The New York Times crossword for Sunday, March 16, 2025, titled “Have It Both Ways,” was constructed by Paul Coulter. The puzzle features a unique theme where pairs of Across answers are connected by Down entries that read differently in each direction. For example, 1-Across (“Jeans material”) intersects with 29-Across (“Dug through for digital analysis”) through a Down entry that forms valid words both ways.
Some of the themed pairs include:
- BLUE DENIM and DATA MINED
- PARTS COMPANY and STRAPHANGERS
- ORANGE PEELS and BEAUTY SLEEP
- DECAF COFFEE and FACED THE DAY
- PASSING NOTES and WAS DEAD SET ON
- CAMP FIRES and SANS SERIF
These pairs exemplify the puzzle’s clever wordplay, where the intersecting Down entries create different words when read in each direction.
For a detailed analysis and discussion of this puzzle, you can refer to the review by Eric Hougland on the Diary of a Crossword Fiend.