Despite a lifetime spent in academia, I have never encountered the term "intermural". (15A) Sporting activities held within the University were always termed intramural, while sports played against other institutions were termed intercollegiate. I'm not saying it is not a word - just that it is not in current use, as far as I know, north of the border.
Andrew, It is not, in my experience, used for collegiate or any other level of athletic competition south of the border either. I *have* encountered INTERmural once or twice as an architectural term. are there emus on your intramural team?
@Andrew According to the OED, there are two (but essentially one) meaning(s); nothing to do with sports, however: ------------------------------------------------------------------- 1656 Intermural, that is between two walls. T. Blount, Glossographia intermural, adj. 1658 Intermural space, a space between two walls. E. Phillips, New World of English Words intermural, adj. ------------------------------------------------------------------- On the other hand, Collins English Dictionary has this: ------------------------------------------------------------------- Definition of 'intermural' intermural in American English (ˌɪntərˈmjurəl) ADJECTIVE 1. of, pertaining to, or taking place between two or more institutions, cities, etc an intermural track meet 2. occurring or being between walls, as of buildings or cities a narrow, intermural forecourt -------------------------------------------------------------------
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. Wrinkles in time? (4) 2. It doesn't run below the bridge (6)(4) 3. Butt-dials? (5)(5) 4. Who might mistakenly respond to a statement beginning "Seriously..." (4) 5. Switch hitter? (7)(2)(5) AGES STUFFY NOSE BOOTY CALLS SIRI FLICKER OF LIGHT
@Lewis I thought "One hitting the space bar?" might make this list. Was that not its first appearance, or did it just not make the cut? There was an emu from Jersey Who often showed little mercy. If the comment was short he would exhort "Make it a little more versey."
Kept on thinking...Fort Roop, never heard of it! Then my brain sprung into action. Thankfully my heart didn't skip a beat. Having slipped down the steps today in the snow and given myself some nice bruises (no gashes), it occurred to me once again why I never get right the daylight saving time's mnemonic maxim, "Spring forward, fall backward" -- for me it's often "Spring backwards, fall forward." As evidenced by today. I'll conclude with a couple pithy Knute Rockne quotes: "Most men, when they think they are thinking, are merely rearranging their prejudices." "I've found that prayers work best when you have big players." "One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than a hundred teaching it." "Drink the first. Sip the second slowly. Skip the third." "Let's win one for the Gipper."
@john ezra Time for some IcyHot? (Emu, tell John to be CAREFUL out there.)
@john ezra Ouch! Sorry to hear. :-( Arnica gel to the rescue. Bruises and ACHEs will be gone in no time. . . . . . . (No EMUnological system to the rescue needed. That's good, really good.)
I thought I'd be good on the trampoline, but I jumped to conclusions. (Now I'm afraid to use it: I'm a spring chicken!)
@Mike Good decision. A bounce of prevention is worth a bound 🦘of cure. 🦘 🦘 🦘 🦘 🦘 🦘 🦘🦘
@Mike Well, if you get hurt you can always see Doctor Cavortikan.
@Mike Good time to try, since it's a leap year. Do the emus get an extra day's pay?
The clue to 42D reminded me of a recent occasion when my wife and I were in a restaurant serving Tex-Mex cuisine. I looked over at the foursome sitting at the table a few feet away and was amazed — I suppose I ought not to have been, given they all appeared to be Gen Zs or younger — to see all four were simultaneously engrossed with their smartphones. I took a photo and sent it to Sam with the caption, “Text-Mex”.
@Strudel Dad Love it! And I think I see where Sam's love of puns comes from.
@Strudel Dad Great, thanks for that! I think that would make for a great cartoon in The New Yorker. I purposely rarely, if ever, bring my phone with me to a meal in a restaurant. Perhaps it started early in my career when I had to carry a beeper. Once I got rid of it, I really appreciated any time being “off-line”.
In her column, Sam warns us not to overthink Mr. Collins's theme. Gotcha.... But my crossword solving mind can't help it. So here's another interpretation of the theme. CHANCE -- You meet your future partner on a blind date SHOWER -- Your family and friends throw you one after you get engaged TRAIN -- Your maid of honor holds it as you walk down the aisle BOUND TO HAPPEN -- The officiant joins you and your partner in holy matrimony at the altar Fun puzzle, Peter. FWIW, I do remember F TROOP although, reading the clue too quickly, I initially thought the answer was FT (fort) something. The appearance of PIKACHU crossing KNUTE in the NE brought a smile.
