Thursday, March 21, 2024

I appreciate the nordinho.net link. But I am more than a little taken aback that the majority of today's Wordplay column was spent comparing today's puzzle to a much older Sunday puzzle...unfavorably. Imagine getting a puzzle accepted for publication in the NY Times, and that's the introduction your work receives. Yikes.

I’ll push back against our host a bit. I found this to be a wicked Thursday for the first ten minutes, barely able to fill in anything. For me, that’s the sign of a great Thursday. It’s the thrill of dazed befuddlement that I want from a Thursday. Yes, once I finally figured out the theme from the revealer, it was relatively smooth sailing. But particularly as compared to some of the Thursdays we’ve had this year, I thought this puzzle was quite good.

I'm not weighing in one way or the other—while I found this to be a pretty easy Thursday solve, I don't have any strong feelings about it—but I think this is the first time I've seen Ms. Amlen kind of, well, slag a puzzle. Admittedly, I've only been reading Wordplay for a year and change, but I was a bit startled. Not disapproving (she is entitled to her opinion, certainly). Just wasn't expecting it.

cool puzzle. hard but fun. after the solve, I was surprised by the negative tone of the wordplay column. what brought that on?

Mr. Marquez, congratulations on your leap from two Mondays straight to a Thursday, and with a rebus to boot! A veritable accomplishment. To me, this was a very worthy puzzle. Though the rebuses were all the same, I still had to figure out the entries before I could place them correctly, and therein lies the fun. I would agree with others who thought this not very challenging, but it wasn't a too easy puzzle either. More importantly, it was very satisfying, which is the feeling I always seek when solving. And so, thank you very much for what to me was a great ESCape and wonderful respite from the daily cares and news cycle. I look forward to more from you!

It’s my birthday, and I managed to solve today’s puzzle without needing the Wordplay column. I’d say that Mr. Marquez has given me a happy start to the day. Thank you!

As a newer solver I actually really appreciate the easier "tricks". This was not easy for me - I knew rebuses were an option but have very little idea how to recognize them. I appreciate having some puzzles that are harder (and for me currently not doable... yet!) and some that go back to simpler roots. I was excited this week as I was able to solve 2 puzzles with only the hints from that day's crossword column! I agree with some other comments that I read that this article felt a little negative. But it's also important to share honest opinions, so I understand. But hopefully the crossword author can hear me when I say that I really appreciated this puzzle!!

The escape crosses suggested little stories to me: My proudest moment in MIDDLE SCHOOL was when one of the popular girls pronounced my outfit TRES CHIC. After attending an event at the STAPLES CENTER, beware of the CHASE SCENE that might ensue when the parking lot clears out. WE’RE SCREWED on our honeymoon plans; your mother has told me she thinks THREE’S COMPANY. Munch’s protagonist travels from Oslo to the USA. While there, he asks his doctor to PRESCRIBE him something for his nerves. He then has to navigate the world of ICD-10 codes and copays and claim denials. THE SCREAM is the result.

Fun coincidence for those solving on an Apple computer (not sure about PCs) - use the ESC key to enter a rebus!

This is the kind of puzzle I’ve been waiting weeks for. Loved the rebus clues and answers. Perfect Thursday puzzle. Tricky but not too tricky. Fun and fresh.

I found this delightful! I didn’t need any help and I’m proud to say that I’ve been solving for 470 days straight. Perhaps it’s a combination of experience, repetition, and knowing what a Thursday puzzle is like, but I was really pleased to complete this so quickly. 🙏🏻

What impressed me most was the consistent level of difficulty throughout. The clues solved themselves with a bit of effort, the revealer was just enough to allow a small aha moment. No corner was a lot tougher than the others. The result was a not-too-tough but highly satisfying Thursday.

This was a fine puzzle. A solid Thursday. Thanks, Joe! With regards to Deb’s column, I honestly think she’s earned the right, and is entitled to speak her mind. It also didn’t seem harsh, it seemed she simply said she wanted more from a puzzle (kind of reminds me of Oliver Twist asking for more and getting into all manner of trouble for it). I found it reassuring that she could voice her expectations, for me, it’s a sign that she ‘owns’ her column, and is not some kind of hostage to it. Hopefully the candid feedback is also more helpful to constructors.

I dreamed I was in middle school about to get tested on the logic of Boole... I know! I'll press ESCAPE I was born john ezra ramon and that last name I really bemoan... if I could make it go way I'd press ESCAPE Yes to Tarkovsky but no to George Clooney and watching him once drove me quite loony, rewatch the remake? Heck no! ESCAPE We're screwed! I shouted in the middle of Lake Erie without any oars, I prayed to Simpson, Zeus, Arte, & nearly forgot Tyr of the Norse, I wish I could just press ESCAPE! You offered me tix to the Pelicans at Staple Center, and I said, hic hic, can't do it, stuck here in a Pittsburgh midwinter, can't I just press ESCAPE? The Serpent resides in the crypts and the caves but my nostril has told me he's now here in the eaves... please, please may I just this once...

