Tuesday, July 30, 2024

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SwiftAppletonJul 30, 2024, 2:50 AMpositive41%

OXLIP, THX, and NHLMVP held me up a little, mostly because I didn't know the flower answer and could imagine other options for the hockey and texting answers. Got there, though, and really enjoyed this one!

48 recommendations3 replies
Bonnie AnnGeorgetown, TXJul 30, 2024, 4:49 AMneutral57%

@Swift I like finding an x in a word, it makes the cross easier. I remember x words. The Oxlip however was the outlier. I remembered it was a flower and the Oxli but tried several letters, left it ant got it on the cross. Then it was aha.

3 recommendations
MargaretNYJul 30, 2024, 1:42 PMneutral86%

@Swift That was my last one as well, I ran the alphabet on Oxlip.

0 recommendations
HeathieJSt PaulJul 30, 2024, 4:23 AMnegative82%

Awwwww, man.... Here I am working so hard to do Fridays and Saturdays without any helps and today, a Tuesday, which I felt like I conquered many months ago in my nearly year-long journey of puzzling, I could not figure out the cross of OXLIP and THX. I tried many things but I had to look it up! I'm so embarrassed! I mean, obviously not embarrassed enough to not share it with all of you good people out here on the interwebs... But still embarrassed! Of course it was an X! I mean, I obviously don't have texting skills. I just text things like, "Thank you so much!! ❤️" When will I ever learn!? 🤷 And even though I work at a college with a whole Department of Horticultural Sciences and have a beautiful garden balcony, I obviously don't know much about yellow primrose and the whatnot. Please don't tell all my colleagues in the Hort department! 😉 My own shortcomings aside, very fun puzzle!! I enjoyed it! And it's good to stay humble!! My favorite was non-led pipes for BACKUP SINGER and NEIGHED! ☺️

40 recommendations4 replies
HarriTurku, FinlandJul 30, 2024, 6:22 AMneutral74%

@HeathieJ OXLIP doesn't actually seem to be yellow primrose, the internet tells me. Not that it made a difference in solving. That X was my last letter and then you can just try all letters without losing your streak :)

4 recommendations
NoraFranceJul 30, 2024, 8:00 AMnegative71%

@HeathieJ I had to run the alphabet on that X. When I saw oxlip, I thought hmm, oxen have lips, but no music. NHL not NFL... I really dislike text shorthand, both in texts and in crossword puzzles.

4 recommendations
BeccaIllinoisJul 30, 2024, 11:25 AMnegative54%

@HeathieJ Hey, I've been solving for some years now, and at some point I had a streak of 160 or so, but tonight, that exact same corner had me flummoxed badly enough to just cave and "check square". I realize now that if I'd just questioned 44D NfLMVP (wrong sport) and run the alphabet for that 2nd letter (NHL! DUHH!!) I'd've gotten it. But I just didn't feel like it, and/or it just didn't occur to me to question that square. And despite my having used "thx" many times myself, I was thinking acronyms cuz of my 44D error ("like 'TYVM' but shorter?! Huh??"). So I let go of my streak, and I've been doing this a long time. I'm not saying it was a Natick or anything, but it was a very very tricky corner there. So don't be embarrassed! (my current streak is at 16, not 40 or anything, which is why I was willing to flip the table over and just check squares. I was just in no mood to battle for the streak). It was a dense, tricky spot there. Maybe not for a Saturday, but def for a Tuesday.

9 recommendations
LewisAsheville, NCJul 30, 2024, 11:53 AMpositive95%

Lovely surprises in the box today. A 72-word grid on a Tuesday, which usually has 76 or 78. A terrific end-of-the-week clue for SING BACKUP – [Use non-lead pipes?]. A double-layered theme, playing on RSVP as well as the ING rhymes. And something not seen too often: four UTAHs (those block shapes that look like the state) in the grid. Then there’s the spark. Every theme answer is a NYT puzzle debut, giving solvers new clues and answers to tackle. And when the puzzle’s bones are fresh, the whole puzzle shines. I was patting myself on the back, because before uncovering the revealer or reading its clue, I not only saw the rhyming start to the theme answers, but the RSVP as well. That gave me all the elements I needed to guess the revealer, a skill I’m weak at and trying so hard to improve on. But I didn’t get it! I was looking for something more complicated, I think. Oh well. Small steps. That didn’t dull my enjoyment of this puzzle in the least, however. There was even a most lovely moment where the cross of ARTIST and ROTUND (of ROTUNDAS) immediately drew to mind Fernando Botero. Will is a pro’s pro, one shy of 50 NYT puzzles, and Jeffrey is becoming a staple, with six Times puzzles in eight months (Hi, @Nancy J!). Thank you both for a scintillating puzzle – I loved this!

