Didn’t enjoy this. The theme is difficult to get - even if you knew the poem, you’d have to guess at how the author summarizes it. I also thought modern retelling would mean more than “phrase it normally, without poetic frills.” The differences here don’t seem to be much about the time period than they are that one is a beautiful poem and the other is a short summary. And finally the fill had too many obscure clues. Not my favorite Thursday
I usually don’t complain about puzzles—especially debuts—but this one was extremely disappointing. The theme was cute but not that funny or remarkable. Given that you absolutely need the crosses I’ve never seen so many ambiguous clues that could be filled by very close words—BASE/BASS MOTE/MITE, MICRO/MACRO, CEOS/CFOS/CIOS. Then there’s SMOOVE and MAMA which is a horrible Natick—I don’t mind learning new cultural references but a cross like that is really questionable especially when you can clue MAMA differently. Same with PEG and YUNG—I don’t mind PEG so much although it’s a reach but when crossed with an obscure rapper. No really fun or clever clues. I’m so sorry this one left me cold. I will put a lot of this more on the editors and I would encourage this new contributor to keep at it, as the idea had a lot of potential.
@SP I've been going backwards in the app - and this puzzle reminds of a 2011-ish Thursday for exactly that reason: hyper-ambiguous cluing. It seemed like there was a point a few years later where that (mostly) went away and there was more balance. If we know that the Across won't be solvable on its own, there's no reason to have Saturday-level cluing on the Downs. I want to be clear - I don't really have a problem with the construction. But at least give me clues I can chew on and mull over. (I was lost in the top center - the combo of the ambiguous crossings and, for example, cluing RAS to Haile Selassie instead of something cleverly dorm-ish.)
@SP - can you explain Throw = PEG to me? I sure don’t see it.
@SP I couldn't agree more. With the multitude of obscure answers, the ambiguous cluing veered past challenging territory and into impenetrable for me. My usual love of Thursday puzzles was deflated this week by a puzzle with no fun trick, just a sad summary of a beautiful poem.
Meh. Not a huge fan of quotation puzzles and having never read the original poem today's theme did nothing for me. I didn't find the fill particularly interesting either.
@Hugh Agreed. I find it takes away from the enjoyment when all the theme clues relate to a subject that the solver has no knowledge. Even after having gotten most of the down clues that cross, there is no satisfying "aha" moment.
@Hugh Hardly some obscure poem. Probably one of the top 2-3 most famous American poems of all time. Do people really not know their Bob Frost? 😳
The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. translates to I have a lot to do. Giddy-up! Made me laugh!
Anyone else struggle with “Throw” as a clue for PEG? I’m not familiar with the example phrase, “the catcher pegs the ball to the first baseman" in the Oxford dictionary.
@Tony Not sure about where you are from, but at least in aussie high schools, if someone PEGged the ball it refered to an over arm throw at high speed with a lot of power. For this reason they were against the rules in dodgeball to try and avoid injuries.
To quote the puzzle, this was a bunch of “codswallop.” Wasting 60 characters - nearly 1/3 of the 187 white squares! - on unguessable words from a “poem I reimagined,” as well as a white rapper with a single “hit” that peaked at #30 on the Billboard charts and an unforgivable repeat of the word ONE in two different answers, are why quote puzzles have such a deservedly bad reputation among so many solvers. Only finished to keep my streak but still sorry I didn’t quit halfway like I wanted to. TOSH indeed.
@Greg Anderson That rapper’s name is now crosswordese, a gimme.
@Greg Anderson I'm not sure who's not doing the forgiving, or why forgiving is required, but there's no rule that a common word like ONE can't be part of two different answers. The only rule is that (except in the service of a theme) a word cannot appear as an entire answer more than once. (As you might have read earlier, I wasn't too excited by this puzzle, either, which makes a rare two in a row.)
Two words diverged in a crossword (YUNG and SMOOVE) -- I shall be telling this with sigh: I looked them up. And that has made all the difference.
@LBG. I’d give you 10 likes if I could. Very funny effort.
