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Puzzles for June, 2019
with Jim Horne comments

Sat 6/1/2019
BONDSESIGN
UNARMSAXELROD
RETOOKSCREENER
BLANKETHOGWERE
SLEEPAPNEAFAA
THISSECOND
PATRIOTGORGE
SADFACESWIMMER
OSCARRYESEED
STOLENCARS
PRUDALMATIANS
AINTMASHEDPEAS
DECISIVENEPALI
SIMONESDALTON
LEGGSLYONS
POW Sun 6/2/2019 STONERS' FILM FESTIVAL
ALOFTATTNTVPGWAFTS
SOFIATAROHEROELLIE
PUFFPIECESAXEDBOONE
CITELATERONPOTSHOTS
ASHELMGAWKFRIAR
VERDEUTESALITMIA
HIGHDRAMASMOKEBOMB
ELROYGERMIHAVEEDIE
ELISLANDOMATESTENT
LEDSEISDUPLESCOLDS
JOINTRESOLUTION
CASABAEASESRUNTTCU
LLAMAKNITEMITSROOK
ALIAKENNYDOSEGUIDE
ROLLINGINTHEAISLES
ATMDISSAFROFLEES
ALISTPEAROLDTWA
BAKEDHAMCHICANACRIT
AVIANNOAHDIRECTHITS
MONDODOPEETTANIECE
ANGSTSTEMDYEDTASHA
Mon 6/3/2019
LPSALTOREFER
IRKBARNSOMALI
MAINSTAYEGOISM
IDEEKIXMETRES
TARHEELFIRES
RLSLOPSHED
ARGUEBERRAAVE
ROOGOODDOGKEN
IDOYURTSLEERY
DESKTAOCOM
ENACTHOWCOME
MEDINAPOLERAS
CLOVISHOUSESIT
ALWESTDEMIONE
TENSESYNCNEE
Tue 6/4/2019
LETSAMAJSKUNK
AURATALEANNOY
IRONETATLIBEL
CONSUMERPROFILE
APPMOANER
NAMOOFWTSTED
AVIANAGESOHIO
CONTENTPROVIDER
HIDEEASECLAIM
ORBDHLDAHYOS
EMERILMIC
CONCLUSIVEPROOF
OLDIETMANAMSO
AGENTIBIDMALE
LARGECONSPROS
Wed 6/5/2019
ACTSQVCBREAD
TAREUAEORACLE
OVERFILLNODOFF
NEVERLETMEGO
CRONUTSCHANTED
ENRAGEAGINAPR
DADAARTLIEU
LAPELBRAPELEG
ACIDSLOWJAM
NRAITANDROITS
DEFACEROPENSEA
SEVENWONDERS
LADYDIYEWTREES
AMELIEUTEOISE
WOMANKORPTAS

Until Jeff highlighted the theme answers, I didn't realize they were distributed symmetrically in the grid. Nice touch.

In 1989, Kazuo Ishiguro won the Booker Prize for his novel The Remains of the Day. Oh, right, he later won this other thing — the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Like many people, I read that book and then wondered what else this wonderfully restrained and understated British novelist had written, so I turned to Never Let Me Go. The clue at 19 Across calls it "dystopian" and it's certainly that. It's also about as far from Remains stylistically and thematically as you can get.

Both books are well worth reading and both were adapted for film. Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson were among eight Oscar nominees for Remains. Never Let Me Go was a much less successful film. Stick to the book on that one.

