Can you solve this week’s festive Sunday?
SUNDAY PUZZLE — Happy Sunday, everyone! We’re so excited to share this grid with you all, and we hope that you have as much fun solving it as we had creating it!
Special note from Bradley: This is my first Sunday puzzle! I had a great time messing around with different word and theme combinations, and I’m really happy with how it turned out!
If you have questions about the puzzle, email either of us at bradob@umich.edu or irenayli@umich.edu. For general concerns, reach out to the entire games team at crosswords@umich.edu.
Happy solving!
Tricky Clues:
14A. This one is for the Francophiles. “Coup d’___” was one of our personal favorite clues. Most people are probably aware of the term, or at least the shortened “coup”. It translates literally into “stroke of state,” with ETAT mapping onto the latter part of the phrase.
23A. One of a few history-themed clues, “What South Carolina did on Dec. 20, 1860” is on the trickier side. We were hoping that the date’s proximity to the Civil War (1861–1865) might help clue you into the answer: SECEDE.
47A. “Stable diet?” might initially point you in the direction of staple foods like rice, eggs or milk, but it actually refers to OATS, traditional feed for horses. Shoutout to our editor Victor for this clever clue!
1D. Ann Arbor’s proximity to Detroit means that we are also located near the historical heart of the American automobile industry. It felt fitting to include a vehicle-themed clue, “Swedish cars,” even if the manufacturer (Saab) is now defunct. Multiple Ford cars = Fords, multiple Saab cars = SAABS.
12D. For all the lawyers and pre-law heads out there, “Mens ___ (guilty mind)” refers to a defendant’s state of mind during a criminal act. Generally at trial, prosecutors must show that the defendant knew their actions were wrong, a legal standard known as mens REA.
29D. “Puzzles within puzzles” is a little homage to our soon-to-be-introduced monthly METAS. A metapuzzle incorporates solutions from a set of puzzles into a final grid. The Michigan Daily will soon begin posting our very own monthly metas on the last Saturday of each month, so stay tuned for those.
Today’s Theme:
We love to do holiday puzzles when we can, and STPATRICKSDAY (55-Across) falling on a Sunday felt like a perfect opportunity to do it again. Packing the classic Irish mascot LEPRECHAUN (34-Across) into the grid was an absolute no-brainer. BINGE DRINKING (20-Across), of course, is a reference to the activities that many college students engage in on or around St. Patty’s Day each year. The final themed entry, RIVERDANCE (41-Across), is another natural addition to the grid, as the traditional Irish dance fits in with the cultural festivities of the day.
Answer Key:
