The Morning: Welcome to the Gen Z crossword era

How puzzles became a spirited conversation with modern culture.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story April 13, 2024 By Melissa Kirsch Good morning. Solving a crossword puzzle today is less a quiet test of mid-20th-century minutiae and more a spirited conversation with modern culture. María Jesús Contreras Clued in My 20-year-old niece, Emma, texted the other day to tell me she's addicted to The Times's game Connections; she and her friends play every day, along with the Mini and Strands. "The people who make the games need to make more fun games," she declared. I don't mind her treating me as her personal on-demand suggestion box for The New York Times; she's my personal on-demand focus group for Gen Z. She's used to my asking her about Snapchat etiquette, or which athleisure brands are cool, or if it's true that her generation is grossed out by feet. I'd read about how younger people are getting into puzzles, but this was the first time my Gen Z rep had volunteered a report from the field. I was charmed; I'm a games nerd, but I'd never thought this was an activity that Emma and I would geek out over together. I, too, love Connections, but my deepest and most abiding puzzle romance is with The Times's crossword. I average a couple of puzzles per day, a simultaneously mindful and mindless diversion, a way to keep half my brain busy while the other half unpacks experiences and emotions for which there is no language, or no language yet. I started doing crossword puzzles in my early 20s. From the puzzle, I learned the difference between ETNA and ELBA, ARAL and URAL, the names of golfers and pitchers and generals. I could give you dozens of clever ways to describe ASTA before I ever saw a Thin Man movie. The crossword filled gaps in my cultural and historical education, gave me an edge in bar trivia. Solving crosswords was like working out, something I got better at the more I did it, but while I acquired some niche familiarity with puzzle arcana, I never felt that I was getting smarter about the world that I lived in. In the past several years, as puzzles have evolved from slightly esoteric entertainment to work that's more quirkily personal, the experience has changed, so that doing a crossword today is less a quiet test of mid-20-century minutiae and more a spirited conversation with modern culture. The reasons are manifold: The technology used to make crosswords has improved, the online spaces where people commune over puzzle making and solving have proliferated, and there has been an industrywide effort to increase constructor diversity. The result? "Constructors today are more inclined to express themselves in their work," as a piece in today's Times about crosswords in the age of Gen Z explains. Frankie Alduino for The New York Times Now, Times puzzles regularly include modern slang, internet speak, references to memes and films that weren't shot on celluloid. Recent grid appearances include BITCOIN ATM and SELF-DRIVING CARS. "Arrive with great hype" was a recent clue for the answer COME IN HOT. Another clue called for a "Question of legitimacy": IS THAT A THING. This has, for me, resulted in a puzzle that's more exciting, but I've spent enough time on online crossword forums to know that every longtime puzzler's reaction might not be so enthusiastic. I asked the editorial director of New York Times Games, Everdeen Mason, if she has heard from people who are unhappy with the way the crossword has evolved. The Times's puzzle-solving community definitely feels ownership over the crossword, Everdeen told me. And she understands there's "a sense of loss, maybe, when something that you thought was for you, you know, turns out to be for other people." I've been thinking about that statement, how human it is to want to see yourself reflected in the things that you love. When I began doing puzzles, I didn't question whether they were meant for me. It wasn't until I started seeing clues and answers more relevant to my everyday that I understood how much of a tourist I was then. Of course, you don't need to see yourself in a puzzle in order to enjoy it or complete it. "A well-constructed puzzle is solvable, even if there are niche entries," Everdeen said. Those niche entries are what make the newer puzzles so much fun for me. I'm not just calling up esoteric vocabulary from my weird-puzzler's lexicon. I'm participating in an activity that feels relevant to my everyday life. That doesn't mean I'm not a little wistful for the days when I felt I'd established a sort of mastery of the crosswordese that comprised every puzzle, when solving a crossword was a bit dutiful, like reciting a memorized poem. I'm less sure-footed in solving these days, but I'm also more often delighted, which seems like a respectable trade-off. For more What constitutes "proper English" in a crossword puzzle? "Who and what we reference in a crossword signals which audience the crossword is for." On the creation of the Expanded Crossword Name Database. Meet a new generation of crossword enthusiasts. Can crosswords be more inclusive? The constructor Natan Last investigated in The New Yorker. Meet some of the people who work on The Times's games. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV A scene from "Civil War." Murray Close "Civil War," a new movie from Alex Garland, is a what-if nightmare stoked by memories of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. "If that sounds harrowing," the critic Manohla Dargis writes, "you're right." Garland spoke with The Times about why he made the film — and why he chose to have Texas and California join forces. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" ended after 12 seasons. While the finale lacked any sense of surprise, Noel Murray writes, "it did feel right for the show." Read the review Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist, who got engaged on the TV show "The Golden Bachelor," are getting a divorce just three months after their wedding. Eleanor Coppola, a filmmaker and artist who made documentaries about her husband's and her daughter's cinematic triumphs and struggles, died at 87. Music The rapper J. Cole apologized for releasing a diss track about Kendrick Lamar. The two have worked together in the past. "Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic!": The weight-loss drug has repurposed Pilot's 1973 hit, "Magic," making it an inescapable jingle. O.J. Simpson O.J. Simpson, who died this week at 76, was a central figure in 1990s culture. His trial for the murder of his ex-wife, televised live, made him one of the most-seen Americans in history. Nearly 100 million American TV viewers watched Simpson flee the police in his white Ford Bronco. The car ended up in a museum in Pigeon