Tomorrow we will celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary. Before that, we had what you might call a long engagement—14 years. We wanted to be sure. Sweet puzzle, fun fills. Thank you, Ella.
@dutchiris That's so lovely!! Wishing you a very happy anniversary!!
@dutchiris Happy anniversary! We just celebrated our 30th a couple days ago. Do you find that Valentine’s Day is quite muted by the the romance and celebration of an anniversary just a day or two apart? We gave up on cards and roses by our second. The anniversary always feels like the truly sentimental day to celebrate “us.”
Given the constrictions imposed by the theme, I’m blown away by the freshness and quality of the fill, from SEA FOAM to LADYFERN and so much more. Xwordinfo gave it a 96% Wednesday “freshness” rating based on its formula, meaning that only 4% of Wednesday puzzles score higher. Thats unbelievable in light of the intricacy of the theme - snaking four Valentine-y words in the four quadrants so that they spelled out LOVE. Wow!
Joan Armatrading’s “LOVE and Affection” is up there as one of the most gorgeous love songs. Great sax: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oag3I4VRXyM" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oag3I4VRXyM</a>
The VA is a resource for former service members. CJCREGG and RAPANUI are too obscure and right next to each other. No wonder they weren’t mentioned in the Wordplay column. I rarely complain, but this puzzle was not fair for any day of the week.
@Tom S. I only got those 2 obscure answers by filling in all of the crosses. I agree they were very obscure. And thank you for pointing out that the VA is for former service members - I knew something felt off about that clue.
@Tom S. Don't they say, "Once a Marine, always a Marine"? ???? Once an emu.....
I thought this was harder than most Wednesdays, with answers like VANCE and MASSE. A fun, apt puzzle, nevertheless! I think RESPECT is a bit different than FONDNESS/PASSION/LOVE/ROMANCE but YMMV.
@Bill I agree, I needed three cheats, and I never need cheats on a Wednesday puzzle. I didn't know the Janney character, nor the 'walk-up', nor the popular Mexican beer. But I understand why, fitting a tougher puzzle in to match the theme to the day. It was fun, nonetheless, with lots of fresh fill!
@Bill I agree about RESPECT. It doesn't quite match the timbre of the others, but it's close enough for jazz, I guess. I tried CAROM first. I'm no pool player, but I know what a MASSE shot is. It just wasn't my first thought. CORONA wasn't my first thought, either. I had MODELO for a while. The SW gave me the hardest time. LOWRISE didn't click for a long time. I had YAKED before JAWED. I watched "The West Wing" long ago, but couldn't remember Janney's role. Do emus send love letters?
@Bill MMDV I don't know if trying to acronym my mileage did vary is okay but I just had to Google YMMV, so I thought I'd go for it! 😆 I agree that RESPECT is different but I love that it was included with them because without that what staying power have the others!?
I hit 1000 on my streak today, and what a LOVEly puzzle for doing so! And if you wouldn't mind, emus, please let this one pass. <3
@Alita Shaver Congratulations! What a great milestone — and on Valentine’s Day, no less. (Yes, yes, emus, sure, you’re congratulateable, too.)
"But at tennis, you said you loved me!" "That means nothing." ("What a racket.")
@Mike "Wrong kind of match."
@Mike I will add in that I'll let you have this one. You're all set at this game, even though I try to match you.
This was a fireworks theme, exploding in the box. For starters, four gray letters – hard enough to produce in a grid. Harder still is creating an un-clunky grid, given the constrictions those four letters produce, but this grid is remarkably smooth overall. Well, you’d think that would be a sufficient load to wrangle, but then Ella added a revealer, and the perfect punny revealer at that. So yes, fabulous concept and construction. But most importantly, how was the solve? For me, interesting and happifying. Interesting answers all over the place – TREE BOA, SEA FOAM, YES OR NO, CRONE, ANY NEWS, EN SUITE, CJ CREGG, RAPANUI, LOW RISES, LADY FERN, SORRENTO. And happifying? Moments like remembering RAPANUI from I-don’t-know-where in my brain. Like remembering the can’t-wait excitement my wife and I had over the first few seasons of “The West Wing”, where we shut out the world, watched, then, laughing, and shouting “Yes!” back and forth, regaled our favorite moments. Like being uber-vexed in the NW corner, then, in a huge flash, the theme itself cracks it open when I finally see ROMANCE. Yes, happifying. Ella, wow! Put all this together and wrap it with a bow. This wasn’t simply a solve; it was an experience to, well, love. Thank you for this blast of bliss!