35 recommendations3 replies
Mean Old LadyNow in MississippiJul 30, 2024, 1:18 PMneutral60%

@Lewis Four Utahs? Isn't it a bit early in the day to be drinking? (I AM NOT judgng you! )

3 recommendations
john ezrapittsburgh, paJul 30, 2024, 1:43 PMneutral88%

@Lewis I also noticed this grid had more instances of answers composed entirely of consonants than usual, echoing the RSVP theme: TLDR, SHH, CCTV, NHLMVP, SGT & THX. SHH, little emu.

5 recommendations
ad absurdumchicagoJul 30, 2024, 2:47 PMpositive89%

@Lewis Just wanted to say thx for answering my question yesterday. Also, thank you!

3 recommendations
DaveWYJul 30, 2024, 4:22 PMpositive95%

A quick fun one today. Mostly I just wanted to take a moment to agree with the folks giving praise, "Use non-lead pipes?" is an all-timer of a clue.

33 recommendations2 replies
RashidMilwaukeeJul 30, 2024, 4:53 PMpositive97%

@Dave Was just thinking myself it’s the best I’ve seen in a while

6 recommendations
ChrisLAJul 30, 2024, 5:46 PMneutral52%

@Dave agreed! I didn’t even realize the double meaning of lead until I got the solution.

3 recommendations
MikeMunsterJul 30, 2024, 5:37 AMneutral57%

"We used the same packaging!" "It's a boxing match!" ("Now I'm getting punchy.")

30 recommendations1 replies
dutchirisberkeleyJul 30, 2024, 11:02 PMneutral82%

@Mike Be sure to get it on tape in case you need to prove it wasn't a tie. 📦 🥊🥊 (I hear the emus are actually humans)

2 recommendations
LauraRhode IslandJul 30, 2024, 2:13 AMpositive98%

Loved 32A! A bit tricky for a Tuesday but made me smile.

25 recommendations3 replies
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 4:08 AMpositive88%

@Laura That is a great clue, isn’t it?

9 recommendations
DivsUAEJul 30, 2024, 6:07 AMpositive98%

@Laura Yes, it was so funny!! Such a cute puzzle overall

9 recommendations
JanineBC, CanadaJul 30, 2024, 8:42 AMpositive52%

@Laura My nomination for clue of the week! ....................................... ....................... .............

7 recommendations
LewisAsheville, NCJul 30, 2024, 11:12 AMpositive85%

Lovely Summer Olympics echo today: NETS (tennis, basketball) PING PONG BALLS DASH (track) RING ANNOUNCER GRASPS AT (wrestling) SPIN (cycling) Plus the CHANT/GOTEAM PuzzPair©, and the French underpinning of RSVP. Et tu, emu.

25 recommendations
APNerdMAJul 30, 2024, 11:23 AMpositive89%

[Use non-lead pipes?} BRILLIANT ]Dramatic salsa move.] BRILLIANT (I'm imagining a chip being swooped into a lovely dish of dip...great double entendre. *Had HE/HIS for too long. Kept questioning SEGA in my head...imagined it was a superlative in some language... d'oh

24 recommendations1 replies
Sam CorbinNew York, NYJul 30, 2024, 3:47 PMpositive92%

@APNerd OMG I didn't realize the double meaning of [Dramatic salsa move] until you pointed it out! BRILLIANT!

16 recommendations
HeidiDallasJul 30, 2024, 4:04 AMpositive90%

I’m always fascinated by the way some puzzles can seem hard to some and easy to others, regardless of crossword expertise. I’m relatively new to the game, and yet this fell together like an easy Monday. Maybe because I’m familiar with Ving Rhames? Although not from Mission Impossible— he will be forever Marsellus Wallace (Pulp Fiction) to me!

18 recommendations3 replies
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 4:14 AMpositive87%

@Heidi There’s that shot of him from the back, that “flesh-colored” Band-Aid on his shaved head . . . I love that movie.

4 recommendations
PaulWashington StateJul 30, 2024, 5:43 AMneutral47%

@Heidi a great corssword clue! “Does Marsellus Wallace look like a ________?” Dont think it would make it past the censors, though.

