What an ingenious way to use FORTHRIGHT as a revealer for a theme based on a rare quadruple homophone. Brava! Congratulations, Margi, on having your dream come true. Enjoy the thrill of seeing your puzzle in print.
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. No small part (8)(4) 2. Down during difficult times? (6)(3) 3. Red plant? (7)(3) 4. Rulers used to make many crosswords? (5) 5. "Human beef" and "Chicken pox pie" on a menu, one hopes (5) SPEAKING ROLE STRESS EAT RUSSIAN SPY TSARS TYPOS
Lewis, I hope your second week was great too! Loved those clues; the emus did too.
Mondays, for me, an experienced solver, are often autofill fests, where I go from “On your mark, get set…” to “Gone!” in an eyeblink. What I liked today was that yes, the puzzle filled in, in short order, but no, it wasn’t autofill. A good number of times the clues were genuine riddles, where I had to stop and think, and in many instances, I was stymied until the crosses came. And, well edited as this puzzle was, each time this happened, the crosses were very easy – this is Monday after all. But those stymie-ing riddles – short lasting though they were – what a Monday treat! More like this, please! Then there were the other plusses. The clever way to make a theme out of four homophones. Lovely non-theme answers (TALON, CONTESSA, RIGOR), even abutting palindromes (ENE and TOT). All capped by a heartwarming constructor note. Margi, going from never having made a puzzle to NYT publication in a year-and-a-half is most impressive, and your method – practice, persistence, linking with mentors – shows how smart you are. Your puzzle shows how inherently smart you are as well. May your arc continue to soar, and thank you for a splendid outing today!
@Lewis Thank you so much for your thoughtful review--you get me! I don't know if I'll have another puzzle in the NYT, but this is a thrill!
Congratulations on your debut, Ms. Stevenson, and for having your dream come true! Thank you so much for a lively puzzle and lovely constructor notes. I have a sense that the joy you show for having worked with some pros was probably the same joy they felt in working with you. I was unexpectedly tripped up in some spots. Port before ISLE, Nobel before TWAIN (good one!), Rite of passage before RELIGIOUS RITE, and Pours before RAINS. Over-confidence on Mondays will do that. But my mistakes also affirm that this was a beautifully constructed puzzle, created with intelligence and intention. An "easy" Monday with much flair! Brava!
@sotto voce Thank you so much for your thoughtful review. I'm glad you enjoyed my puzzle.
The puzzles are a shining example of the way we are all different and all share so much. Margi Stevenson constructs a puzzle that only she could construct and we, bringing our own entirely unique knowledge, experience and imagination, can somehow solve it. How lucky we are to participate in this challenging game, day after day, week after week, and we can hope forever. I look forward to the crossword every day, and whether I like it or not (and I really liked this one) it's like an adventure waiting to happen. I enjoy the Spelling Bee and manage to make Genius every day (never Queen Bee—too much for me); I have fun always starting with a a different word for Wordle (usually one that fewer than 1% have chosen, and sometimes out-wordle the Wordle Bot anyway); find Connections exasperating, but I do them anyway; and I try bringing Letter Box in under the limit. But it's the Crossword that is King (or Queen, if we must stick to gender equality) that rules them all. I like to think that it keeps my antique brain cooking and I need to do that. Welcome, Margi, and thank you for your first-class first contribution to the NY Times puzzle world. We depend on people like you.
@dutchiris Thank you so much. I too do most of the Games every day. I use Spelling Bee Buddy to get from Genius to Queen Bee and the comments section is a big help as well--I would never take on Queen Bee without some assistance!
Congratulations on your debut, Margi! Very enjoyable Monday puzzle.
I loved this puzzle. It was perfectly tricky but accessible for me. When I realized the mark Twain trick, I smiled 'aloud.' I'm so appreciative of the creative smarties who make these puzzles, and I love this encouraging column/blog.
I didn't get all the questions correct in English class, but I had the write idea. (Now let's book it to the library!)
@Mike I hope you were able to compose yourself and essay to improve in the future. The emus think they're such prose!
@Mike Essay that noun pens a better pun than you do, Mike.. I Nash my teeth in envy, ogden and ogden.
Congratulations on your NYT debut, Ms Stevenson! Your puzzle has a theme that is perfect for Monday and a clever revealer. (I must admit that I missed the “forth”/“fourth” pun, so thanks, Sam Corbin, for pointing that out.) I enjoyed reading your constructor note, too. I have had a few puzzles published, and hope that someday, I’ll beat the odds and get into the NYT. Thanks! I’m sure we’ll see you here again soon.
