New York Times, Saturday, September 11, 2021

My sincere thanks to crossword constructors Jenna LaFleur and Lisa Bunker for guiding me on how to approach the entry DEADNAME. Though it's a sensitive answer, I believe it's noteworthy and deserves a place in the Times crossword; Jenna and Lisa agreed. But if I were making this puzzle today, I'd probably pass on it out of deference to trans constructors whose voices would give the entry more value than I could, since I am a cis person without personal experiences of being misgendered or deadnamed. Jenna and Lisa directed me to a clue that hopefully frames the entry in a positive light for trans solvers and makes them feel seen, while reminding all solvers to respect the names and pronouns of others.

Unfortunately, I don't know of many trans constructors actively working today, and although mainstream crosswords have trended toward more diverse representation in some domains, references to trans people, communities, and ideas are yet to be seen in mainstream puzzles with enough regularity to suggest that trans representation is a conscious priority. (If, as national data indicates, at least 0.6% of the U.S. population identifies as transgender, then at least 0.6% of crossword clues with cultural anchoring, or 1 in 167 clues, should feature trans people/concepts. A week's worth of Times puzzles includes, on average, 583 clues.)

Trans constructors like Jenna and Lisa are certainly leading the way in independent venues such as The Indie 500, Crucinova, and Queer Qrosswords; I hope their work inspires other trans, nonbinary, and queer folks to give constructing a try. And for what it's worth, my DMs are open on Twitter @sid_sivakumar as a crossword friend and ally.

I love this pattern, such visual — and solving — flow. One might describe it as having a center and four corners, but there's so much interconnection that everything blends so smoothly.

And that center! NAH IM GOOD is a catchy casual phrase to anchor everything. The knock on this grid pattern is typically that it's so hard to fill — 62 words is no joke — that you have to compromise either color or cleanliness. NAH IM GOOD kicks things off perfectly.

TAX DODGES is a colorful entry, too.

Amazingly clean grid, Sid adhering to his strict principle of giving the solver a smooth experience.

However, there wasn't as much snazziness as I want out of a themeless. Maybe it was the A/AN phrases, HAD AN IN, RUN A RACE, GRAB A SEAT, feeling repetitive? SNACKER / SHADERS / OPENERS, too. there were also a lot of entries containing mostly "Wheel of Fortune" free letters: STEINS, ENTRÉE, PESTERS, COEDIT, CRETAN.

Part of the issue is that the upper right and lower left corners feature few long (8+ letters) slots. Not that you can't do anything with mid-lengthers — RAT PACK, GAUTAMA, ALIMONY are all interesting — but there's so much potential in a longer slot. HOG HEAVEN is such a vivid phrase, for example.

I enjoyed picking up DEAD NAME. Hadn't heard of it, but it's two words that when put together, perfectly describe what may be corrected on a trans person's birth certificate.

Yikes, that STABBED clue. I love repurposing phrases in clever ways, but "stuck a fork in it" gives some startling visuals.

Solid example of this genre. I've experienced several of them over the years, and this one is as clean as any.