WEDNESDAY PUZZLE — In today’s grid, 4-Down asks you to name the [Movie with the record for the longest time between its release and the release of its sequel (63 years)]. I won’t spoil it yet, but it did get me thinking about some other long-awaited sequels, entries that would not fit into the allotted five-letter space. (There’s no rebus in this puzzle.)
It feels as if we are in a sequel renaissance. “Beetlejuice,” one of my favorite childhood movies (it also scared me silly) had a sequel hit the screen 36 years after its 1988 release. “Hocus Pocus 2” arrived 29 years after the original, and earlier this month we got “Practical Magic 2,” nearly 28 years later. (“28 Years Later,” by comparison, arrived a slim 18 years after its predecessor.) There are more to come; next year, I presume most of the planet’s Gen X-ers and millennials will gather for “Spaceballs: The New One,” 40 years after the original. And in 2028 (!), those of us who have been wondering about the fate of Greta the female gremlin’s marriage may finally get our answer in “Gremlins 3.” (More likely: Havoc will ensue.)
Joel Woodford, the constructor of today’s challenging yet delightful puzzle, disclosed that his most anticipated sequel was “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in 2015, which was technically a sequel to “Return of the Jedi,” 32 years in the making. Given that this is Mr. Woodford’s fourth puzzle in two years, I’m glad he’s not making us wait for more.
Today’s Theme
I love a theme that is, at its core, fun and silly, and works best when you say the clues aloud. Try it for yourself: 17-Across, [Market!], when whispered, averred or perhaps shouted (I don’t know where you are right now), sounds a lot like “Mark it!” What is something you might mark, if you’re a teacher? An EXAM PAPER.
Let’s do another. Open your window and cry [Packet!] (47A). Your neighbors won’t mind, I promise, because you’re actually talking about a SUITCASE, something you pack.
The remaining themers — 24A [Ticket!], 34A [Planet!] and 55A [Locket!] — follow the same structure. What might you tick, plan or lock? There is no revealer in this puzzle; instead, the overall lesson is that when you run into roadblocks, you may sometimes need to notice how a clue not only looks, but also sounds.
Tricky Clues
28A. So simple, so elegant, so funny. The entry for [It was you] is THOU — as in, this word was, in the past, the way one would say “you.”
4D. This is trivia I’ll be breaking out soon. The [Movie with the record for the longest time between its release and the release of its sequel (63 years)] is BAMBI.
5D. I’ve been trained to parse tricky crossword clues in ways that stretch the brain, but sometimes I go too far. I initially thought [Writing partner] was referring to a word that is typically found in a phrase with “writing,” like “reading.” The answer is much more straightforward. When you write with a partner, that person is your CO-AUTHOR.
34D/41D. Two Star Trek clues in one puzzle make me wonder if Mr. Woodford is slyly celebrating the series’s 60th anniversary. There’s no better time to settle in with the [“Star Trek” helmsman] SULU, at 34D, and the [“Star Trek” engineer] SCOTTY, at 41D.
46D. [It often features panels with speakers] is an excellent clue highlighting the fact that “panels” and “speakers” can have multiple meanings and contexts. In this case, “it” refers to a STEREO.
52D. I cannot believe how long it took me to figure out the [Word found at the start of “Poe, to name one”]. POET! Face palm. Nice one, Mr. Woodford.
Constructor Notes
Thanks for solving! I would have liked to use [Hatchet!] for EVIL PLAN, but unfortunately it would have duplicated the “plan” in [Planet!]. I didn’t opt for something like CHICKEN EGG because I think all of the theme clues being things that a human could do makes it a tighter set.
Improve Your Crossword Solving
Work your way through our guide “How to Solve the New York Times Crossword.” It contains an explanation of most of the types of clues you will see in the puzzles and a practice Mini at the end of each section.
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