Your Mother Should Know the answers to this week’s puzzle!
SUNDAY PUZZLE —Hey everyone! I’m happy to share my first Sunday crossword of the summer with you all. I’ve been home in Ann Arbor all summer, meaning I’ve had too much time on my hands to write puzzles. I’m super proud of this one, and I’m really appreciating how writing crosswords gets easier as you go. I’d love to hear any specific feedback on this puzzle at johanll@umich.edu, and more general concerns or questions can be sent to crosswords@umich.edu.
Tricky Clues
27A: I like to think outside the box when cluing short answers whenever possible, so PEA being a “source of royal discomfort in a fairy tale” is consistent with my philosophy.
8D: LEST is a word that I feel deserves a comeback in the English language, and it’s a shame how it’s been relegated to the phrase “lest we forget.”
9D: “Memento” is one of my favorite movies of all time, and the way it incorporates AMNESIA as a key storytelling device in its non-chronological narrative is peak cinema.
45D: “Champing at the bit” is just an elite expression in my opinion, and it’s definitely my favorite phrase that means KEEN.
Today’s Theme
The Beatles have been my favorite band since before grade school, so this puzzle is an homage to my favorite member, revealed in 54-Across as PAUL MCCARTNEY. The themed answers are all songs written by Paul (though they’re officially credited to Lennon-McCartney), with YESTERDAY and BLACKBIRD being two of his most recognizable melodies and BACK IN THE USSR being a personal favorite of mine. Additionally, I was able to work “Let It Be” into 17-Across and the album RUBBER SOUL for 3-Down, though I decided to use two of John’s songs in the latter clue because of their recognizability. This puzzle continues my streak of music-related themes, but I doubt I’ll be able to one-up myself after this one, since I went straight from a song I love to my favorite songwriter of all time. I’m looking forward to what I come up with next time, though, and I’ll see you all then!
Answer Key:
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