Chandi Deitmer author page
8 puzzles by Chandi Deitmer
with Constructor comments
Chandi Deitmer, of Cambridge, Mass., is an editor for Elevate Labs, a brain-training app. Her crosswords have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and numerous "indie" outlets.
| I | T | S | A | T | I | E | A | S | P | E | C | T | S | |
| C | H | O | L | E | R | A | P | L | A | T | O | O | N | |
| A | R | T | E | M | I | S | S | U | S | A | N | N | A | |
| L | E | T | P | S | Y | E | R | S | D | E | R | |||
| L | E | O | N | E | K | I | O | S | K | |||||
| O | R | B | S | N | O | E | L | |||||||
| E | L | P | H | A | B | A | B | E | Y | O | N | C | E | |
| P | Y | R | O | C | L | E | A | R | S | O | A | R | ||
| S | C | O | W | L | A | D | J | P | E | T | C | O | ||
| O | R | S | A | C | T | U | A | R | Y | I | T | D | ||
| M | A | T | I | L | D | A | M | E | L | A | N | I | E | |
| T | A | R | F | O | B | |||||||||
| S | A | W | A | W | O | M | A | N | I | N | H | A | L | F |
| A | W | O | L | M | O | D | E | L | O | H | I | O | ||
| P | L | O | Y | S | P | O | O | L | R | I | P | E |
| K | I | C | K | S | T | A | R | T | S | P | E | A | ||
| I | C | A | N | T | A | K | E | I | T | T | O | M | S | |
| T | H | R | E | E | N | A | G | E | R | A | L | I | A | |
| C | I | N | E | A | D | U | L | T | I | N | G | |||
| A | R | A | L | I | A | N | G | U | T | T | E | R | ||
| R | O | L | A | I | D | S | A | G | E | L | I | N | E | |
| T | O | O | T | A | L | L | E | C | C | E | ||||
| P | A | R | S | W | E | L | T | E | R | O | E | D | ||
| A | L | E | C | H | A | L | I | B | U | T | ||||
| N | O | N | R | E | A | L | M | U | T | A | N | T | S | |
| D | O | T | O | A | T | G | A | S | C | O | R | A | ||
| A | G | R | A | R | I | A | N | O | V | A | L | |||
| C | O | O | K | C | R | A | W | L | S | P | A | C | E | |
| A | B | L | Y | A | C | T | I | O | N | I | T | E | M | |
| M | I | L | N | O | S | E | B | L | E | E | D | S |
| I | M | S | A | V | E | D | S | H | O | W | S | A | M | B | A | R | |||||
| S | N | O | W | T | I | R | E | M | A | R | I | E | C | L | A | I | R | E | |||
| S | H | A | R | E | A | C | A | B | F | I | N | A | N | C | I | A | L | A | I | D | |
| T | A | S | T | E | R | T | O | R | T | I | L | L | A | S | E | T | |||||
| E | K | E | T | I | A | S | R | E | E | F | E | R | R | S | H | E | D | ||||
| P | A | C | 3 | 4 | W | A | I | L | S | A | S | D | O | I | L | G | A | ||||
| 7 | 4 | D | A | Y | S | H | A | I | L | S | O | N | F | O | O | T | |||||
| J | P | E | G | J | K | S | I | M | M | O | N | S | D | A | N | T | E | ||||
| O | R | N | U | R | S | E | T | B | A | L | L | S | T | A | I | N | |||||
| C | O | R | N | S | S | T | A | N | A | H | O | Y | M | A | T | E | Y | ||||
| K | V | A | S | S | F | O | R | 5 | 8 | W | I | N | K | S | A | X | E | S | |||
| S | E | G | A | C | L | O | U | D | 3 | 3 | A | G | E | E | S | P | N | U | |||
| D | E | L | E | G | A | T | E | E | H | E | W | S | A | T | O | N | E | ||||
| U | N | I | T | Y | F | L | O | R | A | C | R | U | I | S | E | D | |||||
| S | L | A | T | S | L | O | T | U | S | T | R | E | E | C | E | D | E | ||||
| C | A | M | E | O | S | T | I | G | E | R | H | A | N | G | 5 | 2 | |||||
| A | N | Y | R | V | L | O | T | G | N | A | T | S | 4 | 2 | B | I | T | ||||
| B | E | A | R | U | G | G | S | K | Y | Y | S | E | E | P | E | M | O | ||||
| D | O | A | B | O | T | T | O | M | U | P | M | E | R | L | O | T | |||||
| S | T | A | R | P | I | T | C | H | E | R | S | F | A | K | E | N | A | I | L | S | |
| T | I | M | E | S | S | Q | U | A | R | E | F | L | I | N | C | H | E | D | |||
| Y | E | S | M | O | M | P | I | N | A | T | A | N | D | E | M | S |
