Tue May 20 11:10:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary and a news article based on the provided text:

**Summary:**

The article discusses a recent Tuesday New York Times crossword puzzle by Rena Cohen. While Cohen debuted with a challenging Thursday puzzle using “lie” rebus squares to mimic a polygraph, she’s primarily constructed easier Monday and Tuesday puzzles since then. The article argues that constructing these seemingly simple puzzles is actually quite difficult and showcases Cohen’s versatility. The Tuesday puzzle’s theme centers around communication-related expressions, such as “catch phrases,” “weasel words,” “finish lines,” and “sign languages,” used in punny ways. The article also highlights two clues as examples of potentially tricky wordplay often found in crosswords.

**News Article:**

**Rena Cohen’s Tuesday Crossword Proves Early-Week Puzzles Are No Easy Feat**

**NEW YORK, NY** – Rena Cohen, a graduate of the Diverse Crossword Constructor Fellowship, is making waves with her deceptively simple Tuesday New York Times crossword puzzles. While Cohen debuted in 2024 with a challenging Thursday puzzle that cleverly used “lie” rebus squares to resemble a polygraph test, she has since focused on the more accessible early-week grids.

Many might assume that these Monday and Tuesday puzzles are easier to construct. However, the article argues that crafting a tight, engaging, and beginner-friendly theme is a unique challenge in itself. Cohen’s recent Tuesday puzzle exemplifies this, cleverly playing on communication-related phrases. The themed answers, which included “CATCH PHRASES,” “WEASEL WORDS,” “FINISH LINES,” and “SIGN LANGUAGES,” showcased a playful use of language.

The puzzle also highlighted the nuances of crossword clueing, with examples like “[Good thing to bring to a competition]” leading to “A-GAME” and “[Crafters’ knives]” resulting in “X-ACTO”. These seemingly simple clues demonstrate the level of wordplay and misdirection that goes into crafting a successful crossword puzzle.

Cohen’s work challenges the notion that early-week puzzles are less demanding. Her ability to create both complex and accessible puzzles proves her versatility as a constructor and reinforces that even seemingly simple crosswords require a high degree of skill and ingenuity.

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