Forge, Tenn. Before the trial made him infamous, Simpson had become a Hollywood fixture, playing roles as varied as an astronaut, a comic detective and a fake priest. He was also the first Black star of a national TV ad campaign. Theater Brody Grant, center, as Ponyboy Curtis in "The Outsiders." Sara Krulwich/The New York Times "The Outsiders" is notoriously tricky to adapt. But a new Broadway musical is "made with so much love and sincerity it survives with most of its heart intact," our critic writes. Commercial Off Broadway, a small sector of New York's theatrical economy, is having a banner season with plays like Eddie Izzard's solo "Hamlet." Other Big Stories Roberto Cavalli, the Italian fashion designer who celebrated glamour and excess, died at 83. See photos that show off his maximalist style. The International Booker Prize shortlist was announced. It includes books by Jenny Erpenbeck and Hwang Sok-yong. See a full list of the nominees. Jessica Alba will step down as the chief creative officer of The Honest Company, the baby product and personal care brand she founded in 2012. An HBO documentary claimed that the clothing store Brandy Melville, which sells single-size pieces, cashes in on young women's insecurities and mistreats its employees. See our takeaways. THE LATEST NEWS A funeral procession in Tehran last week. Arash Khamooshi for The New York Times President Biden said that he expected Iran to attack Israel "sooner than later" in response to Israel's killing of top Iranian generals. Six people were killed in a stabbing attack at a busy mall in Sydney, Australia. The attacker was killed by a police officer, officials said. Biden canceled another $7.4 billion in student loan debt for teachers, librarians and others. So far, he has forgiven $153 billion in loans. The House of Representatives voted to reauthorize a warrantless surveillance law. Speaker Mike Johnson scaled back the measure after Donald Trump urged Republicans to kill it. Haiti has a new governing council tasked with returning political stability to the country, which has been wracked by gang violence. Stocks slumped as tensions in the Middle East and concerns about inflation spurred caution among investors. The S&P 500 had its worst week of the year. A subscription to match the variety of your interests. News. Games. Recipes. Product reviews. Sports reporting. A New York Times All Access subscription covers all of it and more. Subscribe today. CULTURE CALENDAR By Andrew LaVallee 🎼 "The Tortured Poets Department" (Friday): It may feel like you're still digesting "Cowboy Carter," but it's time for another major album drop: "The Tortured Poets Department," which Taylor Swift announced when she won a Grammy for "Midnights" earlier this year. Swifties, poets, even the grammar police have made their feelings known, and if you think the discourse will stop there, have you not learned anything from Beyoncé? Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times. By Melissa Clark Baked Lemon Pudding Do the words baked lemon pudding set your heart aflutter, as they do mine? Lucky for us, this recipe, which David Tanis adapted from JR Ryall's cookbook, "Ballymaloe Desserts," is a simple, speedy delight. A mere 10 minutes of prep time, plus 40 minutes' baking, will yield a supremely citrusy dessert with two distinct layers: a puffed, spongy top that covers a soft and custardy center. Feather-light and brightly flavored, it's just the thing to serve at the end of a big meal when you want something sweet but not filling. And for lemonheads who like things extra tart, substituting buttermilk for whole milk bumps up the tanginess in the best possible way. REAL ESTATE David Pickett, left, and Bert Fox. Michelle Litvin for The New York Times The hunt: A couple wanted to find a home on the north side of Chicago that struck the right balance between square footage and access to coffee shops. Which did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $420,000: A 1940 Colonial Revival house in Charles Town, W.Va.; an 1858 Greek Revival house in Holly Springs, Miss.; or a one-bedroom condominium in Washington. LIVING An Eid celebration in Washington Square Park. Amir Hamja/The New York Times Dressed to the nines: The comedians Hasan Minhaj and Ramy Youssef were among the hundreds of Muslims who gathered in New York to celebrate Eid al-Fitr. Fashion week: Nigerian fashion designers are ready for their industry to take center stage. Staples and well-kept secrets: Times readers shared their favorite New York City restaurants. See a list here. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Where to buy plants online Purchasing houseplants online can be useful if you don't have a great brick-and-mortar store nearby. But not all plant purveyors are created equal. Wirecutter tested the most popular services, and landed on two we think offer the easiest shopping experience and deliver the healthiest plants. If you buy online, we recommend checking your new plant for pests, quarantining it from other plants for about a week, and repotting it in an ideal growing medium. Et voilà: fresh flora to celebrate the season — or perhaps a certain someone ahead of Mother's Day? — Rose Lorre GAME OF THE WEEK Bryson DeChambeau on the 18th green yesterday. Doug Mills/The New York Times The Masters golf tournament: Scottie Scheffler is the best golfer in the world right now, "and it might not be close," The Athletic's Brody Miller writes. Scheffler has a peculiar swing — his feet slide as if on roller skates — that nevertheless seems to send the ball exactly where he wants it. He enters today six under par, tied for the lead with Bryson DeChambeau and Max Homa. 3 p.m. Eastern today and 2 p.m. tomorrow, CBS. More on the Masters Tiger Woods made the cut for the 24th consecutive year. His one over par puts him in 27th place. Augusta National is a special place: No other major championship is held at the same course every year. Here are five of its best holes. Did you know? The golfer who wins the Masters gets to choose the menu for the next year's champions dinner. Here's what last year's winner, Jon Rahm, picked. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangrams were agendum, undamaged and unmanaged. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week's headlines. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Editor: David Leonhardt Deputy Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Desiree Ibekwe, Sean Kawasaki-Culligan, Brent Lewis, German Lopez, Ian Prasad Philbrick, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Morning newsletter from The New York Times, or as part of your New York Times account. To stop receiving The Morning, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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