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I’m not going to lie to you. I spent a good portion of yesterday beating my brains out trying to think of some sort of a theme that incorporated the incomparable COVFEFE. It’s the sort of thing puzzle makers live for: brand spanking word that everybody know that hasn’t been exploited yet. But from the perspective of one who plays with words, that typo is, well brutal. Coffee puns were right out as just about everybody had memed that joke to death by the time I began working. That VF was nasty, a dead end really. It appears in no English words and if you don’t believe me, ask Ben Zimmer. About the only thing that looked promising was the container COV(FEF)E, but that was also unforgiving. Adding FEF to base phrases wasn’t yielding much either. Though my man Francis Heaney discovered the almost clueable answers ONE CAFE-FRAT and J.D. SAFE-FLINGER.
Crossword legend/showoff Martin Ashwood-Smith did manage to sneak it into a puzzle yesterday morning, though. So at least somebody did something with it. Here’s hoping the next neologism is tad friendlier.
Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.
If COVFEFE can’t be a theme, can it at least be a seed entry?
Today’s puzzle was excellent even without COVFEFE. Coincidence that the NYT also has circles. My head is spinning.
Is a puzzle a good one if you need enema crossing muggs?
Was reading enema wrong, so forget the comment though the clue is inaccurate. Been doing too many old NYT puzzles that have too much obscure trivia which has made solving a real chore lately.
Liked it.
The crossword legend/showoff says:
“Your welcome, BEQ”
-MAS
Brilliant puzzle theme.
As for ENEMA: I’m amazed by this “Double Standard” (another logical fallacy) that makes some editors accept ETHNIC CLEANSING, but reject ENEMA.
Clearly the slaughter of millions is far more palatable at the proverbial “crossword breakfast-table”, than ENEMA.
-MAS
Ok,I’m really missing something here. I enjoyed the puzzle and I got “ANALYSIS” and “ARGUMENT”, but what the heck is the third one!? In the top-left corner. I can make no word out of that..
Never mind. I’m so stupid. Ideation. Ugh.
Genius puzzle. Not really hard, but way, way fun