4 recommendations
BeccaIllinoisJul 30, 2024, 7:00 PMpositive67%

@Heidi Yeh, while I had struggles w/parts of this puzzle, VINGRHAMES was not one of them. Memorable from Pulp Fiction, & what a great voice, & I also remember him from the not-too-acclaimed movie "Patty Hearst", it was watchable though, & had one of the most innovative interesting soundtracks ever, by Scott Johnson. I had the LP. Scott Johnson would take human speech, its vocal intonation, & play guitar etc to it in a way that brought out its melodicism & tonality, then play w/the sound, orchestrate it etc. The two 🎶pieces from PH (in which VingR played one kidnapper) that stood out for me are "Mom, Dad", where Scott Johnson takes Patty Hearst's (Natasha Richardson) recorded message to her parents ("I'm not being starved, beaten, or unnecessarily frightened…") & plays instruments along w/its tonality & it becomes an incredible dramatic haunting heart-rending piece. "Closet", a musical interlude w/no vocals, is also haunting. In Johnson's album "John Somebody", he plays along w/recorded speech, including a wonderful segment where he plays along w/laughter. His PH score is a main highlight of that movie (esp the 2 pieces I mentioned) but it does have fine actors & performances as well, even if the movie wasn't overall all that special. My Ving comment became a tangent! I knew "Ving" was for "Irving" but didn't know till @Vaer's comment that Stanley Tucci dubbed him that! Stanley Tucci is the coolest. But Stanley Tucci and Ving Rhames together, now that's frozen-CO₂ cool

1 recommendations
Dave SOttawaJul 30, 2024, 2:29 AMpositive98%

Thanks Jeffrey and Will, that was a fun Tuesday, and a little tougher than expected. I thought 32A was brilliant.

16 recommendations
JC from KCKansas City, MOJul 30, 2024, 1:29 PMnegative91%

I cry FOUL! Yellow Primrose, Oenothera biennis, is not the same as Oxlip, Primula elatior. grumble, grumble.

15 recommendations1 replies
JC from KCKansas City, MOJul 30, 2024, 2:23 PMnegative56%

@JC from KC I'm resigned to googling clues on a Saturday puzzle (but never a crossword clues site. I have standards), but when I'm googling the clues on a Tuesday puzzle, something is amiss.

4 recommendations
VaerBrooklynJul 30, 2024, 3:44 AMpositive52%

Sheesh, I know I've been advocating for Toughened Up Tuesdays, but not this tough. Kidding, once my brain adjusted, this was a delight to solve. Thanks guys.(Even if I don't understand how you came up with the themers.) I had to hunt down MEtA instead of MEGA for Uber to finish. VING RHAMES was also the answer to a question in a recent Celebrity Who Wants to be a Millionaire episode. Who is the voice in the We have the meats Arby's ads, if you're wondering. At the end of the last century, Ving was also in a Stephen Soderbergh movie adaptation of an Elmore Leonard story, Out of Sight, starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. (Her only watchable performance, IMO.) And the movie itself is very watchable. Is this now in TLDR territory? Sorry, not sorry.

13 recommendations5 replies
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 4:12 AMnegative72%

@Vaer My image of Ving Rhames is from “Pulp Fiction.” He’s pretty scary as the gangster Marcellus Wallace.

4 recommendations
Bonnie AnnGeorgetown, TXJul 30, 2024, 4:38 AMpositive68%

About half way I thought, this is hard for a Monday. When I checked, it was the Tuesday Puzzle. So I finished it and went back and did the Monday. What happens when I do the puzzles late. I liked the Tuesday theme. Nice puzzles to get ready for the week. Kudos to the constructors and staff at NYT games. I appreciate all you do! Cheers from Texas. Our rain had stopped and the heat dome has settled over us again, so ugh. And no, one doesn't get used to it. Y'all stay cool.

12 recommendations
CCNYNYJul 30, 2024, 10:55 AMpositive92%

Really enjoyed this one. Got to revealer, waited to read, tried to link the themers…nuthin. But, there it was! Clear as day! Clever and light. Thank you Jeffrey and Will!