Peter Collins on a Monday? Surely not! Tickled to see a bunny slope puzzle from one of my favorite black diamond constructors.
Congrats, Mr. Collins, for this lively and feel-good Monday puzzle. And the pangram! Well done, sir. I loved the variety in the fill, with history, languages, astronomy, and even some subliminal music: AEROsmith! And I went straight to "Love In An Elevator" so I can JUMP-start my week with some HOPping and bopping and a LEAP in my heartbeat. <a href="https://youtu.be/h3Yrhv33Zb8?feature=shared" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/h3Yrhv33Zb8?feature=shared</a> Between the great puzzle and the rockin' tune, I'm all set for another day houseBOUND due to the snow, LOAFing in a CHIC TOGA and lounging by the fireplace, reading PLATO. (Not!) Thank you, Mr. Collins. You've constructed a wonderful Monday puzzle!
@sotto voce Love Steven Tyler. Thank you for the wake-up, sotto voce! Hope you have a wonderful week!
@sotto voce Now you’ve triggered a memory. As I say to my kids, “stop me if I’ve told you this befor…” which is where they say, “we’re sure you have!” Philly Spectrum, probably 1976, Aerosmith and Rick Derringer. Labeled a “dance concert” (translation: no chairs on the floor, no reserved seats). High school friends want to be sure we get close to the stage so we get there REALLY early. Big mistake. Almost crushed to death before doors burst open (this was before the Who concert tragedy), first time I personally experienced how unintelligent and dangerous a mob of people can be. Still, got a space close to the stage. While waiting for concert to start, sitting on the floor seeing nothing but a sea of identical looking levis. Friend laughs and says, “I thought we were supposed to be nonconformists.” Great performance, Dream On, Walk This Way, Sweet Emotion all still relatively new. Unfortunately, had to dodge sparklers and M80s being tossed toward the stage by some folks up in the arena seats. Great adventure for an 18 year old.
So I xcited! Just read the clues, filled in the squares, heard the happy music. First time that’s happened. Started doing the puzzle in July 2022. What a difference 18 months of daily crosswording makes!
Sue, Congratulations! That's all, emus.
I think this is a tight theme – haven’t seen commenters coming up with stellar alternate theme answers, as they would do if they were there. Lovely theme answer set, Peter! My favorite moment was when, as I was zipping along in the solve, I uncovered JOSTLE and simply had to pause, to drink in this word I love but haven’t thought about in many a moon. It was a pause with an “ahh” and a “thank you for beautifying my day”. I also liked, as I looked over the finished grid, seeing all the O-enders (THO, QUO, AERO, PLATO, OUZO, and TAQUITO), and the schwa-enders (TOGA, AURORA, ERA, MALIA, OBAMA, ROSA, PAPA). I especially liked the fruit mini-theme, with ORANGE, apPEAR, and toDATE. So, much to like. Congratulations, Peter, on your 119th NYT puzzle, and thank you so much for this one!
Lewis, I was going to post a long reply on the subject of the tightness of the theme, but I'll skip it. skip to my emu
'Tis Monday, so it's not likely that Peter A. Collins can spring anything on us...and besides, it looks like vast swaths of the USA are incapable of gamboling or cavorting. They're frozen in place. We here are waiting to see if we are safely south of the weather front--my sincere hope for both today and tomorrow. The temp is bad enough. (I've spoken with the sasanqua camellias and wished them well.) Very nice Monday puzzle. PAC always delivers! The sole nod to the date is the name of ROSA Parks; as Heather Cox Richardson notes, heroism is often shown in quiet ways, when someone simply stands firm for what is right. (Her erudite near-daily "Letters from an American" are free. They are very affirming.) Debating about listening again to MLK's "Dream" speech. It always brings tears. Meanwhile, our Guv has cut off the food program for needy children and continues to reject Medicaid expansion--both deperately needed. Give me strength.
@Mean Old Lady: always delighted to find another HCR follower out in the world!
@Mean Old Lady I hope your camellias make it through. I’ve always wanted to be able to grow them, but it’s never been feasible in the mid Atlantic. Perhaps if climate change continues to accelerate at its current pace I’ll be able to give them a shot.
