My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. Use non-lead pipes? (4)(6) 2. Testament to human nature? (2)(3)(1)(5) 3. Take off, as a cap (7) 4. Professional pitcher? (5)(5) 5. One who manages to get by? (4) SING BACKUP I'M NOT A ROBOT UNSCREW PIANO TUNER BOSS
“Legendary stoner” was a great clue.
A worthy debut, Mr. Walker. Congratulations! The puzzle was over much too soon, and only when I finished did I go back and parse the theme. I've never dined on a LEMON or CHERRY, but I've (not infrequently) dined on chocolate. My proven dietary theory is that if you don't eat it in addition to a meal, but instead of a meal, the calories are the same. I liked seeing ROOMBAS in the grid. In my family, we have a special fondness for ours and have even baptized them with names. My mom's is Cinderella, doing the cleaning while everyone rests. My own is Sir Lancelot, lord of the castle, hero of many a cleaning battle. That said, I still use my upright for the nitty gritty. As you can see, I'm not at all anti-vacs. BASED on this puzzle, Mr. Walker, I expect we'll see more from you. And what a delight that will be! Thank you!
In consideration of the theme, I like that the clue for ADAM is a Driver. Congratulations on your debut, Andy! On another note (and a delayed response to Rich’s comment of yesterday), I saw this on a t-shirt recently and thought fellow wordplayers would appreciate it. ,la
@Anita It also gets everyone to pronounce the name correctly. Got that, Mr. Orange Man? Emu to you And you Any U2
PIANO TUNER twice in a couple days. Crazy coincidence? If you think so, I have a bridge to sell you Compare the probability of that to the alternate explanation I’ve presented in similar ‘coincidences’, to wit: ALL these puzzles are composed by one fellow, who comes into the office at the NYT at 6 every morning, turns in that day’s puzzle by noon, takes his pay daily in cash and retires to one of his favorite Manhattan watering holes with his three best friends (initials JB, JD, and SGR). Sometimes he gets lazy and reuses an entry two or three times in one week, as this one. He is always abashed but never gives any money back. He has three interns assigned to him, none of whom he has ever met. Their job is to make up bios of mythical ‘interesting’ constructors and compete to write the silliest ‘constructor notes’. What do you think? What are the odds? Lol
@Clem the recurrence of clues like that happens on basically every day
@Clem 😀 I think you're right. But you need to go farther. Probably he also has a pizza restaurant, with a child trafficking operation in the basement. They're not worried about getting caught, because they can run forever, as the world is flat. And his favorite movie is "2001: A Space Odyssey", because he's a big fan of Kubrick's faked moon landing in 1969. And one of those interns is Elvis Presley, who not only is not dead, but is still 25 years old.
I really enjoyed this puzzle and flew through it! My goal is always to keep Mondays under 10. Not always possible but a lot of fun trying. I set a new personal best of 6:48 🤓 not exactly a world record lol but exciting never the less!
Simple, elegant, worthy, never-done-before theme. Bravo on that, Andy! I tried guessing the revealer, as I like to do to add bite to the Monday solve. I fill in the theme answers, leave the revealer blank, don’t read its clue, and see if I can figure it out. It’s a skill I’m weak at, so I plug away at it. Oh, I came so close! I saw the golf connection, and actually figured out that the end of the revealer was CLUB. But what kind of club had to do with food? At one point I actually wondered if it was “EATERS CLUB”. How close was that? But, sigh, I gave up, revealed the first letter and immediately realized the right answer. Oh well. I feel progress. Small steps. Right in the middle of the Olympics, I did like seeing USA at the end of MEDUSA. I also liked seeing WOOT which sorta echoed yesterday’s YEET. And to honor your love of puns, Andy, I was happy to see that your puzzle has a PEEL. At least for me. Congratulations on your debut, and your theme is so lovely, I’m eager to see what you come up with next. Thank you so much for making this!
@Lewis How do you know where the revealer is? If you look for it, you would be able to read it.
Very surprised to learn this is a NYT debut. Not only a sterling puzzle but a constructor name that seems so familiar. Nicely done and hope to see more. Many thanks.