Thu 6/6/2019
CRASSMOCHAJAN
HOGANELLISUSE
OMAHASTEAKSNOR
REPAPERPEELOFF
DOERNOSTOP
ARTSHOPARAB
SAUNAEVERMORE
TNTGOLDOREBIT
ENAMELEDLEEDS
MAHIDEEJAYS
STPROWSPEC
DOTTIERRECEIVE
DNASWORDDANCER
ACTMEDIASCANT
YEEORSONTESTS
POW Fri 6/7/2019
NORAFATHADATA
AREYOUGOODIDOL
DOMEASOLIDNULL
IMATENTSTELLY
REIDDIETHAT
SONOFECUMENISM
NAPSPARDNER
JUSTSOLEDGES
ENTITLEELSA
BOOKCLUBSASPEN
RNAROSSHODA
MAYORONEILTIP
ISAWOPENDEBATE
SIRIVOICEACTOR
TACTAPNEACORY
Sat 6/8/2019
ASCIIADENMUFF
THANKNERFINRI
WORKINGVACATION
ODEDOLESOZONE
ODEDCELGLINTS
DYNAMOOARRET
MANSPLAINED
COSTUMESHOP
DANCELESSON
FIBSUNSPORES
EELPOTTOESEXT
STEERSHREKIPO
SACAGAWEADOLLAR
URALHALTNOLTE
PYREABLEABYSS
Sun 6/9/2019 DON'T QUOTE ME
MACHISMOOSMOSISGEDS
ABLATIONTORNADORAIN
FLYMYPRETTIESFLYERMA
IUDSTAYONPEESCLIP
AREASERRPECSHOOTS
BEAMMEUPSCOTTYFRA
SAMOANNIHIDIGIT
EVETESSLEAPSGEER
MOTTWICKEDWITCHDEBS
ICAHNERATSNOUTSYAW
NARCOSIROPATASTE
ADZBITMAPEASTLITHE
LOADCAPTAINKIRKLOTT
NOVASELMATOURKOI
SPYCAMMICREDEYE
TAOSERGEANTFRIDAY
ETUDEEARSIONDEISM
DEJAAPSOAPEXAMRPI
MRAZJUSTTHEFACTSMAAM
ANNEATEITUPNASCENCE
NOESMERCYMEENTITIES
Mon 6/10/2019
SEWSTAXIECLAT
OAHUIVANSHAPE
DRAMATICLICENSE
ATMTASTEDEDEN
SHOOINOTTER
ALITANYHOW
SHIFTCHANGEONO
LIDSEPAOSLO
URLFLORIDAKEYS
EEYOREROLE
FOALSGODEEP
PIAFVANISHGRU
SANDIEGOCHARGER
AGOATOREODOCS
TONYSSTEWANTE
Tue 6/11/2019
NALABOREAJAR
ADAMUTESIRULE
NOWORRIESSALON
CIRCLEOFLIFE
INTOTOSFOETE
NAHESSOFRAT
DIETSELLESALT
ILLSREAIREYER
ASIAAMFMSAMOA
ORBSSACKONS
OWNATERAHRAH
HAKUNAMATATA
AGINGPRIDEROCK
RENTSTELLERIE
ARGOYALESCAR
Wed 6/12/2019
WARMINDEBTOLD
ASEANAIVERCEO
THELADYVANISHES
TELEVISEPARKA
NORAPROFESS
RUNAWAYBRIDE
ATOMSLOGSPDA
GATEJEEPSCLAM
SHEAIMSCRUDE
INVISIBLEMAN
VERMEERSLAV
AXIOMPRURIENT
LACKOFCHARACTER
ICENAPIERECRU
DTSEXALLYSHOE
Thu 6/13/2019
CANSGLADALMS
EDIEOENOBIOTA
OOHANDAAHBOWED
IWORKBANGED
SALAMIVIAELLE
EXITCHANDELIER
WISERICAPS
STRESSBRAVES
MASAISAYHI
HANDYNASTYNEON
YMENDTSEDISON
PIRACYSMASH
OCULIUPPERHAND
SUDANSEANEDIN
SABEANTISEXY
POW Fri 6/14/2019
CHARGEIGOTDIBS
AATEAMNOREASON
PREGGOSOBSTORY
IDLESSEUSSPED
SPUNWATTMOUE
CANTWINBADPR
ESCOLDTIMER
SHAMMARRIAGES
SEALIONSGUY
BRAINNOTDONE
RAMSARESEBBS
EVEOWNEDBROAD
WINKWINKREMOTE
ENROLLEEELISHA
DEADSEXYMASTER
Sat 6/15/2019
ALASSMUGCHITS
MIMITOGOLUCIA
IVANDRAGOADEPT
LESBIANGRRPTA
ASSISIBLUEMOON
TEENGREENTAPE
ETDSHOEHORNS
BITOHONEY
FACETIMEDSIC
PENKNIVESACRE
GANGRENEMIRROR
ORCORGHORMONE
TAEBOFLOURBOMB
IDIOMOASTAGAR
TENDSROTHRENO
Sun 6/16/2019 NOT IN SO MANY WORDS
FATHERSDAYCOMPACTS
IPHONECASEINTERRUPT
SPEEDCHESSVENERATION
COBISOMETRICLOGONTO
ASIGNLOREALNEWSROOM
LETOPANTRYPHDSSURE
TRESSEDPALOMATON
SOPHISTDARERFISH
ELLIPTICYEAROFTHEPIG
ADITOCHOTRONHEARME
TISCHSUBSISTEDDRIPS
ASSHATROARSURFTOUT
CHEESESLICERPARTERRE
DARKSHEAFMOMMIES
ADUTRYSTSTABASCO
REPOOPUSATCOSTJOSH
INTHEREDSELENEFIVEO
ANIONICVICEVERSAERA
LIGHTSABEROEDIPUSREX
SHORTLINEFIREENGINE
THESLOTSFLYSWATTER

I like this trend of having an occasional themeless Sunday puzzle. Patrick Berry started it last year.

