Finished in 25:19, a PB for me, with no hints from the Crossword Column for help. Someday I'll be able to say the same about a Saturday and a Sunday puzzle. I've been enjoying both the challenges in the puzzles throughout the week and the comments. It's never dull in here!
@Michelle Celebrate all your PBs! Soon you'll watch them fall even lower, and you'll get those elusive end-of-week ones too. NEVER SAY NEVER, and LITTLE BY LITTLE you'll get there!
@Michelle Congrats!! And you're right, it's a.... LITTLE BY LITTLE kinda thing! I've been doing these almost a year now and only just had my first couple of successful Saturdays without any lookups or any helps! But along the course of the year, the helps helped me grow! Also, there's nothing wrong with helps but if your goal is to not use any helps, I'm confident you'll get there!
"How do you eat so many fruit-flavored candies?" "Skittle by Skittle!" (Puns like this come in candy.)
@Mike When I have a certain hard candy, I like to savor the Saver. I also enjoy threEMUsketeers.
@Mike Piece by Piece, Reese.
I couldn't think of a snappy pun in reply, but I did manage to come up with another phrase that fits the theme to today's puzzle and that brought to mind one of my favorite commercials of all time. Enjoy! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzLVIc-O5E" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTzLVIc-O5E</a>
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. Jam session? (4)(4)(7) 2. Feat on a beat (5) 3. Word following "push-up" that anagrams to a word following "pull-up" (3) 4. Number for a letter? (4) 5. Negative Nancy words? (4) SLAM DUNK CONTEST SCOOP BRA RENT NONS
I love reading your top-fives, Lewis--thank you for posting. For the past week, I'd only add Friday's 22A, "French buns."
I was sorry-not-sorry to tear myself away from the Olympics to do this puzzle, but was astonished that so many of the words in this grid echoed what was happening in Paris! As you know, the TriOkraThon was introduced at Rio in 2016. Athletes from around the world competed in the three-part event (eating okra, obstacle course covered in okra, swimming in okra). Americans, from the Ozarks to NYC, have taken to the sport of okra to such an extent that in just a few years the pickleball courts have been largely abandoned for the okra pits (regulation size 167 x 82' pools of stewed okra, 12.5" deep, with ladders, slides, flues, barbed wire, slabs of concrete, hidden panels, etc.) where you'll find legions of okrathletes of all ages, drenched in okra, in friendly but serious competition. So far in Paris we're just in the eating stage. The Omanis took the early lead, using huge discs of pita to scoop up vast quantities of the gooey mass. The crowd let out a gasp when the Italians, who had prepared a huge cauldron of a warm, bubbling, greenish-brown okra ragu, couldn't finish. "After a certain point, I told myself 'enough is enough,'" said the captain, "and my teammates felt the same." He made a hasty escape, heading for the bathroom. But it was the French, with their grand gruyere & okra omelet, who won the day. Little by little, they ate the 21-metre omelet. What of the Americans? They're up next, and even after those resounding defeats in Rio & Tokyo, never say never!
@john ezra John, are you s l i m i n g us? ° ° ° ° ° ° 〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰 (eeww)
@john ezra -- In North Carolina's Outer Banks, the official drink is Ocracoke. Et tu, emu.
@john ezra You are badly mistaken.....there IS such a thing as PICKLED OKRA... Pickled Ball is the newest sport; haven't you heard?
I appreciate the fact that TIME AFTER TIME we keep getting puzzles with excellent theming. Nice one Jeffrey!
Second day in a row with a non-standard-sized grid, today at 16 x 14 versus the usual 15 x 15, a total today 224 squares compared with the usual 225. One of my treasured crossword rituals is to glance over the finished grid and see what serendipities pop out. Today what popped out were five double E’s, the PuzzPair© of EVOLVE and LITTLE BY LITTLE, and the lovely board game cross of SORRY and RISK. Also, to go with EDEN, there’s alEVE, EVEnt, nEVEr say nEVEr, and wannabe EVA. I liked the cute theme, showcasing those sing-song phrases. And even though I prefer to sip rather than gulp my puzzles, I loved the feeling of zipping through this. Thank you, Jeffrey!
@Lewis You described the grid as 16 x 14 while Rich called it 14 x 16. I noticed you did a similar thing yesterday with a non-standard grid. I don't want to start a fracas, let alone a melee, but Rich's way seems correct to me. I was wondering if you were following some standard constructor guidelines or something like that? -29/7/24
Recently, I’ve been diving into the seemingly endless crosswords of the archive, the puzzles a perfect mix of old and new, as well as giving me more of a challenge. I’ve noticed that the Mondays hardly ever have a revealer, such as one I completed the other day: Six theme entries that all end in ‘AND’ (ampersand, secondhand, etc.). While Mondays are supposed to be easy, I loved the aspect of figuring out a simple theme for yourself (although revealers are never a bad thing), because if you try to solve too fast, you might overlook the theme altogether. Today’s crossword reminded me of the joy I felt while doing older puzzles like that, as well as having the clues being simple in a similar fashion to the older puzzles throughout to compliment. And if you think these sort of themes are lazy, NEVER SAY NEVER! Thanks, Jeffrey!
Finished in 2:51 for a new Monday personal best!
When it comes to crossword puzzles, ENOUGH IS never ENOUGH! This was a fast and fun one, during which I had one eye on the women's gymnastics. If I hadn't, I probably would have had a personal best today. I'm not a big Olympics person but I love women's gymnastics! They're so amazing! So incredibly skilled and graceful. I mean, I bump into almost every door I meet... My life is constantly Tommy Boy-esque, "Oh, that's gonna leave a mark!" There was a time in the last year so, when I stumbled getting out of bed in the morning and bumped my head on the wall and sported a lovely bruise on my forehead for a couple weeks! Needless to say, I CAN'T EVEN believe how incredible they are and how effortless they make it look. SORRY NOT SORRY for my digression there... Anyhow, a fun puzzle, in which I filled out almost the entire grid in one full round of a crosses and downs. The only downside to that was that I didn't notice that my downs in the bottom middle didn't work out. I'd put AYE aye on the first go round, so no happy music, but easily fixed once I actually looked at it. And once again, if you're not good at geography, I'll give a plug for playing a geography game. The one I do is just simply called World Geography and it has helped my crossword puzzling so much! Two years ago, I would not have known OMANIS. I say that with no pride but at least I started trying to get better at it and then when I got into puzzles, realized how much it helped! Cheers to in a week!! 🍸
@HeathieJ I occasionally play a geography game called Worldle. It’s embarrassing how poor my grasp of African geography is.
For a brief spell, I had AYE AYE at 67A, delighted that it echoed the theme.....but then I had to revise it, so....lost opportunity, perhaps. I see Cain got a couple of mentions; is he running for something? Maybe we can spice up Monday (the Day of Fewest Comments) by arguing about whether "Pow!" Is an accurate clue for BAM! I say it falls short, as 'Pow' hints at a slightly hollow report, while BAM implies a sound that is flat and perhaps lacking a echo. Discuss. ....Anyone? anyone? Barry?
@Mean Old Lady I'd like to take a slug at that nuance but I'd be punching above my weight
@Mean Old Lady I also had AYEAYE and thought it was a nice echo. Ah well.
@Mean Old Lady Since either one would appear on the screen during the old 60s Batman TV show, I'd say the clue works fine. Kapow!!
Del is the abbrev. for Delete on a delete key, but dele - the proofreader’s mark - is the imperative form of the Latin verb: “take it out!”, not an abbreviation. The editor’s response “stet,” another crossword regular, is again unabbreviated, simply the subjunctive form of the Latin verb: “let it stand/stay.” Proofers unite! I add to the observation about pr- words that there are other such lists, say: sn- words have to do with noses… snort sniff sniffle snout schnozz snuff snuffle sneeze snoop snob snoot …
this article’s intro resonated with me — been trying to do the crossword daily for about a month, managed to knock out this monday puzzle in 5:15 with no googling/help. decent improvement for a short timeframe. simple but enjoyable theme this time with some fun fill, thanks for the puzzle!
Fun puzzle and a pretty smooth solve. Not a record time for me, but well below my Monday average. And... a 14 x 16 grid. Can't remember the last time I saw that - can't help but wonder how common that might be; I probably don't notice it that often. And, of course, a couple of puzzle finds today. First one a Sunday from July 13, 2014 by Tom McCoy with a similar theme. Title: ""We hold these truths to be self-evident." Some theme answer in that one; BOYSWILLBEBOYS IYAMWHATIYAM WHATSDONEISDONE ITAINTOVERTILLITSOVER HATERSGONNAHATE ITISWHATITIS ENOUGHISENOUGH I might put the other puzzle in a reply. ....
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: I've never seen a puzzle like this before. A Sunday from September 16, 2001 by Bill Zais with the title: "Rational numbers." In that one, all of the theme answers were down answers and they all had exactly the same clue, which was essentially an arrow pointing back at the clue number. One example: 1. "<-- :" HALFANDHALF Some others: 11. "<-- :" ONEANDTHESAME 20. "<-- :" SECONDTONONE 53. "<-- :" PIECESOFEIGHT Can't imagine I would have much of a chance at solving that one. Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=9/16/2001&g=53&d=D" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=9/16/2001&g=53&d=D</a> ..
Another fun one! At first I thought the theme was diva powerhouse songs-- Enough is Enough by Donna Summer & Barbra Streisand, Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato... and I was expecting Piece By Piece from Kelly Clarkson. Then I realized the theme was much simpler and has nothing to do with my Spotify playlist! Either way, well done and thank you for a great puzzle :)
@Michael Can Michael McDonald be considered a diva? Because in addition to the Streisand/Summers song, I had the Doobie Brothers' Minute by Minute in my head.
Finished in 5:26 Just 30 seconds off my PB for Monday Didn’t even have to read the author’s hints for answers Now if I could only finish the Saturday puzzle with such alacrity!
I came in through the bathroom window: INCH BY INCH. I think I saw 24 proper nouns in this one; are we expected to know all this PPP on a Monday? But seriously, folks: nice one, Jeffrey. Was there a version in color?
@Barry Ancona - Slowly, I turned... step by step...
Since lots of us are sharing — 6:13 tonight, 4:29 PB for a Monday. This was a perfect puzzle to kick off what will be a very hot, incredibly busy week for me. But I can’t believe it’s almost August! Stay cool and hydrated if you’re due to catch the heat and humidity. And have a wonderful week!
Fun puzzle today! I haven't PR'd a Monday in a year and a half or so, but I came very close today. I don't regret pausing to pet my cat (what monster would?), but had I not, this would've been the day.
@Josh Aha.....a Cat Person. Based on suspicion....Next you'll try to tell us you're childless.
Joining the ranks of the PBs today at 5:05. Enjoyed the theme!
Clever puzzle! Fun! The downside of early-week puzzles being done in a flash is always balanced with the hope that some newbies are getting hooked by solving today! And I can’t be the only one who lost their streak 1 year ago today? Anybody else get the “365 days!…” today? If so, you - like me - lost our streaks to the tic/tac, tit/tat, tip/tap natick. Back up to a year!! Woot-woot! Just me..? Anyone..?
So sure I was that ENOUGHalready! was the first spanner. But I got into the swing stepbystep. Nicely done.
Someone asked in the comments to Sunday’s puzzle what the app setting Show Competitive Features does. Pardon me if the question has already been answered, but at least one “competitive feature” is in the pop-up that you get when you finish the puzzle. With Competitive Features on, the pop-up tells you the time it took to solve the puzzle, how long your solving streak is, and how your solving time relates to your average time for that day. With Competitive Features off, all that information is gone. All you’ll see is “Congratulations! You solved a [day of the week] puzzle!”
@Eric Hougland I have Competitive Features on, but I only get “Congratulations you solved…” and the length of my streak. Is it a new feature? I do solve on an old iPad…
Hey all, really enjoyed the puzzle! some clues i'm just never able to figure out as a non native english speaker without help. What does to and fro mean?
@Julian To and fro means back and forth, like the way you swing your arms when walking quickly. A playground swing can also be said to be moving to and fro. Hope this helps!
@Julian "Fro" in this sense is really only used in this phrase. It's a shortened version of "from". I would never say "I just came home fro work".
Cute idea for a Monday puzzle, lots of variety in the fill getting the week off to a fine start. Looking forward to more from Jeffrey.
Not one, not two, but THREE Bible references (four if you include ISLAM...) had me crying ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
@Ernest I had an Iranian friend when I was in my twenties. She frequently referred to herself as a Muslim, especially when she was talking about her experiences in the United States. However, she didn't cover her head, nor did she show any signs of being an observant Muslim. I asked her about that one day. She took a few seconds to think about how to phrase her answer, then said: "I am a Muslim in the same sense that you are a Christian." I started to object that I wasn't raised as a Christian, but then I thought about it... I had, at various times in my life, attended Catholic Mass, Unitarian services, Baptist services, Protestant services... I knew a few things about the Bible... I grew up in and lived in a country whose history was steeped in Christianity. In a lot of ways, culturally I am Christian, even though I've never been a believer, because I'm imbedded in this culture. A lot of biblical references throw me a curve, too, but for an American newspaper to do this seems reasonable.
@Ernest Don't waste your breath, or your energy. Quotes and clues.....you can't go wrong guessing that they're from either The Bible or Shakespeare. Old Family Saying during my growing-up years. Honest.
@Ernest Because you mentioned ISLAM, is your distaste for the clues and answers rooted in a distaste for spirituality? I ask because I am not terribly interested in architecture, but I wouldn’t expect the NYT to cease all architectural references because of it. Do you feel you should be protected from the mention of these words and names? I’m honestly curious.
The American English spelling of omelette has triggered my OCD 😅
The link from the main puzzle page is broken again. This is happening a lot these days. Who's asleep at the switch? !!! !!! !!!
Speaking of personal bests. 6:34 on a Monday. I’m only sad that it’s over.
A quick, fun and easy puzzle - a perfect Monday puzzle! Thank you!
Here’s your chance to see if you have what it takes to be an emu: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/29/crosswords/29community-lab-quiz.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-00.SQlA.LV3Ses5zcY5q&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/29/crosswords/29community-lab-quiz.html?unlocked_article_code=1.-00.SQlA.LV3Ses5zcY5q&smid=url-share</a>
@Eric Hougland Thank you! That was interesting but gotta say that I’ve seen a fair number of comments that seemed overly critical of editors and constructors that were not removed. I guess it’s pretty subjective.
@Eric Hougland What a bunch of fake news! That's nothing like how the system works. Maybe it's how they'd like it to work. They say padding doesn't do anything, but I posted a one-liner and a padded post. Guess which one appeared? !!!!!
Definitely fresh and fun! Loved the theme. Thanks for the clever and enjoyable Monday puzzle!
Did anyone else have BANner for "impressively done" before BANGUP? Because it's Monday, I wrote it in in dark ink once I had BAN -- without checking any more crosses -- and then almost immediately had to change it. Other than that, smooth sailing. All the phrases are ones I've both heard and said myself, with one exception. SORRY NOT SORRY sounds like rubbing salt in the wound to me. Not only sarcastic, but gratuitous and deliberately unpleasant. Here's a quiz for the blog: Can anyone think of both a situation and a person to whom saying those words would be appropriate. Be sure to include that person's relationship to you, if any. I actually can't think of a single instance where I might want to say such a thing.
@Nancy The clue pretty much says exactly that about SORRY, NOT SORRY.