@Eric Hougland I have no doubt that you'll get into the NYT and will raise a glass or two to you when you do!! 🍸🍸
@Eric Hougland Thank you for your kind words. I feel lucky to get into the NYT...it is such a crap shoot. Keep constructing and keep submitting!
Sam, I've never solved a crossword on a phone, and I solved this one with a chisel on a stone tablet. Perhaps having a bigger picture and a necessarily slower pace is why I had didn't have to change any letters and I grasped the theme with the second themer (and loved the revealer). Different strokes. Thanks, Margi! N.B. If you know an emu, you have to know a RHEA.
@Barry Ancona you are a genius! I might have to save up for a tablet! Is live to have a bigger format.
@Barry Ancona By this time, solving with a chisel and hammer, you must have the upper body Michaelangelo gave God.
What a perfect theme for a fun Monday puzzle. I noticed the homophones fairly quickly which helped to get the rest of them. I was surprised that it was a debut, very impressive indeed, and yet another new constructor to welcome. Looking forward to your next one, Margi.
A lovely, breezy Monday puzzle. Great theme, nice filling. Perfect. Congrats on your inaugural puzzle. Here’s to many more.
Worked up quite a THIRST solving, and since completing the puzzle, I've been pretending I'm a CONTESSA and wondering if I should drink PINOT, a RHINE wine, something from a KEG, or perhaps some LEMONade. Or if I should just have a prosecco with my MANI-pedi, while listening to Supertramp play You're Bloody Well Right. <a href="https://youtu.be/a4ys6YSfJDA?si=BoW1yPZFUZWLph-C" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/a4ys6YSfJDA?si=BoW1yPZFUZWLph-C</a> Congrats to Margi for hanging in there and getting a puzzle published in the Times. I'm hope that gives encouragement to all the other constructors toiling away out there.
@Vaer Such a great band, video, and song. I'm a huge fan. Thanks for posting! Still waiting for them to be inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame. So far, it's been the Crime of the Century...
@Vaer With nifty late nite MANI-pedi, might find 'Round Midnight bit more chilling.
Congratulations on your debut, Margi. You certainly have what it takes, so I'm sure we'll be seeing you again.
That was fun. Typical slow start for me and then a nice 'aha' moment when I caught on to the theme. Couldn't ask for anything more - looking forward to more from Ms. Stevenson. Couldn't help but wonder if something like this had been done before. So... puzzle find today: A Monday from May 26, 2003 by Lynn Lempel. Theme answers in that one: FORTHRIGHT MARRIAGERITE WILBURWRIGHT GHOSTWRITE I'm done. ..
@Rich in Atlanta I found out about Lynn's puzzle during the editing process, but thankfully, the editors felt my FORTHRIGHT reveal elevated the theme a bit. It's not the first time I've constructed a puzzle only to find that the theme had been done...great minds think alike?
It's been a while since I had a Monday experience like this: fun, enjoyable clues, answers that made me chuckle, the revealer just adding to the fun, and the rest of the fill simple enough to follow without having to look anything up, but challenging enough that I didn't get everything the first time through. Great start to my Monday, which I really needed today, thank you! A wonderful debut, and I sure hope to see more from you, @Margi!
@Mar in PA Thank you so much. I don't know if I'll appear in the NYT again, but this is a blast!
I’m more of a Thursday-through-Sunday fan, but this was a Monday enjoyable in its own RIGHT— not just as a speed-test! Probably my favorite Monday ever…
@Darcey O’D Additionally, it was encouraging to a wannabe, but ever-procrastinating, constructor! Thanks!
@Darcey O’D Wow! That is high praise. Thank you so much.
Oh what a lovely puzzle! Full of grace, wit, and crunchiness too! Congratulations Margo, on your NYT debut, and I do hope to see more of your puzzles here - well done!
@Brenda, Margi! Not Margo! My apologies.
@Brenda Thank you so much. I have to thank Jeff Chen for helping me get "crunchier" fill. I sent him nine revisions before we decided it was NYT-worthy.
Another great debut; and a very nice Monday puzzle. It went very quickly for me, and might have been faster if I hadn't had to think about a couple of the clues. Very nicely constructed, and I picked up on the WRITE/RITE/WRIGHT/RIGHT away. Thanks, Margi! Hope we see some more from you.
After the fourth right, I found myself left back where I had started: with a fun puzzle behind me, and looking for a new one. (didn’t even have to use Google maps)
We liked it! Alas we had Wilber before ORVILLE and now I have the theme from Mr. Ed rolling around in the vacuum between my ears. Thank you Margi from a fellow retiree.