Any puzzle with CJ CREGG in it is okay by me, though there were a were some tricky spots for me, particularly the NW. Also, I had no idea that Scarface was a nickname for CAPONE. I kept wanting to put Pacino in there, even though I knew it was wrong.
@Vaer All I could think of was Claudia Jean. I could not think of the most-used version of the character’s name, CJ CREGG. I finally got it, thanks to the crosses, and then I rolled my eyes at myself.
@Vaer I accidentally got CAPONE while I meant to put in Pacino but it was the name that came to me first
@Vaer I’m with you there; my favourite character in an outstanding series. ‘Do the Jackel CJ ‘
Very cute! Resembles those candy hearts (“oh you kid”, “be mine”, “hug me”), but in crossword form. Be mine, oh you emu.
Aww, Happy Valentine’s, Ella — and Sam C. and all ye merry puzzle lovers!
Happy Valentine’s Day! Apparently over a billion are exchanged in the states if you include classroom parties. Those were the days… I LOVEd that the grid art resembles those classic LOVE stamps, too. May many a valentine find its way to you today!
For me, one of the toughest Wednesday puzzles I ever tried (although I’m a mere novice in the midst of all you veterans in this community) — mainly because of so many unfamiliar terms in the NW corner, for which APLOMB hardly describes my approach to it. And that’s even after I recognized the shaded squares for L, O, V and E spelled out appropriate words. My time was so much slower than my Wednesday average that I am almost ready to describe it as my personal Valentine’s Day massacre — a phrase with which I immediately associate one of my favourite movies of all time: the incredible Billy Wilder comedy, “Some Like it Hot”. Wikipedia tells me this little tidbit about the movie: “The film was produced without approval from the Motion Picture Production Code (Hays Code) because it features cross-dressing. The code had been gradually weakening in its scope since the early 1950s, owing to greater social tolerance for taboo topics in film, but it was enforced until the mid-1960s. The overwhelming success of Some Like It Hot is considered one of the reasons behind the retirement of the Hays Code.” Of course, were I not a NYT crossword puzzle enthusiast, though a Johnny-come-lately one, I wouldn’t have learned that either. Apologies for all this rambling. Happy Valentine’s Day to all.
@Strudel Dad A rare blue-star Wednesday Sorrente looked like a perfectly cromulent Italian city to me Never would've found my error
@Strudel Dad One of my all-time favorite flicks too. I'm glad it's on TV so often.
CJ was a character on a show that was popular when I didn’t have TV (by choice)…and that relates to a moment in my past. About a quarter century ago, in the middle of the night as I drove along I-95 in Connecticut, I pulled in to a rest stop to use the facilities. At the same moment, a stretch limo parked opposite me. A person from that limo was walking up the path and I did a little double take, thinking “I know him from somewhere…” He saw that recognition on my face and steeled himself for a greeting or gushing that would never come, because I was and still largely am showbiz illiterate. When I got home, I called my TV obsessed friend and exclaimed: “I peed next to that guy!” — “What guy?” “The guy I like from the show you like on TV!” — “Josh, from the West Wing? Bradley Whitford?” “Yeah, him!” He was relieved that I hadn’t interacted with him, but, frankly, I didn’t know his name, his character’s name, or the name of the show he was on. That is how the crossword puzzles make me feel all the time.
@David Connell Yes, I can see why he was “relieved”. 🙂 ……. !!!!!! Emus, begone!
I might have been faster if there were less six letter choices for Mexican beer. I tried Tecate and Modelo before ending up with CORONA. Overall, a LOVEly puzzle!
@Elizabeth I had no problems with CORONA, but the Italian beer? MORONI was what I settled on. That made the NW corner the last to fall. Fortunately APLOMB was distinctive enough that I came up with the correct beer. Finally.
A DEM House seat is a wonderful Valentine for NY and US. Cute puzzle! Happy Valentimes (see Teen Girl Squad)
@dk And a lesson for elsewhere on how to deal with the demagoguery around the immigration issue. DEMs, the orange MASSE has handed you APLOMB example of how WETRY, they don’t. USEME.
