Yet another debut! Congratulations to Rob Cook for his Wednesday, June 25 puzzle (answers.)
I always enjoy these kinds of word games. The four theme clues all start with RE, they're all common words, but if you split them in two in just the right way, they fit the clue. This is just the kind of shenanigans that noted CYNIC Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) would appreciate. Mr. Bierce wrote The Devil's Dictionary and it's great fun. Here are some definitions:
Egotist, n: A person of low taste more interested in himself than in me.
Egotism, n: Doing the New York Times crossword puzzle with a pen.
Sweater, n: garment worn by a child when its mother is feeling chilly.
Then there's this quote that still seems timely: "War is God's way of teaching Americans geography."
I found the puzzle straightforward but satisfying. It seemed a little easy for a Wednesday but that's fine. The "protected state bird" is the Hawaiian NENE. It's pictured here.