Wow - I guess I’m the only one who absolutely hated this puzzle. I’ve never heard of the Grand Tour, so that probably doesn’t help - but even so: ALBA and LOPE; SLAMMER (hoosegow???) and SIMU; SLADE crossing CHAMPS ELYSEES, NED, and LEACHMAN, with EELED right below (congers??); VIAND crossing TINAS. I don’t know if these are all just very non-American references or what, but this felt more like a Friday to me than a Wednesday, and I’m shocked there isn’t more grumbling in the comment section.
@Cody I hated it too. Viand irritated tf out of me crossing Grand. And everything else you mentioned.
@Cody I'll chip in with some grumbling, since you asked. This puzzle depended way too much on names that just felt like filler (ALBA, LENA, SIMU, TINAS, SLADE, NED, IAN) for my tastes... And any time you see EELED in a puzzle, it's a red flag. I refuse to believe any crossword author would put EELED into a puzzle except out of sheer desperation.
@Cody I'm with you, most of this came together, but a few entries felt overly complicated. My biggest nit is that anyone under the age of 50 is going to associate Cum On Feel the Noize with Quiet Riot. I didn't even know it was a cover. Instead of reaching for SLADE and using the copout Summer Refresher clue for ADE, Slate/Ate would have made the east section a bit more relevant. I'm not a cycling guy, but appreciate the themes. Just felt like a bit of argy bargy on some of the other clues. All of my circles are vicious and all my cycles are on my washing machine.
Two bits of arcana. First, "Camus" was a bicycle manufacturer in France of road bikes in the 1970s and 1980s. I had a friend who rode a Camus and swore by them, even though I'd often see him pushing it endlessly uphill, like Sisyphus. You can still find Camus bikes on ebay. I never cared for them myself, preferring my three-speed Sartre. They're no longer being made, having faced an existential threat. My wife had an old De Beauvoir bicycle-built-for-two (the additional seat was for the Second Sex). Second, Camus was well known for dividing his work into "cycles," each cycle being a work of fiction, a drama and an essay, all on a single theme or philosophical idea. I don't know how many different cycles comprises his oeuvre but that's how he thought of them. Love this theme, having been just the age that "Breaking Away" was MY favorite movie as a teenager. Then I got hooked on the Tour de France during the Lance Armstrong era, and I still kinda miss him, he was captivating and weird. (Leachman is an anagram of Lance Ham -- and he was a bit of a ham, and his excuses were rather ham-handed...which is what people with fat finger syndrome often end up being). Also enjoyed the pairing of SAT SHIVA with REAR UP and the presence of STEPS CLASS in a puzzle about biking. And between chianti, rye and a hot toddy, I might just say "Scusi" a few times as my bike wobbles off the road.
@john ezra The old feminist saying seems appropriate here: "A woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle."
@john ezra - Dennis Christopher, the lead in Breaking Away, was a senior in my high school when I was a freshman; the movie came out the summer after I graduated. I introduced a friend to that film a few months ago and was once again struck by how well put together it is. I also love Triplettes of Belleville, a quirky film that is essentially a silent, with a great sountrack. “Refund?! Refund?! Refund?!”
@john ezra I had a Sartre, but the derailleur was kind of wonky. Hell was other gears.
What a novel take on the Tribute Puzzle! Usually, tribute puzzles feature a dry set of theme answers related to the subject – acrosses and/or downs – and the revealer is the subject of the tribute. The symmetry is the normal rotational symmetry, because the focus is not on the puzzle’s design, but rather on the subject of the tribute. But looky here. The subject of today’s tribute puzzle – the Tour De France -- isn’t even in the grid! The theme answers include diagonals going up! The symmetry is diagonal (as if the puzzle is folded on a line going from the NW to SE corner)! And it works! Those diagonal answers in the circles climb like the cyclists scaling the mountains. The diagonal symmetry subtly gives that climbing feeling as well. And how brilliant to leave TOUR DE FRANCE out of the grid? We all know that’s what this puzzle is about, why waste the space? We learn in writing class that suggesting rather than telling is more effective, and I found it marvelous in this puzzle. So, bravo on this creative tribute puzzle, pushing the envelope. Bravo on including two answers that I can’t believe haven’t appeared in the Times puzzle in its 80 years – the iconic CHAMPS-ÉLYSÉES, and the acting great Cloris LEACHMAN. And bravo on some crackling cluing, such as [How to become a new hue] for DYE – Hah! Big thumbs up, Hal, for this witty and filled-with-spark offering, fun and satisfying to complete, and out there in the very best way. Thank you so much for this!
"Are you gearing up for the bike race?" "I don't know. Sounds shifty." (My puns are re-cycled.)
@Mike Go peddle your puns somewhere else, Mikey!
@Mike My bike was going to reply for me today, but it was two-tired. Pump it up, emus.
@Mike Oh gear me, not another one!
What a playful theme. I love the debut of CHAMPS ELYSEES. and the wonderfully punny VICIOUS CYCLES. Nice crossing of GRAND TOUR with TRIO. It would have been a hoot if the aerobic exercise had been Spin CLASS. Thanks Hal, this was wheely fun.
@Anita I came looking for a bicycle pun, Anita. I’m glad we SPOKE.
For the the first time ever the tour doesn't finish in Paris, but will instead have a Nice ending.
@Seymour B Moore I just love the name Seymour B. Moore, whenever I see you comment I laugh! Emu
Solving this puzzle was a joy ride. Everything fell into place, with no resistance, and not because it was too easy, but rather because it was masterfully constructed, with a tight theme and beautiful fill (CAMUS...CHIANTIS...ALBA... LIBRO...CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES...) Thank you, Mr. Moore. Your puzzle has put me in such a good mood, SCUSI while I kiss the sky.
@sotto voce Comments like this are what I need to read after a puzzle that frustrated me to no end. Sometimes I need to be reminded that there are people out there having the exact opposite experience from me, and that's ok; that's the whole point of there being so many people, right? Thanks for sharing your positive thoughts.
@sotto voce Lady Mondegreen would like to know, "which guy"? A little more padding for our feathered friends. Enough?
Terrible puzzle for a Wednesday. Way too many obscure answers. And in some places with equally obscure crosses, this was not enjoyable nor clever. There seems to be a pattern playing out with the creators: see who can create a puzzle that works while using clues and answers that no one has ever heard of so that everyone can revel in their genius.
@Darren it’s getting late, so I don’t know if you’ll read this, but I encourage you to reconsider ascribing such motives to the constructors. If the puzzle didn’t click for you, that’s fine. But that doesn’t mean the constructor was out to make solvers look like fools, any more than it means that you’re deficient in some way. It’s a puzzle, not a judgment.
@Darren I don't get it. NO ONE has ever heard of it, but EVERYONE can revel in their genius. So, which is it? No one? Or Everyone?
SLADE and LEACHMAN! you learn something new every day... sometimes by pressing each key on the keyboard in order
@cal she was Agnes the bar girl, taking off her stockings with Butch Cassidy... til Sundance barges in, jumps over the bed and they see Sweetface point them out to the posse. Precipitating a short jump to their horses and a quick git away. A far cry from Young Frankenstein. RIP Cloris. Quite a career.
I enjoyed this puzzle, and solved it pretty quickly - except for the embarrassing amount of time I spent trying to figure out why an iPad was wearing a dress.
I can't believe there are people complaining about this one (truly LOL at CAMUS being called an obscure reference and other such nonsense). I finished it in less than average time for a Wednesday puzzle, and while I too could not recall SLADE and absolutely needed crosses for VIAND, this themed puzzle was both fun (with the incorporation of the mountains and related pun) and relatively straightforward. Kudos to the author on this one.
@Dave C You are my opposite! I thought of VIANDs instantly, but had no clue about SLADE whatsoever. I have never followed the GRAND TOUR... but we do agree on the speedy solve. I thought it was a very accessible puzzle and I enjoyed solving it. VICIOUS CYCLES was my fave entry!
Blehhh this one relied on too many extremely obscure proper nouns.
@Nathan Baltich I'm not sure which obscure proper nouns you are referring to. One person's obscure is another's no-brainer. I had to look up 19d. I'd have thought 16a was easy enough for any reasonably well-read person. I'm never quite sure about the hierarchy of acting awards but 34d's Oscar for The Last Picture Show was to my mind one of the most stunningly well-earned ever. Put aside any qualms you may have about 50+ year-old black and white films and watch it; her performance is heart-rending.
What a delightful Wednesday puzzle! An interesting grid, fun theme, great variety of entries, and for me it brought back memories of 2014 when the Tour de France started in Harrogate. Well done, Hal. I enjoyed reading your notes as well.
@suejean , Not exactly started in Harrogate, but in the Yorkshire Dales.
@suejean Recently stayed in Middlesmoor, and traveled (by car) from Pateley Bridge to Greenhow Hill and on to Malham Cove. Beautiful area, but quite the challenge for cyclists!
This is the worst puzzle I've seen in months. How is this a moderate Wednesday difficulty? The clues are obscure and some are offensive. There are Naticks everywhere. What snobbish (or perhaps snottish) construction!
