I'm a retired professional mariner. There is no such thing as a SEA MAP. The correct version is CHART.
@Laura Stratton Many are the times when I found comments like this just picky. But, today this long time boater was set to take pen in hand when you beat me to the punch. SEAMAPS felt like fingernails on a blackboard. I’ll have more empathy in the future when other commenters are similarly distressed. I hope you are still enjoying the boaters’ paradise we share. We sold our last boat two years ago and I still use my navigation programs and apps to plan imaginary cruises when I’m tired of the rain.
@Laura Stratton — NOAA agrees with you (me too)— “Because of its critical importance in promoting safe navigation, the nautical chart has a certain level of legal standing and authority. A map, on the other hand, is a reference guide showing predetermined routes like roads and highways.” <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/chart_map.html" target="_blank">https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/chart_map.html</a>
@Laura Stratton The Times is adrift in uncharted territory with this clue! Completely agree!
The combo of DEATH SPIRAL and MONDAY as the [dreaded time for many] gave me a guilty chuckle. Why yes, I am retired.
This was a very worthy Saturday. Greek, Latin, literature, American history, pop culture and more. What a wide ranging puzzle. Most of the general knowledge questions were well outside my sphere of knowledge. Only the fact that I used ATRA plus razors for years gave me any type of foothold from the acrosses (well that and the ubiquitous ICEE). Luckily there were enough guessable downs that I could eventually piece everything together. I anticipate a lot of complaints, but I like a challenge like this.
@Marshall Walthew Icee popped into my head when I read the clue, but I didn’t want to put it in because I’d never “slurp” an Icee. It’s essentially crushed ice and flavoring. There is the Slurpee but actually slurping that will give you a headache.
Kind vegetable gardeners remember their peas and thank yous. (Lettuce do likewise!)
@Mike I'd like to squash the gardeners that turnip their noses and don't carrot all. They're not nice human beans.
@Mike I don't give a fig what folks say - you're the first to sprout a fresh pun, and no small potatoes either! 😉
Woah there Hoang-Kim, you can’t just leave us with a cliff hanger like that. What’s the tattoo? The whole puzzle? Just a section? Our readers must know. (Great puzzle!)
@Lily -- If he got a tattoo of the whole puzzle, all I can say is... - - - - - - - - OUCH!!!
@Lily (Adding to my unposted post) That's some next level solving in ink.
@Lily just two squares whose answers are important to me (and were in many ways the seeds for the grid).
In Tricky Clues, 42D BROACHED is wrong. NYTimes should correct it.
@Looking Glass they don’t care about accuracy.
Much more challenging than Friday’s puzzle. I was glad for the proper names that got me started (Uzo ADUBA, NORA, and especially Arundhati ROY, whose “The God of Small Things” is one of my favorite novels). I liked the clues for ART STORE and SYNAPSE. I’m less keen on answers like TESTEES and BESTREW; neither seems like something I have ever heard in casual conversation. I’m also not sure I buy “Illuminating example” as a clue for ANALOGY, which to me implies a comparison. “Epitome” seems closer to the clue.
Eric Hougland, Just for a think piece from the another set of synapses: I’ve never heard Uzo Aduba or Arundhati Roy come up in a casual conversation - or at all. Just too uncultured, I’m sure. And I know you weren’t truly “complaining” - but the factoids that bestrew our days vary so much, as we run like guinea pigs through this maze of illumination… :)
"Pharmacy brand" had me thinking generic, like Walgreens, not Gillette
@Bill in Yokohama Me too. Even when I finally got it from the crosses, it took a few beats to realize what it was. That was my slowest section.
@Bill in Yokohama and @Nancy J. Me, too! I was especially loath to enter ART STORE. I never go to 'the art store.' I go to "the ART supply place," which these days is ON LINE quite often. My neighbors won't patronize Hobby Lobby for political/social reasons (with which I sympathize), but we aren't living in a target-rich environment when it comes to shopping for what I need, so Pfft! But it's not an ART STORE, either.
Thank goodness there wasn’t a chorus of “ far too easy for a Saturday “ . I did find that pausing and returning to the puzzle helped, but still need lots of help. Not complaining, it is Saturday after all.
@suejean Same here. Really tough one for me and had to cheat on a few answers. We'll see how tomorrow goes. Still wondering when Mr. Shortz might return. ..
61A is incorrect. Mendel used garden peas (L. oleraceus), not sweet peas (L. odoratus).
@John Bradley - You are correct about this, other than getting the species wrong. Mendel used Pisum sativum (also called the garden pea, as is Lathyrus oleraceus). The constructor probably erred because the sweet pea has been used extensively for genetics research, but not by Mendel. Most famously, Reginald Punnett used the sweet pea in his genetic experiments. So, you have the honor of being the rare person who objects to a clue who is actually correct -- a rare thing in these comments.
I suppose you can use sea maps or sea charts To navigate when seeking to pillage But "Real tars use the stars" As they say in Popeye Village Great puzzle. My money's on SYNAPSE appearing on Lewis's list. [Siesta for lovers] SPOON REST
@ad absurdum Yes, sailors use the stars to locate their position on their SEA MAP. Without a map or a chart the stars provide no useful information. L
@LarryF Websites that feature gossip about the stars also provide no useful information.
Said it couldn't be done. Not ACREs but inches to plow this field, a killer of a puzzle with some snappy SYNAPSEs (I think). None of it was easy for me, and I must FESS UP, I had to PEER IN to the Great God Google (or the GGG, a current correlative of the OED) to confirm some guesses and avoid BROACHing the DEATH SPIRAL. For the final clue 61A, you need only think of the 17th Century Sicilian monastery gardener, Francisco Cupani, a dedicated PLANT SITTER. Hoang-Kim Vu, you had some fun with us this time, and so did we with you. Get some rest, friend, and we will too, to be ready for your next brain crusher. Thank you!
Grist for my NYT penpals: Like an ivy with no plantsitter Or a synapse saton by a stopper Memory becomes misopaste Entr'acte The clue, the analogy, the eons The deathspiral of white squares The messkit of mind is pricked by the epee - Fess up, sweet peas ET TU, mon testees Lost steamers searching for the safety of that one clue, Icee a mental spoonresrt In the seamaps Of crosswordlandia Uturn and come about (A letter, a word gotta meet) That clue in peace it gives Peace onto you!
Wow. Another tough solve for me. I’m beginning to think I’m in my cognitive decline; not only are the puzzles more fiendishly hard of late, but I’m starting to slip on the Spelling Bee as well. I used to be confident of reaching Genius, if not the Queen. Lately however Ive had to abandon at Nice! When I check the missing words they’re mostly known, but my brain can’t access them. Sigh, this getting older lark is no fun. Anyhoo, back to the puzzle. It felt impenetrable at first. I had very little even after the second pass. PANDA was a rare gimme, along with the dogs and the wonderful Ms ROY. The rest fell so slowly, after many breaks for housework and the dog walk. Speaking of; I know many of you in the States are suffering a heat dome, but over here we’re still struggling in our 2nd none Summer. We get a couple of hours of warmth, then the clouds roll in and we’re back to early Spring-like shivering. Brr. TIL SWEETPEAS were early genetic TESTEES. Such gorgeous little flowers, my home is awash with them at the moment, their heady scent is filling the house. Other unknowns today: ARUBA, ADUBA, ATRA and the 19A month. Never saw the film (not a TC fan), love the way the first 3 rhyme though. Final thought; all in all a good Saturday workout, but I now have Wham’s Club TROPICANA tune in my noodle. Did not like it in the 80’s, still don’t. Thanks a lot Hoang-Kim Vu.
@Helen Wright, Maybe we’re experiencing cognitive decline at the same time, but the last few days of the Crossword and Spelling Bee have been hard for me, too. I prefer to think it’s the puzzles, not us. :)
The bane in my solving turned into a blessing! My lovely hubby, who follows our morning rule of * No. Words.* was chatty. (It’s a very busy day, and he had the right.) But, when he distracted me by chatting (the gall!) I would (dramatically as possible), turn off my iPad close it, and set it next to me. But every time I picked it back up, the answers would pop right out at me! Also, he knew the month of the signing of D of I. So, there’s that. When our boys were 7 and 8 we took the out of school for six months to meander across the country in a Winnebago. To make up for the lack of schooling, they were in charge of all planning. Daily food budget. Route with most appealing attractions. Science museums, spots to hit, and the first must-see was the red panda in a zoo in Tennessee. Fantastic trip. Fun, straightforward puzzle. Hubster is forgiven.
@CCNY The Constitution, not The Declaration oof Independence! So he couldn't have gotten that right...or you just mis-spoke, there. I just made a quilt block with a PANDA (black and white)...on Animal Planet, a program about the Bronx Zoo is a favorite for when I'm working on quilt prep tasks... they have a RED PANDA
@CCNY Everyone knows the month of the signing of the Declaration of Independence now, don’t they? No one has fireworks or a backyard barbecue for the Constitution. (Least of all the Supreme Court.)
No self-respecting sailor calls a chart a “sea map”
Thought I was going to lose my streak today, but after a challenging 26 minutes, it's now intact at 13 days. I got MISOPASTE immediately as my first clue and thought I was off to a good start. Nope, but slow and steady does it. Glad I didn't tune in to a bunch of "too easy" comments to burst my ego...
@Steven M. I had challenging 26 minutes too. The other 90 minutes were pretty easy.
Not my puzzle today. I had many answers filled in that I was sure were correct, only to be completely wrong. The misdirection is strong in this one! I had a lot of look-ups in order to finish, but I did appreciate some of the trickier clues. The one for 51A PLANTSITTER had me going in circles. A very challenging Saturday (not a complaint!) but I did manage to finish with only a minimum of bruising to my ego.
@Janine “The misdirection is strong in this one.” Just finished a one per week tour of the first three Star Wars movies (eps. IV, V & VI) with grandsons age 6 and 9 and laughed out loud at your comment.
It is a chart not a SEAMAP: Geese Louise. A few look ups this morning...... but it is Saturday. Thank you Hoang-Kim
@dk I had the same distaste for entering SEAMAP... totally awkward as well as WRONG.
@dk I rolled my eyes at that one. I have several charts - mostly of the Chesapeake Bay and the Jersey Coast - nut not a single SEA MAP.
My rule of thumb in allowing myself to cheat on a puzzle: I'm having a good, challenging time -- only now I'm stuck and can't go on. And I also have reason to believe that this one teensy cheat might unlock the puzzle for me. "Okay, Arundhati," I said to 43A, "you'd better clear up the mystery of the 'temporary water provider' that's some sort of SITTER -- that's all I have to say to you!" And you did!!! Every time I'd hit on an answer that I hadn't been able to figure out previously, I thought I'd cracked the puzzle. First, DEATH SPIRAL. Then MISO PASTE and MESS KIT. Then PEN PALS. But even after finally remembering that it's the PIPER you pay, there was still that pesky SW corner to complete. So thank you, ROY! Thought for the Day: How have I managed to feed myself for lo these many years without even knowing what a SPOON REST is, much less having one? Oh, that's right: I don't cook; I order in. A very challenging and rewarding puzzle that I enjoyed.
@Nancy Oddly, ROY was my first and only gimme on my first trip around the grid.
@Nancy I can never remember that I need a SPOON REST when I'm shopping, only when I'm dripping sauce on my stove top. Also, I had FISH SAUCE for 1A, because I cook a lot of Asian food, but not much Japanese.
I'm happy to register here that my SYNAPSEs didn't falter, though I'm sure some might have short-circuited. ____urbis conditae? Huge knowledge gap on my part. Luckily, FRAPPES were once a part of my life, EONLINE is not followed yet I'm aware of it, and those SYNAPSEs didn't let me down. Getting to PANDA was a whole different story. My brain was momentarily soaked in laughter when all I could think of for [It's black and white (and sometimes red)] was...my wardrobe! (Well, okay, there's also grey, so it couldnt be that.) And here I was thinking that yesterday's puzzle was the one that fried my brain. But guess what, I loved going from 0 to 180, UTURNED, turned on my head, and turned inside out. Thank you, Mr. Hoang-Kim Vu for a great ride!
@sotto voce This was a weird one for me. So many guesses that I was only half sure of that turned out to be right. PENPALS, BESTREW, TERRIERS. I did not know Arundti ROY, guessed ANNO because “date” could be “year.” I was sure I would have to flyspeck something when done but, surprise, “congratulations.” The frappes that were once part of my life had coffee in them.