12 recommendations
Markus AnnasSwedenJul 30, 2024, 11:09 AMpositive83%

Lovely puzzle. I usually don't do very well when there are a lot of abbreviatons and acronyms/initialisms in puzzles but it didn't bother me today. Finished on a new tuesday PB and an extended streak

12 recommendations7 replies
Mean Old LadyNow in MississippiJul 30, 2024, 1:23 PMneutral64%

@Markus Annas I forgot to ask why TLDR (?Too Long Didn't Read/Don't Read) fits with "To recap." The crosses confirmed the entry, so I moved on. The only time I would use TLDR is when _Moby Dick_ or _War and Peace_ come up.

5 recommendations
Marshall WalthewArdmoreJul 30, 2024, 12:49 PMpositive86%

I found this one a perfectly cromulent Tuesday puzzle. I went astray a bit by trying placemat instead of KIDSMENU, but ARK at 1D set me on the right path, and after that it was smooth sailing. Reading the letters to the editor in the NYT today, I noticed an offering from a gentleman from Natick, MA.

12 recommendations8 replies
GBKJul 30, 2024, 1:28 PMpositive84%

@Marshall Walthew I definitely notice all things Natick, MA, much more now! (I grew up "down the road" from Natick. Prior to its extensive use in Crossword-land, I primarily thought of it in terms of its malls, or the "shortcut" home by taking that exit off the Mass Pike...) Not quite the same, but this is a perfect excuse to tell you that -- thanks to a number of family members having gone to college on the Main Line -- I took note of your "byline" from the start of my discovering this community. :)

2 recommendations
dutchirisberkeleyJul 30, 2024, 2:52 AMpositive86%

A boost from the crosses gave me everything I didn't know, so the puzzle almost filled by itself. I remember Liar's Dice, and I must have been exposed to Beer Pong in my pub crawling days, but most of the time it was all conversation and laughter—with, of course (college days in Texas) it was beer. Here's looking at you, Jeffrey Martinovic and Will Nediger, and thanks for a nifty crosswork.

11 recommendations
PhishfinderSilicon ValleyJul 30, 2024, 3:30 AMpositive98%

Fun! My work iMac is officially named 'Big Apple' on the network. It was the first 27" iMac. I couldn't believe it mad it into a puzzle!

11 recommendations1 replies
PhishfinderSilicon ValleyJul 30, 2024, 4:32 AMneutral67%

@Phishfinder *made* I'm all thumbbbbs tonight.

1 recommendations
JoyaNew YorkJul 30, 2024, 5:31 AMpositive97%

A fantastic Tuesday puzzle with a bit of bite and VING RHAMES to boot! I tried to solve the SE theme area first but ended up having to save it for last. I guess I needed that momentum to get those crosses lol. Also plopping in PINGPONGBALLS felt funner than it should have. Thanks Jeffrey and Will!

11 recommendations3 replies
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 1:41 PMnegative82%

@Joya I lost half a minute by not noticing “beer” in the game clue and putting it in the answer in place of PING. I didn’t go to enough parties in my college days. I never played beer pong or even saw anyone play it in I was in my 40s.

2 recommendations
Jack McCulloughMontpelier, VermontJul 30, 2024, 10:42 AMneutral60%

Obviously we're all hoping for Will's return, but would he have insisted that 49A start with tabletennis? Good, challenging puzzle, made more difficult by a couple of major typos on my part.

11 recommendations
suejeanHarrogate, North YorkshireJul 30, 2024, 11:52 AMnegative62%

Most solvers are more disappointed by a too easy than a too difficult puzzle, so I’m accepting that I will continue to find the puzzles harder for me than the day they appear. Today seemed especially difficult so needed lots of help. 16A brought back nice memories, fun clue. Back to the Olympics.

11 recommendations
Red CarpetSt PaulJul 30, 2024, 3:14 AMnegative57%

VING RHAMES?! I must have spent a good two minutes staring at that and thinking: “I know the crosses are right…so why does that look so very very wrong?!” When I went to google it to check, Google thinks surely I must have meant Hunger Games. No, Google, I did not. But of course I was spelling it as VINGR HAMES. which looked like I either an interested in vinegar, books, or vintage games. Either way, AI, did not help me. I think Google AI may catch up when the thousandth person googles it wrong. Happy Monday night!

10 recommendations1 replies
CeliaDCJul 31, 2024, 1:15 AMneutral60%

@Red Carpet I also double checked the crosses for a long time, then concluded the actor must be VIN GRHAMES, with an unusual surname distantly related to “Graham”… 🤦‍♀️

0 recommendations
JanineBC, CanadaJul 30, 2024, 8:55 AMnegative63%

Oof, 10 minutes over my average... but not the puzzles fault. I was watching Olympic coverage at the same time and nodded off. The puzzle itself was really clever with some memorable clues (specifically 32A).