That fewest answers in a Sunday record Will Shortz mentions was set over 57 years ago in a grid constructed by Brice Metcalfe and edited by Magaret Farrar, NYT's first crossword editor. Even with 76 black squares, it's still very clunky.

Joel Fagliano created today's much smoother puzzle while using 20 fewer black squares. The art of crossword construction has advanced a great deal since those days. Software helps, of course, but like any art form, practitioners bring their own creativity and build on the foundations of their predecessors.

Crosswords will thrive for years to come, and it's anyone's guess what innovations the next generation will bring.

Mon 6/17/2019
SCRUBSLAMMOS
PRUNESLOBEAAH
FUNINTHESUNCSI
SETGOODSONAIR
MALTAROUSE
ICICLESPLAT
MADEINTHESHADE
ORESIONCRAW
BACKINTHEBLACK
HIRESLAUGHS
TERESABENE
USERSEPICSOOH
PICEYEINTHESKY
AGORENTSEALED
CNNSAYSERODE
Tue 6/18/2019
LABSHARSHCRAP
IDVEAKITALIRE
BEINGMCCOYIDEA
TEAKIDPOET
SACRIFICEMCFLY
SUMATRANIL
AMIHARTSTOPAZ
FONTSEWONPINE
ESSAYDONUTPIE
PAMIMAMESS
RUNAWAYMCBRIDE
OTISRUEISR
BEEBICEMCQUEEN
ORCAACTORSALE
TIERHASTYEMIT
Wed 6/19/2019
RSSSOCOOLCHAT
ICUEMORAPBOOTH
PHILANDERSULTRA
ELSAIOSGROWON
RUSSIANBARTRICK
BEETSHADETRIG
RESODAYVETO
CABRICOCHETSYD
OPERLOBODOW
ICEEELOPELAMB
NORMANDYCALGARY
SUBOUTWADERIE
TROVEMARRIEDMEN
ASNEREVITESOFT
REGSDATEUPTSA
POW Thu 6/20/2019
SMTWTFSNBCTV
FIREWALLFLORA
PROTOZOANLEBON
DENLITMUSTESTS
PANSTIED
THRONGTEXASBBQ
BEALESALEMLEA
SIDESELLSMATT
PSICHICAZESTA
STOPLOSSPEWTER
ROAMDUAL
STPAULIGIRLMCS
SOLIDCONSONANT
NOISETAUTENED
STEEDRESENTS
Fri 6/21/2019
OASISTBSPUVEA
GROUPPHOTOROES
READYORNOTBILK
ESPCREEPMACYS
TATEALONE
CLAIMSSHERLOCK
ROVESSEENOEVIL
EGADPITASGENE
DONTBEMADMERCI
ONTHEDOTDANSON
GETINFORD
CHAKASTAIRBLT
HORNFAMILYTREE
UPDOBYANYMEANS
MEETISNTEATAT

To answer Ms. Weintraub's question: Proposals? Probably not. But wedding announcements are real. At least they were; I doubt you could get away with it any more. Here's the most recent NYT example.

Sat 6/22/2019
CRASHPADSPEC
DOCTORDOOMMOMA
SOMETIMESYALES
SETTLESONMORT
IONARAMIS
WRAPSHASABALL
SHESEVILJELLO
KICKCORFUALIT
ILIADTEARREVS
PETNAMESBASTE
ISAYNOSAG
NATOTIPONEILL
TWINOVERANDOUT
RAVERESTRAINTS
OYESTATSGEEK
Sun 6/23/2019 TAKE TWO
THETWITICBMTUNES
HANDHANDMORALOMENS
USDAORCSPLACEPLACE
GIOVANNIBEIGESCAPE
STRINGSTRINGSCOUT
SEASHOREPIRATING
MESERATALLNETDEO
AIMSPASMOLDAGEAERO
IDEATEDPERSONPERSON
WINNIPEGTROPEYUM
ASTORRATERATECISCO
RINBERRASAYHELLO
BANANABANANATORSION
IMOKGOESATSPINEDNA
GOVLAURELSTENHEE
SKIPANTSHEDGEHOG
THROBNATURENATURE
BIASACESITSMARTIES
CLASSCLASSATEMUTES
MATEOKARENBASEBASE
STERNPSSTELALREX
Mon 6/24/2019
RASPSSCREWWIT
ELTONELUDEHMO
BEATLEMANIAAPU
EXITMIDTVSTAR
LADYDIWEANS
MARCHMADNESS
MINORLAIRTRIO
ISOUTERSSAVOR
FLITJADEILENE
FASHIONCRAZE
MEETSGETSAT
BALDIEMOOTARA
ABASPRINGFEVER
JAWSHINEDRESS
ADSOSAKAASDOI
Tue 6/25/2019
ACTSCUBANDEJA
NYETASIANEVEL
NASLFENCELETS
ENTERDDEPINTO
POINTILLISM
ANIFOOLATONT
SOLDTOCHERIE
TROIRAISELEND
RATESINEPOSED
ODSNFLSTARORY
LOOMATOB
GEORGESSEURAT
PRINTNUIDAFOE
JENGATEDOVARY
SWEETSTEFORTE