Here it is so next time you'll know it. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening By Robert Frost Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; He will not see me stopping here To watch his woods fill up with snow. My little horse must think it queer To stop without a farmhouse near Between the woods and frozen lake The darkest evening of the year. He gives his harness bells a shake To ask if there is some mistake. The only other sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The woods are lovely, dark and deep, But I have promises to keep, And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep. Raise your hand if you can recite it, as most school children can.
@dutchiris Thank you for supplying the original! (None of the gripers thought to do this, including me.) I'm among those dismayed at how many people don't know the poem at all, which I too had to memorize. It's still beautiful.
@dutchiris thank you for that. My HS choral group sang Randall Thompson's musical settings of a couple Robert Frost poems (Stopping by Woods, Road Not Taken). Maybe it was a few decades ago but they are definitely still in the memory bank. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSeSCR3Qr4w" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSeSCR3Qr4w</a> for Stopping by Woods, but I might recommend Road Not Taken <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXOhRPI6UOM" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXOhRPI6UOM</a>
@dutchiris, 🙋🏻♂️! (Don’t bolt your food, emus)
Congratulations on your debut, Joe. Clever idea and enjoyable solve, although I had the feeling it might get a frosty reception.
@Anita I see what you did there! !!! !!! !!!
@Anita I see what you did there! ...... (Second attempt. Eventually, my original attempt will post, but for now, I will just add some more words and spaces So that this may get through.) Emus go bury your head in the snow... if you can find any.
Haha, kept me guessing and laughing right up to the giddyup. Because we had the other Frost poem a few days ago, I tried my hand at this: THERE’RE TWO ROADS HOW I HATE CHOICES ONE HAS MORE GRASS DO NOT INVITE FOMO Anyone want to try turning Ozymandias or Hamlet into four lines of 15? Let’s hear ‘em!
@Cat Lady Margaret Giddyup may be my favorite thing ever in the crossword. I'm still chuckling.
@Cat Lady Margaret FOUND A BIG STATUE NAMED OZYMANDIAS VERY EGOTISTICAL NOT SO PROUD NOW EH (my second try submitting this, maybe the first one got eaten by a bunch of big flightless birds?)
@J-J Cote. Too many CAPITAL letters. This is explicitly mention in the NYT’s note on moderation. Apparently looks too shouty. Emus are not always silent.
I LOVED this - absolutely devoured it and laughed quite a lot in the process. Fabulous setting and a great debut, with only one entry that had me struggling. For those not familiar with the original work I’m sure it won’t land as well, but nevertheless you’ll make some irreverently poetic people very happy :)
@Jo "Irreverently" is a key word. Not a "reimagining" but a desecration. I kept looking for words from the poem thoughout the puzzle. Alas. No house, village, or even queer, nor lovely dark and deep. Then to find a community of wordgamers who don't know the poem and don't think they should. Disppointed and discouraged.
Don’t know nor like the poem. Didn’t like this version. The “theme” tried too hard to be artsy cute. Fell flat. Sorry.
@Alexia You don't know the poem, but you don't like it. A interesting take, since I would be willing to bet that just about everyone else today has at least read it once.
@dutchiris Judging from all the responses that came after your comment, you would have lost that bet. Many people did not know the poem. And yes, I didn’t know it. But I looked it up, and now I don’t like it. Not inconsistent.
Didn’t love this one. The Frost rewrite wasn’t obvious to me (and still isn’t after the solve), so I had to solve it via the very ambiguously clued crosses. Lots running through the alphabet to brute force many of the answers. Never heard of YUNG Gravy, but that’s on me apparently. Spotify says he has 5.3M monthly listeners. I’m going back to my rocking chair.
I've read all the comments and now I feel like there's something wrong with me and how my mind works when playing *any* NYT game. To me, in the back of my mind, there's *always* a search for what the constructor was thinking and how they think. I see whichever game as a constructor's unique creative expression that I'm being invited to dwell upon and decipher, as if I were being invited into their minds. As such, the fact that I knew Frost's poem didn't alter for me the process of unveiling Mr. O'Neill's mysterious reimagining of it. I had no idea if it would be serious, snarky, or jokey. And that, yes, made it hard, but perhaps not any harder than for someone who didn't know the poem. I still had to rely on crosses. The only difference, in my possibly wrong opinion, is that those who didn't know the poem were deprived of the ensueing laughter. And so, I'm rather taken aback by the comments that deride the puzzle because the poem was unknown, and a few that imply "how am I supposed to know how it was reimagined?" Which takes me back to thinking there's something wrong with me. "How am I supposed to know what the constructor intended?" is exactly what attracts me to a puzzle or any other game. I'm drawn in *to find out*! Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I don't. To me it's just a matter of how much I was able to attune to the creator's mind.
