Some solvers may get the impression from this puzzle and Mr. Higgins' puzzle on Sept. 12 that not only is an iamb a foot, but a foot is an iamb. Well I'm here to tell you, as your cis-mansplaining prosodist, that iamb is one of the most common poetic feet, but not the only kind. A refresher course: IAMB: unstressed + stressed. Examples from puzzle: ALONE, AZUL, UNMET, AKIN TROCHEE: stressed + unstressed Examples from puzzle: HONDA, ULTRA, ANSEL, ISLE, PARKA, WOMAN, NEATEN, YELL TO (and that's just in the upper third); RURAL ALABAMA is perfect trochaic trimeter. ANAPEST: unstressed+unstressed+stressed Examples from puzzle: there's one buried in RURAL ALABAMA, MALALA YOUSAFZAI, and also possibly in VANILLA LATTE DACTYL: Stressed+unstressed+unstressed Examples from puzzle: IDIOTS, LA LA LAND, the "W" in GW BUSH PYRRHIC OR DIBRACH: unstressed+unstressed Examples from puzzle: the "LA" of LA LAKERS, not sure if there are any others SPONDEE: stressed+stressed Examples from puzzle: YELL TO, D DAY, DADA (I would have preferred that clued as "Marcel Duchamp's first word, perhaps?"), LIMPED IN Then there are the more obscure ones, the AMPHIBRACH (unstressed+stressed+unstressed, as in VANILLA, POMELO; the ANTIBACCHIUS (stressed+stressed+unstressed), as in CIS WOMAN; and there some other variations as well, one of my favorites being the MOLOSSUS, consisting of three stressed syllables. As in: I'll end here.
@john ezra That was great! I've heard about some of these but never saw a concise, clear description. Thanks so much.
@john ezra WOW, you took my breath away! Thank you for this tour de force! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏 (Clap, Emu! Clap!!)
@john ezra Thank you so much, John. Trying to remember all of these has always…stressed me out.
Having just read the comments, I'd like to say I'm surprised, but some were very predictable. I'm so bored with posters who become apoplectic every time certain words appear in the puzzle. As an atheist, I guess I could complain about "propaganda" every time a religious reference is made in the puzzle. I don't, because you know what? The world doesn't revolve around me. Maybe you should realize that you aren't the center of everything, and you might try to get out more and talk to people with different life experiences. It may just change your perspective.
@Nancy J. Amen! (oops, sorry!) I have to shake my head every time there is a protest about words in a puzzle. Unless it is part of the theme, words are included because the letters complete the fill. It is neither an endorsement nor a condemnation of said word, object, or person. The exceptions are words that are derogatory or obscene, CIS is neither of those things.
@Nancy J. People complain about lots of different words. I have complained about Grok. I don’t see so much condemnation of people who complain about other words. Maybe instead of bashing them, saying they think the world revolves around them, you might concede they are a varied group with varied reasons? I don’t like the words because they are cumbersome and undignified and I think humans, all humans, deserve better.
@Nancy J. My sons have brought people into our home whose preferences are to be referred to as they/them. I use those words( as often as I remember ) because I respect them, too. I also keep the fridge stocked with drinks they like for the same reason. Not drinks that I like but they make them feel welcome in our house. Same thing. Only the drinks cost money!
I’m not a big fan of the little snail next to my slower than average Monday time. I think I’ll name him Stelmo.
@Justin You get litte snails and other 'badges' when you finish a puzzle? Perhaps I shall start doodling little creatures celebrating my completion... and when I learn I have an error, I supposed I could show a fly-swatter coming down on same.....
@Justin Jeez, the NYT is talking some real smack with you!
Speaking as an agender transmasculine person who was assigned female at birth, I am grateful for the inclusion of the 14A in this puzzle. The wording of both the clue and answer align with current best practices for describing sex and gender. I am very well aware that many other people are *not* fine with this use of language. Such people have many outlets to express their dissatisfaction. This comment section does not need to be one of them.
@Pax Ahimsa Gethen - I agree. I understand that that some folks are not comfortable with the concept of gender fluidity (I am NOT one of those), but they shouldn't have an issue with a word being in a crossword puzzle. I'm an atheist, but I don't resent clues/answers that require knowledge of a religious text such as the Christian Bible, Islamic Quran, Jewish Torah, Buddist concepts...
