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Constructor: Will Nediger and Nancy Stark

Relative difficulty: Medium



THEME:BLACKHAT(66A: Western villain ... or a hint to four answers in this puzzle)— the center black square contains the word HAT, which completes the four answers that intersect with it.

Theme answers:

• CHEW ON THAT (37A: "Here's something for you to think about, you ingrate!)
• HATE MONGER (39A: One who spreads discord)
• YOU DID WHAT (8D: Incredulous question)
• HATCHET JOB (43D: Takedown piece)

Word of the Day: DESOTO (50A: Onetime division of the Chrysler Corporation)—

DeSoto (sometimes De Soto) is an American automobile marque that was manufactured and marketed by the DeSoto Division of the Chrysler Corporation from 1928 to the 1961 model year. The DeSoto marque was officially dropped November 30, 1960, with over two million vehicles built since 1928. 

Happy pi day! My name is Brian Herrick, and I'm your guest blogger for the day. You may know me from my 105th place, Local Track finish at Lollapuzzoola 2018, my crossword-focused Twitter account, or from my puzzles, which are starting to pop up in publications. It's a pleasure to be Rex for a day.

This was a fun one! It's fitting that my first review is of a puzzle co-written by Will Nediger, because the first constructing resource I ever consulted was a video of a panel he did with a few other constructors at the Ann Arbor Public Library. It's not embeddedable (not a word), but you can check it out here.

Back to the puzzle!

This is exactly what I imagine when I think of a Thursday NYT puzzle. The solve is going well, something doesn't add up, then I scout the puzzle for clues as to what is amiss.

I started with the downs in the NW, and then the first theme answer made no sense. YOUDID_is not a pattern my brain recognized. So I headed over the NE, worked my way down, and was again halted by what turned out to be a second theme answer. I stared at my LAPTOP (27A: Portable workstation), took a moment to EXHALE (16A: Advice for relaxing), and headed west, where I immediately ran into a familiar name that I 0% knew how to spell: ACHEBE (32A: Chinua who wrote "Things Fall Apart"). I've read the book, but that first name was not gonna happen. I kept solving, and once I worked my way down to the revealer, it all clicked, and I was able to finish up the rest. All in all, a typical Thursday (in a good way!)

Solid theme set here--especially HATCHET JOB and CHEW ON THAT. (I solved the puzzle! Chew on that, Shortz!) I also liked that there were no shared words in the theme set. Tip of the hat to you both.


Two minor quibbles: it is easy to get stranded in this grid. The corners are pretty segmented, and if you aren't able to JAR LOOSE (59A: Manage to detach by hitting) some answers, you're pretty stuck. The cluing was straightforward enough for me to work my way out, but your mileage may vary. I also could have done with some more western-y stuff, either in the fill or through the cluing, but that's a personal preference. More omelets, Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings, mesas, and cowboys, please.



Kudos on your debut, Nancy, and solid work as always, Will. Looking forward seeing more Stark bylines in the future.

Bullets:

• YEW (41A: Shade provider in Thomas Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard)  — A three-letter shady tree that is not an elm. Well I never. 
• OLD LATIN (64A: Language of the pre-Roman Empire) — 5 years of Latin and I've never heard of OLD LATIN. I can tell you a lot about Catullus poems, though. 
• HOBO BAG (24A: Kind of purse that sags) — This is a thing I have only heard of through suggested fill while constructing, but the internet tells me it is very real. 
• TOADY (38D: Overdo the flattery) — Hopefully not what I'm doing in my appreciation for this puzzle.

Signed, Brian Herrick, 104th Runner Up, Local Track, Lollapuzzoola 2018

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