'Aches and Pains': Crossword Commentary

Science classes can be tough. But have they ever been so hard they made you sick? Or put you in a sling? Or even gave you a parasite? Allie Zhao asks those very questions in today’s puzzle. Read on for hints on tricky clues, thoughts on the theme, and comments from the constructor.

Tricky Clues

1A: A smooth misdirect here: [Something brewing] is a TEABAG. Don’t tell Fire Safety about my tea kettle, which technically isn’t allowed in my room.

23A: This one is a bit of additional theme material, in a way. Zhao tests our knowledge of particle physics here: a TAUON is an elementary particle, similar to an electron.

34A: My first instinct on this clue was to think of Capitol Hill. I should have been thinking smaller: an ANT is a [Hill worker].

49A: Another misdirect: [Money makers] aren’t rich people but actual makers of money: MINTS.

8D: For those who haven’t seen the show, DAPHNE is referred to as the “diamond” — the finest eligible bride in town – in “Bridgerton”.

10D: Not a window but a literal light in the sky: STAR.

12D: I like this sort of clue: vague and concise. You can’t be sure what sort of number or what kind of label the constructor is referring to. It takes a couple crosses to make a guess, and there’s a nice little “Aha!” moment when you figure it out. If it’s still stumping you — Zhao’s looking for SIZE.

28D: Today I learned that [Ululates] means “wails” or “cries” or in this case, BAYS. We should all learn a new word every day, and Zhao gives us a good one.

30D: Here’s some more extra theme material. Sir Isaac NEWTON is a [Famous lawmaker?], in a way, known for his famous three laws of motion. The story of the apple falling on his head — while it sounds extremely apocryphal — may actually be true.

52D: My Princeton pride makes it tough to see YALE in the puzzle. It’s actually a very common crossword answer, appearing 314 times in the New York Times puzzle. But our friends at the Yale Daily News don’t even have a crossword section, so I think we know who’s leading this rivalry.

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Today’s Theme

Physics is difficult, so difficult it hurts. Zhao plays on that with puns in this theme. The theme answers are all physical ailments with a pun on a famous physicist’s name, including BOHR SHOULDER for Niels Bohr and “sore shoulder,” and HOOKEWORM for Robert Hooke and, yes, hookworm. The theme answers are brought together by the punny revealer PHYSICAL PAIN.

Constructor Notes

First, I want to thank Gabe Robare and Owen Travis for all their help and support during my construction process. I really enjoyed constructing my first puzzle, and I’m excited to be making my ‘Prince’ debut! The inspiration for this puzzle came from my hours of studying for my PHY104 midterm, so the theme is a bit nerdy. But I really like what we came up with. I hope you enjoy solving this puzzle!

Still need help? See below for the answer key: