Constructor Profile: Robyn Weintraub
Once a month, I’ve been writing profiles on influential crossword constructors. In this edition, I’ll be talking about Robyn Weintraub. Robyn is known for her playful Friday puzzles, which have earned her the affectionate nickname “Queen of Fridays.” She has had a big influence on what kinds of themeless puzzles are popular. While some constructors want to trick you, Robyn just wants you to have fun. As a constructor, she’s not working against you — she’s working with you. She tends to make puzzles with higher word counts so they can be extra clean, and she focuses on making every long entry in the grid feel like a treat. I asked Robyn how she goes about making a themeless puzzle, and she wrote: “When I start making a themeless puzzle, my goal is to pack the grid with as many fun, long entries as possible. I typically aim for 12 or 14 entries that are at least eight letters long. To get started, I’ll either reuse a grid layout I’ve had success with or design a new one that supports a strong set of marquee entries. Then I dive into the fill, focusing on entries that strike me as clever, amusing or original. I especially like featuring conversational phrases — I feel they bring a lot of personality to the puzzle. At this stage, I don’t think about cluing at all.” It surprises me that she doesn’t think about cluing while making a grid because she is known for writing clever clues. I had assumed that she started with some of the clue/answer pairings, but it turns out she’s just so good at writing clues that she can come up with brilliant wordplay for just about anything that ends up in her grid. Here are some of my favorite clues from her past puzzles: [Cold war aggressions?] = SNOWBALL FIGHTS [Concrete example of rotational forces and fluid dynamics?] = CEMENT MIXER [Turning point in telecommunications history?] = ROTARY DIAL [Trashy television character?] = OSCAR THE GROUCH [Cheeky attire?] = SHORT SHORTS [Tip line?] = KEEP THE CHANGE [General recommendation?] = BATTLE PLAN When the editors review themeless puzzles, we occasionally see one made by a newer constructor that’s clean and fresh and fun, without any cruddy entries holding the puzzle together. The highest compliment we can pay it is to say, “Wow, it’s rather Weintraubian!” Robyn’s crossword style has influenced many constructors to make grids like hers, packed with juicy, long entries and held together with real, clueable words rather than abbreviations. Robyn’s skill at making crossword puzzles has forced the editors to raise the bar for themeless puzzles.
Solve Friday’s Crossword on Easy Mode!
In today’s Wordplay column, Deb Amlen writes about this constructor’s young age and advanced understanding of crossword construction. For expert hints on today’s puzzle, read her column here. Were you able to solve the Friday puzzle with Easy Mode? We want your input! Share your experience with us on the X platform, on Threads or by email. A Quick Cool-DownHow fast can you solve today’s Mini?
Get a ClueMy favorite clue from last week is 17-Across from Saturday, Aug. 30. It’s a fun answer even without a cute clue like this! 17-Across: Little dippers?
How are we doing? Thanks for playing! Subscribe to New York Times Games. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can sign up to receive it regularly here. P.S. The answer to Get a Clue is MINI DONUTS.
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