10 recommendations
Nancy J.NHJul 30, 2024, 10:11 AMpositive98%

Wow, 6 puzzles in 8 months from Jeffrey, and I can see why. Very fresh and lively. This collaboration with Will, a constuctor I always like to see, really shines. Coincidentally (7A), I just used my Frida cat cocktail napkins this past Saturday: <a href="https://www.worldmarket.com/p/frida-cat-beverage-napkins-20-count-601517.html" target="_blank">https://www.worldmarket.com/p/frida-cat-beverage-napkins-20-count-601517.html</a>

10 recommendations3 replies
GBKJul 30, 2024, 1:48 PMneutral53%

@Nancy J. Okay, I need those napkins. For me and every "cat lady" I know! I'm kinda curious to see which is more correct: the article trying to tell us that comment length is not relevant to emus, or my personal experience. Just not here, haha.

5 recommendations
BillDetroitJul 30, 2024, 10:39 AMneutral60%

Back in the day, I went to many parties thrown by Maggie, Terri, and Suzzy (OK, they weren't parties, they were concerts, but they felt like parties.) I don't remember them ever performing this song, a favorite, live: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QMApfa5AUo" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QMApfa5AUo</a> I'm glad a few other solvers thought this tricky for a Tuesday--I thought it was just my insomnia.

10 recommendations4 replies
Nancy J.NHJul 30, 2024, 11:27 AMpositive88%

@Bill It's been too long since I listened to the beautifully harmonic and funny Roches. Now I know what's on my playlist for today. Thanks.

5 recommendations
GBKJul 30, 2024, 1:44 PMpositive96%

@Bill Any day that starts with a reminder to listen to the Roches is a good one to me. Thanks! I've had the opportunity to chat with Suzzy a few times. Definitely one of those situations where knowing the person just makes the music even better -- she is in person very much like the best of their work. Now if only I got to a party thrown by her! Like you, I'll have to keep it to those celebrations in song. She's been touring with her daughter... :)

4 recommendations
David ReiffelJamaica Plain, MAJul 30, 2024, 1:56 PMpositive98%

@Bill One of my favorite groups; their songs were like no others. Heart, wit, and harmony combined like few other artists. "A Dove" is a beautiful album. Thanks for the reminder.

4 recommendations
Rich in AtlantaAustell, GeorgiaJul 30, 2024, 10:51 AMpositive82%

Kind of tough for a Tuesday, but managed to work it all out. Some nice moments when something dawned on me from the crosses. Truly remarkable puzzle find today, inspired by RSVP. A Sunday from November 17, 1963 by A.J. Santora with the title: "Words a la mode." Some theme answers (some of them paired with each other) and I put the clue in parentheses for a couple of them. REPONDEZ - SILVOUSPLAIT (tete-)ATETE JENESAIS (quois) CESTMAGNIFIQUE EAUDECOLOGNE LESETATS (unis) ENFANTTERRIBLE BONJOURTRISTESSE PARISIENNES and my favorite (part of an old joke) LAPLUMEDEMATANTE Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/PS?date=11/17/1963&g=72&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/PS?date=11/17/1963&g=72&d=A</a> I'm done. ..

10 recommendations1 replies
Rich in AtlantaAustell, GeorgiaJul 30, 2024, 11:46 AMneutral82%

@Rich in Atlanta Oh - and one more puzzle find, also with the French inspiration. Wondered about YVESSAINTLAURENT or just YSL. Well.. YSL has been an answer 98 times, and... YVESSAINTLAURENT (16 letters) was an answer once - in a Thursday puzzle from June 26, 2008 by David J. Kahn. It was the central down answer. But then that puzzle had four rebus squares - all of them YSL. The crossing theme answers (4 across, 4 down) CIT(YSL)ICKER CHR(YSL)ER PA(YSL)IPS BEAUT(YSL)EEP LA(YSL)OW LAD(YSL)IPPER GALLE(YSL)AVE KE(YSL)OT Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=6/26/2008&g=7&d=D" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=6/26/2008&g=7&d=D</a> I'm done. ..

10 recommendations
David ConnellWeston CTJul 30, 2024, 11:58 AMneutral69%

“Quick! She needs backup!” — Rupert Giles Buffyphiles know what I’m talkin’ about.