Hey, Deb! I’ve live-solved Thursday puzzles along with you and celebrity guests on You Tube so, seeing how agile your thinking is, there’s no surprise that you found this puzzle less than thrilling. I, on the other hand, loved it! My less-than-agile brain was wracked trying to figure out where the rebus would fall until it cleared like Lisbon fog. Quite an enjoyable process. My personal mystery: How in Sam Hill did ARTE pop into my head? I mean, how? I was barely a toddler when the show ended its run, according to a post-solve quest to figure out this mystery. The brain is a curious organ, indeed. To be a Debbie Downer, I fear come November WERESCREWED. If the outcome goes the way it appears, THESCREAM I’ll make will be heard from Lisbon to San Francisco. Adeus!

I really enjoyed this puzzle. And I’m (already) having a pretty bad day, so that says something. There is *absolutely* a downside solving for ages and becoming advanced in one’s skills. How many of us defer the week *actually* begins on Wednesday? Deb is a gracious, intelligent columnist who makes a point of using her platform to boost new constructors as well as new solvers. Today, she felt the puzzle was close, but not quite what it could have been. (And she sounded a wee bit grumpy. The horror!) I often feel that way! So, I work to focus on a fresh clue or fill, a riddle-y way of getting to standard fill, a single reference to an artist I love… Like we all do. Including Deb. In this group we have very high standards that don’t always work together- we expect precise, accurate fill in a dazzling puzzle, and we display a distinct disapproval of negativity toward, well, any of it! That’s a bit of a balancing act! So, thank you Deb for your honest account of your experience, and thank you, Mr. Marquez, for a delightful, breezy Thursday!

The biggest problem with the column is that it was so unnecessary. Why dredge up a puzzle from years ago that you liked better? Say whatever you like about this puzzle, the style of this puzzle, but a "You should have been here yesterday" kind of comment doesn't measure up to the standard of the Wordplay column.

Superman's painter is an S-cape artist. (Making these puns is a daily plan-it.)

I want to comment on Deb's comment, which many have criticized. I also enjoyed the puzzle but thought it could have been better. Not for the same reason as Deb, but because I thought it could have been more difficult. There are people who come here and whine whenever there's a rebus or a word they don't already know, or whatever. Often, they call the constructor "lazy" or "stupid" etc. Or they make nonsensical proclamations like "rebuses are not crosswords" thus displaying their own ignorance about what a crossword is. In most cases, these criticisms are obviously invalid and not well thought out. Contrast that with what Deb did. She stated that she liked the puzzle, but thought it could have been better. She then compared it to a puzzle from about 13 years ago that she liked better and that she considered a similar mechanism or theme, and she explained why she thought today's puzzle fell short. Deb's criticisms are valid and well stated. I may not agree with them, but they are valid opinions stated respectfully and supported with a reasonable argument. I just wish that all those who chime in with "that's not even a word!!!" when the word in question is in most, if not all, dictionaries, or "The constructor is lazy and incompetent if they use a rebus" when just about all veteran solvers know that it is much more difficult to construct a rebus than a plan-vanilla puzzle. I could go on. Please be like Deb. Provide a cogent criticism. And consult a dictionary first!

Joe Marquez, I enjoyed your puzzle and wonder if we are close in age (I'm 40) because there were so many references in the clues and entries that brought me back to my younger days. Air Jordans, The Simpsons, Malcolm in the Middle, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Gran Turismo were all fun for me. Thank you!

I am amazed at the number of people who want to rake Deb over the coals, when, every day, there are solvers who complain about beginner, constant, and in-between puzzle-makers for the too-hard, too-easy, too-much-culture-related, too-whatever puzzles they construct, and only a couple of people call them out on it. Or none. "Too easy for a [insert day]!" "Too many movies from the last century!" "Too many of whatever I don't know!" "Too many arcane words!" Blah, blah, blah... Everyone is entitled to an opinion... and columnists are hired for theirs. But all this is just my opinion.

This is the most negative word play I have read-it must have been hurtful to the creator. I didn’t find it helpful especially the comparisons to decades old puzzles. It definitely cast a pall over the solving experience. Obviously the writer is entitled to her opinion but maybe there is a better forum for a critique.

"Evidence of an injury" had me filling in SCAR and then getting stuck with that corner for a good 10 minutes before I figured out what was wrong. Everything else was smooth sailing.

