into the entries below them, following the angle of the SUN at 1A. For instance, the “shadow” of the [Cafe overhang] known as an AWNING, at 13A, appears as a shaded portion of the entry at 18A for [Giving excessive praise and flattery]: FAWNING OVER.
The [Branch plant?] at 29A is a TREE, whose shadow appears in the entry at 35A for [Urban casual fashion], STREETWEAR. And [Sombrero or fedora] at 37A describes a HAT, the shadow of which can be found just below, at 41, in a phrase that means [“You are correct”] — THAT’S RIGHT.
This theme would be elegant regardless of Ms. Govier’s choice of shadow-casting terms — seeing the echoes of one word in another is always impressive — so it’s even more impressive that she opted for objects that cast shadows in real life: an awning, a tree and the brim of a hat.
Tricky Clues
30A. “In footnotes” is a way of indicating an abbreviation, akin to “for short” and “in brief.” Since we know that the full name of [“The Raven” writer, in footnotes] was Edgar Allan Poe, we can surmise the shortened version to be E. A. POE.
39A. I didn’t know TA’S were [U.K. thank-yous]. I thought they were simply shorter ways of saying goodbye, as in “Ta-ta!”
48A. Clues that end in question marks are rarely what they seem to be. [Made some waves?] isn’t about stirring up trouble, for instance. It indicates a stylist who PERMED hair.
66A. In general, a clue’s number must agree with that of its entry. In this case, though, the single [Law school class] has a plural title: TORTS.
3D. Does anyone else have trouble spelling the name of this [Tricolored ice cream flavor]? I’m always tempted to begin spelling NEAPOLITAN with “neo,” the prefix meaning “new.” But the word is the adjective form of Neapolis, the Greek name for what’s now known called Naples.
42D. I will not be sharing this fact [Without enthusiasm]: TEPIDLY hasn’t appeared in a Times Crossword since 1999!
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