@sotto voce I fully agree with you. I've been solving NYT xwords for 50 years -- and have never seen a bad, or even mediocre, one yet. I especially enjoy it as a form of special communication between the constructor and us.
@sotto voce Agreed. I don’t know the poem, which made things a little more challenging, but so what? A challenge is what I’m here for. And if this puzzle encourages people to seek out the original poem afterward, even better.
@sotto voce Right on. It was hard to solve, but a joy when you finally saw Frost's famous poem condensed in this very funny way. It shows how when a beautiful, famous poem is condensed to straightforward prose, the magic gets lost.
Thursday is so often rebus day that I was sure it was going to start any minute. I was on edge the whole way through, waiting for the kicker (thought it might be the horse), and burst out laughing when the poem galloped off. I don't think Frost would mind—he had a fine sense of humor. Take a bow, Joe O'Neill. It's not often that a debut lands on a Thursday. Nice job. Thanks.
@dutchiris A quick look recently told me that on Thursdays, rebuses are part of the puzzle only about a quarter of the time. Which is not to say that rebuses are the only possible tricks on a Thursday (or any day). So we should be on the lookout for them, but I wouldn't say we should expect them.
What have you done to Robert Frost? His words are jumbled -- tempest-tossed! They make no sense; they leave us lost! What have you done to Robert Frost? He doesn't need improving, Joe! "Stopping by Woods" has grace and flow, So why you've done this, I don't know -- He doesn't need improving, Joe! He can't protest because he's dead. So I'm complaining in his stead. The words he wrote, the words he bled Are not your words to take and shred. So stick to what you know the best: The "SMOOVE"s and "U"s and all the rest. And make your silly nonsense cease, And let poor Robert rest in peace!
@Nancy Your poem scans like: I do not like thee, Doctor Fell, The reason why – I cannot tell; But this I know, and know full well, I do not like thee, Doctor Fell. Perhaps this was intentional?
@Nancy Ok while I disagree with the sentiment a bit, this is really good
Tough tough puzzle. Not sure the juice was worth the squeeze on the theme.
This puzzle was lovely, dark and deep An ode to a classic poem that, Though short, For some will still be "Too long, didn't read." Just perfect reimagining for our modern Nescafé-instant times, Mr. O'Neill. Loved it! Your modern version made me smile, and I know it's instilled in me s-miles to go before I sleep. Congratulations on your debut, and thank you so much for a great Thursday romp!
I am really - and I mean REALLY - proud of myself. I just finished this puzzle in reasonable time and with an absolute minimum of lookups! I tried to do it without any lookups at all, but the mix of trivia and not knowing the poem meant that was impossible, no matter my efforts. So I googled some proper names and the poem itself - I only knew the final verse (from a Charles Bronson spy thriller I watched ages ago on TCM on satellite TV, of all things), and voila, here we are, with a quite legitimate, Thursday gold star 😃 - legitimate for a Polish guy only semi-literate in US culture, anyway 😉. I can only imagine how enjoyable this puzzle must have been to those who knew the poem - I liked it even though I had to look it up. A very nice Thursday.
@Andrzej - so happy to read your post today. As a college English major (of many years ago) I relished every bit of this puzzle, while wondering if you were struggling with it after telling us earlier you had never heard of Frost. Bravo, you!!!
Another vote for Meh here. I thought we were dealing with the "Two roads" poem and filled in the theme answers thinking "there's a horse involved in that one?" For what it's worth, I attended school in New Hampshire in the 1980s and recognize only the most famous lines of these two poems. Feel free to clutch your pearls.
Fun puzzle-- not sure it belongs on a Thursday. But it would be too difficult for a Monday or Tuesday, and maybe also for a Wednesday, and it's themed, so... where to put it? Thursday it is! I am dismayed to learn of so many people not having heard of the Frost poem. I'm not really up on poetry, but geez -- this one is so famous. Even more dismaying is that some people seem to be proud of their ignorance. I forgot to mention that my streak reached the important milestone of 420 yesterday.