@Michael This was nearly my fastest Wednesday ever. The only thing that held me up was the band name, becauuse for all these years I didn't know that Quiet Riot was doing a cover. I felt like Bruce Lee quickly dealing with all fifty or so assailants who were nice enough to come at him one at a time. What did you find offensive? What was "snobbish?
@Michael There is a term that perfectly describes what you are experiencing here: YMMV. Many enjoyed this puzzle and finished it in less than average time.
VIAND seems a little obscure for a Wednesday...
Eric, Given the five crosses, I think it would have been fine on a Monday. Easy way to learn a new word. Also for Monday, [Food, informally] = EATS (No crosses needed).
A slog and not a fun one at that.
@Erica Put me in the slog camp. It felt like an attempt to placate the people who complain that the NYT puzzles are too US-centric. Today I learned... nothing I'll remember for long about Europe-type stuff.
Any mention of Cloris Leachman brings to mind “Frau Blücher” and the whinnying of frightened horses.
@Jack Sullivan If I recall the scene, the horses REARUP upon hearing the name "Blücher”. Perhaps emus will react similarly? Unlikely, since they have but two legs ...
@Jack Sullivan “He vas…… my BOYFRIEND!” Lol
A thoroughly enjoyable puzzle. I loved the theme, especially VICIOUSCYCLES. Even though I heard SLADE more times than I cared to as a youth, I couldn't pull the name out until I had several crossers. LEACHMAN, SATSHIVA, CAMUS, CHIANTI, TODDY all added some sparkle to the puzzle.
Managed to work this one out but have to confess that even when I was done I didn't entirely grasp exactly what was going on with the theme. I kind of get it now, but my brow remains furrowed to some extent. Speaking of furrowed brows - stumbled across a puzzle today that I can promise I would never, ever have managed to complete. Must confess that I still don't entirely 'get it' even after looking at the solution. Anyway - a Sunday from May 21, 1995 by Dean Niles with the title: "Celebrity types." A couple of clue/answer examples: "==}:]] :" ABRAHAMLINCOLN "8(:o) :" MICKEYMOUSE "*(:o)} :" BOZOTHECLOWN Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=5/21/1995&g=113&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=5/21/1995&g=113&d=A</a> I'll return now to my home planet. ..
@Rich in Atlanta Those are old fashioned emoticons, which we used before smartphones popularized emojis. It’s like a face rotated 90 degrees. In your examples, you can see Lincoln’s hat and beard and Mickey’s ears. Pretty interesting that the NYT ran that theme before most people had Internet access.
I'm not up on my opera, so I needed the crosses to get SLADE. Just yankin' your chains. Don't know much bicycology, but I enjoyed reading the comments here from people who do. Picturing Eliza Doolittle call someone prosperous "well-eeled".
This was an outright absurd Wednesday puzzle. Give me a break.
Really not my favorite. Too many entries were focused on the theme which I had no idea about and were unable to be intuited, crossing with entries you can’t guess if you don’t know (is that what people call crosswordese?) like SLADE or CAMUS or TINAS. Definitely a lot of good entries in here, I liked PASTTENSE and REALIST especially, the creator is clearly skilled. But not knowing what the Grand Tours were really made many bits of this crossword inaccessible without cheating. To be fair, if I were to make a crossword I’d almost certainly fall into the same trap of making the theme something I’m really invested in but not everyone is, and then saturating the grid with it.
@Maia I always grumble to myself, "Just wait untli I make my literary reference puzzle." ;)
Not a fun one for me. SLADE, LEACHMAN, VIAND, TINA’S, and TEA CADDY all frustrated without an “ah ha!” thrill when solved. The puzzle also would have felt more unified with TOUR DE FRANCE as an answer instead of GRAND TOUR.
@Matt I agree with your criticisms but I will say that I appreciated this puzzle after the solve more than when I was working it. My handicap with the NYT crossword is a little higher than the more seasoned solvers, so I tend to hide under the amateur label and look to the regulars for benchmarking my feelings about a puzzle.
A device identifier in computing would more accurately be a MAC address--which are permanent and unique--instead of an IP address--which often are not permanent or unique, and describe a network connection and not the computing device.
I think Slade’s expiration date as a of pop culture reference expired a couple of decades ago. This was a bit of slog for a young(ish) non-Francophile.
Sheesh. This was a drag. Not even remotely satisfying. Way too many proper nouns. Some desperate reaches for incredibly lacklustre clues. Poor crosses. Average theme. Just straight up bad. Sorry.
