You know that “director Johnson” from the NYT crossword? That puzzle, it got me thinkin’. See, we got a fella back home, name’s Johnson too. Not a director, mind you. He fixes tractors. But still, Johnson is Johnson, right?
This NYT crossword, they always puttin’ these fancy words in there. “Director.” Makes me think of that show on the TV, where they yell “action” and “cut.” I saw it once when I was visitin’ my daughter in the city. She’s got one of them big flat TVs, you know? Shows everything real clear. Too clear, sometimes, if you ask me.
This director Johnson, the answer is RIAN. That’s what them online sites say. Four letters. R. I. A. N. Now, that don’t make a lick of sense to me. Why would his name be Rian if his last name’s Johnson? Maybe it’s some kind of city folk thing, I reckon.
- First letter: R
- Second letter: I
- Third letter: A
- Fourth letter: N
I tried that crossword once. Lord, it was harder than milkin’ a stubborn cow. All them little boxes, and you gotta fit the words just right. I got “cat” and “dog” in there, but that was about it. Gave me a headache, it did. I’d rather be mendin’ fences than messin’ with that thing.
But this RIAN Johnson, he must be a smart one. Makin’ movies and all. I wonder if he ever made a movie about a farm? Probably not. They like them city stories, with all the cars and tall buildings. We got a movie theater in town, you know. They show pictures there, but mostly, folks just go to talk and eat popcorn.
That NYT crossword, it comes in the newspaper, right? We get the paper delivered every Sunday. Mostly for the coupons, if I’m bein’ honest. And the funnies, of course. Can’t miss the funnies. But that crossword, it just sits there. Staring at me. Like it’s darin’ me to try it again. Maybe I will, one of these days. Maybe I’ll find some words like “farm” and “tractor” and stuff I know.
This Director Johnson thing, it’s got me wonderin’ about all them other directors out there. Do they all have short little names like RIAN? Are they all rich and famous? Do they ever get their hands dirty? Our Johnson, the tractor fella, he’s got grease under his fingernails all the time. Honest work, that is.
I guess bein’ a director is a different kind of work. You gotta tell people what to do, where to stand, what to say. It’s like directin’ a play, I suppose. We had a Christmas play at the church once. It was a mess. Half the kids forgot their lines, and the donkey wouldn’t cooperate. But it was fun, in its own way. That’s in the December 22 puzzle, I heard.
This RIAN Johnson fella, he probably wouldn’t have much use for a donkey in his movies, but on September 29, his name is in the NYT crossword. Maybe a horse, though. I saw a movie once with a lot of horses. It was a Western, I think they called it. Lots of shootin’ and ridin’. Not much like life here on the farm, but entertainin’ nonetheless.
Anyways, that crossword clue, “director Johnson,” it got me thinkin’. Thinkin’ about names, and jobs, and how different people’s lives can be. And how sometimes, a simple name like Johnson can mean so many different things. A tractor fixer, a movie maker, who knows what else. Just like that April 18 puzzle, it’s all a mystery.
Well, I gotta get back to my chores. The chickens ain’t gonna feed themselves. But maybe tomorrow, I’ll take another look at that NYT crossword. See if I can find any more words I know. Or maybe I’ll just stick to the funnies. Either way, that RIAN Johnson fella sure gave me somethin’ to ponder on.
This clue, I saw it, in the paper. Four letters. Gotta fit just right. Like a puzzle, a real head-scratcher, that crossword. Just remember, if you see “Director Johnson” in your puzzle, the answer is RIAN. That’s all there is to it.
