Since you highlighted TWO X TWO, I thought I'd share the story of its genesis. It was originally part of the theme, clued as [How the critters hiding in 17-, 38-, and 60-Across are marching?]. I guess Will wanted to tie the puzzle together in a more straightforward way, thus the addition of ANTS in the lower right...and as a side effect, the (delightfully tricky) clue and answer at 27-Down.

-S
SG | 08.27.07 - 12:29 am | #

Thanks, Steven, for the explanation of the TWO X TWO entry--it looked too unusual and its placement in the center made it seem to me that it was originally intended to be part of the theme. Wonder if the theme idea could be expanded to include other animals loaded up into Noah's Ark?
Evad | 08.27.07 - 6:12 am | #

I so enjoy reading a constructor's intentions. Thanks, Steven. The only drawback is that I'll be singing that song in my head today...it hadn't occurred to me last night.

Amy, so sorry you had such an awful day. I spent mine cleaning out my office at home...and no chocolate in the house. Thanks for the link to Patrick's tips. Armed with that and your book, maybe this will get easier for more of us.
Linda G | Homepage | 08.27.07 - 9:53 am | #

I suppose one can't really argue that the NYT puzzle was difficult by monday standards, but were any of the other speed-solvers slowed down by the northeast corner? A couple of our old favorite, inherently ambiguous clues, "Pinnacle," almost assuredly ACME or APEX, but which? and "That woman," SHE or HER, crossed with "Spreads," which I initially took to be EXPANDS, then thought was EXTENDS, and only after hitting the DONE! button and finding out that I was still wrong, saw that it had to be EXTENTS.

While I was rather annoyed for some tens of seconds, initially, I have to say on more reflection that it's a nice bit of work, in terms of making the puzzle more niggly for the experienced solvers without actually making things that much more complicated for newcomers.

Oh, and Linda, perhaps you can shake the 2X2 song with High Hopes (ANTS and rubber tree plANTS), or maybe with Mr. Mancini's well-known opus, the Pink Panther theme: Dead-ANT. Dead-ANT. Dead-ANT, Dead-ANT, Dead-ANT, Dead-ANT, Dead-ANT. Dead-a-dead-a-dead-ANT. ANT Dead-ANT De-dead-dead-ANT-ANT-ANT-ANT-dead-a-dead-ANT-ANT. Dead-a-dead-ANT-ANT. Dead-a-dead-ANT-ANT. BWAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

Sorry, got carried away. By a hopeful, still-living hexapod, no doubt.

Russell
Russell Brown | Homepage | 08.27.07 - 12:07 pm | #

Russell - had EXTENDS, then EXPANDS, before finally getting that one. Pretty rough for a Monday, but not because of any obscure fabrics, cheeses, or any other obscure crossword filler, thankfully; just general trickiness. Clever, well-hidden little theme, too. Nice and crunchy (the puzzle, not the ants).
Howard B | 08.27.07 - 12:18 pm | #

What, am I the only one who decided the [Spreads] were secretly [Big spreads] and thus entered ESTATES?
Orange | Homepage | 08.27.07 - 12:39 pm | #

Howard, I imagine the ants were pretty crunchy, too, though I'm trying not to dwell on it.

Amy, I quite probably would have tried ESTATES somewhere in my progression, but I managed to get FLAX first, which restricted my realm of wrong answers, if not, apparently, by very much. I'm guessing, in a fit of forensic cruci-nalysis, that you, on the other hand, got ORGANTRANSPLANT the first time through.
Russell Brown | Homepage | 08.27.07 - 1:22 pm | #

I thought of the TWOXTWO marching thing when I got it, and actually, even though it wasn't clued as such, considered it part of the theme - or at least a bonus, related-to-the-theme entry. I had mixed emotions completing the puzzle today though. I'm rarely able to get hold of the physical paper to solve on Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday because my daughter snags it from the paper! Yes, I could make a copy or easily print one out, but I usually don't get around to it - and wind up missing a staggering number of great puzzles! Today was my first crack at a Monday in a while because I dropped my daughter off on Thursday to begin college! So, I found myself feathering my empty nest with the paper - those bits I wasn't using as Kleenex that is...Orange, all the cliches are true: enjoy those Potter movies and everything else at the various stages with your kids - time flies!
Tony Orbach | 08.27.07 - 4:34 pm | #

Thanks, Russell. I was still singing High Hopes when I went to bed last night. And I did think about Pink Panther, wondering if I was the only one who would. Crossword solvers are more alike than some might guess.

Take heart, Tony...they come back ; )
Linda G | Homepage | 08.27.07 - 6:25 pm | #