New York Times, Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Maybe this "protest puzz" is a little late to the game. I take the T to work here in Boston, and these days it seems the boorish commuter MAN SPREADS less than he KEEPS HIS BACKPACK ON in a crowded car. (Though it bears noting that there's a pretty healthy "would you like to sit down?" culture on the Red Line. Go, team!)

Also, the bizarre triple stack juxtaposition of AMY POEHLER / MAN SPREADS/ SLEEP APNEA felt like an acceptable trade-off for some 3-letter glue in the center.

Will's got a tough job, adhering to the NYT's tone and brand. Other editors get to debut all sorts of interesting terms at their leisure, but Will is careful to maintain standards that he feels is appropriate for the NYT. Several years ago, he rejected one of my themelesses because DROPPED THE F-BOMB was too crass. And a while back, he said he wouldn't allow MANSPREAD, for similar reasons.

The Times, it is a changin'!

(F-BOMB debuted in 2015, MANSPREADS today — don't forget the cheeky SHTUP!)

It's a slow process of adoption, but I think that's a good thing. MANSPREADS felt a whole lot edgier back when the term first arose. Now, it's more mainstream, more acceptable for NYT usage.

Today's MANSPREADS visual was a bit too graphic for my taste, given the image in the bottom center of the puzzle.

What, you don't see it?

Um.

I don't either.

Ahem.

Let's change the subject and talk about puzzle tech. I like Ross's use of mirror symmetry, which feels appropriate for the theme. Check out the placement of the MANSPREADS revealer, down the centerline of the grid. That's rarely done because it forces a 10x3 chunk — you can't deploy black squares around it in columns 7 or 9 like you usually would using regular symmetry. And 10x3 chunks in a themed puzzle usually = no bueno!

It's a good thing Ross is a solid constructor. Some AMS ISS OPP LOA needed, but that's not that bad. A reasonable price to pay for the long bonuses.

The grid did feel pretty tough though; not welcoming for newer solvers. Entries like ELBERT, BYNES, TYNAN, MAXWELL ANDERSON give the puzzle an "I have to know trivia to do crosswords?" feel. That isn't the case since the crossings were all fair, but still, it can leave newbs with a sour aftertaste.

Also, given the simple theme, the complexity of the fill felt dissonant.

Overall, I liked the acknowledgment of the super-annoying phenomenon — dudes, keep them legs together! — but I felt like the bit wasn't enough to sustain an entire puzzle.

(And now I can't look away from that bottom center visual. My eyes, they're burning!)