FESSUP, who doesn't think about about having some NACHO cheese on a HOTDATE? I loved this puzzle. Tough going--but highly enjoyable.
By pure coincidence, I solved this while watching COCKTAIL (the referenced Tom Cruise movie that features Kokomo) for the very first time. Probably cut my solving time in half, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
@Stephen er, cut my solving *speed* in half; doubled my solving time. I wish I could say multitasking made me faster!
@Stephen same here, was watching a doco on Glastonbury which featured Jay-Z, not necessarily the clued song but enjoyably meta. And my solve time was not at all helped!
Hoang-Kim Vu's puzzles always delight me, and this one is no exception. I particularly liked that he has two Roys in this puzzle who couldn't be more different, connected only by tigers, most of which have Indian ancestry. It's a little surprising and disappointing that the Times hasn't reported on the Indian government's persecution of Arundhati Roy since October 2023, when she was charged for making a passing remark on Kashmir independence -- in 2010. As The Guardian reports, "This month, the highest ranking bureaucrat of the state of Delhi, Vinai Kumar Saxena, gave his permission for the Delhi police to prosecute Arundhati Roy and Sheikh Showkat Hussain for remarks they made at a public event 14 years ago."
@john ezra I'm disappointed in the NYT as well. The Guardian has done a better job. Amy Goodman continues to shine a light on the case: <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2024/6/17/arundhati_roy" target="_blank">https://www.democracynow.org/2024/6/17/arundhati_roy</a>
@john ezra Arundhati Roy, light in the darkness
Very, very difficult one for me. Partly because I didn’t trust some of my correct guesses, like EPEE, ICEE, and ACRE, I felt uncertain all through the solving process. And I sat too long on many of the incorrect ones, like “brings up” for BROACHES and “furriers” for TERRIERS. But leaving and coming back gave enough mental flexibility to start erasing, and later guesses, while often still wrong, helped get some areas “locked.” Never got into flying through mode. Was actually shocked at the happy music. Whew.
Hit and miss (a lot) for a while on this one. There were several things with which I was not familiar at all, so the interwebs were called on more than once. I found this one to be tough. The DEATH SPIRAL I've heard of the most is when an airplane goes into an unrecoverable spin, with the pilot hopefully bailing out. STIM TOYs, aka fidget spinners or their ilk, have been used to try to suppress other movement habits with variable success in schools. ADUBA was finally a gimme for me, as was ARUBA. There was an amusing parody of "Kokomo" done by some soldiers who apparently had some extra time near Kosovo, and it can be found online (a bit dated). Glad I made it through this one relatively unscathed. Thanks, Hoang-Kim.
@JayTee In flying it’s a graveyard spiral.
Utterly impenetrable. No aha moments. Grim acknowledgment that certain clues fit the solve on planet esoteric. Really quite unpleasant. After 1 hour reveal button pushed too no great acclaim or forehead slapping self-awareness moment. This week has descended into a a level of complexity that has been intense and not enjoyable. The only benefit being the easy Pearey crowd have been notably silent
@William James I solved every puzzle this week under my average time. This one took me 19 minutes, which is fast for me, although of course there are people who can do it much faster. The puzzles did *feel* hard. They required more guesswork, filling in stray letters I suspected were correct from context etc. Right up until the final letter of this puzzle, I wasn't sure if I was completely on the wrong path. But I suspect perhaps the absence of people complaining about the puzzles being too easy was due to a gentle admonishment in the column earlier this week that crosswords are games and games are supposed to be fun. I think the implicit message was, if it's not fun, stop doing it. I've spent over an hour on a crossword, but only because I anticipated, and received, a sense of accomplishment from sticking it out. If you're not getting that, what's the point?
Woof. I got stuck a lot. MISOPASTE, ADUBA, ONTO, ROY, BROACHES, FAITHS: got em all on my first pass and never wavered. Believe we call these gimmes. Took a long while for me to let go of SEAlegS. The theater major in me was lost with ENTRACTES. Had TESTErS for a while. And just like Caitlin, GRain hung around a bit too long. Also really really wanted ThemIrAge. All the same, a good time was had and I am just happy to be here.
People who have some kind of neurodivergence often “stim” or do something with a body part to give them comfort. As a person with ocd and a bag full of stim toys that I share with students, I had no trouble with that clue
@Julie I had never heard of fidget/self-soothe toys being called stim toys, so I had trouble with that one.