| M | A | P | S | G | E | O | T | A | G | D | O | T | H | B | R | A | ||||
| A | L | O | E | A | N | D | O | N | E | I | D | E | A | B | R | I | M | |||
| S | T | O | R | E | F | R | O | N | T | S | S | E | A | R | R | A | V | I | ||
| S | O | L | V | E | F | O | R | T | A | C | O | D | E | U | C | E | S | |||
| H | E | L | E | N | S | E | A | S | O | N | O | P | E | N | E | R | S | |||
| G | L | A | S | S | A | S | T | E | R | R | A | K | E | |||||||
| P | A | L | M | T | E | A | M | L | E | A | D | E | R | S | I | S | N | T | ||
| S | O | L | E | A | C | N | E | S | I | S | I | H | O | O | ||||||
| R | A | P | A | T | P | L | A | T | O | S | O | P | E | R | A | |||||
| M | O | V | I | E | P | R | E | M | I | E | R | E | S | C | L | A | I | M | S | |
| R | E | I | G | N | E | D | H | E | A | L | S | C | R | A | N | K | I | T | ||
| B | U | S | H | E | D | R | O | C | K | E | T | L | A | U | N | C | H | E | S | |
| E | V | I | T | A | M | O | S | E | Y | S | I | N | D | I | A | |||||
| A | R | T | S | I | A | M | B | R | I | E | K | F | E | D | ||||||
| N | E | S | S | F | R | E | S | H | S | T | A | R | T | S | E | A | S | E | ||
| U | N | I | T | U | S | E | A | S | E | M | I | T | S | |||||||
| N | E | W | B | E | G | I | N | N | I | N | G | S | T | O | T | A | L | |||
| A | M | A | D | O | U | A | T | A | D | S | H | A | C | K | S | U | P | |||
| R | O | K | U | R | A | M | A | S | H | O | W | E | R | H | E | A | D | S | ||
| C | R | E | E | E | V | E | N | U | M | P | I | R | E | U | F | O | S | |||
| O | Y | S | D | A | D | S | P | O | S | T | E | D | P | E | N | T |
| F | B | I | P | I | T | A | S | D | U | C | T | S | S | A | D | ||||
| T | O | G | A | D | O | R | N | E | N | T | R | E | C | O | D | E | |||
| W | H | O | T | O | W | E | L | V | I | R | A | L | H | A | L | E | |||
| O | T | T | E | S | S | A | P | O | O | L | S | W | E | M | E | T | |||
| A | C | T | O | N | L | A | U | N | C | H | H | E | I | R | S | ||||
| S | H | A | S | T | A | B | U | R | R | S | T | R | E | K | |||||
| H | I | G | H | D | O | U | B | T | S | L | A | U | R | Y | N | ||||
| E | C | O | B | U | O | Y | E | D | B | U | L | G | E | A | S | U | |||
| A | L | M | S | F | O | R | K | W | A | R | T | S | |||||||
| T | A | R | N | A | P | D | E | S | I | T | E | E | N | I | E | ||||
| B | R | E | A | K | T | H | E | S | O | U | N | D | B | A | R | R | I | E | R |
| O | F | F | I | C | E | K | I | N | D | A | M | E | A | S | S | ||||
| N | E | I | G | H | M | I | T | T | G | N | A | W | |||||||
| D | D | T | A | L | I | N | E | B | E | A | T | L | E | C | F | O | |||
| S | P | R | I | N | G | P | L | A | G | U | E | E | A | R | L | ||||
| A | G | E | D | S | H | E | R | A | S | P | A | R | E | D | |||||
| Q | U | E | U | E | B | R | U | T | E | S | E | S | T | E | E | ||||
| U | M | A | S | S | L | A | C | E | D | F | L | A | T | T | O | P | |||
| R | A | T | E | P | O | C | K | S | S | L | O | P | E | O | A | K | |||
| A | M | I | D | D | W | E | L | T | H | O | M | E | R | N | S | A | |||
| N | I | T | A | N | D | E | S | O | P | E | D | S | Y | S | L |
Happy to be Sunday-ing today! I truly love being able to stretch out in a Sunday — gotta stay juicy, or at least try. This was one of those themes where you look at a phrase for a long time, think there's a revealer in it, and then just ... stare. And also call your bud Taylor Johnson on Thanksgiving morning to talk it through, so props to him for fielding a call from me while also wrangling his cute kiddos on a walk. Then I cooked a quail (dry, did a bad job). The interpretive unlock came from remembering a vicious and beautiful Kevin Der ACPT puzzle 5 from a couple years back.
