... but that's a difficult question to answer without sounding like a bit of a jerk. That said, I guess the answer is pretty much "yes". However, this type of crossword is my specialty. If you look at the grid, you'll notice that the whole middle area has no black squares. So the crossword is constructed to look a little weird. So the answer is definitely "yes" for this style of crossword (known as a "triple-stack 15s"
.
(Warning: shameless self-promotion below)
If you google my name you can see I have a whole book consisting of this type of crossword.
But to be honest, one thing I hate about being a crossword constructor is that some people think that you are implying you're somehow smarter than them. However, anyone can be "smart" with an open dictionary in front of them! I'm quite sincere about this.
By the way, since I've contributed to the New York Times since 1991, if anyone has any questions about the NYT crossword, Will Shortz, or the previous editor... I'd be more than happy to answer them.
Fire away
-Puzzler
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