To Sam-- Howdy, Neighbor! Without filling in the revealer, I got that the second half of the theme entries had to do with golf clubs, but my first thought was that the first parts were the little icons that come up in slots machines. If I had spent more time in casinos I would have realized that waffles were not a common icon. OTOH, waffles, and lemon meringue and cherry pies--sliced, plated, covered in plastic wrap, and on display in the Traulsen cooler--are common menu items in greasy-spoon DINERS. Along with eggs, and, if you stay around long enough for the lunch menu to kick in, cod fish 'n' chips. Although the one I frequent serves an excellent Blini Demidoff, and a half decent cup of latte. Good weekend for keyboard technicians: by now, all our instruments should be in perfect intonation. (My guy uses something he calls "Equal-beating Victorian Temperament.")
Not my best solve. I puttered around the whole. cc: emu handler
Congratulations on your NYT debut, Mr. Walker! I had such a zippy solving experience that the two parts of the theme answers didn’t click for me until I was finished. But even as I was typing CHERRY WOOD, I thought it a bit odd. I’m sitting at a beautiful dining table that we’ve had for over 30 years, but if anyone asked me what it’s made of, I would just say CHERRY. Thanks. I’m sure we’ll see you here again soon.
[Legendary stoner] was worth the price of admission. 😆 I entered "Cheech" at first (because Chong wouldn't fit) and had quite a good laugh when I realized what the actual answer was.
Clever theme! The double meanings of the wordplay are wonderfully unexpected and I couldn't guess the revealer ahead of time. I was sure the word GOLF would be in it somehow, but I was wrong. So now I get to the revealer and I see "credit card" and I think of MASTERCARD and I think of the MASTER'S GOLF tournament. Nope, wrong. This is much, much better! Even though it's a Monday-level puzzle, I can imagine the constructor leaping out of the bathtub shouting "Eureka!" as he realized he had three perfect theme answers and one perfect revealer -- and that they all had the necessary symmetry! Very nice puzzle, Andy.
@Nancy I'm fascinated by what constructors do. So, if it's not like asking a magician how a trick works, what do you mean by "had the necessary symmetry"? Is it possible to explain to a muggle?
IGA Świątek's name is so much easier to remember for English speakers than the former best Polish tennis player's - Agnieszka Radwańska, isn't it? Some people over here give children foreign-friendly names on purpose, to not hinder their potential international careers. A friend of mine named her kids Ada and Adam exactly for this reason.
@Andrzej "Some people over here give children foreign-friendly names on purpose, to not hinder their potential international careers" Yes, but naming your daughter after a grocery chain is going a bit far. Potential international emus.
Nit: Except in movies, EJECT is not a button. It is a handle above the user’s head that is attached to the ejection seat. When the user grabs the handle and pulls down a canvas cover the handle is attached to protects the user’s face, then a small rocket in the seat propels the seat and pilot out of the aircraft. At the same time the canopy blows off. The rocket can propel the seat 300’ or more vertically, so it is possible to eject while still on the ground. Once free the seat separates from the user, and the user’s parachute deploys at an appropriate altitude.
@LarryF Yes, but "eject handle" just doesn't have the same ring to it that "eject button" has. 😉 ...............................................
@LarryF Thank you for that graphic explanation. Well done!
Sam, I feel your pain. Obscure names that were likely lookups for the constructor are my least favorite feature of NYT puzzles. Alas, I've come to accept them as a part of the game AND THEREFORE, I don't consider an occasional lookup cheating. Today's crosses gave up Ms. Świątek's given name fairly easily, although that is not always the case. And I really dislike it when the two obscurities cross leaving a natick.
This time my music entry at 1A was correct. Nice Monday puzzle with a good AHA moment when I finally got the theme. I also enjoyed reading Andy’s notes and look forward to more from him.
Cute theme and glad to see our new constructor. I almost always run through all the across clues first and then go back and work on the downs. Today I decided to just go section by section -acrosses and downs - and.. actually managed to work it all out, well under my Monday average. That meant the reveal was almost the last thing I filled in. Nice 'ah, of course' moment. Looking forward to more from Mr. Walker. Had a fun puzzle find today that I'll put in a reply. ..
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: A Tuesday from August 18, 2015 by Bill Thompson. A few theme answers in that one, each clued quite straightforwardly: GONEASTRAY FEASTS YEASTY STAGEASTRIKE ADELEASTAIRE And then the reveal, clue and answer: "World hot spot ... or a hint to the answers to the starred clues :" MIDDLEEAST Don't recall seeing one like that before. Clever idea. ..