When I went outside at 6:30 a.m. for a refreshing morning walk, it was 78 degrees ith 98% humidity. 45 minutes later I was soaking wet, so I decided to wash DHubby's car, which we bought used-- a white Hyundai Venue that has to park outside the garage. (Yes, I feel a little guilty about that, but...) Anyway, in 30 minutes I had it clean and was really, really soaked. That number of Virtue Points allowed me to sit down and do the puzzle with TWO cups of coffee. If I'm being honest, my day will be over by 9. Nah. We're on CDST. It's an hour earlier in real life. Oh, the puzzle! Very nice, indeed! Clues with verbs disguised as nouns are always fun (and I always fall for them until I have stopped to think.) Kudos to Margi!
@Mean Old Lady Well, you're not mean at all! Thank you!
@Mean Old Lady I really don't know how people can deal with summers in the South. I went through several in Tennessee, part way up the Cumberland Plateau, so I didn't even get the worst of it. Winters in Minnesota (especially last one) are nothing. I don't even use a coat most winters. A couple of layers with a hoodie top is all that's really needed. The summers up here, though, are becoming worse and worse. Nothing like a 97 degree day in a part of the world that's never been a need air conditioning. But, if boiling to death is all that it takes to make a few billionaires even more wealthy, I guess it's all worth it. It certainly is for the Supreme Court.
Didn't like that IRA/THEO/RHEA crossing on a Monday, but fortunately those were pretty common first names and that was the only viable combination. Had to correct myself a lot more than typical for a Monday. RELIGIOUSRITE I had RITEofpassage, ORVILLEWRIGHT I had WRIGHTbrother. Wonder if those were deliberate traps
@Steven M. Funny how you have exactly described my experience. I thought I was being pretty clever with Writght brother.
I loved this Monday puzzle, and breezed through it. I didn't notice the homophones, so I'm glad I read the Wordplay. Cool that the creator is a retiree like me. If I weren't always busy with art projects, it's nice to know I could have a try too. I hope to see more puzzles from Margi Stevenson!
@Joan Thank you. I can relate--I took a watercolor class this spring and having been spending more time on that than constructing. I can't decide if I'm a dillettante or a Renaissance woman...I think I'll go with the latter. :)
One reason to look forward to Mondays is a puzzle like this one! A great start to the week. Hello to my fellow Canadians on this day of reflection
Happy to see the -other- other big flightless bird included today. Less happy to be reminded of the uncanny deepfake nightmare that are "eels."
A nice, breezy Monday puzzle. A small usage note, however: “FTW” isn’t used to proclaim one’s own victory—at least not usually. It’s normally used to suggest that a particular thing is very good at what it does, and that its use could hypothetically lead (or has led) to victory. “X FTW” means “X is very good”; “Michael Jordan FTW” might be written about an old Bulls game to acknowledge Jordan’s dominance of the court, regardless of which team you were rooting for (to offer an example the older, non-video-game-oriented crowd will likely understand). Sometimes this might be used to celebrate a personal victory, but it wouldn’t be used on its own—it would be preceded by whatever you thought contributed most to that victory, and could just as easily be used by the loser to insult reliance on what they consider an unfair strategy, e.g. “faking injuries FTW” in the context of undue soccer penalties. It’s also a term you’re more likely to hear from Millennials or nerdy Gen Xers than the teens of today, I would think!
Got a kick out of 13D. Great misdirect, Margi!
@Kathleen Thank you - that was one of my clues that actually made it to publication!
1. Congratulations, Margi! A smooth solving experience is expected on Monday, but one felt something special here. That was confirmed in the comments where so many of our favorite contributors (some of whom are also constructors) weighed in to note the quality of this notable debut. Loved the puzzle and your backstory on the challenge of its evolution. It could be required reading for all who dream of constructing. 2. Sam, solving definitely varies with device. Once upon a time, in my ill-spent youth, I was a devoted ink & paper person. I later became accustomed to a tablet and the guilty pleasure of deleting. Experimenting with my phone, I thought the small size and isolated clue display would be more challenging, but my phone solve times are consistently under average (by which I mean not quite as slow…). Now I find myself thinking about a stone tablet. Thanks, Barry. 3. Welcome back, Lewis!
@M. Biggen Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments. I'm glad you feel my story could encourage new constructors. I've been so gratified to receive the mentoring that I have and hope new constructors avail themselves of the rich resources that are available to them.
Sam, My father, three brothers, and I were in hot competition with the NYT crossword by the time I was in high school. (Dad would howl with indignation if anyone dared fill in the crossword on his paper without permission.) We advanced to the point at which family honor required that we solve in pen (red ink for the ostentatiously brave). Hence, I trained never to write in the answer unless I was sure of the solution. The process may take a bit longer, but not by much, as my completion times remain competitive. I now solve on tablet, but hold to the same method, so I almost never correct an entry. Today was no exception. À chacun son goût, as they say, though this discussion is not really about taste as it is about technique. One simply holds the options in one's mind until the answer is clear; a sort of internal trial and error approach by use of synaptic erasers, and, thus, fundamentally the same program as yours.