Many posters objected to the nature of Deb's column today, but I found her honesty to be refreshing. She may write the column, but she's also a solver and has expectations that she be somewhat challenged by end of week puzzles. I may be projecting, but she seems to be dealing with the same frustration that many experienced solvers are feeling about yet another too easy Thursday puzzle. With all of the numerous complaints every time a tough puzzle runs, someone has to speak up for the other side, and I'm glad she did.

I agree, Deb. This was a very simple and easy rebus puzzle. But this is hardly the first not very tricky Thursday to show up here. Is it finally time to turn up the heat and demand tougher fare? Count me in. First llama wool, now rabbit wool?

I have worked in IT all my life and never knew that Boolean logic was named for an actual person. I was pleased a few months ago to happen upon a statue of George BOOLE outside the train station in Lincoln, England. I was happier still that I remembered him when I reached his corner here.

Not necessarily a fan of Thursday puzzles, but liked todays with words like ‘sauntered’ and ‘soujourns’, However Deb Amlen’s commentary was rather graceless and a bit self aggrandising.

The combination of a rebus and trivia that was almost all unknown to me was deadly and resulted in a frustrating solving experience. The puzzle may have been objectively well constructed, but personally I did not find it enjoyable. I needed quite a few lookups and autocheck to complete it. Still, that's fine - you can't win them all 👍🏾 I liked the inclusion of SOLARIS. I have never seen the movie, but it was based on a book by the legendary Polish writer Stanisław Lem, a pioneer of Polish sci-fi and fantasy. His uncanny mastery of our language and culture allowed him to create fascinating, often grotesque visions of the future - and, occasionally, of the past. A brilliant mind and a true giant of Polish literature. I wonder how his unique prose holds up in translation - much like the work of the incomparable Olga Tokarczuk, his was an opus that requires a masterful translator, who knows how to convey a style and vocabulary that may never be translated directly. One of these days I will have to look up something of Lem's in English.

This is my first rebus puzzle and so much fun. The Wordplay article was kind of rude though, I’ve never seen them be negative about a puzzle.

Some Thursdays are brutal; this one was on the easier side. I don't think that's so bad a thing -- if every puzzle clobbered us, it would be monotonous. If every puzzle was extra, none would be. You need some C's and B's for those A 's to be special. I figured out the rebus gimmick on this one at THREE'S COMPANY, but still got stuck in the southeast corner. The three stacked rows with the Italian word, the rebus, and the Norse name were enough non-English things in a row to send me the the answer key. Frustrating. But I'm learning to appreciate the frustrating ones. They make the triumphs feel much more triumphant.

Wow. I couldn’t construct a crossword puzzle if my life depended on it so I couldn’t imagine putting one down the way the Deb Amlen did in the Wordplay column today. I thought it was a fun puzzle. I literally felt sad for Joe Marquez, especially after reading the Constructor Notes and his comment, “As a solver, I never get tired of rebus puzzles, so I’m glad I could get one accepted into The New York Times!” Way to go, Joe! Don’t let this pan lessen your pride and enthusiasm for getting your puzzle published in the NYT! It’s quite an accomplishment!

Perfect Thursday puzzle for a rebus lover, maybe a Sunday puzzle next time, Joe

Yes, this puzzle was too easy and lacked a certain something, that's why it took me so long.

This was the hardest clue for OREO that I’ve come across!

At the end of a long comment day, I think I've figured it out: "Joe Marquez’s theme is tight and impressive, but it’s just not the May 29, 2011, puzzle by Tony Orbach and Jeremy Newton " (2nd) Husband to Wife: Something is bothering you, I can tell. What is it, my dear? Wife: Well, you are such a dear, impressive man, darling, but you're just not my late husband Herbert... I think that's it in a nutshell.

For anyone who has a subscription to the NYT, I have a Letter to the Editor in today's paper. If they don't put up a paywall to block you, you can also find it online.

Puzzles are about fun. Smart fun, sure. But fun. If you're trying to help someone be a better constructor, send the criticism privately. If you do it publicly, you don't end up looking helpful, or smarter than them - though it seems like you might have been trying to do that. Instead, you just sound old and cranky - maybe even a little mean - which seems a little early for you.

I just thought they were ESCape keys until I got to the revealer. I like rebuses even when they don't have a strong reason for existing, so this puzzle is fine with me.

Surely yesterday's poster who was unfamiliar with the Marx Brothers will be thrilled to see such a fresh and hep entry as THREE'S COMPANY. Boy, did that show age well; as hilarious today as it ever was! And don't call me surely.

