New York Times, Tuesday, February 3, 2015

I noticed that when acronyms and initialisms appear in clues they automatically pin things down. For instance, the clue [Part of GPS] readily identifies "Global Positioning System" and guides the solver to an entry like GLOBAL or SYSTEM or SYST. So, I wondered how a solver might react to a more generalized clue like [Part of ?PS] which could refer to FPS, GPS, IPS, PPS or UPS. This was the basis for today's theme (and the stars in the clues eliminated the need to repeat "part of" in every clue ... perhaps even adding a mystique).

Most acronyms and initialisms contain short words — VAT, for instance, could yield VALUE or ADDED or TAX — and these words wouldn't normally form theme entries by themselves. But I had pioneered a puzzle style in my 12/8/2009 NYT puzzle which uses short-answers-having-something-in-common in all the across entries, so the current theme seemed like a natural fit. What I like about this type of theme representation is that solvers can opt out of the theme entirely by solving only the Down clues, but I like to think that solvers would be delighted by the nature of the theme once they actually did catch on to it.

One last thought: kudos to anyone who solved the entire puzzle with only the Across clues!

I love how often Joe Krozel introduces themes that have never been seen before. I'm not sure I'd ever think of creating a puzzle where every across entry is an entry in a common acronym.

I'm not sure how I'd even start putting the grid together, for that matter. Knowing how hard it is to achieve this sort of "all acrosses share a feature which the downs do not" task, I was wowed by the feat.

Here are some of the (perhaps) lesser known acronyms:

• HOMES: Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, Superior (the Great Lakes)
• VAT: value-added tax
• BPOE: Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
• GI: general issue
• NSF: National Science Foundation
• ERA: earned run average

It's too bad about having a bit of oddness around GRIG and LUANA since the rest of the puzzle is so smooth, but both of these entries is inferable from the crosses. And overall, I found it incredibly impressive that Joe could put this concept together.