10 recommendations8 replies
David ConnellWeston CTJul 30, 2024, 1:52 PMneutral91%

@David Connell - here’s the scene <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo62thpDFZA" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo62thpDFZA</a>

3 recommendations
VaerBrooklynJul 30, 2024, 2:21 PMneutral52%

@David Connell I have a theory. It might be bunnies. Love ya, Anya.

6 recommendations
BeccaIllinoisJul 30, 2024, 3:08 PMpositive84%

@David Connell I was gonna make a joke invoking Buffy the Musical ("Once More, With Feeling") till I realized that's exactly what you ARE talking about. Brilliant stuff. Went to google and just rewatched that scene. Joss Whedon may be/ have been a world-class jerk but man oh man, quite a genius writer and (creativity-wise) showrunner. But I'll never tell🎶

5 recommendations
FrancisMinnesotaJul 30, 2024, 9:35 PMnegative89%

I must be seriously slipping. I wasn't too surprised that last Saturday felled me, but this one took me by surprise. It's been quite a while since I had even the slightest trouble with a Tuesday, and here I am being defeated by one. Oh, well, the streak was fun while it lasted.

10 recommendations6 replies
HeathieJSt PaulJul 30, 2024, 10:29 PMpositive64%

@Francis Don't feel bad... This was a surprising Tuesday! I had to do one lookup! I haven't had to do an early week lookup in ages! But hey, you survived almost running yourself over with a car, so I believe you can get through anything!!!

2 recommendations
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 10:52 PMnegative57%

@Francis Sorry to hear that. What did you in?

0 recommendations
AlexBudapest, HungaryJul 30, 2024, 3:46 AMpositive98%

Great puzzle, we crushed it sub-10 even though it was a "tricky Tuesday". Great theme that we didn't unlock until the revealer, but had it all in place. VINGRHAMES? Surely that's not a word. Well done. The best part is in the bottom right corner. I could go for some DIP n DOTs!

9 recommendations
Barbara PrillamanNorth CarolinaJul 30, 2024, 3:26 PMpositive87%

I got caught momentarily on the pronouns and went with the possessive rather than the objective, but I love-love-loved the clue [Use non-lead pipes?] Any puzzle that garners a literal LOL from me gets extra points.

9 recommendations
Robert KernNorwood, MAJul 30, 2024, 2:26 AMneutral48%

I jumped all over 19 A and confidently typed in MICHAEL BUFFER. I thought I was …ready to RUMBLE until I started filling in the crosses. Nice try !!??

8 recommendations
SamAnchorage AKJul 30, 2024, 4:45 AMneutral58%

I must have been on the same wavelength as the constructors today. Not a PB but 12 minutes under average. I got all the theme entries except for 32A right away without crosses. I didn't know ANNA, NHLMVP, or OXLIP but got them with crosses. I had to fix TARSa with an I to get DIP.

8 recommendations
JohnWMNB CanadaJul 30, 2024, 11:47 AMneutral50%

How do you MEGA MAD NORSE? Try to restrict him or her to a single clue. (or “universe”)

7 recommendations
CiaránIrelandJul 30, 2024, 12:31 PMpositive97%

Less than half my average Tuesday time :) Faster than yesterday even!

7 recommendations1 replies
AmyCTJul 30, 2024, 3:05 PMneutral37%

@Ciarán I got distracted by work and phone calls. My time was ridiculous! LOL

1 recommendations
Xword JunkieJust west of the DelawareJul 30, 2024, 12:35 PMpositive85%

"Use non-lead pipes?" for SINGBACKUP was very clever. A nice Tuesday theme, with decent but not especially interesting (to me) fill. Must have been on the right wavelength this morning, since I solved this one about 5 minutes faster than usual for a Tuesday.

7 recommendations
Greg MillsNew York, NYJul 30, 2024, 7:12 PMpositive74%

Hello Wordplay community! Elie Levine and I recently developed a quiz to show our commenters how the games forum comments are moderated. If you are interested in learning more, you can access the quiz here: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/29/crosswords/29community-lab-quiz.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/29/crosswords/29community-lab-quiz.html</a> Happy puzzling!

7 recommendations2 replies
JoyaNew YorkJul 30, 2024, 9:50 PMpositive98%

@Greg Mills this was great! Thanks for sharing it because I definitely missed it yesterday.

