Jessie Trudeau and Ross Trudeau’s New York Times crossword, “Rise to the Challenge” —Nate’s write-up

Our newlywed constructors are as much as one thing… fairly actually on this puzzle! Let’s see what’s up:

10.08.22 New York Times Sunday Puzzle

– 25A / 8A: CHIMNEY SWEEP [*Worker with a brush [three rungs]]
– 56A / 33A: SUBMARINE COMMANDER [*Captain with a periscope [four rungs]]
– 90A / 45A: CHERRY PICKER [*Seasonal orchard worker [eight rungs]]
– 101A / 81A: TELEPHONE REPAIRMAN [*Worker for AT&T or Verizon [four rungs]]
– 123A / 106A: HOUSE PAINTER [*One putting a coat on outside [three rungs]]

– 65A: CLIMBS THE LADDER [Advances through corporate ranks … and what the answer to each starred clue in this puzzle does]
– 8D: HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH [Visual depiction of the apparatus used by the starred professionals]

All 5 of themed professions climb ladders as a part of their jobs and, on this grid, they’re every climbing ladders from the left aspect of the grid to the proper aspect of the grid (based mostly on the variety of specified rungs) in an total symmetric method. So pleasing! It takes ability, expertise, and finesse to get this all to work (particularly with that lengthy string of Hs at 8D!), which made this a enjoyable one to resolve for me.  I particularly respect that that they had every themer climbing up the ladder and none of them climbing down.

Sure, to get the grid to work and be largely clear, there have been a number of partials (SO A, ON I), a numbered Pope (PAUL VI), and even a Roman numeral (MDC). On stability, although, I appreciated that the grid in any other case felt trendy in its entries / cluing, particularly with bits like ESCAPE ROOM and ENBY (a verbal shortening of non-binary (NB)).

Can’t stick round for for much longer at the moment – it’s fairly the busy weekend, so I hope you’ll allow the shortened evaluation. Let us know what you considered the puzzle within the feedback part under. Be properly!