This got an initial no — rightly so! — because of an alternate pronunciation I wasn't aware of [WATT/URSINE "Cancer, Scorpio, or — most appropriately — Pisces"]. Appreciative of the team for catching that, and think this version is better for it.
Hope you enjoy, pals!
| M | A | S | K | I | N | C | A | G | R | I | N | E | R | P | S | S | T | ||||
| A | G | A | I | N | R | O | L | L | I | O | D | I | D | E | O | H | I | O | |||
| L | E | I | S | U | R | E | S | I | T | S | U | I | T | U | P | F | R | O | N | T | |
| A | D | D | S | T | O | W | O | O | F | T | O | E | S | I | N | G | E | S | |||
| C | O | Y | S | M | E | E | S | A | G | E | T | A | S | I | S | ||||||
| H | U | E | S | C | L | A | W | L | U | R | I | D | A | N | T | ||||||
| I | T | S | A | L | O | S | T | C | A | S | E | C | O | L | D | C | A | U | S | E | |
| L | A | M | E | F | L | E | S | H | E | L | D | E | R | S | O | N | |||||
| P | T | R | A | P | S | T | I | L | T | S | A | T | O | L | E | B | L | T | |||
| A | S | A | M | I | B | E | E | T | L | O | O | S | E | E | P | A | |||||
| C | A | N | I | S | T | E | A | L | Y | O | U | F | O | R | A | S | E | C | O | N | D |
| R | S | S | H | A | R | D | C | S | O | L | E | C | O | R | G | I | |||||
| M | I | A | D | E | T | S | A | R | A | P | E | S | F | I | T | T | E | D | |||
| I | N | C | L | U | D | E | S | T | O | T | E | D | O | R | G | Y | |||||
| C | A | K | E | D | O | N | T | S | D | O | N | U | T | D | E | S | P | A | I | R | |
| M | E | T | L | U | G | E | D | P | A | I | N | E | R | N | E | ||||||
| I | A | M | B | B | L | O | A | T | K | N | E | W | U | S | D | ||||||
| E | M | B | E | R | S | E | R | A | Y | O | K | E | M | A | R | G | I | N | |||
| T | H | I | S | O | L | D | H | O | S | E | P | A | N | T | Y | H | O | U | S | E | |
| R | I | D | E | O | N | U | S | E | S | P | L | I | E | S | A | L | T | S | |||
| E | P | E | E | B | A | D | A | R | T | S | E | N | D | M | A | S | S |
We want to thank the editing team, and especially Christina Iverson, for their patience and expertise while we made this puzzle into what you see today. Their efforts and guidance really helped this puzzle shine, and we are deeply appreciative that we get to share it with you all.
And now, for your viewing pleasure, our reality TV top three of all time:
Chandi
- Selling Sunset
- America's Next Top Model
- The Bachelor/Bachelorette Franchise
Taylor
- Planet Earth
- America's Funniest Home Videos
- Ted Lasso
| I | B | M | S | G | O | B | U | S | T | P | D | F | S | S | H | O | P | ||||
| S | I | S | T | E | R | S | I | S | T | E | R | A | R | I | A | H | O | P | I | ||
| M | O | N | A | C | O | M | O | N | A | C | O | R | A | N | T | O | M | E | N | ||
| L | O | G | O | N | H | O | M | A | G | E | T | E | E | N | S | ||||||
| F | A | W | N | S | I | T | H | K | U | D | O | P | I | B | B | ||||||
| A | L | M | A | I | C | E | I | N | L | O | U | I | E | L | O | U | I | E | |||
| T | O | U | R | B | U | S | A | G | E | E | X | T | R | A | E | X | T | R | A | ||
| S | O | N | T | A | G | H | O | T | S | I | R | S | T | E | T | ||||||
| E | R | R | E | L | K | O | H | N | O | M | P | S | B | O | N | A | |||||
| A | S | A | P | Y | E | S | N | O | T | S | A | R | H | O | R | N | E | T | |||
| E | T | C | E | T | E | R | A | E | T | C | E | T | E | R | A | ||||||
| S | U | R | P | R | I | S | E | S | U | R | P | R | I | S | E | ||||||
| C | R | I | K | E | Y | U | S | E | R | D | O | S | A | S | S | E | R | F | |||
| L | E | V | Y | N | T | H | I | D | E | S | M | M | A | L | E | O | |||||
| A | R | E | A | A | A | A | E | O | N | A | P | P | A | L | L | ||||||
| N | A | M | E | S | N | A | M | E | S | E | T | D | K | N | E | E | P | A | D | ||
| K | N | O | C | K | K | N | O | C | K | R | I | N | G | S | A | S | I | S | |||