@Sam Agreed. Way too many references to competitive cycling, a sport I find incredibly boring.
What a treat! I'm watching the 5 hour replay of stage 10, and the ALPS show up in my puzzle! After stage 10, I'm up to #49,075 in the fantasy race, but that won't last. Cheers to the 3 USA riders: Neilson Powless, Matteo Jorgenson, and first timer Sean Quinn. Hoping Sepp Kuss recovers and enjoys the Olympics
Hokey smoke, Bullwinkle! With the wit and humor present in nearly aspect of Hal's little gem, in the construction, clues, concept, et. al., I enjoyed every moment of the morning's ascent. Thanks very much for this complete delight. It helps to simultaneously listen to Magdalena Kozena sing Monteverdi's "Zefiro torna" to brighten each of those moments. This promises to be a great day.
This is day 500 of my streak! A streak that has overcome quite a lot to make it this far. Unfortunately I didn’t really like this puzzle, but what can you do. There’s always day 501!
@Albert Of the 500 you've "streaked", there must have been others that weren't your cup of tea. Keep climbing your mountains.
Sorry, not fun. Way too many proper nouns that didn’t have enough crossings, especially the east side of the board.
And here I thought I was the only one who could pick out my tablet immediately, from across a busy room of touch-screen scrollers, just by recognizing its distinctive iPad dress. (case closed)
@JohnWM On a first pass, I could not figure out what you were on about! Then I read a second comment alluding to the same, so I returned to the grid and scoured it for a glimmer of understanding. Now I can say: 🤣🤣🤣! Downs are usually so difficult for me to parse, but I knew IP (Internet Protocol), so never DOOKED that one. Thanks for the chuckle!
A fun, coasting downhill solve but also got stalled a bit in the SW on VIAND. From MW: "Viand was borrowed into English in the 15th century from the Anglo-French viaunde or viande (viande, meaning "meat," is still found in modern French usage). The Anglo-French viaunde derives ultimately from the Medieval Latin vivanda ("food"), an alteration of vivendus, a participial form of the verb vivere, meaning "to live." Vivere is the ancestor of a number of other lively and life-giving words in English, including victual, revive, survive, convivial, and vivacious." 48D, GMT, brought back shortwave radio memories of using the time stations WWV (Ft. Collins CO) and CHU (Canada) to set clocks. GMT was replaced by UTC, Universal Coordinated Time.
@John Yeah, it's UTC now, but saying GMT reminds me of my fascinating visit to the Royal Observatory at Greenwich and straddling the 0° longitude line to stand in two hemispheres at once! :-) WWV is very soothing to listen to. For those without shortwave radios, there are free web-based software-defined radio (SDR) receivers that you can listen to it on, such as this one near the SF Bay Area: <a href="http://kfs.wsprdaemon.org:8077" target="_blank">http://kfs.wsprdaemon.org:8077</a>/ 10MHz (10000) is usually a solid frequency to hear WWV on a West Coast radio.
Cloris Leachman was the crowning glory of this relatively easy climb up a Wed puzzle. From The Last Picture Show to Young Frankenstein to Mary Tyler More Show to Malclom in the Middle...she was brilliant! And so undercelebrated!
I'm a cyclist and Tour de France fan, so I appreciate that this was a bike racing puzzle -- as in, you have to just shrug when it's a tragic pileup and say, "that's bike racing." Crossing SLADE with LEACHMAN and having a cum clue -- the NYT has seen better days.
EELED is no more suspect than fished, clammed (apologies to Captain Q, but hey, look, MAINE!), oystered or scalloped, Sam. A good Wednesday workout, though I am a little tired of seeing little circles in the grid myself.
@Vaer - OK, I think I've clammed up long enough about this insistence on alluding to the massacre of my people. Enough!
So many Italian reds and so little time. We got this one as ko knew all the biking references. I knew SNOT. Nice one Hal, loved you in 2001.
The Triplets of Belleville is one of my all-time favorite animated movies! The original version was in black and white; I guess they must have colorized it. Do see it if you haven't already!
@Michael Dover - the flashback scenes were black-and-white, showing the Triplettes in their heyday, but the rest of the film was in color, though largely muted colors. A brilliant film.
I perked up when I realized the puzzle was about the Tour! Some tough crossings, but thoroughly enjoyed the tribute - following today's stage as I type this!
My partner & I are loving the Tour this year, so this puzzle was a real treat. Too bad the constructor couldn't fit "gravel" in there somewhere! Not that I'm complaining--the 45-degree grade in the mountains was plenty entertaining, a VICIOUS CYCLE indeed. I also noticed the "SOLD/DYAD/TRIO" stack on the west side of the puzzle and wondered if SOLo plus the other two might have been part of Mr. Moore's original plan--maybe something about the numbers of riders in a very small breakaway? Either way, thanks, Mr. Moore & editors, for a wonderful ride.
