{"id":20386,"date":"2023-07-21T17:42:18","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T05:42:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/?p=20386"},"modified":"2026-03-16T18:11:24","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T05:11:24","slug":"nyt-crossword-mainstreaming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2023\/07\/21\/nyt-crossword-mainstreaming\/","title":{"rendered":"The New York Times crossword as a measure of mainstreaming"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Closeup<\/a><\/p>\n

Like any New Zealander excited when the country is mentioned out loud in overseas media or just actually included on a map<\/a>, I’m always interested when beer pops up in unexpected places. Last Friday’s NYT<\/em> crossword had\u00a0ipa<\/span> among its solutions, which itself isn’t uncommon \u2014 the crowded design of American crosswords mean they reuse some three-letter words a lot<\/em> \u2014 but the clue specifically referencing\u00a0hazy<\/em> struck me, and I wondered if that was new, and what (if anything) it might mean.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It turns out \u2014 gloriously but also probably inevitably \u2014 that some folks meticulously track these things<\/a>. And while I hope it’s not too anticlimactic to say right away that, no, this wasn’t the first<\/em> mention of a hazy IPA as such, the only other one (so far) was just over a year ago, and that clue was\u00a0Beverage with a “New England” variety<\/em>.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> But there were fifty<\/em> puzzles before that, dating back to 2012,<\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span> which lead people to ipa<\/span> in various ways, often with a simple Hoppy brew<\/em> or\u00a0Bitter beer, briefly<\/em> \u2014 but sometimes name-dropping specific brands (Sierra Nevada, Lagunitas, and Sam Adams), or alluding to the fact there are other sub-types with\u00a0Bar offering with “double” and “triple” varieties<\/em>, or with dubious lines like Alternative to a pilsner<\/em>. The crossword-solving public weren’t assumed or expected to know about hazies until May 2022,<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span> and that seems like some kind of sign that it’s crossed into a new state of acceptance or legitimacy or something<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Brut IPA never made it to that stage, and Cold IPA hasn’t either.<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span> sour<\/span> has never been mentioned as a kind of beer, with its drinks-related clues always aiming at a whisky sour instead. Older, more-established terms pretty frequently show up among the clues; the hints for porter<\/span> include several beer references mixed in with baggage-handling ones, and plenty of puzzles include lager<\/span>, all the way back to the 1940s \u2014 in the early decades it’s treated as a straightforward synonym for “beer”, more recent compilers have made mention of Oktoberfest or Pilsner or good old Foster’s to flesh out their own contributions. So maybe we can add “has it been in the\u00a0Times<\/em> crossword?” to the tests for whether something new has become a thing<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Anyway. Just a passing observation (and a\u00a0little<\/em> digging). In years gone by, this probably would’ve been a few tweets. But as things have changed for the worse \u2014 and then worse still in a terrible parade of nonsense \u2014 over there, I feel like I’d rather hang out here.<\/span><\/p>\n

POSTSCRIPT: And then, just two weeks later, the NYT<\/em> put out a whole bonus crossword on the ‘occasion’ of India Pale Ale Day<\/a> \u2014 and absolutely bloody none of the clues had anything to do with beer, of any kind. I have no idea what to make of that. (But I did find that in 2011 there was an International Beer Day one<\/a>, which\u00a0was<\/em> full of suitable clues.)<\/span><\/p>\n

POST-POSTSCRIPT:\u00a0“Pucker precipitators at a pub”<\/em> appeared on the 3rd of February 2024 and seems to be the debut of sour beer in the world of the NYT<\/em>. A little strange (if this is any mark of “being a thing”) to come after Hazy IPA, but still; welcome. My favourite crossword blogger<\/a> (of\u00a0course<\/em> I have a favourite) seemed to rate it as a pretty easy clue, so perhaps it really was overdue.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Excerpt<\/a><\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Like any New Zealander excited when the country is mentioned out loud in overseas media or just actually included on a map, I’m always interested when beer pops up in unexpected places. Last Friday’s NYT crossword had\u00a0ipa among its solutions, which itself isn’t uncommon \u2014 the crowded design of American crosswords mean they reuse some … Continue reading The New York Times crossword as a measure of mainstreaming<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[55,75],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interesting-finds","category-taxonomy"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":29437,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2026\/03\/17\/beer-nytxw-2025\/","url_meta":{"origin":20386,"position":0},"title":"Ones wise on Weizenbocks \u2014 beer in the Times crossword, 2025","author":"Phil","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Keeping track of the beer references in the crossword has become as much a part of my daily routine as solving the puzzle itself. So it's time again to take stock, see what made the cut, what patterns emerge, and consider what their sense of what people might know (or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2025.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26266,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/03\/21\/beer-nytxw-2024\/","url_meta":{"origin":20386,"position":1},"title":"99 clues about beer in the Times \u2014 a 2024 crossword survey","author":"Phil","date":"March 21, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Since noticing a reference to modern hazy IPA in the New York Times crossword, and wondering what that \"meant\" in terms of beer's currency in the popular culture, I've been keeping a tally of what else comes up. I recently realised I had a full calendar year worth of such\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/NYTXW-2024.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":27588,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/05\/06\/the-session-147-invite\/","url_meta":{"origin":20386,"position":2},"title":"A break from the real \u2014 your invitation to The Session #147","author":"Phil","date":"May 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I'm hosting the May 2025 edition of The Session, and I'd like to take us out of the 'real world' for a moment to share the beers and pubs in art and fiction that have grabbed our attention, whether they were sublime, surprising, moving, amusing, somehow significant, or symbolic of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Session"","block_context":{"text":"The Session","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/session\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Kroyer-Interior-of-a-Tavern.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":23397,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2024\/07\/12\/beeramisu-imperial-stout\/","url_meta":{"origin":20386,"position":3},"title":"Beeramisu \u2014 and a brief note concerning “Imperial” stout","author":"Phil","date":"July 12, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Tiramisu, but with a nice strong stout instead of the liqueur or fortified wine the recipe might call for, has become one of those things that I'll make at the slightest provocation. As a staff treat for a looming busy night, if some newly released beer seems like it might\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Rambles and rants"","block_context":{"text":"Rambles and rants","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/blahblah\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Berramisu-crop-wide.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":29240,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2026\/03\/17\/guinness-drinks-business\/","url_meta":{"origin":20386,"position":4},"title":"A pint of stout, and a can of worms","author":"Phil","date":"March 17, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Guinness isn't the highest rated stout anymore,\" declared a headline in The Drinks Business. \"New data,\" they said, reveals \"which brand comes out on top.\" I soon spotted that the source of their fresh numbers was Untappd, the beer logging and rating app \u2014 hardly a representative sample \u2014 so\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/Stock-image-header-centered.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26811,"url":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/2025\/04\/23\/beer-in-games\/","url_meta":{"origin":20386,"position":5},"title":"Here, 252 years from now \u2014 and other unreal places I’ve had a beer","author":"Phil","date":"April 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Ever since reading an excellent travelogue through, and review of, all the bars in The Witcher 3, I've been taking better notes about the beer I find when I play games. It's the same impulse that leads me to document the relevant clues in the crossword; where and how beer\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mediawatch"","block_context":{"text":"Mediawatch","link":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/category\/interesting-finds\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Screenshot from Fallout 4, showing the Gwinnett Brewery taproom, with stools up on the dark bar and brewery gear visible through an open door and window behind the bar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-content\/uploads\/FO4-Taproom.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20386"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29593,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20386\/revisions\/29593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/philcook.net\/beerdiary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}