Stop me if you've heard me say this before: crosswords are a deeply personal experience. Your level of joy is hugely influenced by the intersection of things in the puzzle and things you love. That Venn Diagram overlap is enormous for me today, so it's impossible to be objective.

  1. I got to feel smug. As soon as I saw all those dots, I guessed we were heading toward a Seurat theme.
  2. I happen to love the Art Institute of Chicago, home of the iconic painting you discover by connecting the dots.
  3. I happen to love Sondheim, and Sunday in the Park with George is one of his masterpieces. That musical is centered on that painter and that painting. (If you prefer, you can think of the artwork as a key element in a different kind of iconic scene from Ferris Bueller's Day Off.)

Crossword commentators sometimes ding puzzles because they either don't know or don't care about the theme. Today I get to express the opposite viewpoint when my endorphins are gushing.

POW Wed 6/26/2019
BEBEAPPFARMS
OVERMAIDARIAL
BEERMAKERNINJA
SNOOTCOBBSOB
TRUEBELIEVERS
ASHSUELOLL
THENERVESTOPIT
TOROYTDGOSH
SWEDESCAMISOLE
ONTVTADREM
JAZZGUITARIST
OWEANDYSNEAD
LABORAPPRAISER
TIREDLOSESTAY
STARESADMERE
Thu 6/27/2019
AMPSSCANCLAY
DIETSTODOHODA
SCAPEACDCENDS
CSANDBALANCES
USEERIK
FULLOFITBLANKC
ASUROGETLOAM
RANTGOPROLOCA
SIGHREAPSNET
INSERTEYETOEYE
BEESRAN
CPOINTCHARLIE
COAXNOLACOATC
HUGEIRONHAGUE
UTESSETSNOIR
Fri 6/28/2019
LEFTJABALLOWME
ISUREDOPEEPERS
SPREADONESWINGS
SARANKIXETRE
ONITDINARPEN
MOEAREAMAPREC
ELRONDSNOCONE
PERMLEO
MENSWEARATTICA
AMAWRISTSSAN
RAMPICEELIMO
SNEADEONMINED
BATSINTHEBELFRY
ATATROTCARLOAN
REGATTAADVERSE

Is this grid asymmetric? We've had this exact controversy before in a previous Bruce Haight puzzle. The squares that make the bats have diagonal symmetry. The rest of the squares have standard rotational symmetry. Mushing them together makes, what? Something new, I guess.

Sat 6/29/2019
SUGARMAMACOST
AMATEURISHLUKE
BALANCEDUEERIN
EMOTIONBLOOMS
RIPUTTERSBOP
OWSUSEDTOBE
KAZAAMMAWARIE
AMASSESICECOLD
LOPEMELANISES
ERASABLELOT
SATFRAISEMAA
ALICIAUNOCARD
LISANEXTDOORTO
ATTAEXTRAFRIES
DYANSCARSDALE
Sun 6/30/2019 FLIP 'PHONES
SEASLUGIDIDITONBASE
INDIANANICOLEPIANOS
KNEEHIGHHEINIEUVRAYS
HIESMOESANTLER
SORTAERRBADAREATOT
ALFSIREEGUNREAR
MOISTENTEATREETREATY
ANNONEISHNERDASSES
MPAACABADAMASHIEST
BOWTIETAEBOOATERS
ATEAMSRESULTSEATRAW
PRISSYBEEFYPHOEBE
OCARINAOATHOVIRAIL
COMICCTRLMORENOCDT
TOUCHYCHEETAHSTASHES
ELSEEARRONDAOSO
TSEMADISONESCTRIBE
NOHELPBAILTNUT
SCREAMLOAFERFURLOUGH
IGUANAESTEEMBEGUILE
PIEPANDELETESCATTER

Great title.

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