Seemed challenging for a Wednesday. Given how many thematic elements were present, the fill seemed especially good. Lots of interesting non-thematic entries here. Nice job by our constructor!
This was a slog for me. Normally, I don’t mind obscure puzzles because it gives me a chance to learn something new, but this just didn’t hit.
This seemed like a Wednesday puzzle to me. Some offbeat entries, but that's what Wednesdays are for. The Duchess of Alba is one of Goya's most famous paintings, and if you have never heard of it, perhaps the lack is yours. The same would be true about Ned Rorem, a prolific, openly gay, 1976 Pullitzer Prize winning composer. Cloris LEACHMAN, said she had performed in only three movies she considered perfect, one of them being "Young Frankenstein." The puzzle may have seemed challenging to some, but the filling out of the theme was nothing short of brilliant, a GRAND TOUR de Force. Delighted that you opened the pod bay doors, Hal. Thank you!
@dutchiris So what were Cloris Leachman's other two perfect movies?
@dutchiris this comment is exactly how I imagine smug crossword nuts patting themselves on the back when they know ridiculously obscure references in unenjoyable crossword puzzles. I'm glad you enjoyed it and I hope the lift it gave your ego serves you well. I thought it was a dreadful puzzle, though, and I don't have an ounce of regret for not having the slightest idea who these proper nouns are.
I adored this puzzle and I love Triplets of Belleville, too! Haven’t seen it in many years—may be time for a rewatch. Thanks for a brisk Wednesday ride!
@Emilie So much to love in that film, like the scene where the grandma on the tricycle is pacing her cyclist grandson during his training run.
There was no way I would have gotten VIAND. And I speak French 🤷🏻♀️
Great fun to see a puzzle themed on the TdF--merci, Hal Moore! I'm missing the finish on the CHAMPS ELYSEES this year but understand the reason for it--it would have been fun if he'd been able to work the word NICE into the grid.
This page's URL is wrong -- should end in daily-puzzle-2024-07-10.html (not 07-10-2024). Reported to <a href="mailto:NYTGames@nytimes.com">NYTGames@nytimes.com</a> also.
@Michael Weiland So we shall see how long it takes to get corrected. Still broken as of 11 pm Tuesday.
Solve time about 15% less than average. Time to get to the Wordplay column was probably three times my average. Got here by searching on “wordplay” in my browser.
@Jim Yes, looks like there is a typo in the URL for this page
As an ardent watcher of the Tour De France (as much for the spectacular views of the French countryside as the cycling drama), I enjoyed this race themed puzzle, and it came together quite quickly for me. This year’s Tour seems like a foregone conclusion, with an in form Tadej Pogacar looking likely to run away with it and to reclaim the coveted maillot jaune from Jonas Vingegaard. It was, however, heartwarming to see the entire peloton embracing Mark Cavendish after his crafty sprint captured his 35th stage win to make him the all time leader in individual stage wins.
@Marshall Walthew We’ll see whether Pogo can keep his form during the second/third week. He is after all doing the double (he also did the giro this year) Remco and Vingo are both there to pick up the pieces if he falters.
@Marshall Walthew I was hoping for a bicycle reveal at the end of today's puzzle. Tadej might take it -- but Jonas is looking stronger than expected. The mountains will tell! If Tadej wins TDF, I hope he tries for Vuelta too!
So many references I didn't get. Slade? Ned Rorem? Cloris Leachman? Simu Liu? Albert Camus? Lots to google after this. Maybe I'm just uncultured or a clueless millennial (or both?) but the struggle was real. I have never heard "viand" to describe food, and I'm even studying French and connected "viande" as meat. "Usury" was also a new word for me. Maybe I could have worked this out if the crossings were nicer, but I needed lots of reveals to finish.
@Michael Cloris Leachman was the bomb, before your time, practically before my time, but still the bomb. If your parents didn't introduce to her, that's a shame. When you have some time, go binge watch the Mary Tyler Moore show. Try to keep it in perspective of its time, but MTM was ground breaking. Albert Camus - Nobel Prize winner for literature - read The Stranger - you kinda have to be a book and/or philosophy nerd these days to know his name. I did have to look up Slade, I was stuck on Quiet Riot and the only Liu I knew was Lucy. And since I didn't have to search for Ned, so I still don't know why this person is famous. But searching for the answers is how I get my TIL moment. Embrace it.