Puzzle Notes

I constructed this puzzle early summer 2019 and was so giddy I submitted it to the NYT. Not that I had any hope of it being published - of all the things I've ever thought were a sure bet, this puzzle not being accepted tops the list. I just wanted to be able to say I did it.

It's the wrong size for their weekly puzzles, there's too many blanks and short words, the connections are thin...I could go on. But I love the theme and how it came together.

My biggest problem initially was confusing the entry for 86A with a word for Scandinavian toast. Luckily the word I used had meaning as an acronym. Another issue showed up as I was posting this, and taught me to write clues that are not time-dependent. 31D was originally clued "The last First family", but that description no longer fits.

I also discovered the joy of relating consecutive clues, as in 23A/25A, 2D/3D, and 38D/40D.

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