@CaptainQuahog There. You nailed it. Proud of ignorance. A lot of that going around these days. Weird, since it has never been easier to learn about anything. A simple google away. Why wouldn’t you want to know what you currently don’t know?
@CaptainQuahog To test my own biases, I searched online for the best poems of the 20th century. Literary Hub's list of 32 iconic poems in English was prompted by discussion of “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” on the anniversary of its publication. Clicking further, I found that the poem is even more famous than I'd realized. No one likes to be told of a gap in their education or cultural knowledge (I'll raise my hand here), but we all can learn new things. Every adult English speaker ought to be familiar with a sampling of English poetry, and a couple of Frost poems ought to be in there.
Honestly such a disappointing Thursday puzzle. I’m used to NYT crossword being catered to certain audiences but I’m not sure even they would appreciate today’s answers. Many of the clues were definitely questionable and not in a fun way. Usually I can appreciate a crossword that is frustrating but makes me go “ohhhh”, but this one was just frustrating and “tosh”.
This puzzle kinda left me cold...not sure why it was slotted as a Thursday. I understand that Thursdays are not always tricky, but it wasn't even that hard, either. And I didn't get much joy from the theme quip. But more than anything else, out of the first six comments, nearly all of them indicate that the original poem is not well known anymore. I find that amazing. I consider this one and "The Road Not Taken" (also by Frost) to be among the most famous American poems ever written. I'd bet some of those commenters knew YUNG Gravy, though.
@Steve L - I enjoyed the concept, but absolutely share your surprise that The Road Not Taken isn't still widely recognized. My poetry knowledge runs shallow, but I can only think of a couple other American poems rivaling this one for the most iconic.
@Steve L I’m concerned “they” are forgetting e.e. cummings’ “Freedom is a breakfast food….”
there's something rotten in Denmark.... this Puzzle why are so many people playing nice about how terrible this painful arcane and not even remotely funny 'puzzle' is toxic positivity has run amok in this forum its like a new age nightmare... people this is NOT a great puzzle its just AWFUL
@acjones Why must you be so short-sighted and self-centered? I really liked this puzzle, and those who follow these comments know I never falsely spew positivity. You didn't like it and that's fine - I know the feeling, as I have truly disliked many NYT puzzles, but how can you deny others may have liked it? . . . Positive negativity.
@acjones I have always found this column and many of its comments to be overly sympathetic to horrible puzzles. The treacle runs thick here. Years ago, I submitted a negative review and was thoroughly flamed by many commentators who defended the 'clever wordplay' of a puzzle that clearly was dreck. There are other blogs online, including Rex Parker's, which in my opinion, has much better reviews of the NYT puzzles, minus the treacle and toxic positivity. If one reads the comments on other forums, it becomes clear that this column is just a giant kumbaya circle. Sure, give the constructor a participation medal, but it was the editors that decided to publish this failure.
Well, I’ve read several Frost poems over the decades, but never closely. So, when I saw that today’s theme was a reparsing of a Frost poem, I knew it wouldn’t help my solving. Also, as those four unclued spanners meant that this was going to be like a quotation crossword, I knew I would have to fill in those spanners exclusively through context and crosses. Therefore, I approached this as simply a puzzle, a grid to fill in, a grid with a challenging theme. As it turns out, there were also challenges from the rest of the grid, due to no-knows and devilish cluing. Thus, a glory day for my brain’s work ethic, topped by grins at how silly the reparsed poem read. Especially, “I HAVE A LOT TO DO. GIDDY UP!” I just may remember that because there are times in my life when that line would be perfect. SO out-of-the-box, Joe, your puzzle. I love “different” and I love cracking riddles, so I’m a fan. No idea what you can follow this up with, but you can be sure I’ll be eagerly diving into it. Congratulations on your debut, which I adored!
For those who've expressed their distaste for this puzzle, keep in mind that its constructor, Joe O'Neill, in his excitement at his NY Times debut, might come to the comments section and be genuinely disheartened by some of the negativity he sees. (Yes, I'm also doing some projection). If it doesn't bother him a whit, more power to him, but I'd hope people could be a little gentler in their critiques.