| V | O | T | E | F | U | E | L | D | A | R | T | C | C | E | D | ||||||
| G | R | E | C | O | G | O | A | W | A | Y | I | R | U | L | E | ||||||
| Y | O | D | A | B | E | N | D | P | E | O | P | L | E | P | E | O | P | L | E | ||
| M | O | O | R | A | R | G | O | D | O | U | B | L | E | D | O | U | B | L | E | ||
| S | S | N | S | A | M | O | R | W | I | S | E | T | O | T | A | C | K |
| A | S | P | S | A | T | O | A | S | E | S | T | O | M | R | D | A | ||||
| * | P | A | D | P | R | O | A | L | E | V | E | A | N | T | W | E | R | P | ||
| L | I | B | R | A | R | Y | K | E | V | I | N | * | N | F | A | V | O | R | ||
| E | L | L | I | C | E | Y | * | E | L | D | E | U | G | E | N | E | ||||
| S | T | O | N | E | A | G | E | A | N | D | F | R | * | J | O | L | E | S | ||
| K | * | R | I | N | N | O | E | L | A | T | I | N | ||||||||
| N | O | R | I | S | A | N | D | * | E | G | A | N | O | A | T | S | ||||
| B | R | O | N | T | E | T | I | R | E | D | L | Y | I | F | F | * | E | R | ||
| C | A | T | G | U | T | I | C | A | N | S | E | E | D | A | H | L | * | A | ||
| G | R | E | E | C | E | A | D | S | I | T | E | |||||||||
| M | A | J | O | R | * | S | R | A | M | E | N | P | O | L | A | R | * | S | ||
| A | L | O | U | E | T | T | E | S | I | R | N | A | T | I | V | E | T | O | ||
| C | O | U | R | T | * | S | S | A | R | A | E | P | E | R | I | L | ||||
| A | U | L | D | G | N | A | T | L | A | N | E | N | A | N | O | |||||
| O | D | E | C | U | O | M | O | S | A | T | T | I | L | A | N | A | S | |||
| B | A | S | E | I | L | A | N | A | * | M | D | B | ||||||||
| O | D | I | U | M | * | N | C | O | G | N | I | T | O | J | O | Y | C | E | ||
| P | R | O | S | E | C | C | O | W | E | E | O | N | E | U | P | P | E | D | ||
| R | A | W | D | O | U | B | L | E | D | * | P | P | E | R | S | R | E | I | ||
| A | K | A | U | P | S | E | T | S | E | S | P | R | I | T | E | L | F | |||
| H | E | N | E | Y | E | L | E | T | S | U | S | A | N | S | S | O | Y |
Happy to be here! Sunday puzzles are my fave, so I am stoked to be making my NYT debut on one!
After seeing Jake Halperin's 13/B puzzle and Jeremy Newton's hashtag puzzle, I got to thinking about how other symbols might be able to cross. Once I settled on the X/Is as stars, I thought about constellations, with a scribble somewhere in a notebook of a grid containing the full Orion constellation. But when that seemed impossible to build, not widely recognizable, and I couldn't quite come up with an MIB-related revealer, it seemed that our friends the DOUBLE DIPPERS were the better options.
I worked hard to get the alignment of the stars as accurate as possible, while throwing in some relevant entries to add to theme content. DRINKING GOURD is on the W side of the grid, as it's associated with the Big Dipper, and WAGON OF HEAVEN on the E as it was associated with the little dipper. SEVEN OXEN was a term used for both. And, if I may flex, the North Star itself, aka POLARIS, is represented in the grid in the word POLARIS. The hint to finding POLARIS in the sky is to extend the outer line of the Big Dipper, which was important for me to represent in the grid, too.
Remember stars? Went on a pre-COVID trip to Montana and had the delightful reminder that they exist. Alas, stargazing in Boston is... lacking.
Clue I wish had made it: "Its ending was metal?" for 29-A.
The original submission was without the constellations' lines sketched in, but the editors added that in to make it a better Sunday-level puzz. I am particularly grateful to them for tightening some clues that were too vague and toying around with others that weren't vague enough. :) Thank you, team!
Shameless plug for Boswords happening today! Much love for the hometown tourney.
Cheers, y'all!