NYT Crossword Answers: Skaggs of Bluegrass Fame
Written by on January 27, 2023
5D. I will fully admit that I did not know the meaning of the word MOILS (“Does drudgery, old-style”), and wanted tOILS here instead. Fortunately, the crossing with 1A (SCRAM) forced the M — SCRAt seemed even more unlikely than MOILS.
6D. After thinking of all the ways one might go for a lap — swimming, running, drinking — I laughed when I realized the answer to the clue “Go for a lap?” was SIT. When you sit, you create a lap along the tops of your thighs.
33D. One “Genesee Brewery offering” is a CREAM ALE — as an upstate New Yorker, I enjoyed seeing this local favorite in the puzzle (and if you’re into beer, I highly recommend this one).
39D. My favorite clue of the puzzle is “That’s what you think!” for OPINION, which is, quite literally, “what you think.” I love clues that use “it” or “that” to refer to the entry itself — but that’s just what I think!
44D. The “Industry with lots to offer” is REALTY, an industry that sells land by the lot.
55D. The clue “Sports sticker?” refers to the ÉPÉE, a sword with which a sport fencer might stick an opponent.
Constructor Notes
When my daughter, now almost 3, was an infant, I’d pace around our house rocking her to sleep, singing whatever popped into my mind. While singing “You Learn,” I realized ALANIS MORISSETTE and JAGGED LITTLE PILL were both 16 letters long and stacked pretty well. Onto the idea list that one went, where it sat for a while.
Eventually I decided to look for a similar duo to build a full puzzle around — IMDb has data files available that I was able to mine for this. I’m sure the cool kids would have used Python, but I must admit to using a combination of Excel and SQL. Other candidates that popped up, for those interested:
Quentin Tarantino / From Dusk Till Dawn
Jennifer Connelly / Requiem for a Dream
Stephanie Beatriz / Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Yvonne Strahovski / The Handmaid’s Tale
Michael Stuhlbarg / Call Me by Your Name
Reginald Gardiner / The Great Dictator
Maureen O’Sullivan / Tarzan and His Mate
Erich von Stroheim / La Grande Illusion
Want to Submit Crosswords to The New York Times?
The New York Times Crossword has an open submission system, and you can submit your puzzles online.
For tips on how to get started, read our series, “How to Make a Crossword Puzzle.”
The Tipping Point
Almost finished solving but need a bit more help? We’ve got you covered.
Spoiler alert: Subscribers can take a peek at the answer key.
Trying to get back to the main Gameplay page? You can find it here.