I smile when I read about what's right or not right in the crossword clues and answers. It reminds me of a time when I was sitting next to a man on a Brooklyn bus. He was doing the Friday NYT puzzles and filling in the spaces at a rapid pace. I couldn't help but react and told him that was quite impressive. He then told me he was putting letters in the boxes just to fill in the grid, He enjoyed having people think he was a puzzle wizard. I smiled, thinking, "Why would he reveal his secret to me?" My point is, he enjoyed doing the puzzle his way. Not everything is designed to individual tastes. It's a pleasant escape - a challenge to our little gray cells - an opportunity to learn things and recall things or it's just a chance to fill in the grid. Whatever it is, enjoy yourself in the best of health and spirit. May the week ahead provide you with what you need for that to come true.
Min, Your pleasant post perhaps gives us a hint why he felt he could reveal his secret to you.
@Min Great story! It reminds me of a short film I saw years ago. It depicts a crude looking woman with her hair in curlers, cocktail glass in hand, cigarette dangling from lips. She is in her small trailer park home watching Jeopardy on a small B&W TV. She continually yells out the correct answers to the most difficult questions (actually answers, I guess). This continues for some time and you (the audience) is just amazed at her depth and breadth of knowledge. Then suddenly she reaches forward and hits “ Rewind” on the VCR and starts yelling out the answers to the same questions again. Priceless. I’ve never been able to find that short film again no matter what I Google. Maybe someone else can….
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. It might cause some unsurprised looks (5) 2. Bit of foam, perhaps (6) 3. What's often made by doctors (3)(7) 4. Woman in dire need? (5) 5. Job that anyone could see themselves doing? (6)(6) BOTOX PEANUT SIX FIGURES RENEE WINDOW WASHER
"Sorry I didn't get your coffee on time." "Better latte than never!" ("I thought I'd be in for a brewed awakening.")
Not sure about that LILLE/LIMPINGIN/ELO crossing on a Monday (or any other day of the week for that matter)
Sweet little play on words, referring to the group of four theme answers as LA LA LAND. And a sweet moment for me, who left that revealer blank, and tried to figure out what it was – something I’m weak at and working on – and got it! Maybe it was obvious and easy to correctly guess the revealer today, but if you tell me that, I’m going to LALALALALALALA you. I think Malala’s full name looks gorgeous across the middle. That answer, along with LA LAKERS, have been used only once before in the Times puzzle, while VANILLA LATTE and RURAL ALABAMA are answer debuts, giving the theme high spark. I liked the unusual letter combination starts in GWBush and PTRap, as well as ISLE over IDLE. I enjoyed the lovely LILLE and fun-to-say BLABBY. I got a kick out of the STELMO dook, as well as the PuzzPair© of BRAD and NAIL. And I’m not sure why, but I loved having YOU staring at me from the dead center of the grid. Congratulations on your debut, Robert, and thank you for starting my day with a deep-down smile!
Two small nits: 1. I carried a gym bag around for years, and I was never an athlete. 2. C’mon, people, the “cross” in crosswords doesn’t mean you should let them get you cross and bothered. Relax! Have fun! You’re alive! Mr. Corridan: nice first NYT puzzle of my week/your life!
@JohnWFir years I've used a little accessory called a "pen loop." It attaches a pen to the back of your hand so that it's always available; you can flip it into your hand with a quick gesture, but the rest of the time both hands are free. I started using it when I worked in warehouses. They were invented for pilots, so that they could have a pen instantly at hand without having to scrounge around for it with one hand off the controls. Would I object to someone referring to it as something used by pilots? No, of course not, even though I'm not a pilot, and even though I know of a few other non-pilots who've started using them.
It was lovely to see ROSA Parks crossing MALALA YOUSAFZAI. Two exceptional women, together at last!
@Katie Apparently I filled in ROSA using only crosses so I hadn't even noticed her there. Thanks for pointing that out!
@Katie Yes, it was great to see those two women spotlighted.
There is a lot of controversy about a certain clue and I totally get it. Should controversial and politically charged clues and answers be included in the crossword? I’m honestly not sure but I stand by the constructors inclusion of GWBush nevertheless.
@Susy Tucker Who would decide what controversial is? Is it football, TV shows, music, any person who has ever done something questionable (everyone), historical figures. religious references? The list could go on.
@Susy Tucker I was delighted to see a word as contemporary as "ciswoman." OMG - I just got the reference to "GWBush." Clever!
Congratulations on a solid NYT debut, Mr. Corridan! I’m glad that you persevered in your attempts to get published. Good luck with your law studies. As my antitrust law professor was fond of telling us, as a second-year student, it’s not too late to reconsider and switch to dental school. :-)
@Eric Hougland Did he look or sound like John Houseman?
A tougher than usual Monday puzzle but an enjoyable solve. Just had to work the crosses in a lot of places but managed to work it all out. Couldn't help but note the currently somewhat appropriate inclusion of... ACLU, ROSA Parks, ROE v. Wade and even... To Kill a Mockingbird. We'll see how that goes. I'm done. ..
@Rich in Atlanta I was amused seeing ROSA PARKA. I'm easily amused.
A perfectly delightful Monday puzzle. I wonder if the entries whose crossing letter is Z will pose a challenge for newer solvers. We’ll see. Congratulations Robert, on a lalapalooza of a debut.
@Anita I had 'agua' for the Spanish blue at first. I wasn't sure how to spell Malala's name. Knowing I follow her on Insta, I did a search to learn her name has a "Z" in it, and then adjusted 'agua' to 'AZUL'. I didn't count that a cheat. But I had 'pomela' instead of 'pomelo'. You think I'd have figured out the 'OCD' crosser, but I ignored it. So looking at the answer key, I guess I have to call that one a cheat. I love the movie "Lalaland", and saw it twice on the big screen, a thing that fit a bit indulgent. I enjoyed this puzzle, too.
@Anita Posed a challenge to this experienced solver; my last letter was the Z. (However, Z was my first guess, so AZUL must be lodged in my subconscious, thanks to these puzzles.)
A bit more challenging than the usual Monday - and I mean that as a compliment. I hope Robert will take a little time away from his legal studies to give us more puzzles.
Not used to getting stuck on Mondays, but LILLE/ST.ELMO/ELO caught me. I'll have to remember ELO; I think that answer and the Xanadu clue have come up before.
@Swift. Three letter musician occurring frequently in NYT xwords: ELO ENO ONO Remember them.
An excellent puzzle from another talented new constructor. Your persistence paid off, Robert. I hope to see more from you.
I just wanted to point out that the ALALA is a Hawaiian crow. There are three of them hiding in the theme answers. I wonder if the nenes are jealous.
@Grant Probably the nenes *are* jealous. It certainly seemed to upset the emus this morning.
Cute theme, and it all felt fast and fresh to me! It's hard to be unhappy when repeating LALAs... Unless maybe you're doing it to avoid listening to what your annoying big brother is saying. Lalala I'm not listening! Not that I'd have ever done that... Also, nice to see the wonderfully distinguished Mr. Rickman! I first became impressed with him in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, which I loved at the time. OKBUT, you say, didn't that movie have a lot of flaws, like Costner's accent!? What can I say, I thought Costner was dreamy and it introduced me to Rickman and Morgan Freeman! Both ended up sort of stealing the show for me... Rickman with his portrayal of the droll and delightfully wicked sheriff of Nottingham--and his creative use for spoons--and Freeman with his response to being asked if God painted him: For certain. (Why?) Because Allah loves wondrous variety. An enjoyable and fun debut! Congrats to Robert Corridan!
@HeathieJ I've only seen Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves three quarters of a time (I think I was on a date and had other priorities). I've never understood the hatred for this movie based on Kevin Costner's accent. Sure, it wasn't English, but I doubt very much that the accent in that era sounded "English". Moreover, I hate this idea that we demand perfect accents (any little wrinkle in the accent and critics jump on it as "going in and out of an accent"). It's especially silly for period pieces. No one faults the actors in a production of Julius Caesar for speaking with *British* accents. In fact, that's the standard, and not just in Shakespeare. The great HBO series "Rome" was rife with British accents. So, all I remember of RH:POT is Morgan Freeman trying to comfort Costner by saying "There are no perfect people--only perfect intentions". That may seem trite now, but it was a huge lift for me.