This was a hard-ish puzzle for me, especially for a Monday - mostly because I mentally blanked out and forgot the word CHIC (which also exists in Polish, but is spelled SZYK - that must look very weird to Americans, but it sounds almost exactly the same as CHIC), and I had no idea what a CHIA pet is (we have no Chia Pets here, and if we did I would not know the brand, anyway. However, making animal figurines out of gauze filled with mustard seeds that sprout into fur has been popular with kids for decades). The question about some ancient and weirdly titled series I have never heard of was definilitly not Monday-level, and INTERmural I would never have guessed without the other part of the clue, and without crosses. I also did not understand the theme, and not because of overthinking, but simply because those wordplay themes are very hard to grasp for a non-native speaker, apparently even one as proficient as myself.
@Andrzej agreed, harder for a Monday, and I'm American. Bound means to jump, all the theme clues have some for of jumping involved. Some obscure clues, not a fan of Ftroop, obscure. Also I never know how to spell czar.
@Andrzej I always thought it was INTRAmural (within our student body) sports.... so I dithered a bit until the crosses assured me by way of volleyball.
A huge thank you to @Tito and @Puzzlemucker for all the work put into the Puzzle of the Year Awards. It’s an endeavor in which everybody wins. Solvers get a reprise of sparkling creations, and constructors get a thank you and recognition of their work (I was exceptionally honored to be in the running!). It’s a beautifully conceived and executed endeavor, the POY. Standing O, you two!
@Lewis Where can we find the results of the Puzzle of the Year Awards? Will the emus agree with the results?
This one was a pleasant Monday diversion, delayed only briefly by entering tsar before CZAR and intra before INTER. Seeing FTROOP was a little surprising and brought back memories, as it was a steady part of my childhood TV diet, along with such other “edifying” fare as The Addams Family and Gilligan’s Island. In the fifth grade I performed the FTROOP theme song in front of the class when it was my turn for “show and tell.” Thankfully my musical taste improved somewhat over the years. Sadly I can still recall the lyrics (or at least most of them) to this day (ditto for the Gilligan’s Island and Addams Family themes). If only my brain had a selective erase button!
@Marshall Walthew Well, somebody has to do it. My apologies if this has already been posted, I haven’t run across it yet. The unforgettable opening theme from FTROOP: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3tmht8yu" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/3tmht8yu</a> — — — — — — — —
As soon as I see a J or a Q in a puzzle I immediately think panagram. I almost thought this one wasn't going to get there: the V and X we're tucked away in the SE corner. Well done!
I found the insight into the retention of FTROOP in the grid very interesting. As someone who has attempted to construct xword puzzles years ago, I understand how difficult it is to make the changes that the editors originally asked for. The inclusion of a 60s sitcom counterbalances the inclusion of more modern pop culture terms and, since it could be arrived at through the crosses, works for a Monday. Thanks Peter for an enjoyable Monday and a brief trip down television memory lane.
I feel a little silly mentioning this, but a big thanks to Joel Fagliano for including the 1) Across film in the Mini. This beautiful movie still reverberates months after seeing it. Both the story and the performances are amazing.
@G.T. No need to ever feel silly 'round these parts. In fact, thank you for posting this. I must have gotten it from the Downs because I hadn't noticed it until now that you mentioned it. I've already Googled it and will definitely watch it. BTW, it's the "#1 most searched romance movie on streaming today." Maybe we owe that to Joel Fagliano and you!
I'm glad you couldn't change F Troop - that made my morning!!!!
Is it only me, or is the Vertex unsolvable today? I am left with 3 unconnected nodes on the right side with 1,2 and 1 as their numbers. They won't connect. I can connect the top node (1) to the middle node (2) which leaves me with a 0,1,1, but the final 2 won't connect. Anyone have the same problem?
@Regina Yes, the first time I was not able to complete the vertex.
@Regina yes - exactly as you described above. I reset the puzzle twice to be sure that it was unsolvable - I was flummoxed!
@Regina Same thing for me. I came back later to see if it changed, but not yet.
Perfect Monday theme for me. It brought back nice memories of my favorite tennis match, loved seeing ASHE win. I’m old enough to remember FTROOP, but definitely needed crossings to get it. Watching the theme unfold was a treat. Thanks, Peter.
I miss Cpl. Agarn & Sgt. O'Rourke & Wrangler Jane and the wonderfui Hekowis who did not know where the heck they were. Nice Monday start. Nice Monday start Mr. Young. Thanks!
"We’re the Fugawi??" The "F-Troop" line you could get away quoting as a teenager. It was bound to happen, I flew off the handle and jumped to conclusions on this one. But that's another old 'dad joke.' Fun Monday!
