Very Recent

Constructor: Mel Taub

Relative difficulty: Irrelevant

THEME: Puns as well as Anagrams Puzzle it seems that puns as well as anagrams have been concerned in elucidate this puzzle, yet I'm not the most appropriate the single to ask, as we would never routinely willingly solve the miniature nonplus that went around calling itself "Puns as well as Anagrams." Normally we would pass. "No thank you," I'd say.

Word of the Day: Canceled until genuine crosswords come back

Puzzle Note:

HALF-CENTURY PUZZLEMAKERS' WEEK

All the daily crosswords this week, Monday through Saturday, have been by puzzlemakers who have been contributing to The Times for some-more than 50 years. Mel Taub had his first Times crossword published upon October 24, 1954. His Puns as well as Anagrams puzzles (of that this is an example) have appeared in the Sunday Magazine since 1955.

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Apparently these "Puns & Anagrams" puzzles appear in the NYT all the time, as well as some people quite similar to them. I've never seen the single or solved the single before. Literally, never. we wrote my associate Blogger, Amy Reynaldo, asking her what the ruin we was supposed to do with it. Before she could get behind to me, I'd solved it. My mother stood here as well as solved it with me (that never, Ever happens with genuine crosswords most as we adore my wife, we do not have the patience to solve genuine crosswords at her speed ... yet upon this sort of puzzle, we're pretty equally matched, so elucidate together was fun). My first thought: "So ! ... it's kind of similar to the mysterious crossword, usually suckier." With the night's nap behind me, in the cold light of day, we stand by that primary assessment. If we similar to this pun/anagram stuff, do yourself the massive preference as well as collect up the book of mysterious crosswords. Or only collect up the Harper's Magazine their puzzles (wicked hard as well as multi-layered) regularly have mysterious clues as their base. Does The Nation still publish the cryptic? Emily Cox as well as Henry Rathvon have been substantially the greatest names in American cryptics, so ask for them by name. Anyhoo, mysterious clues have been approach way approach some-more clever, as well as precise, in their wordplay, than have been "puns as well as anagrams" plus, puns as well as anagrams aren't the usually wordplay going upon in cryptics.

Take STEAL (6A).

Today's clue: At slightest it's the genuine bargain
Possible mysterious clue: "Crazy" singer gets souvenir shirt for the bargain

Now in today's clue, we only anagram LEAST to get the definition of "a genuine bargain" => STEAL. There is zero cuing we to anagram LEAST. You only ... do. 'Cause the nonplus pretension tells we that's the single of the options. "Do we pun, or do we anagram? we have to decide, as the clue itself won't be bothered to contend or differently playfully indicate."

In the mysterious clue, we have to figure out what kind of wordplay is concerned From Indications In The Clue Itself. So SEAL (who sang "Crazy" ... as well as is married to model Heidi Klum ... yet we could surrogate something less cocktail culturey similar to the lovable nautical seal or the rugged Navy Seal) ... anyway, SEAL "gets" (as in takes, grasps, swallows, encompasses) the souvenir shirt or "T" with the outcome being the bargain: ! STEAL. S hove T inside SEAL to get STEAL. My mysterious clue is Vastly superior as well as we only done it up as well as as well as we have never clued the mysterious nonplus in my life. The diseased clues aren't the constructor's fault. They're the genre's fault. Puns & anagrams, boo. Here have been all the clues as well as answers today's puzzle. we have zero (more) to contend about them.

Across

• 1 Impudence of the Br. fool (BRASS) Br + donkey ("fool")
• 6 see above
• 11 Author in the stupor (PROUST) anagram of "stupor"
• 12 Job for the Rhine surgeon (HERNIA) anagram of "a Rhine"
• 14 Mien of the bookmaker will revoke friction (ROLLER BEARING) "Crapshooter" = ROLLER, "Mien" = BEARING, ROLLER BEARINGs revoke friction. This is the solid mysterious clue, yet I've never listened of the ROLLER BEARING. BALL BEARING, sure.
• 16 Oath from the renEGADe
• 17 What lies in the Seine (ILES) anagram of "lies"
• 18 _____ party (golfers' bash) (TEE) joke upon "tea" with nice pick-up of golf pitch "BASH"ing the tee
• 19 Kind of dry (SUN) 'cause we can SUN dry something?
• 20 Turned pea in 19-Across (SPUN) 'cause "SPUN" equates to "turned" as well as "pea" is the joke upon "P", that is added to SUN (19A) to get SPUN.
• 21 Group of Irish islands in quARANtine
• 22 Dead set opposite being keyed up (SEDATED) anagram of "dead set"
• 24 Divided A.P. cinema (APART) A.P. + "pictures" or ART
• 25 Tenants of Lords, e.g. (LODGERS) anagram of "Lords, e.g."
• 27 U.N. swat added rapidly (RAN UP) anagram of "U.N. rap"
• 30 Except having Republican thoroughfare from the book (EXCERPT) "R" (for "Republican") inside "Except"
• 34 Retro style (EDOM) "Mode" backwards
• 35 One who attends propagandize hops (SOPH.) anagram of "hops" ... did anyone else want SOCK?
• 36 Swiss toURIst center (it's the genuine place in Switzerland)
• 37 Why isn't the single done? (NOD) that is, "No D"
• 38 Pedro's hand in Oman (MANO) anagram of "Oman"
• 39 _____ vigour (cause the boat landing to collapse) (PIER) joke upon "peer pressure"
• 40 Fall guy's insurance when traveling (TRIP INSURANCE) only ... the large pun
• 43 Where does N.C. rank among U.S. states in Christmas tree production? (SECOND) anagram of "does N.D."; no idea what Christmas tree prolongation is all about. we see an anagram of CONES in there ... do Christmas trees produce CONES? ... yet then there's the left over "D" ... 500 CONES?
• 44 Reined in nymph (NEREID) anagram of "Reined"
• 45 Shabby followers of the bee (SEEDY) joke upon "C, D" ... they follow "B"
• 46 Pairs amassed in 500 days (DYADS) anagram of "days" as well as "D" (Roman symbol for "500")

Tired ... will do Downs later.

[...]

OK, we can't do this. I'll only contend that ANITRA was unknown to me, so 9D: She danced in Tirana was toughish to me. we additionally wanted MIND to be MIQD, notwithstanding the nonsensicality thereof (38D: Intellect in 1500). [See that the alloy gets in] that is my mysterious suggestion for this one. Or have been MIND THAT as well as SEE THAT not homogeneous enough? [Watch the alloy get in]? [The alloy gets in your head, so to speak]?

In summation, I'd similar to to say:

Summary? Cripes!

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CROSSWorld

[Follow Rex Parker upon Twitter]

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