Nice start Robert! Keep it up and good luck with law school
This puzzle gave its secrets away early, but was fun. A good one for a special day… MMMCCCXXXIII (no more all triples ever)
@David Connell I understand this is called the “angel number” and holds special significance for some people. Cosmopolitan tells me this is so. Somehow I don’t think DC is much of a Cosmo reader, but who knows. Perhaps someone can suggest what he is getting at today….. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/bdrccjjr" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/bdrccjjr</a> — — — — — — — —
A bit tough for a Monday I thought, but really enjoyed the theme entries and all those LALAs. The quite long theme fills added to the interest. Great start to the week, Robert, looking forward to more.
Great, fun debut, Robert Corridan. Looking forward to seeing your grids appear again. L-O-L-A, Lola La-la-la-la Lola The Kinks Your ear worm for Monday.
@Tim P Isn't that "Lo-lo-lo-lo-Lola"? (Ducks and runs.)
For those of you "late" to the board, not having posted before dawn, be advisted 14A unleashed a Pandora's Box of condemnation. Some of the threads have been emud. Some have not. Might be a busy day for the emus.
@Francis Having just awoken, being a late nighter and slightly late sleeper... I wondered what further fury I would discover this morning but it is all wiped clean. Was it all a dream!? Where's Toto!?
@Francis Having just awoken, being a late nighter and slightly late sleeper... I wondered what I would discover this morning but it is all wiped clean. Was it all a dream!? Where's Toto!?
@Francis Sigh, I knew as soon as I read the clue that there would be complaints. I have yet to scroll down to see them; maybe by the time I get off work and revisit this column later today the worst of it will be over.
Kudos Mr. Corridan, Took me almost 18 minutes and I usually finish in less than ten on Mondays. Well crafted. Thank you.
Fogs and mists are not vapors...they're suspended droplets of water. Vapors are not visible.
@PhilO Merriam-Webster and Oxford have the primary definition for VAPOR, respectively, as “diffused matter (such as smoke or fog) suspended floating in the air and impairing its transparency” and “a substance diffused or suspended in the air, especially one normally liquid or solid.” They provide “a substance in the gaseous state as distinguished from the liquid or solid state” and “a gaseous substance that is below its critical temperature, and can therefore be liquefied by pressure alone,” respectively, as secondary definitions. I don’t think that my blood plasma consists principally of unbound ions and electrons nor that it has near-infinite electrical conductivity, either.
@PhilO I thought exactly the same thing. Steam is not the cloudy stuff coming out of a teapot. It's the terrifying rush of clear fluid (gases and liquids are both fluids) that is rushing out right at the exit, before it's cooled into water droplets. (Actually, even that is inexact--as I recall the true definition of a vapor is a gas that is below it's critical point--the temperature of a gaseous substance at which no amount of pressure will create a phase change to liquid, but rather only a highly compressed gas.) But... If you belabor things like this, you'll never have a crossword without clues that are two paragraphs long listing all the potential failings of the clue.
The discussions of the word “assign” in 14A (a usage that doesn’t bother me though I think I understand the desire for a better term there) have reminded me of a thing that allegedly accompanied my birth: My mom’s OB (male, obvi) announced to her: “One. Baby. Girl.” In light of today’s discussion, that does indeed seem like a 1958 style “assignment”. (It’s OK, I’ve gotten over it.)
Today’s New Yorker puzzle by Erik Agard is challenging but fun, with some clever clues.
@Eric Hougland Now THAT reminds me of a good old fashioned NYT Saturday. 😉 I loved it even though it took me longer than most Sundays. I don't mind using Check Grid over there and needed it twice after running into walls. Upon review, all of the cluing was fair and some were terrific. Kid gloves and Mouse's home come to mind. Thanks for the suggestion!