@dk Well, we get what we vote for. Hope it works out fer ya.
This one felt like a perfect Wednesday level. Some fun clues and I especially liked 16A. Nice job!
I sometimes find Saturdays more doable than Wednesdays. Not that Saturdays don’t take me forever, they do, but with persistence you can find the answer somewhere in your brain. That’s usually not possible with trivia - this was the case in the bottom left for me today.
Back when I lived on Mt. Olympus, I had an edifying conversation with Hermes about the differences and, yet, surprising similarities between languages. For instance, I carefully etched into a tablet the English letter ‘N’ each time I spoke an example word highlighting its pronunciation. I’ll never forget the rising smile in his eyebrows as he replied, “Well, that’s NUS to me!” (I’ll show myself out.) cc: emu handler
@Steven Ask a student of fluid dynamics "What's new?" and you might get the answer: mu/rho So I asked Copilot, the Microsoft AI tool: Explain the fluid dynamics equation nu=mu/rho "Certainly! The equation ν = μ / ρ relates to kinematic viscosity in fluid dynamics. Let’s break it down: ν (nu) represents the kinematic viscosity. μ (mu) stands for the dynamic viscosity of the fluid. ρ (rho) denotes the density of the fluid." It went on to define each of those terms and the units used to measure them and finally concluded: "In summary, the equation ν = μ / ρ helps us understand how fluid properties (viscosity and density) influence its behavior during flow. It’s a fundamental concept in fluid mechanics and plays a crucial role in describing phenomena like fluid motion, drag forces, and boundary layers" Pretty impressive, and the response was instantaneous.
@Steven “Back when I lived on Mt. Olympus.” Sigh. At least you wake up every morning and there it is, still. I do so miss living in its foothills, having exchanged it for a mere Olympic Penninsula.
What a sweet treat for Valentine's day! (For the cherry on top, check out the mini) I struggled on the first pass, but then got into the groove. When I realized the shaded squares weren't just letters but words as well, that helped me fill in some unknowns. Finished under my average time with no lookups, yay! Looking forward to Feb 15th- 50% Off Chocolate Day
Love is lovelier when it fits neatly into these boxes! Thanks for a fantastic Valentine's treat. PS Admire the inclusion of respect as part of the love letters. A key element many of us forget in the height of passion and romance.
I always like an interesting grid, and this was a delight. Lots of fun figuring out how to fill those gray squares. 63A is a good example of how my brain works. I thought of the person who makes sure there is no cheating on a test, just couldn’t remember the word PROCTOR for ages. Well done, Ella, loved it.
What a sweet Valentine's Day puzzle! And just the right amount of difficulty to go with my morning coffee. Re 49A: When I was in high school (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), the only odd thing that was required for graduation (besides normal stuff like math and English etc.) was driver education. Well, it was in Detroit. Anyway, loved the puzzle, even though I had trouble remembering what CJ's last name was. And I had LOVE NESTS for the walk-up apartments. I'd rather go to a luxury apt in the sky. Now I'll have to do something special for my little furry valentine. Happy Valentine's Day to all.
@Deadline I remembered her name, but not how to spell it.
This was a hard Wednesday for me, 64% slower than average. Couldn't remember or just plain did not know a lot answers. The SW and NW corners were especially troublesome. Had to rip out draINS to get BASINS. Did others think this was harder than a typical Wednesday? (The theme did help in places. Without it, my results would have been even worse.)
This puzzle works its magic on more than one level. The LOVELETTERS theme, with the gray thematic squares in each the four corners arranged to form one of the letters of LOVE, is ingenious enough. But that’s not all. While the four thematic words are all abstract nouns, the physical, cardiopulmonary (see 49A) aspect of love also gets its due: the four corners of the grid are reminiscent of the four chambers of the heart. The “chambers” on the E side of the grid (right “atrium” and “ventricle”) carry the relatively colorless, low-oxygen FONDNESS and RESPECT, while their W (left chamber) counterparts ROMANCE and PASSION are full-blooded, suffused with hemoglobin. Ms. Dershowitz never fails to amaze.