@Jeanne If I am served a bad meal at a fine restaurant, and complain about it, I really am not thinking about the chef's feelings, just my poor experience.
@Jeanne I liked this puzzle, but I also understand why many did not, and I don't share the attitude that all comments to puzzles must be full of positivity. Sure, insensitive comments are not nice, but they, too, are proof of what somebody though and felt about the puzzle, and those thoughts and feelings are as valid as yours and mine. Please consider these two arguments. First, when one does something for the public, like submit a puzzle to a newspaper known all around the world, one must realize many people will hate it - because somebody always does. If one can't take that, they should not do public things. Actions have consequences, and not all of them are nice. Second, I actually like people criticizing my work - in my case, my students critizing the way I teach my courses. Sometimes I dislike the emotional content of their opinions, but even behind the negative emotions valuable feedback can be hidden. If people refrained from providing feedback for the sake of my emotions, they would actually be doing me a disservice.
What a joy of a solve. The original words of the poem providing structure, the sly misdirects, and the tongue-in-cheekiness of the translation challenged and amused this solver. Congratulations and thanks, Joe!
@DawnW I knew straight off that it would be a 'take-off;' I just thought it would be funnier. (More than just GIDDY-UP, though that made me smile.)
Oh my. There was a lot of crankiness in the comments today. I imagine you might be used to this, Mr. O’Neill, and can take it with a grain of salt. I knew the Frost poem well, but I’m not sure that helped me much, as you were playing with words and meaning—which seems to me is exactly what crossword constructors are supposed to do. I had a big smile on my face when I fixed my final mistake and got my star, so thanks for that and please keep on making puzzles for us.
There was no way that I was going to enjoy any puzzle today because of the loss of a close family member last night. I've been in a daze. I chose to do it anyhow because I needed distraction. In my current state of mind, I can't judge the puzzle fairly but I have read through the comments and am surprised that so many people hated it. I've long known the poem, in fact when Robert Frost's Two Roads poem showed up a week or two ago, I briefly mixed it up with this one, which comes to mind fairly often for me, and which did help me once I had some crosses filled in to get at the reimagining. I share this in case our dear constructor is reading these comments, I'd like them to know that the only smiles I cracked today were in this crossword puzzle. I especially loved the clue for AHA, which usually has such a boring clue, and when I finally completed the southeast, I chuckled at the GIDDY UP and the theme. I also really enjoyed the clues for RISES and STRAP. Loses a lap and what a clutch lacks, I believe. So, thank you for bringing a little bit of joy to a grief-filled day.
@HeathieJ I’m sorry to hear about your relative. I sincerely hope that the pain you feel now will lessen with time.
@HeathieJ I’m so sorry for your loss. As someone who also recently lost someone extremely important to me, I understand needing the distraction of a puzzle (even if said person didn’t understand my love of them and got exasperated every time I asked for help with a clue). I’m glad you were able to smile today.
@HeathieJ I am at the phase in my life where I lose people too often. God bless you. I always look forward to your comments and am so sorry for your loss.
I think I’m relatively young compared to other commenters and was surprised to see how popular and well known this poem is. FWIW I did study Frost in school but only The Road Not Taken- don’t think he’s making as many appearances in new generations’ English classes. This was a hard one for me. Went well above my average time, got very frustrated, and worst of all I feel like everyone’s laughing at a joke I’m not in on lol I’ve been lurking this forum a long time and never comment, have to admit I come on here most when I’m frustrated and want to see if others feel the same way, but I always end up leaving feeling better at how much others enjoyed something even if it didn’t click for me. Hard puzzles are just a learning opportunity. And now I get to read a new (to me) poem and maybe I’ll finally get to be in on the joke and have a little chuckle.
I thought this was a funny concept and fun to work on. I'm surprised at all the complaints but people pay their money and they can boo if they want to.
This constructor brought me to appreciate the poem. The sparse outline of the poem included in the puzzle highlights the value of all that was removed. After scraping away the meaning, structure, form, literary devices , symbols, themes, emotions, and beauty, what remains speaks loudly of what is missing. I appreciate the journey. Giddy up. .
