47A: Hi, mom! The singer RITA ORA makes her debut in the New York Times Crossword, and you may see her more often, because just look at that consonant-vowel letter pattern! I’m surprised that more Times Crossword constructors haven’t used her full name.

54D: “Téa of ‘Madam Secretary’” might seem like the clue is hinting at the French word for the beverage, but that is spelled “thé.” This is a veiled capital clue, where the first letter of the first word of a clue is capitalized not only because it begins the sentence, but also because that word is a proper name. “Téa” is the actress Téa LEONI, who stars in the television show “ Madam Secretary. ”

Today’s Theme

Hi, kids! I don’t usually pop up here, but ARTIE Shaw (71A) was a famous jazz and swing clarinetist in the 1930s and ’40s, I swear. (My 20-something colleague, who shall remain nameless, had never heard of him.) Mr. Shaw was also a composer, bandleader and actor in films that had a musical component. Knowing who ARTIE Shaw was will help you solve the revealer, which will help you get this theme.

Anyway, ARTIE can also be read as “R-T,” and those are the only two consonants that can be found in each theme entry. For example, at 21A, the answer to the clue “Seesaw” is TEETER TOTTER. Similarly, the answer to the clue “Pasta-serving cafe” is TRATTORIA. In both entries, the only consonants are the letters R and T.



Mr. Gordon did not have any constructor notes for this puzzle, but said that if he was going to give this puzzle a title, it would be “S +/- 1.”

The Tipping Point

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