That south west and south central was tough for me. Felt Friday/Saturday ISH in that chunk with clueing written using an end-of-week brevity. Finished around average Wednesday but only because the other three quadrants felt, perhaps, slightly easier than usual. Fun puzzle! Thanks, Ella Dershowitz. Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!
Fun challenging (for a Wednesday) puzzle
If usage is even important when a word is not generally used: we don’t normally “have the APLOMB to do so.” We do so “with APLOMB.”
My very first apartment after graduating from college was a 4th floor walk-up in Brooklyn - the old, geographically undesirable (for young single women) Brooklyn, not the hip, trendy one of today. The rent was an amazing $89.70 per month, cheap even for then, and I shared it with a roommate. We didn't call it a LOW RISE. After a year my roomie moved to the West Village. I stayed there until the day I found two waterbugs enjoying Valentine's day in the bathtub, and went apartment hunting as soon as I got dressed. Quintupled my rent. Thanks for the memory! And thanks, Ella, for a delightful puzzle!
@Times Rita It would seem it would have been a lot cheaper to just buy a can of Raid. Or at the least, called an exterminator. !!! !!!!
Happy Valentine's Day... This year illness interfered with card-making and even Springerle cookie baking. Maybe I can make up for it on April Fool's Day...which may seem related to some cynics or misanthropes... I question CPR as a graduation requirement in "most states"--I've never heard of that. (Does that just mean 26?) Even driver education is not mandatory *for graduation.* (However, in Ohio, to be licensed a teen must take a series of classes and pass the exam, then log 50 hours of supervised driving--ten of which must be after dark-- and finally pass the test at the license bureau, which includes backing through a curving path marked by cones. Training is not tied to graduation. In Arkansas, there is no state driver training requirement at all--just a paper test and a driving component; HS graduation rates are not especially high, either.)
@Mean Old Lady I eventually got far enough down in the Comments to learn a surprising factoid! Our kids were out of HS by '99 and '01....
@Mean Old Lady CPR Training is now a HS graduation requirement in 40 states. <a href="https://cpr.heart.org/en/training-programs/community-programs/cpr-in-schools/cpr-in-schools-legislation-map" target="_blank">https://cpr.heart.org/en/training-programs/community-programs/cpr-in-schools/cpr-in-schools-legislation-map</a> Surprised me, too, since it wasn't in effect in NY when I retired in 2006, and I hadn't heard anything about it becoming a requirement.
@Steve L BBB thank you for that map. My kids are recent HS grads (2016, 2018, 2021) and I don't remember them learning CPR, but suspect it might have been a component of health class, which WAS required. (Or maybe it was in whatever-euphenism-they-used-for-PE class). I plan to ask!
Very cute, breezy puzzle, and I adored the words selected to comprise our love letters. And USE ME—a codependent candy heart at the heart of the puzzle! So good. And then…. the southwest. Wednesday look-ups are the worst. It ATE INTO my patience. I don’t feel bad about not having watched the West Wing, but I really should’ve remembered the name of Easter Island and its people. Ah well. Overall, a winner—just a bit frustrating in the end.
@Josh Yes, I just couldn't think of "ate into" and Eos and Helios are fairly hard to look up because there's a lot of brands named after them
Late to comment due to being stuck into a structural reframing project which I am handling with typical APLOMB - and sometimes even level too. :) Sweet confection with some nice chewy bits, but not too hard on the fillings. A happy V day to all you lovers, wherever you are.
Phew, that was a tough Wednesday! Got stuck on 6D, where DRAINS seemed likely until I came up with BASINS.
Congratulations Ella Dershowitz! Fun puzzle for a Weds. my favorite was Sorrento. I had the NE first and didn’t get the theme yet, thinking Fosse? Bob Fosse? Then later I had a Duh! moment.
See, I thought LOW RISES was referring to those low rise pants you have to keep pulling up as you walk (what a terrible invention they were). I guess buildings make more sense!