@Lawillibug I think the term “stim” is coming into more favor because it is a clinical behavior for some neurodivergent people, while “fidget” has negative connotations of misbehavior. Perhaps the term “toy” will be the next to fall. As someone with strong ADHD myself, I get extremely anxious without, say, a paperclip to mangle or a pen cap to bend to pieces. I even had a “fidget” wedding ring, which has proven a sanity saver.
Now that was a toughie. I got through it, but added some extra time to my average. I think the layout was interesting - it felt more walled-off than normal. Multiple times, I'd finally make a breakthrough and complete a section, only to realize that it barely gave me anything to work with elsewhere. Fun times.
Not a quick solve for me, but a fun one. Good puzzle.
I started, as always, int eh NW, and was thinking this was a way too easy puzzle for a Saturday. Then I metamorphosed from a 'wog to a shellback, under the guidance of Neptune (was his Greek equivalent, Poseidon, a TITAN? I don't think so...) and found that the southern hemisphere was a Very Different Place. I probably needed a SEA MAP to get my bearings... and eventually worked through it. So, my initial disappointment was quickly proven incorrect. Loved it! Loved PLANTSITTER most, I think.
Yesterday, I was on the constructor’s wavelength. Today, I most certainly was not. . . . . . . One dot for each of my lookups. Oops, I mean learning opportunities.
Good puzzle, hard going, but that's what Saturdays are s'posed to be. Very savory. I don't really pay attention to 'time' on the crosswords-- except maybe for the Minis and a tiny bit on Mondays-- but was startled to see 38m45s on this one, I could swear it took longer than that as I usually do on Saturdays, but then I can pretty much throw the "puzzle solving time" stat out the window these days cuz every time the app crashes (on my ancient J3 Luna Pro on which I do NYT games) it wacks up the time when it restarts, usually cutting many minutes off. At some point I'll probably go back in time, like in those "implode the engines for fun and profit" Star Trek episodes. and when I do I'll be sure to bring back some tasty, choice and extremely affordable cuts of meat and/or produce for everyone. Filet mignon 59¢/lb. Apples 5¢. Courtesy of a wacked out NYT app and/or phone. You're welcome. Where was i? Oh yeah right, the puzzle. Good stuff. Some nice entries and clues. After being startled that a ballet exercise in the crossword was NOT plié, and dismissing rond de jambe as too long, it took me just a few seconds to think of FRAPPÉ. Having been a dance accompanist for 40+ years probably helped. For FRAPPÉS I'd often play either the Presto theme from the 4th movement of Mendelssohn's Italian Symphony, or maybe The Galaxy Song from Monty Python. Whichever worked. Or was that for Grand Battements? I forget… Anyway, thank you Huang-Kim for a delightful Pas de Vu!
HERES A TIP: nice Saturday workout. If DEATH SPIRAL and PLANT SITTER were the marquee entries as Caitlin suggests, I put them on the marquee quickly. The handheld object crossing the pharmacy brand took a bit more thought, as did the ballet exercises. Don't forget to pay the PIPER. GOTTA go.
A Hoang-Kim Vu Saturday! What could be better? Not much as far as I'm concerned. ATRA/STIM TOY/NORA was the toughest section for me, but it was fairly slow-going throughout. My first pass was enough to make me a little nervous, but chipping away got it done. I feel like some cobwebs were cleared from my brain. On a less chipper note, anyone who thought Modi would be chastened by his losses should look at what he's doing to Arundhati Roy. It's shameful.
Great Saturday! Challenging and took me many passes but I didn’t have to look anything up because the crossings were fair and new terms were quite inferable. Particularly liked the proximity of Mendel’s SWEETPEAS with PLANTSITTER!
@Elly Zee PLANTSITTER sa great clue. I've been plantsitting for the past 2 weeks and that answer was one of the last I filled. Couldn't see the garden for the SWEETPEAS! Also had no idea a FRAPPE was anything other than an ICEE relative. Jeté, frappé, icée oh my!
ENTR'ACTES is just a really great crossword word. Overall a difficult one for me, but a very well constructed puzzle.