@Foster There you go, bragging about having a short-term memory! Mine is somewhere out there; I put it down and now I can't find it.... Some things, I DO recall: HALIDE was not accepted in today's Bee...and the other day ALVELOA/ALVEOLAE went begging for recognition. These are not obscure words. Sheesh.
Thank you for a lovely and fun debut, Margi. Really enjoyable and satisfying Monday puzzle. As a fellow retiree who does all the word games daily, I admire your creativity in taking on puzzle construction! Congratulations. Hope to hear from you again!
@Cathy Thank you. I always start my days with the Games; it was a thrill to see my name on the Crossword intro. It still took me 4.25 to solve my own puzzle. :)
This is a favorite Monday, for sure! I had two rewrites. The first was 40A RHINE because I can rarely keep my rivers straight. They're all loosey goosey in my head but which one comes out without crosses is kinda like those bingo ball spinner thingies... something's gonna pop out but who knows which! But it wasn't a hard fix when I got to SKoNTIGHT. Second one was 5D. They got me good on that one—and I am here for it! First GAzebo, then GARden... ended up changing the ending through crosses, reread the clue, scratched my head for a hot second, then laughed at myself. Love it! I got all the theme answers before the revealer and I chuckled out loud when I got the FORTH RIGHT Love it! Favorite clue was (among A TON of great ones) 13D—TWAIN. My thanks to Margi and NYT for an around very fun and bright puzzle!
@HeathieJ Wow! High praise from an experienced solver.--Thank you! (And I don't know Rhone from Rhine either :))
@Sam Corbin. My experience. I have a solving time target on Monday that is too slow to say out loud. I knew very quickly today that I had exhausted my store of rewrite time on the misdirections you mentioned as well as several of my own. I then relaxed and enjoyed the puzzles cleverness all the more. Thank you, Margi!
Backtracking to a thread about Sunday’s puzzle (my comments rarely come through on weekends), where the specter of playing in F-sharp major was raised. On the piano, F-sharp major and its enharmonic equivalent G-flat major are among the easiest keys to _play_. In those keys, the keyboard lies under the fingers beautifully and chords are easily and intuitively formed. It was famously the only key Irving Berlin played in; his piano had a special clutch mechanism to raise or lower the sounding pitch while he just played in that one key. The piano is in the Smithsonian. However, _reading_ music in keys with more sharps and flats is more challenging for most players until they achieve a certain breakthrough moment where “everything is relative” - where the score’s meanings become transparent. The same breakthrough allows for transposing at sight to be done fluently — though certain transpositions are always going to be easiest (any flat key to its natural and vice versa, piece of cake) or hardest (C minor down to B minor is no picnic). Someone also mentioned horns and trumpets. For lots of reasons, those players can’t get far beyond the beginning stage before already making that leap to not caring what pitch is written but simply understanding what sound is required.
@David Connell - Thank you for clarifying and expanding upon this topic. We needed you yesterday! So, do you agree that the clue for 96A was in error, and that it should have referred to F flat instead of F sharp? Or, do you believe that the clue is correct, and that the theme answer is referring to a request to transpose the key? (From yesterday's discussion.)
@David Connell Now I might actually do Sunday’s puzzle just to see what this is all about! Love the Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu in F# Major but the problem is the opening sounds so simple: No one who didn’t know it could tell it was so many sharps but a lot of pianists do know it.
@David Connell Very interesting. You wrote: "For lots of reasons, those players can’t get far beyond the beginning stage before already making that leap to not caring what pitch is written but simply understanding what sound is required." Can you give me a couple of reasons? I played the trumpet and baritone from fifth grade through high school. I wasn't always the best, but I was always close. But I don't think I ever came close to being able to easily read five (or even four or three) sharps or flats.
Anyone do today's New Yorker puzzle by Chandi Deitmer? It was certainly different. Don't want to spoil the fun for anyone, but there's some meta stuff worth discussing after the fact.
Steve, It certainly was different. Let's discuss it in the Tuesday or Wednesday comments to let others take a shot. No emus over there; no comments either.
@Steve L I only started doing these last August, but so far, this is my favorite. I hope we see more like this.
@Steve L I'm trying to finish up the SE, where I know all the answers, but am in a state of utter confusion, feeling very dumb. I know their Monday puzzles are the hardest, so that makes me feel a bit better. I'll keep solving and see if it finally clicks. If it doesn't, I'll be back tomorrow to learn from you and BA, as I always do.