Really fun puzzle!! Perfect start for a Monday, and maybe was a personal best time for me! (Idk how to check tbh) My favorite clue was “legendary stoner,” I laughed out loud when I realized the answer. Great debut!!
@Mochi In a browser, the main Games page should have a section marked Statistics. In the NYT Games app, the main page has a bar graph icon at the bottom marked Stats.
A cute puzzle, but I laughed aloud at the clue for Medusa. Few now read Ovidius Naso, though he tells of Medusa's violation by Poseidon in the temple of Athena. As so often occurred in those myths, the violator goes unpunished while the violated is cursed. Medusa was originally a beautiful maiden, but Athena punishes her for the rape in the temple by turning her into a Gorgon. The redoubled violation seems a bit unfair. Best not to get into how her mirrored image somehow did not have the same astonishing effect as looking at her directly, as it makes no sense, whatever agency might have been involved. The willing suspension of disbelief, and all that. A troublingly tragic tale, when you think about it.
@Foster Oh, occasionally I will still pull down my Loeb's--I try to be a good doobee and only look at the left-hand pages--when I want to remember the names of all of Acteon's hunting dogs, or the trees that trotted--like Birnam Wood--to hear Orpheus's recital. So much to love!
@Foster I loved that clue too - and thank you for the story recap. Myself, I have always bought into the powerless reflection concept wholeheartedly! I was wondering if the column's photo today (camera with mirror, presumably) had something to do with that clue. (The photos are often cryptic to me LOL)
Late to the party, despite my customary schedule, to wit: general area of 2 a.m.: Spelling Bee until Genius Plus; Wordle; Connections; possibly Strands unless sleepy again. Annoying alarm at 6 a.m. Walking until about 7:30 in what passes for "the cool of the morning" (false advertising) followed by printing the puzzle and solving whilst receiving my cup of coffee with cream from DHubby. Today the departure from routine was a slightly rushed breakfast so DHubs could get to OT on time, setting my feet on the path to dishes, laundry, dust-mopping, and my own OT exercises for Ole Rightie post-op. That's right.... excitement! Adventure! scintillating conversation! if the cat feels like it, that is. I just sat down to check email and found the neglected puzzle lying here, solved and designated for the recycling bin. Belatedly picked up on the CLUB part of the debut puzzle--nice work, Andy!--but I'm with Twain on the subject of Golf.
On the golf theme, how about MULLIGAN STEW?
Very good puzzle all around, but I'm here to say thank you for including our boy Big Red at 67 across. I've always wanted to base a crossword puzzle on the many clever puns in Sing Monica ...
Okay, I smiled at "Legendary stoner?" for MEDUSA. Theme isn't AWFUL, but (to me) it LETSDOWN. I mean, who dines on a LEMON? Or a CHERRY? Or even a single WAFFLE? The connection between the revealer and the three themers seems pretty tenuous. Would SHOTPUTTER work too? I mean, maybe some folks "dine" on shots of alcohol? Guessing that Hawaii is the state with no straight borders, since it has no (land) borders at all? As a mathematician, I'm tempted to say that no cusp point is an inflection point. That said, I entered CUSPS immediately upon reading the clue. I wonder when "inflection point" first appeared in general usage, and if that predates its technical usage in mathematics? Should best leave the rest UNSAID.
@Xword Junkie I had similar thoughts about cusp versus inflection point. Merriam-Webster’s website dictionary says the first known use of “inflection point” was 1708, and it was in the mathematics sense. But, ya know, crosswords. We figured it out. :)
Congratulations on your debut, Andy Walker. It was a fun and fast solve for me, just my expectation on a Monday. I’m sure we will be seeing more from you. Hoping all of you in the path of scary weather stay safe, including my fellow Californians threatened by the huge wildfire north of Chico. So thankful to our brave fire crews who are battling it.
As a Monday should be... Not one lookup, cute theme, which didn't hit me until the revealer, and close to my best time. The theme though... not until I read Sam's column afterwards did I get the hole theme. (See what I did there?) The Diner's part I caught on to easily; the golf part was whoosh! over my head. And no wonder...before I had DINERSCLUB, I tried MasterCharge (which, of course, didn't fit) and filled in MasterCard. Oops. But then I needed that D. And then the I. And then I had my aha! moment, and finished the entire puzzle in the next 30 seconds. Thanks Andy; a sweet Monday funday!