1 recommendations
WarrenMalta, NYJul 30, 2024, 11:09 PMneutral63%

@Greg Mills And if you didn’t look at the comments many of us had yesterday, after we took it, you really should.

6 recommendations
BonnieBrooklynJul 30, 2024, 3:57 AMneutral80%

I thought “placemat” too!

6 recommendations
JohnJersey CoastJul 30, 2024, 12:38 PMneutral48%

Was surprised to get hung up at two spots in this otherwise smooth and fun solve. I'd heard (and seen) the brand Voodoo Ranger but for the life of me could not place it. Also got hung up at NHLMVP/THX. I don't abbreviate the word *Thanks*, if I did it would be TnX, but since there is no NnL league I stand corrected. (Did check the interwebs and there does seem to be some discussion on the THX vs TnX usage) A big ty to all.

6 recommendations8 replies
Mean Old LadyNow in MississippiJul 30, 2024, 1:13 PMnegative56%

@John Hand up for the TnX entry. I thought the Earth's core was mostly MAGMA, and I question how it was determined to be IRON. It's not like you can DIP UP a spoonful of boiling GOO and check it.

8 recommendations
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 1:53 PMnegative50%

@John I don’t remember my first entry at 4A, but I was chagrined to not have gotten IPA instantly. Our usual bicycle route includes a long stop at a traffic light in the University of Texas “West Campus” area, so I have probably racked up hours of looking at the billboard advertising Voodoo Ranger IPA, which features a motorcycle-riding skeleton. I don’t care for the bitterness of most IPAs, but even if I did, I don’t think that ad would convince me to try Voodoo Ranger.

2 recommendations
ShanMesaJul 30, 2024, 2:04 PMneutral60%

@John I use THX regularly but while solving the crossword wasn't thinking of thanks - I thought it must be some newfangled abbreviation meaning "way to go" or "good for you." I'm not familiar with OXLIP and I first thought that sports award might be for football, so I got stuck in that little section for quite a while before getting the happy music.

2 recommendations
Mean Old LadyNow in MississippiJul 30, 2024, 1:07 PMneutral70%

OoooKAY! Either 44D was the real reason for the puzzle in the first place.....OR it was the CrossWorld equivalent of a Get-Out-of- Jail card. You decide. Seizing is more a matter of GRAB than GRASP in these parts. Both Wordle and now The Crossword have used it, so I guess MANGA is now a thing. We shall see; it's quite possible that SamE and the Spelling Bee will disagree. The KOTO, an instrument that has been around considerably longer than cartoons, is NOT "on the list." (I still have my 1978 recording of Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" played by The New Koto Ensemble.) I love VING RHAMES. Great roles in movies like 'Dave' and the one with Clooney and J-Lo (an Elmore Leonard novel) arrgh ...I'll remember it at 2 in the morning and let you know then.

6 recommendations10 replies
Steve LChestnut Ridge, NYJul 30, 2024, 1:27 PMneutral79%

@Mean Old Lady MANGA has been a thing since the 1950s, and specifically in the US since at least the 1970s-80s. By the mid-1990s, MANGA was firmly entrenched in the US market. So yeah, it's now a thing. (Note: Just like you, I assume, I have zero interest in MANGA. But facts are facts.)

5 recommendations
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 2:00 PMneutral83%

@Mean Old Lady Regarding 44D, among the many bits of information that I have picked up from crossword puzzles is that the Hart Trophy is an ice hockey award. I think I still needed a cross or two to get the MVP part.

0 recommendations
Jeff ZMadison, WIJul 30, 2024, 1:37 PMpositive98%

I don't usually single out particular clues for praise, but I got a big kick out of 32A. Very clever!

6 recommendations
MinOrange County, NYJul 30, 2024, 3:40 PMpositive68%

To Captain Quahog I never took calculus, but I did get your sly reference with Min & Max. Very funny. Just wanted you to know I got it- just took a little longer to register. I have to keep exercising these "little grey cells." Be well.

