I must think of doing this with my father. I imagine explaining to him how to approach these things. Let's escape for a minute, pretend you're my Dad and I'm explaining to you how to approach a NYT puzzle. He resists because he thinks they're filled with scary erudite things that are inaccessible. But that is not so.
The title should be a great disguised clue. We cannot make heads or tails of the title. It doesn't help us one bit. In the crossword world "brief" connotes abbreviation. This is most likely a puzzle containing Scandinavian abbreviations. Expect it to be loaded with things like SAL, the airlines, I think, LEGO, IKEA and the like. I don't know.
Our goal is discover how the main entries relate to the title. That's all.
We don't care about the whole rest of the puzzle.
We don't care about it anymore than we care about the scaffolding used to create a domed building, or the armature used for a statue. It's utilitarian. The juice of the puzzle is in the main entries. Solve those and we win.
And the whole time we're thinking, "brief Scandinavian tour" as co-clue for each main entry. How does this fit with "brief Scandinavian tour?"
Turns out the construction entries are easy. Too easy. So easy it makes me wonder if this is a Monday puzzle or possibly a Tuesday. Surely not Wednesday level.
It goes very quickly, it looks like NORWAY something. The clue is about the largest naval base in the world. The end is garbed so must be solved tediously and completely to get off Europe and accept the United States, the answer is NORFORKVIRGINIA.
NORFORK is Scandinavian?
Skipping to the next main entry. Turns out a ridiculously easy giveaway. The clue is explicit and that is unusual, "Thread used to remove plaque from teeth." Clues are never this explicit.
What in DENTALFLOSS is Scandinavian?
DEN. That's all. That's the "brief Scandinavian." Looking back we have NOR and DEN. A tour is developing. The rest will be like this. The remaining countries abbreviated at the beginning like this. All four will match this way.
The next theme entry is also another distressingly simple explicit giveaway clue. "Edible orange tuber" SWEETPOTATO, and now SWE.
Finally the bottom themed clue, straightforward as can be, no misdirection anywhere in this "go easy on 'em" puzzle, "Where social graces are taught" and you're thinking, charm school, dance school, ballet school, FINISHINGSCHOOL for FIN.
Bang, we win.
But don't you care about all the rest? No.
But don't you care to cross prove you're right? No.
But don't you want to have a satisfying sense of total completion? Why yes, I do.
Now time to do something useful like mow the yard or wash the truck.