I’ve worked in healthcare my whole life and have never heard the word “take an EEG” you can give, perform, have, etc. but no one “takes” an EEG
@Nel The closest link I can think of for that clue is the phrase “takes an X-ray”. The problem is, of course, that even with that, it’s the radiologist/radiology tech who “takes” the X-ray of another person’s body. The patient doesn’t take the X-ray.
@Nel so have I (RN 7 years—I’m 27 so it feels like most of my life!), and I also have never heard that. Several physicians have commented to share an EEG is not the standard of care for migraines regardless. It’s so fun to me when medical related things are in the crossword but it seems like they often miss the mark. Health literacy in this country is an epidemic, and not just because of the EEG clue.
Honestly best constructor note ever. And I loved this puzzle.
This one sent me on a red panda video hunt. I never heard of these! Pretty funny looking cute little things.
@Ann I do hope you came across videos of the wonderful Red Panda basketball halftime act - a living legend among college and professional basketball devotees.
ARUBA, ADUBA and TROPICANA got things going today. KAPPA came later. ATRA was the last to fall. GOTTA shake your head sometimes.
Really enjoyed this one! Learned ENTRACTES and FRAPPES. I loved the clue for PLANTSITTER. Fun? fact: the TROPICANA just closed for good a few months ago to be demolished to make room for the new A's stadium (I wish all these sports teams would stop following me here from Oakland). I got to walk through on the last day it was open and it felt like walking back into another era. The stained glass ceiling was particularly impressive. I hope they can preserve it somehow.
Too. Darned. Hard ... for a June Saturday. This one is for a January blizzard weekend.
I never heard the term STIM TOY either. That little area, with ART STORE, was my last fill. I was happy that some of my guesses (like FRAPPES and MISO PASTE) panned out. Others, of course, didn't. I wanted the clue for STEAMERS to be something clammy.
"I wanted the clue for STEAMERS to be something clammy." Liz B, Captain Quahog would not have been pleased with that. ...
I read the 1A clue and, despite not knowing much about Japanese cooking, decided to go with MISO PASTE with confidence, setting the tone for the top half. I knew ARUBA and its pal ADUBA. so they went in, and I kinda wanted KAPPA , but I had put IN PERIL for 2D, so I had to rework that. The bottom half was a little slower, as fewer of my guesses panned out. Some other missteps: TAX DAY for MONDAY, PETER for PIPER (although I guess, they had to pay Peter Piper for his pickled peppers); like Deb, SAINTS for FAITHS and GRAIN for GRIST; LADY for LASS; CARE for ATRA (plus). Things I suspected and waited for because I had faulty crosses, which turned out to be right: ESTONIA, BESTREW, U-TURNED, and as I said, KAPPA. About the clue for ACRE: Did the size of the ACRE vary throughout the year? It seems it would be very big this time of year, when the sun is up the longest (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), and very short in December...maybe they didn't quite think that one through? Also, since my house sits on nearly an acre, I have a good sense of how much land that is, and it seems to me that with oxen or other beasts of burden, it wouldn't take nearly a day to plow one acre. Maybe just the farmer alone?
Steve, Oxen are strong but not swift. And they do seem to be in there. Plowing is usually done in the spring, so there's that. <a href="https://www.etymonline.com/word/acre" target="_blank">https://www.etymonline.com/word/acre</a> Parsley, sage, rosemary and emu.
I loved this puzzle and to misquote the Beach Boys It started fast but then it finished slow...
Want more of 6 down? James Vincent's Beyond Measure is the book for you!
@Bill in Yokohama thank you for the recommendation. I love books like this!
I included this fact in my tech math textbook: <a href="https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/techmath2e/chapter/21-converting-units-of-area" target="_blank">https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/techmath2e/chapter/21-converting-units-of-area</a>/ "If you’re curious, an acre is defined as the area of a 660 foot by 66 foot rectangle. (That’s a furlong by a chain. Why? Because that’s the amount of land that a medieval farmer with a team of eight oxen could plow in one day.)"
This was a toughie for me but I managed to solve it with no lookups, except to verify that BESTREW was, in fact, a word. I added 6 minutes to my average time but I actually thought it was a really solid and enjoyable puzzle. Blame for the long time is in my foggy brain this morning. Enjoyable nonetheless!
@Katie any look up is a cheat, not a solve