Nice breezy Monday puzzle and a wonderful debut for Robert Corridan. I certainly knew MALALA right away, but wouldn’t have known her last name without the help of crosses. Same for De Gaulle’s birthplace. Otherwise, everything was in my wheelhouse I’d say. I hope we will see more puzzles from Mr. Corridan in future.
This one broke my Monday gold streak. No joy.
Thoroughly enjoyed today's puzzle. Thank you for your enjoyable debut, Robert. I look forward to future entries from you.
Great puzzle. Loved the theme! Congratulations Robert Corridan on your debut puzzle. I hope to see more from you. Your clues and theme were lovely. I really enjoyed solving. That said, I could have solve sooner if I had remembered the name of that darned band 64A. I had "AV AID" for 50D and got locked into not questioning my "Ego" choice for the solve. The upshot was hunting for a typo instead of rethinking my answers sooner. I think my mother called that pig-headed. When I finally got around to thinking "av aid" was a cumbersome fit for 50D, I was able to solve the puzzle. Nice day for puzzling. Too hot here for the park. Now for the Emmys. Y'all have a nice evening. Cheers from Texas!
A lot to like in this chewy debut. Well done. Favorite Rickman: Bottle Shock Favorite word for drivers in front of me: IDIOTS Favorite Saint: Erasmus of Formia, aka STELMO <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo</a>%27s_fire
I would have been faster at solving this puzzle, but I fell into the Wikipedia hole of DeGaulle. I liked this puzzle, interesting clues too. And there are words in the English language that make me squirm, but they are perfectly fine in a puzzle.
@Margaret I had to wait for a couple of letters to get DeGaulle's birthplace. I am waiting for his NICKNAME to be in a puzzle!!
I'm going to tell everyone that the weather here in Chestnut Ridge today is nearly perfect. Low 60s, going up into the mid 70s later. I'm doing this just to see if this comment will go through. I've been trying to comment on slightly more serious matters, and nothing is posting, unless it posted and got taken down. Happy Monday, everyone!
@Steve L I love it! We're now sending out weather report scouting pigeons to try to suss out where the emus are and what they're hungry for.
@Steve L Loads of comments were taken down from last night and early a.m. Lalalalaaa! Happy Monday to you, as well!
@Steve L FWIW, I really enjoyed the comment about the pair of “socks” being newly purchased and then coming out of the washer/dryer. That, I think, was one of your cleverest posts. Quite the Monday. Glad the weather is so nice in Chestnut Ridge…. — — — — — — — —
I still don't know what NWA stands for, though I did look it up. Hardest part was recalling the spelling of MALALA's surname (after I gave up on Greta)... Solid Monday puzzle; nice debut. I am sure there are misguided babies who say DADA first, but mine did not. Why not clue it as the art movement? "ARP grp?" Duchamp was recently featured, come to think of it; usually the NYT does not eschew repetition. I am relieved to be feeling much more myself, if easily tired. The mosquitos are enjoying the humid heat, which also seems to suit the fire ants, who are on a building binge....and some displaced beavers or muskrats have invaded the lake and girdled two young bald cypress trees...a local environmental disaster (consequence of a nearby construction project across the city border.)
@Mean Old Lady Most of my posts from last night got emued but in one of them I mentioned that my grandbaby's first word was apparently milk. So I guess DADA is fair game.
@Mean Old Lady It's not something I'm going to type out here, but here is what NWA stands for: <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/NWA" target="_blank">https://www.britannica.com/topic/NWA</a>
I la la- ed my way through today’s puzzle in my average ten minutes but wish I could spell Malala’s last name without waiting for the crosses. It would have speeded me up quite a lot. I apologize to her. I also wish there was a place to comment about Strands other than here. No spoilers from me, but I found today’s puzzle, which I whipped right through,quite unappetizing. The fact that I knew all the answers and got the spanagram immediately doesn’t mean I enjoyed it. I suspect that makes me an old fogey.
@Ettagale I was planning to skip Strands this morning, but your comment made me curious. Between your comment and the title, I quickly got the theme. Strands #197 “What a stud!” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵🔵 A lot of the [today’s pangram]s that I see are off-putting. But I recognize that might be part of the point.