I just had time to read all of the comments and noticed that quite a few people were unfamiliar with the legendary Miriam (MAMA) Makeba. A sample: <a href="https://youtu.be/rjo8h5qLpU0?si=oMVD8rnX_IGW2MMt" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/rjo8h5qLpU0?si=oMVD8rnX_IGW2MMt</a> She was not only a fabulous singer but used her music to fight against apartheid. Definitely worth knowing about.
@Nancy. J Thanks for the link! I knew the answer but not her given name until today. When I saw ____ Africa plus "singer/activist", the answer was a given! 😍 And now, to add bulk to my comment, I will say that I, too, just had time to read all the comments. Phew! Today is a doozy in the Wordplay world!
60 squares devoted to this questionable theme and no clever wordplay gimmick? Very disappointing, especially for a Thursday, at least in my opinion. I will, however, offer my congrats to the constructor on the debut, and kudos to all who did enjoy it. Can’t please everyone 100% of the time!
@Adam This is so refreshing, I can't thank you enough. Your comment, as I see it, should be used in a tutorial on how to offer up a classy critique expressing dislike of a puzzle. You've showed restraint in clarifying why it wasn't up your alley, and assured me that I have the right to have loved it since it's really a matter of opinion. You've also acknowledged the constructor who surely worked long and hard to be published here, whether or not the puzzle is to everyone's taste. No rage, no hatred, no nasty attacks. We might disagree about this puzzle, but I would still be honored to call you my friend. Thanks again!
I think this may be the most depressing crossword forum I've seen. Puzzle makers are not obligated to produce puzzles in which you know everything you need to know. If you didn't know the Frost poem, so what? If you didn't get it, so what? Were you forced to do it? Some really intense immaturity being posted today. I hope this doesn't discourage the puzzle author.
A brilliant puzzle that started my day with a huge smile. Thank you, Joe, and congratulations on an amazing debut! As Deb often says, we all have different wheelhouses. This lifelong English major, who is non-conversant in sports, math, rap, and most pop culture, had a delightful time solving today. Sorry for all who dislike poetry, but now I know how it feels to land solidly in your own wheelhouse. Giddyup, indeed!
Got a big kick out of this one, and as I mentioned elsewhere it sent me down a Frostiana rabbit hole, so thanks for that. Like many, I'm surprised at the hate. Also, I resent the implication by many who hated it that we here in the comments section are all a bunch of Pollyannas who refuse to criticize a puzzle that is clearly bad. I think it's pretty unlikely that the NYTimes would publish a puzzle that was clearly bad. I liked today's puzzle, and not in spite of it being bad; to me it wasn't bad. The quality of the puzzle is an opinion, not a hard fact. @Andrzej, who liked the puzzle, questioned whether the crowd here has a double standard--happily accepting positive comments but requiring negative comments to be explicit about what they hated. It's an interesting point, but ultimately not one with which I agree. I don't think compliments need to be defended; I like it when folks play nice. [although usually people *do* mention what they liked--a particular clue or seeing a particular word in the grid.] Everyday someone will not like the puzzle, and most days someone will come here to say so. I absolutely agree that this is the place for that, but I do want to know why if possible. And I really don't like seeing ad hominem attacks from either side. We can't all be as supportive as @Lewis, but a little kindness goes a long way.
@Bob T. Well said. And by the way, I am still cursing you for posting the link to Ariel the other day. I still have the earworm. :) Tears on my pillow and Ave Maria.
@Bob T. Nicely stated. Some commenter a few years back observed that in “American” culture generally, we are accustomed to hearing positive responses to all sorts of things that are not supported by any concrete examples of what was “good.” (If you tell a basketball player “Great game!,” nobody will be upset if you don’t follow your assessment with something like “Your three-point shot at the buzzer was amazing!”) But I do think it would be nice if people who enjoyed a puzzle mentioned one or two things that they particularly liked about it.
Bill the Cat getting credited for ACK?! Cathy stans, we ride at dawn.