5 recommendations
Anna GraceRochester, NYJul 30, 2024, 2:48 PMpositive99%

Hit my personal best for Tuesday! Always good to see my old friend Brian ENO on the grid again. 32A got a chuckle-- perfect early week cluing :)

4 recommendations
Linda JoBrunswick, GAJul 30, 2024, 5:46 PMpositive80%

Clever puzzle today. I also loved the "non-lead pipes" clue, although at first I tried to somehow use plumbing without the Pb. Strands! Are we still talking about the Strands puzzles here? I've been out of pocket for a month, just started the puzzles again this weekend. Anyway, avoid spoilers until we're below the "view all replies" line. Strands #149 “That's a stretch!” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵🔵

4 recommendations22 replies
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 6:11 PMpositive75%

@Linda Jo Strands was easy today. Spelling Bee was easy today. Connections was easy today. So I guess I had it coming to me, because the Mini crossword took me almost twice as long as normal.

4 recommendations
JohnJersey CoastJul 30, 2024, 6:43 PMpositive60%

@Linda Jo Strands #149 “That's a stretch!” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🟡🔵 When this game launched I tried it a few times but did not stick with it. (Did I really need another game?). But recently my wife started playing daily and texting me her results (we do the same for Connections and Wordle - it's our morning "proof of life"). So I've gotten into it again and it has become the second one I do each morning after Wordle. I guessed the theme right away but did not see the Spangram until close to the end. It's a fun game and I'll stick with it. Are we at the fold yet? :)

3 recommendations
VanessaNova ScotiaJul 30, 2024, 12:24 PMnegative56%

What is non-fat? That one threw me for a loop. Is it how Americans refer to skim milk?

3 recommendations6 replies
ShanMesaJul 30, 2024, 1:58 PMnegative51%

@Vanessa We always called it skim milk in my house until marketing geniuses in dairyland decided non-fat or fat-free were more appealing ways to describe the awful stuff. Granted, my parents were Canadian - we came down here when I was three - but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a Canadian versus American thing. I still have a vivid memory of my Auntie Edith in Haney BC trying to get me to drink - gag - skim milk made from powder, which was the down side of having four kids. I was an only child and always jealous of my cousins' fun chaotic household, except for the milk, which in my mind's eye had kind of a blue tint to it. Cheap and nourishing.

6 recommendations
Eric HouglandAustinJul 30, 2024, 2:03 PMneutral89%

@Vanessa When I was a kid in the 1960s, my sibs and I drank whole milk and my dad drank “skim milk.” Sometime around 1970, it seemed like 1% and 2% milk showed up. “Skim” got renamed “non-fat” somewhere along the way

2 recommendations
LucasOrlandoJul 30, 2024, 11:50 PMneutral92%

Anybody else have Michael Buffer for 19A on the first pass?

3 recommendations
CynCityKittyNYCJul 30, 2024, 2:54 PMnegative85%

Anyone have any tips on a puzzle that's complete but not registering as complete? The timer is still going and I can't make changes, so I assume I got it. I don't want.tomlose my streak!

2 recommendations2 replies
K BarrettCAJul 30, 2024, 3:31 PMneutral63%

@CynCityKitty since you can't make changes to your puzzle maybe try emailing <a href="mailto:NYTGames@nytimes.com">NYTGames@nytimes.com</a> ? Usually I can still hunt for and change any of my typos or misspellings. But since you can't I'd ask the techs.

4 recommendations
The X-PhileLexington, KYJul 30, 2024, 4:30 PMneutral94%

@CynCityKitty Perhaps you can open a new tab, go to the puzzles homepage, and see if it has registered your complete solve.

3 recommendations
Claudia BerglundHuntington BeachJul 30, 2024, 2:27 AMneutral61%

The game app praised me for solving without any hints. Where would I find hints?

1 recommendations2 replies
Robert KernNorwood, MAJul 30, 2024, 2:38 AMneutral75%

@Claudia Berglund In the phone app if you press the icon that looks something like a soccer ball, you can check a word, letter or the entire puzzle to find out what letter(s) are incorrect. If you do not take this option and still solve the puzzle then you do it without hints at least according to the app. Of course, the app does not know if you ask a friend for help or look up a word in some reference …

13 recommendations
AlexisAustraliaJul 30, 2024, 5:15 AMneutral58%

@Robert Kern It’s a lifebuoy not a soccer ball!

1 recommendations
Alexander LBell Canyon, CAJul 31, 2024, 1:32 AMneutral53%

The only thing I remember being tossed into the ubiquitous red SOLO cups at dorm parties were quarters. And maybe, someone will create a compendium of weird first names, like "Ving." Brilliant clueing for 32 across. Great puzzle.

1 recommendations1 replies
TrentonTennesseJul 31, 2024, 9:04 PMneutral84%

@Alexander L the name is Vin, not Ving

0 recommendations

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