Amazing puzzle. Quite a struggle for me, of course, but managed to work it all out. Regarding some earlier comments about one theme answer, all I can say is... R.E.S.P.E.C.T - find out what it means to me. And that in part led me to a couple of remarkable puzzle finds today. One a Tuesday from July 30, 2013 by Peter A. Collins. In that one, the clue for RESPECT was : "Honor ... and #5 on a list by 40-/46-Across of the 500 greatest songs of all time." Other theme answers all had the same type of dual clue, e.g.: "Casual greeting and #4 on the list" WHATSGOINGON What was truly amazing was 34a. The clue: "With 40- and 46-Across, mossless? ... and #1 on the list." And the answer to that was: LIKEA And finally, 40 and 46 across were: ROLLING and STONE The other theme answers: IMAGINE SATISFACTION Here's the link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/30/2013&g=18&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/30/2013&g=18&d=A</a> ..
@Rich in Atlanta And... one more quite amazing puzzle find. A Wednesday from February 10, 2010 by Ed Sessa. Theme answers in that one (all clued quite straightforwardly): 18a. FIRSTINLINE 24a. HEARTOFSTONE 37a. CENTEROFGRAVITY 50a. ENDOFMESSAGE And the reveal. Clue: Billets-doux ... or 18-, 24-, 37- and 50-Across all together?" Answer: LOVELETTERS Yeah - took me a minute too. ..
Finished this fun ditty feeling pretty chuffed, but no! At least one square… Almost broke my streak of no look-ups. Third scan, I found my cocky, genius brain was okay with CAPOtE/ CROtE Finally saw it, but over-inflated ego has headed back to bed. Perfect Valentine’s Day puzzle! Thank you Ella!
@CCNY Posted below in another thread, but everyone should get the beauty of Steve Earle’s song, Valentine’s Day. It’s also the perfect way to get out of trouble if you forgot to get your honey some chocolates. Just play this song, have a little dance in the kitchen, and all will be forgiven. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAWAMeqypVE" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAWAMeqypVE</a>
@CCNY thank you I needed that!
TIL that CPR training is now required for high school graduation in most states as of 2018. That's great to hear. Interesting to see which states are the exceptions: <a href="https://cpr.heart.org/en/training-programs/community-programs/cpr-in-schools/cpr-in-schools-legislation-map" target="_blank">https://cpr.heart.org/en/training-programs/community-programs/cpr-in-schools/cpr-in-schools-legislation-map</a>
@CarolinaJessamine That's news to me, too. Interesting that in my city, kids don't have to pass tests, complete assignments, or even show up to receive passing grades, yet they have to learn CPR?? It's a good skill, but shouldn't be the only one they come out of H.S. with!
@CarolinaJessamine Well, that answers my skeptical question.... which I now modify to, "Is this monitored?"...because they're still bestowing diplomas on kids who can't read, either.
@CarolinaJessamine TIL (thanks to your link) that it's required in Maryland, where I have had one kid graduate and another currently in high school, and had no idea this was something they were (supposed to be) learning. I'll have to grill them on what they actually do in health class, a topic I had always avoided! It is a great skill to have.
My favorite thing about this mushy perfectly put together Valentine's ❤️ puzzle isn't the puzzle. It's Ella's infectious Valentine's love being celebrated and shared with her new husband. It's contagious. We must all join in her efforts to make the most of the LOVE we should be feeling today. Let's all celebrate!
Great puzzle, challenging clues, kept me going for a while. Thank you for a fun Wednesday puzzle
Nicely balanced Wednesday with a fitting theme. Particularly enjoyed 19&40A
There was no rhyme or reason to the tortured patterns of the LOVE LETTERS, and rather than assisting me in any way with my solving, the gray squares just annoyed me. Also annoying me were CJCREGG, whoever that is; two beer brands, one from a country I associate only with wine; and a puzzle that turned me into a hapless GUESSER by cluing GUESSER (why??? why???) with a game I've never heard of. I guessed GUESSER after first eliminating prESSER, drESSER and blESSER. Also -- EST is the suffix for best. Nothing especially "playful" about it. ODD clue. draINS before BASINS made the NW especially hard for me. I should have seen APLOMB much sooner than I did. Ditto for the well-clued MOTH. But THEVA was a DOOK; I never heard of a TREE BOA; didn't know PERONI and didn't know AROMAS as clued. And finally -- why does a salon need to be vegan? Bottom line: This puzzle is about as romantic as a visit to the dentist.
@Nancy Coincidentally (🥁), I completed this at the dentist’s office. “Best” doesn’t require a suffix. The playfulness of EST comes from “You’re the bestest!”