I liked seeing Ash(e) along with his chosen Pokemon so near in the same puzzle. (How do I know these things?) "E-mu, I choose you!"
Comment poll: (To the constructor's point) Was F TROOP fairly crossed for a Monday puzzle? ( ) OUI ( ) non ( ) emu
@Barry Ancona @Barry Ancona I’d say oui, the constructor needn’t worry. Even on a Monday (and as someone who has never heard of the show), the crosses are simple enough and the corner doesn’t have anything particularly obscure generally. Loch and the theme clues (once you have the theme) at the very least should be a good start for the corner, and the crosses are all common enough knowledge.
@Barry Ancona Mais, oui. Lundi, Lundi, so good to me Lundi mornin', it was all I hoped it would be With apologies to the Mamas and thr PAPAa.
@Barry Ancona Well ... Peter did say foreign phrases are off the table on a Monday. But ... OUI (also crossing NUIT) are foreign words, not phrases. So ... I vote OUI. Ha ha.
Solved while listening to a show on the radio featuring songs by Edgar Yipsel "YIP" Harburg (53A). Good fun all around. The clue/answer is fine at 15A but I also skipped a beat so looked it up afterward. "The term (intramural) dates to the 1840s. It is contrasted with extramural, varsity or intercollegiate sports, which are played between teams from different educational institutions. The word intermural, which also correctly means "between institutions", is a common error for "intramural". " <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intramural_sports" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intramural_sports</a>
@John I stumbled on that one, too. 🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀🏀 Do emus dunk?
Two phrases of equal length that both mean "Me, too"? If only. OK, "Ditto" and "As am I". But what about "So am I", "So do I", "As do I"
@mld Definitely the kind of clue I never bother guessing until I get some cross values. Always too vague for me.
@mld Maybe we should change the term “kealoa” to METOODITTOASAMISOAMISODOIASDOI. !!! !!!
This is the best Monday puzzle for a long while. Thank you! (And I still have an error somewhere...)
Easy and perfectly pleasant, with no junky fill. But the revealer doesn't really nail the theme; it just vaguely alludes to it. I had a similar idea once and don't remember what happened to it or why. Did I try it out on one collaborator or more than one? And what was the stumbling block? Why don't I try it out now on y'all? 1) Go a little farther than others might dare (15) 2) Be overly formal when the occasion doesn't call for it (15) 3) Use influence to get something you want (15) 4) What you might do in a church choir (15) 5) And the revealer clue: Finesse the gym "workout" - - - - - - - - - - 1) PUSH THE ENVELOPE 2) STAND ON CEREMONY 3) PULL SOME STRINGS 4) LIFT UP YOUR VOICE 5) (revealer) DON'T BREAK A SWEAT
Never saw the FTROOP show, but got the answer because near where I grew up there was a state police barracks called Troop F. They apparentl hated being called F Troop! Funny what sticks in one’s mind.
I believe that’s two pangrams in a row. Interesting way to start the week. Ouzo always makes me think of the 1984 worlds fair in New Orleans, the Greek exhibit’s lax carding policy became well known to the teenagers in town, many locals trace their first alcohol experience drinking Ouzo at the fair.
@Phil Teenagers in New Orleans certainly didn't need to wait for a world's fair to get liquor. Believe me, I grew up there.
@Phil I absolutely loved visiting that New Orleans World Fair. It was so colorful, fun, and festive. A Mardi Gras parade of an exposition! Wonder where my photo album is.
I think I will forever be unsure if you guys use 'YAP' for a small dog's bark like us or not - apparently not. Had to go through the whole thing to try to find my mistake until I saw 'CHAA' on 46 down. Never heard of a CHIA PET either but it was the only thing that made sense.
@Theo in the US, chia pets are this window silll plant and planter which have been sold on television as Christmas stocking stuffers for decades. Basically you spread seed mush onto a ceramic mold and then the seeds sprout in the shape of the mold. Mostly a gag gift, but advertised on television for at least 40 years.
@Paul The "seed mush" is chia seeds. Hence the name.
Theo, KeaLoa with YIP-YaP. Wait for the cross. Yap "here" can be human talk, a mouth, a general noise, or a [small] dog's bark. Most recent: Wed Sep 27, 2023 64D Talk, talk, talk (5) Scott Koenig Sat Mar 25, 2023 10A Sharp, shrill sound Robyn Weintraub Sat Jul 16, 2022 7D Piehole (3) Kameron Austin Collins Wed Oct 27, 2021 57A Little dog's bark Johanna Fenimore
I'm old enough to remember F TROOP. But I never watched it. So I got stuck for a bit, wondering what FT (FORT) began with RO. Finally figured it out. Otherwise, nice easy, breezy puzzle. Also nice to see a familiar long-time constructor. Thanks, Peter.
