Crossword Blog & Answers for June 28, 2025 by Sally Hoelscher

There are spoilers ahead. You might want to solve today's puzzle before reading further! Split

Constructor: Erik Agard

Editor: Amanda Rafkin

Erik: I’m a big fan of stacked theme answers – the earliest example I can remember encountering is a Merl Reagle puzzle called “Gridlock,” but it was Will Nediger, a master of the technique, who’s really gotten me into them in the last few years. I hope you enjoyed the puzzle! Happy Pride!

SPLIT: Each theme answer is a literature (LIT)-related phrase with the initials S.P.: SYLVIA PLATH, SECOND PERSON, and SELECTED POEMS.

The key to understanding today's theme is to realize that the title needs to be read not as SPLIT, but as S. P. LIT. I admit that I stared at the completed puzzle for quite some time before I caught on. I could see that the theme answers all had the initials S.P., but what did that have to do with SPLIT? There was a nice "Aha!" moment when I caught on. Tricky! It's fun to see the theme answers stacked up in the middle of the grid. It's also impressive from a construction standpoint. Thank you, Erik, for this excellent puzzle.