It being Thursday, I meandered around the grid a bit, filling in what I knew was right, and waiting for the puzzle to clarify itself, which it did very quickly with THRE[ESC]OMPANY. I thought this was a pretty gentle Thursday, and a good puzzle for folks who are trying to learn how rebuses work. All the long rebus answers were fairly easy, but still with a bit of bite (for instance, HIGHSCHOOL fits in 17A. I also am of the generation that went to Jr. High, instead of MIDDL[ESC]HOOL and had to plumb the memory banks a bit to remember what 7-8-9 grades are called these days). Of course, no rebus puzzle will satisfy the "I hate all rebuses all the time" crowd, but for those who are trying to learn how they work, this puzzle is a good entry point, I think. I am working my way back through the archive and am in June 2015, but may have to go solve the puzzle Deb references, since it looks like a real gem. However, I would say that I don't agree with Deb's assessment of the puzzle as a bit too easy. It wasn't as demanding as many Thursdays, but was fun. For some reason 48A as clued and answered was amusing, and SAUNTERED is always a lovely word to have show up, and probably not easy to fit into a puzzle. So thanks, Mr. Marquez! You have my vote, and I look forward to more of your work.

Joe Pesci, Fran Drescher and Mike Schmidt called. They enjoyed the theme. Me too, I always have fun with a rebus.

I went back to read Deb today because of the many comments about her column. Then I went back to see the "better" puzzle with almost the same theme that she was unfavorably comparing this puzzle to. REALLY, Deb????!!!! How can you possibly compare a puzzle that involves solvers having to find their way out of a maze to a puzzle that involves solving a rebus? The two puzzle challenges don't even utilize the same side of the brain. Mazes are right-brained activities that call for prowess at spatial relations, and rebuses are all about words and language -- a very left-brained activity. I went back to that date on the Rexblog and see that I didn't never wrote a comment. That means I didn't do the puzzle and I probably didn't do the puzzle because I'm lousy at spatial relationships and didn't want to try to go through a maze. Whereas, I'm a rebus-lover and I adored today's puzzle. To compare the two puzzles is like comparing a corned beef sandwich to a Volkswagon. THE TWO PUZZLES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER AND SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED! As a constructor, I can tell you that it's hard enough to come up with a theme that's never been done before. But then to have your puzzle unfavorably compared to a puzzle that's entirely different in kind -- well that's the height of unfairness. You have my sympathies, Joe Marquez. You've created an elegant rebus puzzle; you stole nothing from anyone else; and you assuredly did not deserve this.

Let me join the chorus taking Deb Amlen, who is normally my favorite puzzle commentator, to task for her snarky comments about this perfectly crafted puzzle. How would you feel if your pride and joy were published in NYT and the comments were so derogatory? And uncalled for. I don’t think I have ever commented in this forum before, but this was beyond the pale for me and I just had to say something. Thank you, Joe Marquez, for a puzzle I enjoyed solving, and I hope Deb feels back to her normal self soon.

Not me in the comments looking for the rest of the answers. I’m not sure if anyone else is having this trouble, but I’ve noticed that the giveaways in the blog are the answers so got. Oreos was the only surprise. Now I want a turkey melt on an onion roll with Swiss and kraut.

Arte Johnson has been an NYT crossword answer for decades given the usefulness of his name as a filler, but I hadn’t seen it in years.

You know you’re a seasoned solver when the rebuses (rebi?) make it easier. I looked at TREHIC and I thought “oh well, I don’t understand it, but the cruises seem okay, let’s move on and come back to it”. Then I forgot all about it. And suddenly, puzzle complete! And…. Oh! (La la)

This was a really clean Thursday puzzle with a good theme. I agree with many who are disappointed by Deb Amlen's slight negativity. All she is saying is that she has seen trickier puzzles. But this is really just a criticism of the editorial team that placed this puzzle on Thursday rather than Wednesday. Probably, she is not allowed to say that. I don't think the creator should take anything from this.

I’m always forgetting Thursday is Thursday when I solve Wednesday night, but MIDDLESCHOOL was clued nicely on the NOSTRIL. I thought the rebus was SCH for a bit, but sorted it all out more swiftly than often. An entertaining romp of a Thursday.

I don't think Deb is being mean or harsh here, it's just a little disorienting to read that response to a perfectly fine puzzle when there have been so many egregiously awful puzzles in the past that didn't get a single criticism. I would say more critical appraisals would be a good thing to see on this blog!

I enjoyed this puzzle and I agree with several comments that Deb's criticisms are slightly inappropriate. It's the kind of complaining that I would expect in the comments section (sometimes from myself! LOL) but I find unnecessary in the Wordplay column proper.