Go the Distance

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The crossword column is a wordplay.

Jennifer Lee and Victor Galson have created a perfect storm.

By:

ET

WEDNESDAY POSSIBLE -- English can be a funny language, isn't? The cliches we use to express ourselves have lost their meaning. Omissions always seem 'glaring', emotions are 'high', and conclusions are made 'at the very end'.

These cliches might sound like nails on a board to someone who is a stickler of originality (and you can probably think of something more original). The crossword created by Jennifer Lee & Victor Galson shows that the word combinations we take for granted can often be used to create clever wordplay. It's a good idea to make puns while they are hot! You won't say that, will ya?

I hope that you have enjoyed 'diving into' this puzzle. You might find that after solving the puzzle, you enjoy a good cliché.

Today's Theme

This puzzle theme is perhaps best suited to someone who has competed in the punning circuit for many years (it's a real thing!). Although I have a high standard for wordplay, I'm not a discerning critic but rather a grizzled pun investigator with too many years to hope that I will ever find a funny one again.

Today, I laughed. I laughed a lot! This grid is a play on the cliches of news reporting which use words like water. We get a BREAKING NEWS (20A) about a ship being overtaken by waves, LEAKED footage (26A), showing its damaged hull, and finally a STREAMING LIFE (43A) close-up.

The final clue for 51-Across reads: ''Changes to ocean conditions allowed the vessel to return safely into port.'' Stay tuned for more _____. You've probably figured out that there will be more CURRENT EVENINGS.

Some grammarians might argue that these aren't technically puns and that there's an analogy in the etymology. To them, I say: Come in. The water is fine.

Tricky Clues

It might have been necessary to consult a fashion dictionary to determine that the "Accessory worn" by Fred in "Scooby-Doo" is an ASCOT, a chichi term for a necktie/scarf worn in a bow and which takes its name from an English village known for formal horse-racing events.

The French expression for "Ta-da!" is ET VOILA, though this entry is often written as VOILA. This entry is written as VOILA. The ET is the French equivalent to adding 'and' on top of the phrase 'There you are!'

I'd never heard of half nelsons before. I imagined Nelson from "The Simpsons" saying a single "Haw!" I had to rely upon my crossings in order to deduce that this must be related wrestling since the answer was PIN.

You may have texted me after solving this puzzle, but I did not respond because I was too busy learning what a "Hammer End" is called.

Phrase heard frequently by people who finish sentences for others: "Are you telling the story or AMI?"

Venn diagrams of context is my favorite type of clue. Talk is something that can be'small, smooth or delicious'.

This clue refers to the notes of a scale. After mis comes FAS. Imagine a version of Les Mis that is entirely sung on the third tone of a musical scale.

The many music subgenres can be difficult to identify, but St. Vincent and Kate Bush, as well as the Dirty Projectors, are notable artists of ART POP. This is a 'Music genre that's related to glam-rock.' Who knew I was an ART POP lover?

Constructor Notes

We are thrilled to bring you our third New York Times crossword! After trying to make the surfing theme work, we decided to switch to other water puns. We were surprised to discover a complete set of puns that relate to a possible news story. After we put a black square at the center, the grid and fill started to come together. We took inspiration from this Brian Thomas puzzle, which was always a favorite. It took us a while to find the right cluing angle. Here's an extra theme that we didn't have room for: "This news report is brought to you by _____." The answer is "The Atlantic."
Hope you enjoyed!

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