@Nancy Not something I say often, but on occasion when somebody blames me for something I had no control over or is unreasonably offended by something trivial. Unless it's someone I don't know, then I would probably just say "excuse me?"
Did not know alit - of course it was crossed with a proper noun. Would of edited that section but otherwise liked. Solid theme.
Jon, Get to know ALIT; it has appeared 681 times in the NYT Crossword. And while I realize you're relatively new here, this is the fourth appearance of ALIT this year. Tue Jul 16, 2024 42A Came down to earth (7) Kelly Richardson Mon Apr 8, 2024 30A Touched down (22) Peter Gordon Sun Feb 4, 2024 76A Landed (20) Daniel Grinberg
A simple request: When limited to using an iPad and the NYT games app, may we get a Wordplay link in the app? Speedy and fun Monday. Thank you Jeffery
@dk I had the same problem for a few days. Now you get to Wordplay by clicking on the “i” at the top of the page. I always assumed it stood for information. Don’t know why no one seems to be talking about this change, but I do notice that the number of comments has decreased.
@dk There IS a link in the app. Tap on the "i" icon, and down at the bottom of the page you'll see the link to the Wordplay page. On Sundays, you'll also see the title of the Sunday puzzle.
@dk As mentioned, the link in the app is behind the circled i. That’s how it’s been for me for as long as I can remember.
@Sam, Prick, probe Pray for the emus
What happened to getting to Wordplay and a sneak peak from the main crossword puzzle page? What’s been going on for the past 3 days? Is this a new format? I had to google NYT wordplay in order to get here. I hope it’s just a technical glitch and not permanent.
@Debbie Tart Lots of us are struggling with the change. Now you click on the “i” on the top of the page. Don’t know why no one alerted us about the change. Comment volume is down because of it
@Ibehooved Thank you for the reply. You’re right about why they didn’t alert us about this change! I always like to read the Word Play after finishing! It always seems these apps update with changes and it always takes more clicks to where you want to go! Have a great day!
Although I'm a lifelong 7-day print subscriber, I currently solve the crosswords on my computer. Yesterday, Sunday, and several other days during this year, a perfectly correct solve failed to draw the customary congratulatory fanfare from the Times. Using the key [I know, I know!], I checked my answers down and across TWICE each to no avail. Only by clearing the whole grid and refilling it could I get credit for solving. Either the Times' computer is imperfect or I am. I think it's them. Has anyone else experienced this?
@minimum I've done nearly six years of puzzles, all of them either on my phone, a tablet, or a desktop conputer, and this has never happened to me
@minimum I solve on my iPad. Every once in a while, I’ll finish a puzzle that looks to be correct but for which I don’t get the congratulations message. I’ve had to re-enter all my answers. Maybe, when that’s happened, I have had a mistake that’s hard to find. The phone version of the app has a List display that puts the answers next to the clues. I wish the NYT would add this to all the electronic solving methods, because it’s very useful when you’re trying to find a mistake.
@minimum I suppose it's possible that you had an "invisible" error, like a zero where you should have had a letter O (the two keys are right next to each other, it's not much of a slip).
Re CRAN, I do recall this term being used by a Royal Marine (original and best) to talk about food - as in 'get some cran in you', 'time for cran' etc. This will have been in 1994 or thereabouts. As such, it is a noun, but one that denotes food in general. So you cannot talk of a CRAN, but you can talk of CRAN in general, especially of you are a Bootie. .
@Michael - I can’t guess where your comment comes from, since there is neither cran nor crans in either of today’s crosswords. As a bagpiper and Irish whistler, I assure you I tried the noun “cran” (not with hope) in today’s Spelling Bee. The cran is, on whistles or pipes, one of my very favorite ornaments to play, as it has an air of authority and finality: keeping the lowest hole closed while riffling the other low fingers one by one. A cran is like a slam dunk or a mic drop.
And I cannot seem to add a picture of my pups next to my *name* unless I comment..? Is this true? Emus??? …
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