Late answer possibility that dawned on me - also appropriate for this day. EBENEZERBAPTIST - 15 letters. Never been an answer and not even in the Xword Info world lists. EBENEZER has been an answer 13 times and was clued as: ________Baptist once. Otherwise it's always been clued to the 'Christmas Carol' character in one way or another. Oh and EBENEZERSCROOGE is also 15 letters and has been an answer: 12 times. ..
Nice Monday puzzle. Cute theme and a smooth solve; not quite a Monday record but close. I did come here wondering about a different theme on this particular day. Nope - but thought it was a nice touch (wonder if it was coincidental) to at least see Arthur ASHE, MALIAOBAMA and... especially ROSA Parks in the theme. On that note - went and did an extended answer history search for another name. Well. MARTINLUTHERKING is 16 letters. Add JUNIOR and it's 22 letters. I could go on and on about that but, in brief... the ONLY appearance of anything close to the full name was in a Sunday puzzle from February 19, 1984 by Bert H. Kuse. The answer in that one was: MARTINLKINGJR Some other theme answers in that one included: ROYWILKINS JESSEOWENS WEBDUBOIS HARRIETTUBMAN PAULROBESON But then I stumbled across one of the most amazing puzzles I've ever seen. I'll put that in a reply. ..
@Rich in Atlanta As promised: This was just a jaw-dropping find. A Sunday puzzle from January 18, 1998 by Ed Early and Bob Klahn with the title: "Prophecy." It was a 23 wide grid with FOUR grid-spanning entries and two more that were 21 letters - and one other 8 letter entry. The first clue was: "Part 1 of a prophecy by Martin Luther King Jr." and the others were: "Prophecy, part 2" (etc.) Here are the answers: IHAVEADREAMTHATONEDAYON (23) THEREDHILLSOFGEORGIATHE (23) SONSOFFORMERSLAVESAND (21) THESONSOF (8) FORMERSLAVEOWNERSWILL (21) BEABLETOSITDOWNTOGETHER (23) ATTHETABLEOFBROTHERHOOD (23) That's the puzzle of the century, in my opinion. ..
I loved F Troop, it was a funny show. I remember watching it in reruns after school. Though at first I couldn't remember the title, only Larry Storch as Agarn, and Forrest Tucker, so I had to start there. Three days now of snow blowing, today it is 13 degrees.
@Margaret from Michigan Let us not forget the glory of Ken Berry!!
Re: "61A. There are two phrases of equal length that both mean “Me, too” — “Ditto” and AS AM I. Somehow, I always put the wrong one in first." There's another: AS DO I, which is what I first entered. DITTO never entered my mind. And as to 4D, I insisted on reading my filled-in squares as FT ROOP and was prepared for an "oopsie" pop-up when I completed the puzzle. Only when the happy tune played did I realize I had mis-parsed it.
@Eric Ressner plus SO AM I. I've gotten to the point where I skip filling in until I've got some crossings to help whittle it down.
I enjoyed this slightly crunchy Monday quite a bit, but loved the column and author's note for its mea culpa concerning F-TROOP. It didn't overwhelmingly upset me in the first place; I mean, I wasn't SEETHing but it did leave me titch tetchy. As such, I quite appreciated the constructor's confirmation of my tetch and the insider's story explaining why it was there.
Every time I look at row seven -- ONA TOGA AURORA -- all my brain hears, because the rhythm is identical, is In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. By the way, a bit of background on that song (recorded by Iron Butterfly), per Wikipedia: According to drummer Ron Bushy, organist-vocalist Doug Ingle wrote the song one evening while drinking an entire gallon of Red Mountain wine. When the inebriated Ingle then played the song for Bushy, who wrote down the lyrics for him, he was slurring his words so badly that what was supposed to be "in the Garden of Eden" was interpreted by Bushy as "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida"
I liked the theme clues for this one a lot. The theme felt very unique, and this was a puzzle where I did use the hint clue to get the others, which is always fun. It’s also always nice to see a puzzle with a fair number of historical and language-based clues as well. I particularly enjoyed the double entendre of “Cover for Claudius.”
