I read recently that the editor of the NYT crosswords changes, on average, half the clues provided by crossword creators, before they’re allowed to be published. From what I’ve seen, that has not improved them. The editors tend to be old, white, top caste males who arbitrarily disallow words and phrases that they don’t know personally, even if they’ve made their way into the popular vernacular. Having to change one long “theme” answer can be almost as difficult as creating a new puzzle from scratch, so it’s pretty discouraging, especially if you’re a seasoned creator. On top of that, the puzzle “old guard” tend to change clues, particularly for longer “theme” answers, to better suit their own demographic. There has been some pressure to open up the ranks of both creators and editors to younger, more gender-balanced and diverse puzzlers, but it’s slow going.
As I mentioned in a post two years ago, I like coming up with alternative clues to some puzzles after I’ve solved them, alternatives that are a bit trickier (and hopefully cleverer) than the “straight” ones, while still being fair. This is especially fun, and challenging, for shorter words. I’m including a few examples below, but first, here are some of what I thought were some of the cleverest clues I’ve come across since that earlier post.
CLEVER CLUES (often with a “?” at the end of the clue to prompt the solver that there’s wordplay involved):
- “Something” can be heard on it: ABBEYROAD
- Mine field?: PERSONALSPACE
- “Becoming” someone: MICHELLEOBAMA
- Workers making preparations to retire: PITCREW
- Possible effect of doping: ROIDRAGE
- Invasive plant: SPY
- Big drop of water: FALLS
- What the answers to should be clear: EYETEST
- Health care coverage providers: SCRUBS
- It’s no six-pack, ironically: BEERBELLY
- One who arrives around Hallowe’en: SCORPIO
- Support staff: CANE
- Store that should have a spokesperson?: BIKESHOP
- Opening of an account: ASIRECALL
- Mass movement: AGNUSDEI
- Who says “I found this on the Web”: SIRI
- They often fall apart when the stakes are raised: TENTS
- Local leader: UNIONREP
- One who gives a lot of orders: DAYTRADER
- Heavy metal shortage: ANEMIA
- First set of choices: MAINMENU
- One who won’t give kids a shot?: ANTIVAXXER
- Noah’s predecessor: STEWART
- Character raised in Rosemary’s Baby: APOSTROPHE
- One who makes a living pushing drugs: PHARMAREP
- Type least likely to show up in a hospital: ABNEGATIVE
- Mobile home: PHONECASE
- Reason for going out a lot?: NARCOLEPSY
- Locks that might not be secure?: TOUPEES
- Important thing to know, if you will: ESTATELAW (love that one)
- Not right, sarcastically: YOUROTHERLEFT
- Drill setting: BOOTCAMP
- Situation with no up side: TIE
- Classified key to success: SECRETSAUCE
- Company with striking footwear?: TAPDANCERS
- Investments associated with CDs: STEREOS
- Dimensions without planes?: NOFLYZONES
- Part of a club: MAYO
- Flight destination: UPSTAIRS
- What some caddies carry: LOOSETEA
- Get through lines quickly: SPEEDREAD
- Party animal?: PINATA
- They come out of many mouths: WISDOMTEETH
- It can be found beneath the lower crust: PIETIN
- It’s around a cup: BRIM
- Dover soul?: BRIT
- Tip used for icing: SILENCER
- Vacancy clause?: NOBODYSHOME
- Soup line?: MMMMGOOD
- Pole star? SANTA
- Make a little lower?: CALVE
- Rock singer?: LORELEI
- Flat bottom: SOLE
- Stocking-up time?: YULETIDE
- Where following a star might lead you: FOOTNOTE
- Round-trip flight?: SPIRALSTAIRCASE
INTERESTING CLUES (things I didn’t know, but was intrigued to learn):
- 60s-70s band named for an Aldous Huxley novel: THEDOORS
- Notable feature of David Foster Wallace books: ENDNOTES
- Headgear for Eminem: DORAG (or DURAG)
- Rice used in rice pudding: ARBORIO
- Official cocktail of New Orleans: SAZERAC
- Breakout entertainment: ESCAPEROOM
- In Australia her name is Karen: SIRI
- Fictional land named in real-life law cases: RURITANIA
- Large monitors: KOMODODRAGONS
- Recess for a joint: MORTISE
- Dirt, to some: SCHMUTZ
- Mission, often: HOMELESSSHELTER
- World’s tallest building: BULJKHALIFA
- Cousin of tartar sauce: REMOULADE
- “i” dot: TITTLE
- Jewelled headwear: DIADEMS
- Smallest infinite cardinal number: ALEPHNULL
So here are the original clues for 14 crossword answers, the original answer provided, and, in italics, my own preferred and hopefully-cleverer or more interesting clue:
- Bronze producer: SPRAYONTAN — Trump’s false veneer?
- A mandible is part of it: SKULL — Head home?
- Wagner’s oeuvre: OPERA — Horse or comic follower
- System of unspoken words, abbr.: ASL — Silent conveyance vehicle, abbr.
- “Automatic for the people” band: REM — It sometimes comes right before “sleep”
- Gruelling grilling: ORALEXAM — Doctor looking down in the mouth?
- Mountain home: AERIE — Gang hangout?
- Pipe sellers: HEADSHOPS — Psychiatrists’ offices?
- Country: RUSTIC — Real estate’s euphemism for homely
- Embarrassed: SHEEPISH — Ovine?
- Organization that Helen Keller helped found: ACLU — US defender of last resort, too often
- Eats before a meal?: APPETIZER — Entrée, outside America
- Largest sesamoid bone in the body: KNEECAP — Hit below the belt?
- Quiet: SILENCE — What we’ll often remember about our friends, sadly, per MLK