Nice! Congrats on your debut! Sam, I've developed the habit of looking at crossing clues since solving on the app/phone. I want to see every clue just like the pen & paper puzzle. I know it's slower but I can't help my self!
I am embarrassed to have missed the FOURTHRIGHT pun. Very nice touch!
@Francis So did I. Thank you for pointing that out. Makes this puzzle even netter.
@Francis If it makes you feel better, I missed it, too. I’m attributing my oversight to the blisteringly fast pace at which I solved the puzzle.
Southeast corner was a total Nattick for me. Never heard of IRA Glass or Flatow, never heard of THEO Tan (although I'm a huge stand-up comedy fan) and didn't know RHEA was a flightless bird from South America. First Monday miss in like three years.
Allen, Sorry about your trouble in the southeast. Whether you knew the two people or not from the clues (I only knew one of them), I think the editors thought RHEA would keep everyone out of Natick, since it appears here as a bird fairly frequently. Wed Jan 31, 2024 57D Large flightless bird Nathan Hale Sun Dec 24, 2023 113A Relative of a cassowary Drew Schmenner Fri Apr 28, 2023 31A Bird named for a Titan (2) Malaika Handa and Erik Agard Tue Nov 29, 2022 24D Ratite featured on Uruguayan currency David Rockow Mon Feb 21, 2022 41D Relative of an ostrich or emu Natalie Murphy Fri Dec 3, 2021 14A Cassowary kin Claire Rimkus
Congratulations Margi! That was fun. I wonder how many puzzle constructors Jeff Chen has helped. I’d like to thank him and all the other mentors out there because their efforts have certainly enriched a lot of lives. I have a question. Are there puzzle keys for the old archives? I can’t find them for the early puzzles.
@Cyndie I'm not sure what you mean by puzzle keys. I use Cruciverb to check theme answers and XWord Info has search capabilities for NYT puzzles. I'm not aware of any search function in the Archives. I'm glad you enjoyed my puzzle and you're right about Jeff--he is brilliant and kind. I haven't met anyone in this journey who wasn't supportive and encouraging.
@Margi Stevenson Thank you! I didn’t even think of Xwordinfo for answer keys.
Great puzzle! I too messed up so many Across clues. I think this puzzle has convinced me to start with the downs from now on!
I think the emu situation has gotten a lot worse. "emu" makes it sound cute, but whatever code the NYT is using is clearly defective. A preview of what life will be like when we're all subject to "AI", (artificial ignorance, in my estimation)?
@Francis My suggestion. Flag all comments. All of them. Whether you find them offensive or not. Especially if you don't find them offensive. This will force the NYT to review each of them independently, something they should be doing anyway. As we have to pay a special fee specifically for using their precious Crossword, we deserve a little more respect than they are giving us.
@Francis I am still in the dark about what this filter does because all my comments have automatically appeared. Do you never get the "Your comment has been approved!" email? p.s. I think the cutesy emu stuff got old long ago.
The original Greek for Ajax is Αἴας, and we do see the plural Αἴαντες a couple of times in the Iliad. The Latin Ajax would indeed pluralize as Ajaces.
@David Goldfarb I’ll bite. Why is this relevant?
Margi, what a great puzzle! I go for speed on Mondays and I was tripped up plenty of times to get my palms sweaty for an average Monday time for me. Perhaps it’s the late start time, HEH. TWAIN was my favorite clue. I originally had “patrons” for 43a so that caused quite the gap on my first two passes. OHJOY.
Strands #120 “We've got the beat” 🔵🟡🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵 Making some noise for Strands. Please, no spoilers until the fifth comment.
@sotto voce Strands #120 “We've got the beat” 🔵🔵🟡🔵 🔵🔵🔵 Hi, emus. Nothing to see here.
@sotto voce Strands #120 “We've got the beat” 🔵🟡🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵 Pretty transparent theme today.
I posted two comments this morning, neither of which posted. Neither particularly short (emus hate one-liners); different text in each, the only commonality being the text acronym, spelled backwards as OAML. Could that have set them off? Hungry, hungry emus.
@Bill Who knows? The NYT isn't really concerned about our comments. Only our $$$$$.
See Blake Slonecker’s puzzle from Wednesday, September 6, 2023. Same general arrangement and theme.
@Brett It uses the same homophones but I think the themes are quite different. The revealers really set the two apart. Frankly I'm amazed that people can still come up with unique themes, so many have already been done!
I’m surprised the THIRD REICH wasn’t a themed clue as well!
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