Weird Al Yankovic made today's New York Times crossword puzzle and the theme is 'cheese'

(Image credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

published 4 April 2018

The satirical accordion-playing mastermind behind pastiches such as "White and Nerdy," "Another One Rides the Bus," and "Smells like Nirvana" has officially graced the pages of the Gray Lady with his wordplay. "Weird Al" Yankovic made his crossword debut in The New York Times on Wednesday with a "cheese" themed puzzle ... of course.

People were still, well, confused!

"Back in early December I got it into my head that Al would make an ideal addition to the celebrity/constructor pairings that The New York Times has been featuring on its crossword page," wrote Yankovic's co-author, crossword-making veteran Eric Berlin. He added: "Al, to my delight, leapt at the idea, and all of a sudden I found myself in a weeklong many-e-mails-a-day correspondence with one of my childhood — and heck, adult — idols."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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