Where Edelweiss Grows
David Harris makes his New York Times Crossword debut in a collaboration with Evan Kalish.
Edelweiss flowers grow on rocky terrain in the Tyrolean Alps near Hinterbichl, Austria. It is a rare plant that has a deep tradition in local folk and national alpine cultures.Credit.Sean Gallup, via Getty Images
WEDNESDAY PUZZLE A game within a game! How meta. I love it.
David Harris has been a member of the indie crossword and solving community for a long time, and today he makes his New York Times Crossword debut with a collaborator, Evan Kalish.
There is a visual element in this puzzle that took me a little time to figure out, but once I did I thought it was a very nice representation of their theme. And the other part of the theme is good, too. What other part? You’ll have to read on to find out.
Classic Party Game
Ella Dershowitz makes her New York Times Crossword debut, ably abetted by Aimee Lucido. BYOB.
An 1886 sketch of an Irish Halloween celebration, which included the party game of “bobbing for apples.”Credit.Hulton Archive, via Getty Images
Jan. 13, 2021
THURSDAY PUZZLE If, like me, you are the sort of person who likes to hedge your bets, then you probably like to know when more than one answer is allowed in a puzzle.
The whole “more than one answer” thing is anathema to some solvers anyway, because they resolutely believe that each answer, nay, each square, should have one and only one solution. It’s comforting, and I totally understand that feeling.