I know that it’s not really relevant to today’s xword, but it was interesting to see Natick in the news and not being complained about here.
A humorous note about FTROOP. The name of the Indian tribe is a variant of: How the F*uck are you? A very wonderful Monday. Thank you Peter
@dk My memory is, “Where the Heckawi?” Emipus get lost too
Nice one, Mr. Collins! Going to the archives to do one of your crunchier treats. Happy Monday all!
It was a bad Monday for me. It took 15 minutes and I had to look up three or four answers, but at least it's not a rebus. I don't use JUMP IN THE SHOWER to mean a quick get-ready. My family always said "rag down", which my mother thought was vulgar! Also, which is correct if you translate directly from Russian, CZAR or Tsar? I suppose I should Google that. Peace and hair grease.
@Alan Parker In Polish it's CAR (we pronounce C similar to your TS), and the Russian spelling is pretty much the same ( царь), that is, there is just a C at the beginning.
@Alan Parker: A relatively slow Monday for me too. In re: "rag down," here it's sometimes "redd up."
Easy and perfectly pleasant, with no junky fill. But the revealer doesn't really nail the theme; it just vaguely alludes to it. I had a similar idea once and don't remember what happened to it or why. Did I try it out on one collaborator or more than one? And what was the stumbling block? Why don't I try it out now on y'all? 1) Go a little farther than others might dare (15) 2) Be overly formal when the occasion doesn't call for it (15) 3) Use influence to get something you want (15) 4) What you might do in a church choir (15) 5) And the revealer clue: Finesse the gym "workout" (15) - - - - - - - - - - 1) PUSH THE ENVELOPE 2) STAND ON CEREMONY 3) PULL SOME STRINGS 4) LIFT UP YOUR VOICE 5) (revealer) DON'T BREAK A SWEAT
I survived this, albeit much slower than usual because I simply didn't know how to spell KNUTE. NOOTE, NEWTE, NOUTE etc. Spelling is always my achilles heel.
What is "intermural??? 15A Isn't the word "intramural"?
BR, As noted here in very early threads, the common current cites of "intermural" are of people misusing it when they mean "intramural," but the word does exist and has just a bit of current correct use.
@BR - It's a real word, but not used that much and I was surprised to see it on a Monday. Sports between different schools would be considered INTERmural.
@BR I thought the answer should be INTra but the second word in the clue (mingle) put me on the right path. After reading the earlier comments, I learned that intermural is a word whose meaning has nothing to do with sports! (even though my autocorrect is trying to change the inter to intra in this paragraph)
It’s INTRAmural and INTERmingle. No such word as intermural, sorry.
@Kathy wigg At least check Webster before stating something as if it were a fact. Or many of the posts below.
@Kathy wigg In case you don't have access to a dictionary, or the internet: intermural [ in-ter-myoor-uhl ] adjective of, relating to, or taking place between two or more institutions, cities, etc.: an intermural track meet. occurring or being between walls, as of buildings or cities: a narrow, intermural forecourt.
I read the Wordplay for almost every puzzle I solve, usually to see if anyone else had trouble with a term, clue, or puzzle. I'm often a day or two behind, and this comment comes a day late. I read all the comments for the Monday puzzle and saw nothing about the following, so here goes a rare comment from yours truly: @Sam Corbin, why the image of a Basset hound? The last sound I would associate with that breed is "YIP". Am I missing some greater inference? Love the puzzles, love the Wordplay column, love the regular commenters... heck, I even love the grumpy comments! PS - FTROOP was a show I well remember and enjoyed. I make no apologies for its age, or mine, when I daily put up with clues and answers about rappers, current tv show best friends of characters I've never heard of, and words in languages I don't speak or recognize. It's all part of the fun.
Where do I take a minor gripe concerning my (modest) streak? After a summer of Blue solves (going into the archives and catching up on the July and August puzzles) I got back into some gold months in the fall. Then in November two of my October solves turned retroactively blue. I shrugged and carried on until this week, 70 days or so, and then it happened again. Two of my December golds turned blue and my streak became even more modest. Is it important? Nope. Annoying though.
Laurel, Directly above the comment box, the note I have copied below should appear: For help with a technical issue, please send an email to our customer care team at <a href="mailto:NYTGames@nytimes.com">NYTGames@nytimes.com</a>. They may be able to assist you. Tell them an emu sent you.
@Barry Ancona thanks, just what I wanted to know
Having YAP instead of YIP nearly did me in. Took wayyyy to long to find my mistake.