SATURDAY PUZZLE — In his first appearance this year, Ryan Judge presents his sixth Saturday crossword in The New York Times, delivering another round of clever and challenging themeless puzzles. This crossword features some brilliant puns in its clues—so good that they might leave you pondering for a bit, but when you finally piece them together, they’re just right. The trivia can be pretty demanding; I really struggled with some of it!—but there’s enough simpler fill to help most puzzlers find some relief from potential frustration.
Tricky Clues
30A. When I read [Smartphone feature that premiered globally in 2011], my initial thought was touch keyboard. However, those actually originate from the 1990s and were around since the first iPhone in 2007. It’s impressive that we managed without an EMOJI KEYBOARD for so long between then and 2011.
57A. The clue [What might add a bit of flavor to a salsa?] made me pause. I initially wrote in “mango,” which, let’s be honest, is delicious but here, salsa refers to music. And that can be made lots more lively with the swift rhythms of expert BONGO drummers.
3D. This clue is quite particular and, honestly, it’s the biggest hurdle in the upper left section. [With even stronger reasoning, in law] translates to A FORTIORI, stemming from the Latin term “from the stronger.”
28D. [Exercises with a “butterfly” variation, where the soles of your feet touch] reminds me of a yoga pose called baddha konasana, something I’m sure most of you thought of while reading that clue. In yoga, you bend over your feet, but in this puzzle, you’re, well, lifting yourself from a lying position—these are SITUPS.
29D. This was some clever wordplay! [Overtook?] clues to HOARDED, which might evoke images of the Collyer brothers’ home filled with old papers, but it also aptly describes those who accumulate excessively and stash it all away.
33D. You know that sensation of being out of touch with pop culture when you encounter a pop culture clue? It’s this awkward little mental gap. The clue [Actor who plays the title role in TV’s “Andor”] leads to DIEGO LUNA, an actor who’s been active for years. “Andor” aired from 2022 to 2025, part of the “Star Wars” universe, which was well received critically.
Constructor Notes
I created this puzzle at the culmination of my five-month summer following graduation last year, and it was accepted just weeks after I began my current role at Trader Joe’s. Often, I’ve found myself saying “I JUST WORK HERE,” and every time I do, I think of this puzzle. Perhaps I’ve been subconsciously trying to plant that phrase in others’ minds to aid in solving this when it comes out.
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