I’m having issues with my posts disappearing again Sunday’s went into the ether). I’m beginning to take this personally. Today’s offering; an excellent Monday puzzle. Easy enough for the start of the week, whip smart double theme. What’s not to love? The stoner clue made me laugh out loud. Bravo.
@Helen Wright -- My posts got through today and Sunday, but my comment on Saturday (which I tried to post twice) was zapped. I've been trying to think what possibly could have been the cause. I think I may have figured it out: I had (facetiously) posted in the voice of an obstreperous child who stubbornly refuses to play the part of a TREE in the school play. Thinking back on it now, I wonder if the Times editors were apoplectic at my comment. "A shaming moment for every child who ever played the part of a TREE in their school play!!! An insensitive insult to every parent who permitted their child to play the part of a TREE in their school play!!! A painful trigger for every parent who ever went to see their child as a TREE in the school play!!!" Rightly or wrongly, these have been my thoughts. I can't think of any other reason why my comment was rejected.
I didn't get the connection between the DINERS CLUB and the theme. However, being a 'stable' genius, I know a lot about horses, so I got Foal right away
Nice start Mr Walker keep up the good work!
Loved this puzzle! I got a new personal best as well (by 2.5 minutes) :D
A very fun puzzle to start off the day makes Mondays a little more bearable! One little nit I'd like to pick is 45A; having watched all 46 seasons of Survivor, I can only think of one season where contestants slept in a HUT, which was the season played in Gabon. Due to the risks posed by the wildlife, production built solid huts instead of having the contestants build their own structure. Otherwise the structure they sleep/lounge in has been referred to as simply "the shelter".
Being a 'stable' genius, I got FOAL right away
Did anyone get a PB sand wedge today?
@JohnWM don't want to deprive you of the ARRGH you obviously want.....
Happy Monday! It's always good to see new constructors, so congrats to Andy. Busy work day here. Hope anyone who reads this, and is affected by Hurrican Debby stays safe/is doing okay.
Mondays are the only time I try to go for speed, so as usual I whizzed through it (for me) and was only vaguely aware of the theme. I got the food part but not being a golfer, I didn't notice the second part until Sam's column. I'm not WAFFLing on whether or not I liked it, it was a fun and fast one with a nice LEMON WEDGE to squeeze on my fried COD (yum) and a CHERRY on top (MEDUSA for "Legendary stoner"). Still kind of an odd dining experience but who'd a thunk they'd put chocolate and peanut butter together until those two crazy jammin' kids ran into each other on the street one day!? tinyurl.com/yabpp7np Couple of names I didn't know but got them easily on the crosses. Couple of slowdowns with colt before FOAL and tokyo before JAPAN. (I have no idea if they're actually in Japan or not, it's just what my fingers started typing.) Still, close to my Monday best. And Sam, I love that you told us you were cranky! Thanks for keeping it real with us... after all, we are hundreds of your closest friends! Besides, I've learned somewhere along the line that admitting I'm cranky almost immediately makes me far less cranky. It's like magic! Anyhow, I know you solved and wrote this before today so at least no one could have told you have a case of the Mondays. tinyurl.com/5a297j2a
I think we've got a Phan here. "I’m a high school math teacher in Oakland, Calif., and I love to see live music" Great puzzle Andy Walker!
I love the progression of difficulty of the puzzles as the week proceeds. The boost I get from a Monday, carries over to Tuesday, and then to Wednesday. By Thursday the boost has run out - I loathe the rebus - and then really enjoy the challenge of Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I enjoy the easy-mode Fridays, as well. Please don't change the sequence.
Monday morning in the PNW pre-coffee ... I was thinking SALMON instead of COD and REDMOND instead of JAPAN even though neither remotely fit.
@Geoffrey King I love salmon and I love fish-and-chips, but the idea of deep-fried salmon seems like sacrilege. I hope your caffeine has kicked in.
@Geoffrey King I seem to recall Plaice when I had fish and chips in London--not COD. I wouldn't turn to NYT Xword Team for dining suggestions anyway....