@Ettagale Old fogey checking in. Yes, not my cup of tea either. Strands #197 “What a stud!” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵🔵🔵🔵 This one sat for over an hour before I got the first word. Was starting to think I was losing it.
@John Carson I don’t seem to be able to paste my results in anymore, even though I am following the same instructions I was given the first time I asked about this. I got the spanagram first and that just unleashed everything else.
I was so hung up with the Xanadu answer having the wrong number of letters for "Rush" that that whole section tripped me up for several minutes and prevented me from finishing in a time that I would have been happy with. ELO. Psht.
@Carl Huge Rush fan here, but my sister had the soundtrack album for Xanadu - it was all Olivia Newton John songs on one side, and ELO songs on the other.
Not Monday difficulty, really dislike the proper nouns.
A late puzzle find. Thought this one was really clever. A Sunday from August 5, 2001 by Peter Gordon with the title "Homonames." Some theme answers: CARRYFISSURE WRECKSREAD JEWELSFIFER FILLSPECTER CURTRUSTLE DOCKHOLIDAY KNEELSBORE GYMNEIGHBORS Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=8/5/2001&g=113&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=8/5/2001&g=113&d=A</a> Might re-post this tomorrow. ..
Emus have censored some of my comments in ways that distorted those of my comments they let pass (sigh). Much as I am opposed to labels, I have to say that some emus are turkeys. Onward to Tuesday. May the petits fours be with you.
@dutchiris The emus are extraordinarily hungry today! I am weary from feeding them!
AKIN to the Hippocratic oath, cruciverbally, first I solve the puzzle. And if that action does no harm, then I will hunt for the darned theme. This method of mind (no typo) is flexible though, as I get the value of theme identification early on in a solve…12 seconds over my Monday avg. but I hardly strictly solve for speed…If you ever get the chance to take in the seascape from San LUIS Obispo, you’ll keep that Pacific memory in your mind’s eye forever…Germane to content, but not the theme, this Chuck Berry rock/doo-wop amalgam is probably early 60’s vintage, if not late ‘50’s…Bye for now WPers. <a href="https://youtu.be/kORzqpAbpTY?si=RXvSi7zR7gSuL8Af" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/kORzqpAbpTY?si=RXvSi7zR7gSuL8Af</a> On Summer’s Crowning Monday, Bru
Fun puzzle! I "solved" it in 4:37, but I misspelled Yousafzai as Yousefzai... which crossed over with Anne/Anna Karenina so I didn't catch it for ages as I tried for seven minutes to figure out what I screwed up. Final score: 11:31
I’ve come to start the W-Sun puzzles in the SE… I find that is often easier. Monday I start NW and ACLU for 1d seemed obvious… won over LIKE for 1a. So ASIF became my 1a, didn’t know anything about KIAS or NWA. Eventually list mode saved me because seeing SIAS isolated was too wrong. Good puzzle, thanks!
Several times recently, when I have needed to View more comments, I click the bar and get a 'bump' that never resolves. It also causes all subsequent comments to bounce up and down. I have to exit or get car-sick.... any tips?
@Mean Old Lady No tips, but I can just confirm that this irritating phenomenon has happened a number of times to me as well. Closing and reopening is all I’ve been able to do. Quite annoying….. — — — — — — — —
@Mean Old Lady I’ve had the exact same thing happen on several occasions. Like you the only solution I’ve found is to exit, re-enter and scroll back to where I was. Kind of aggravating.
The plural of Euro is Euro not Euros.
Bruno, Perhaps in German, but in English the plural is either Euro or Euros. <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euro" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/euro</a> (mini)
I swear I've done this puzzle before. Is it a repeat? I'm working on archived puzzles and I distinctly remembered these clues and the "gimmick". Anyone else?
@Carol Both RURAL ALABAMA and VANILLA LATTE are NYT debuts. The reviewer at Diary of a Crossword Fiend said that the puzzle reminded her of a previous LA-LA LAND puzzle, but she didn’t include a link to the earlier puzzle. It might have been the Los Angeles Times puzzle from March 26, 2018. That’s the only puzzle I can find that seemed to use LA-LA LAND as a revealer. I don’t think this puzzle is a repeat.
@Eric Hougland Thanks. It's still really freaking me out!