@Nancy Oh, and the value of a vegan salon is that the products are not tested on animals.
@Nancy the gray letters helped me a little, once I realized they were spelling out emotions. Gave me some of my missing letters in FONDNESS.
Having two beers helped me solve today's puzzle. (I've never had limoncello, though. Seems like an acquired taste.)
@Grant My mother-in-law gave us a bottle of limoncello once. I think it sat around for years before we gave it to someone who liked it.
@Grant Instant hangover in a bottle--you're not missing a thing! I'd gladly donate the limoncello in our cabinet to the emus...
@Grant all booze is pretty much an acquired taste, some more than others. I remember staying at a roadside hotel outside of a town on Lake Garda, and on my last night, the desk manager brought out 5 different bottles of grappa for me and we sampled each one. Until then, I'd only tried the grappa normally sold in U.S. liquor stores, which I referred to as "crappa". But these were heavenly. Same thing with Limoncello, although most of it is tourist swill. But if you find someone on the Amalfi coast who makes it at home, you'll get why it's a thing. I tried to make Cedrello from citrons I harvested in Morocco. No. Just no.
RAPANUI, baby! Sorry, I just had to get that out of my system. I LOVE and RESPECT Allison Janney, but have never watched a single episode of The West Wing--maybe I'll start bingeing it with my valentine. Once RAPANUI was in place, as rock-solid as the Moai in its verticality, I could start hanging the gimmes from it: CRONE, CPR, RAIN, ENSUITE, and GIS. Then LOWRISES became apparent after discarding LOFT as a partial entry. And then CJCREGG. And so I was able to guess GUESSER, which somehow made LADYFERN an obvious choice, even if I've never seen nor heard of it. As Yogi Berra said, "I don't know half the words I know." Was it just me, or did anyone else start to puzzle out the "E" love letters in the Robert Indiana LOVE arrangement as S-E-R-P-E-N-T? Just me? Alrighty then....how embarassing.
@LordBottletop I used to love reading the Golden Book Encyclopedia as a kid, and was mesmerized by the illustration of what they described as the "statues on Easter Island". And now, many years later, I know them as the Moai on Rapa Nui. Such a nice ring to those names.
@LordBottletop "I have never watched a single episode of The West Wing--maybe I'll start bingeing it with my valentine. " Absolutely you should! Especially if you LOVE and RESPECT Allison Janney! She was probably my favorite character on that show.
Wow, that was the hardest Wednesday I can remember. DNF. No complaints, just surprise. Some entry names were completely new to me (40d and 41d) and some clues had the same flavor (22a, 3d, 62a). Live and learn.
Wow! Wasn’t expecting this comment section. I breezed through this for my fastest ever Wednesday 🎉 LOVED this puzzle. Some of the answers were a little clunky but none I couldn’t solve with the help of the crosses. Happy v day y’all
Danggg that was a hard Wednesday. It feels way too tricky putting APLOMB and niche names like an Air Force base, Italian beer, and an older Broadway lead all in the same corner. The rest of the answers just felt… wrong? Always have respect for anyone who can make a crossword at all, so not a critique on the creator, but woof that was a hard Wednesday. First one in a while I just gave up on 😭
Struggled. Turns out thrill seeker, trick shots, sheath swords, Modelo beer, drains for sinks, are no go's. Have this discussion all the time, I still think better puzzles have more specific / tighter clues, and I'll die on that hill :) - I know some solvers love this type of challenge though. Maybe cryptics are more for me. . . Love (get it?) a holiday theme, so kudos there. Happy Valentine's Day to all! Forward.
@Jon - Three of the most popular Mexican beers are Corona, Modelo, Tecate. All three names have six letters. Solving the puzzle requires figuring out which one belongs in the six squares. If you want the puzzle to arrive already filled in, that’s your prerogative. I doubt the subscribership would long be maintained under those conditions… “I’m going to lay down my sword and shield, down by the riverside…” links sword and shield (as do many other sayings and lyrics) just as firmly as a sheath to house a sword. The crossings determine whether it is a sheath or a shield that pairs with that sword. If you want the puzzle to arrive already filled in… etc. Eye roll, hard to starboard.