Very nice debut Andy Walker. I enjoyed playing today. Lovely puzzle. Another Monday puzzle that proves the point that easy doesn't mean boring. 56A I especially thought this one was clever. I wonder how many remember the theme clue? I finished this one 1-1/2 minutes slower than my best time. But as my grandson reminded me, I type slower these days. I also have fat finger syndrome, so there's that. These days my brain is faster than my fingers. Thank goodness for NYT puzzles that keep it so. Cheers from Texas. Stay safe in the stormy weather y'all. Turn around don't drown.
@Bonnie Ann I totally agree! I had a lot of fun with this one.
Love a phish shoutout. Just caught em in stl last week 🫡
ChatGPT says the answer to 29 across is two: Alaska and Hawaii. According to the puzzle, the answer is one. I wonder which state the constructor had in mind.
@Rick Probably Hawaii. Just what is a straight border on the curved surface of Earth? And on uneven terrain, and ... nice emu ... nice emu !
@Rick Alaska has a 645-mile straight line border on its eastern boundary with Canada running from the Arctic Ocean to the panhandle in the southeastern part of the state. Since it is set to the 141st meridian west, it is indeed a straight line. Is it perfectly straight? It looks that way on the map, but you'd probably need a surveyor to be sure. Since it is set to the 141st meridian west, it is indeed a straight line.
Imagine my elation at seeing 67-Across having just arrived home from their 3 night run at Deer Creek. I could argue for adding last night's second set to 62-Across. Thanks, Mr. Walker!!! ⭕
A peaceful and easy puzzle, befitting today's news that Randy Meisner has passed away.
@archaeoprof I'll have to google him... but I just learned that Ruth B McDowell died in late June; it's a loss to the quilting world.
Connoisseurs of that quintessentially British dish at 30ac are all wondering why there aren't seven spaces to put in an answer beginning with H. Otherwise it's just London rubbish!
I'm a Londoner, prefer haddock and honestly never knew thst cod is considered a Londok choice! @Rosalind Mitchell
Rosalind, This is the Crossword in the NEW YORK Times not in the London Times, and in New York your fish and chips is more likely to be COD. Note: Haddock is also available. <a href="https://www.asaltandbattery.com/s/order?location=11eaf2236f153a35a1f7ac1f6bbba828#most-popular" target="_blank">https://www.asaltandbattery.com/s/order?location=11eaf2236f153a35a1f7ac1f6bbba828#most-popular</a>
Lemon tree very pretty and the lemon flower is sweet But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat Even so, I got the Diner's part of the theme. I didn't stop and (over) think about it long enough to recognize the golf part. A bright and charming puzzle, Mr. Walker, thanks. Strands today was fairly easy but the spangram seemed off, IMHO. No spoilers until we're past "view all replies", please. Strands #155 “Rolling in it” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🟡
@Linda Jo I actually needed the spangram to start seeing the theme words. Strands #155 “Rolling in it” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵
@Linda Jo Strands #155 “Rolling in it” 💡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🟡 Grrr! Upset that I needed a hint to clear things up. I had two of the theme words, only in the wrong part of speech.
@Linda Jo Strands #155 “Rolling in it” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵🔵 I had a slow start on this one too. I must have found 4 or 5 words that were not in the word list before I got my first correct one.
Another themer from one born in the midwest: MAIZEHYBRID (started with CORN but needed 5 letters to match the puzzle)
These Mon/Tues middle-school level puzzles make maintaining one's streak nothing more than a mindless chore. C'mon eds -- you can do better than this -- offer an alternative (challenging) clue-set.
@Super8ing Try challenging yourself by solving across only, down only, or against the clock. The early puzzles are fine for me, a forty-year solver, because no matter what day it is, I’m going to be done way too soon. The days of 45-minute solves are behind me. The extended enjoyment now is the engagement in this forum. I spend five minutes (or less, as was the case today) on a Monday solve and all day checking the comments. And do the New Yorker puzzle on Mondays and Tuesdays for a more challenging solve.
@Super8ing In addition to Steve L’s excellent suggestions, you might try this: Halfway through the puzzle, try solving without reading any more clues. Just fill in words based on what’s already in the grid. Monday puzzles are only as boring as you let them be.
@Super8ing Puzzles have less to do with education level than with experience. New solvers need an entry point, and an easy early week puzzle is perfect for that. Both Steve and Eric had excellent suggestions, so I hope you try them so you can keep things interesting for yourself. As my mother used to say, "Only boring people get bored. Find something to amuse yourself."
QBABM for the first time! Probably never happening again. Haha