32D: It has been quite a while since we’ve seen CONEY ISLAND in a New York Times crossword puzzle, and personally, I’m glad to have it back. It’s meant to be a surname, and the answer is MONTY Hall of “Let’s Make a Deal” game show fame. 58D: Nice to see an alternative clue to ARA Parseghian, not that there is anything wrong with cluing the entry to the coach. Today’s ThemeThe black square “arrow head” is actually a plane being followed by its CONTRAIL (the revealer at 40D), as demonstrated by the five CON rebuses wedged between the trailing black squares. Looking back through my email correspondence with Jeff, Will and Sam, I found six chains with numerous exchanges.

Source: New York Times December 27, 2018 03:00 UTC