New York Times, Tuesday, May 9, 2023

I first submitted a very different version of this puzzle in August 2020. Three months later, the editors expressed interest in the concept but suggested a different theme set, removing my original revealer. I couldn't find a rewrite I was proud of and shelved the idea for another day.

Fast forward to May 2022, I thought of 4-Down and realized mirror symmetry could accommodate a funky intersection with some cool grid art to boot. Thanks to Matthew Stock for test solving on short notice and suggesting the emoji cluing angle — my favorite part of this puzzle. That Saturday, I responded to the 2020 rejection email and received an acceptance by Thursday afternoon. A year later, I'm excited to share it with the world and hope others enjoy!

I love crosswords that do something different. I love mirror symmetry — especially when the grid is smiling at me. Smiling's my favorite!

I'm well aware of two fingers representing BUNNY EARS, as my kids think it's hilarious. It Bugs me. And while I remember the PEACE SIGN and V FOR VICTORY, combining all of these with TWO, PLEASE to make a crossword theme, is such a creative connection. Using emoji for the two fingers gives it all a modern touch.

Such a clever idea to try for themer interlock up top. It's often impossible to make happen, and even when the great goddess Cruciverba shines her love down upon you, sometimes it forces difficult trade-offs. Today, it's not only impressive, but it's incredibly useful for both the construction and the solving experience.

Let's look at the alternative. Given that the themer lengths scream for mirror symmetry, if there were no possible interlock among the triplet of 9s, you'd have to lay out those three all vertically. Then, technical reasons demand that you build a triple-stack around the middle 9, like in this puzzle from last year.

While this can make for some juicy surrounding long fill, it's so hard to create a triple-stack of 9s with both cleanliness and color. Today's arrangement is so much more conducive to engineering an early-week, newb-friendly experience. That black square under the second E of PEACE sign makes it so much easier to pick short fill that's uber-accessible to newer solvers. There's nothing at all wrong with EDIFY, but EBOOK is so much less a pain in the annus to remember.

Doing something fresh and different, like with the peace sign emoji, is fantastic. What gets Maggie my POW! though, is her superb execution.