I know this poem from, of all things, the 1977 film Telefon starring Charles Bronson and Donald Pleasence. The premise is that a bunch of hypnotized sleeper cell agents have been planted in the US to live normal lives until someone calls them up and recites to them this poem. Upon hearing it, they snap out of it and do the dirty deed they were programmed to do. They don’t make ‘em like that anymore! - Tom
A very nice tussle between knowing, guessing and then finally filling. Liked it - many thanks, Joe! Fun and challenging - embraced the theme and had a good chuckle (AHA!) after landing the reveal. Frost and his contemporary, Carl Sandburg, may not have been on best terms with each other, but Sandburg may have something to offer in respose to folks who are slinging mud at Joe's well-crafted grid: "Look out how you use proud words. When you let proud words go, it is not easy to call them back. They wear long boots, hard boots; they walk off proud; they can’t hear you calling - Look out how you use proud words." Giddyup, indeed!
What? Why? I did this puzzle late last night. But I don't get it. I admit I'm not firing on all cylinders this morning, I got maybe 3 hours of sleep. I understand it's a snarky recap. A la summarizing War and Peace as "Everyone is sad. It snows." --- that's funny. But this reimagining of the Frost poem is not clever, is not funny, and doesn't even rhyme. Meh. Disappointing for a Thursday. Okay, I'll go read the column and find Lewis' comments, in hopes of an attitude adjustment. Maybe the emus pegged this one at us.
Congratulations on your NYT debut, Mr. O’Neill! I’ve solved over 3,000 NYT crossword puzzles and hundreds of ones from other publishers. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a theme quite like yours. Despite having spent my grade school years in Vermont, I was only vaguely familiar with Frost’s poem. Thanks for prompting me to revisit it.
@Eric Hougland I've often thought I detected a bit of New England in that Texan. ;)
Call me crazy but I really liked this puzzle. It took me a while but it was different and challenging - hello SE corner! I don’t want a puzzle that’s a cakewalk which is why I love Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
C'mon, people, this is a puzzle, and yes, it's based on a poem and a lot of you don't like poetry. Believe me, when you finally cross the moat and enter the castle, it will take your breath away—so many beautiful poems to discover, and you'll regret not finding them sooner. Get over your distrust and fear of giving yourself up to one of the greatest art forms in any language. You'll be fine.
@dutchiris I think song lyrics have largely taken the place of poems in the imagination of recent generations. Many of them are quite poetic. I grew up thinking Don McLean ("Vincent") or Simon and Garfunkel ("I Am a Rock") lyrics were very poetic. I can imagine the current generation thinking the same about some of Taylor Swift's lyrics (cf. "Antihero" and Emily Dickinson's "I'm Nobody Who are You", the latter of which someone brought up earlier). Lyrics set to music are more fun than plain writing, and easily accessible these days. And of course, involving oneself in poetry and lyrics is not mutually exclusive.
I have always been a fan of Robert Frost's poetry. Some say it's simple, others that it is far deeper than most imagine. As for me, "A poem should not mean but be" to quote Archibald MacLeish. To those who consistently criticize constructors here's a simple question: "how many puzzles have you had published"? Thank you Mr. O'Neill!
@pjfin I liked today's puzzle but I just have to write this, because that comment pops up here so often: your final argument does not make much sense - I have never constructed a car but I know a bad car when I drive one (looking at you, rental Nissan Tiida, may we never meet again), I have never laid tarmac but I know when it's been done badly, etc. Can only chefs criticize other chefs? Only teachers other teachers?
@Andrzej OK, but I'll bet you have a better idea of how cars and roads are made than you do of how a puzzle is constructed. I know I do.
Surprised to see so many unfavorable comments…. I loved this! One of my favorite memorized poems from grade school. I got the idea quickly, took some time on the last line due to some erroneous crosses, and chuckled at Giddy up. Thank you for a fun one, not everything pleases everyone, but this one pleased me. Thanks for the nostalgia!
Garbling Robert Frost's poem, which is darker and deeper than it first appears to be, did not make for an enjoyable solve. the theme didn't even involve the kind of clever wordplay that would have made it a worthy pastiche of the original. .
@LStott Agreed - One man’s “reimagining” is another man’s “garbled”. Even after solving through crosses, I wasn’t interested in looking up the original to make sense of it. Moving on to another day…
Sorry. But this was just a bad puzzle. Too many Naticks and bad clueing. The modern interpretation was anything but modern and didn’t even reference the most famous line of the poem. So you were completely guessing at what the author was doing