Wednesday, May 28, 2025, Peter A. Collins

An impressive grid by one of the Old Masters of the NYTX world, in which circled letters rising and falling in the shape of the Sun's daily arc spell out "sunrise, sunset." As the words dawn and set they cross the entries GOODMORNING and NIGHTYNIGHT, and there's a bonus/revealer/additional element of FIDDLER (Musical featuring the song depicted by this puzzle's circled letters, familiarly). Very nice.

I'm not sure what, if anything, the black squares represent. At first I thought there might be a stylized violinist in the center, but now I just think it's all just normal left-right symmetry blocks. I might make it into a T-Shirt design ... don't all the black squares, taken together, look something like a super hero emblem? (Mr. Wednesday!)... and it makes me wonder if there would be any concern about rights... Probably not. If that's not a transformative use, then I don't know what is. But Mr. Collins - I'll send you one if I ever end up doing it. :)

Anywhooo, where was I? 

I overthought things right at the start, wanting a rebus to fit "bebop" into 1-Down - "Genre for Count Basie or Charlie Parker" (JAZZ). I even took out JIB (Small foresail) briefly! But ZENO (Philosopher known for paradoxes) set me straight again.

I guffawed at "Terse admonition" (DONT), and, honestly, I love the little squares of crosswordese threes in the West and East - ABA/NAV/EYE and TVA/EEG/RTE. I feel it's totally worth it in a puzzle as elegant as this. And besides, you still get nice fill like ACUMEN (Astuteness), POINTA (Starting place), AVERTED (Turned aside), and GURGLED (Sounded like a brook). Doesn't that last one always make you think of Pirates?

When the enterprising burlar's not a-burgling
(Not a-burgling)
When the cut-throat isn't occupied in crime –
('Pied in crime,)
He loves to hear the little brook a-gurgling –
Brook a-gurgling
And listen to the merry village chime –
Village chime.

Well, it does me. 

- Horace