A clever theme and great debut of BORN IN THE USA. Especially since today (September 23rd) is Bruce’s 75th birthday. Just an FYI. Fun puzzle. ******
@Anita also the birthdate of ray charles (1930) and john coltrane (1926).
"I'm on my way to learn about the Greek alphabet!" "Great, what's your eta?" ("Not sure. But iota know.")
Mike, Omega ’nother pun for us, please! (and make it a really, really koine one!)
@Mike I was hoping you'd lambda good one today. If you hadn't, I'd have posted "Omicron one past us today, please." I guess it's time I delta plea to the e-mus.
I was on driving to, and on the phone with, my friend, Socrates, when he asked, “What’s your ETA?” I replied, “H?” (I’ll show myself out.)
@Steven It's all Greek to me. Thanks for the laugh, the groan and a smile for the week ahead. Happy Autumn!
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. People are often spotted pressing them (7) 2. Windy flight? (5)(9) 3. Box office? (7) 4. Poor resolution, say (10) 5. Take inventory? (3) BARBELLS SPIRAL STAIRCASE CUBICLE ANTICLIMAX ROB
@Lewis I had to read “windy flight” twice to get it. ROB was awesome. I praised my daughter for getting it!
Haven't done the puzzle yet, but wanted to share this hilarious clip from the Twitterverse, for all us West Wing fans! From @LemonLymancom 25 years ago, Leo McGarry got in a fight with the New York Times crossword editor about how to spell “Gaddafi” or “Qadaffi". <a href="https://x.com/LemonLymancom/status/1837838507600998688" target="_blank">https://x.com/LemonLymancom/status/1837838507600998688</a>
@Chungclan That is so funny! Thanks for sharing that!M
@Chungclan Ah, the old days, when all we could do about a crossword complaint is yell into the abyss.
Freddy has range. While well more than half of his 17 NYT puzzles are Mondays and Tuesdays, he also has a pair of themeless puzzles filled with cluing deftness. For example: here's one where he made a drab answer shine -- [Illustration, for example: Abbr.].* The NE and SW corners of this grid are islands, that is, have only one answer coming in from outside. Islands can be nerve-wracking on the tougher puzzle days of the week, but not today, because it’s Monday-time, and the cluin’ is easy. Some lovely serendipities today. A pair of PuzzPairs©: YELP/YEOW and HIALL/HELLO. Answers that become names when read backwards: TAP, AROD, AVE, and IRA. And, I guess because my brain was really on the prowl, answers that are homonyms of other words: DEW, TEES, TIERS, NIT, TOE, and WERE. And, by the way, regarding this theme, try coming up with other in-the-language phrases ending in initialisms. Then try to come up with pairs of them that contain equal numbers of letters. There’s high skill behind this theme. Because you have such range, Freddy, I never know when I’m going to see one of your puzzles next, but I’ve learned that it will be of superb quality. Thank you for a splendid outing today! *SYN
@Lewis I loved a line of yours here. Hope you don't mind if I add to it ... Monday-time, and the cluin’ is easy Not much stumpin' and the journey's a treat Oh, your theme is rich and your grid is good-lookin' So hush little solver, don't you cheat
@Lewis I would have liked "Sending out an SOS" but it would have been a grid spanner and necessitate a total redesign. (Recurring lyric in "Message in a Bottle," by The Police.) "Back in the USSR" is too long...can't think of any 12-letter answers that fit the theme.
Still haven’t broken the 6-minute mark, but this is my fastest one yet at 6:05. Right on.
@K 8:20 for me, and I don't touch type. If I can get a sub 8 on a Monday or Tuesday, that's a victory for me.
TIL initialism versus acronym. Thank you, Sam. The puzzle hit a sweet spot for me today, being fast and pleasant. Just what I needed. A breezy solve while enjoying a breezy afternoon out on the balcony, minus the kir royale (which was unknown to me until today.) Thank you, Freddie. Making believe I have a kir royale in hand, I toast to all of you for a happy and healthy new season that's just begun. Heres to a wonderful Autumn to all. Cheers!
@sotto voce It's 73 just now....and we're getting a big break: the high is predicted to be a mere 89 degrees. Woof.
Really enjoy your choice of photos each day for the columns. It really adds so much to have adjacent images for the topic.
(Cue that trumpet . . .) Hey Freddie, can you send me a new grid? Tonight, can another pop in your mind? Glad I made through Sunday's tunnel Now it's directtodvd on the Monday side Hey Joel, Freddie's the real thing So if you want me to play along, You gotta promise to typeset his every thing Cause this gal don't dance Unlees it's etta james, then you'll have a chance I gotta stay cool tonight, Freddie 'Cause man, my streak's out on that line I never blow a Monday puzzle It's aseasyasabc for more than me most times All you gotta do is construct a cool grid Here, stuff this SOS in a corner, it'll be three letters just like you said 'Cause gold stars make me smile, And tonight, Freddie's grid has style Well, Freddie asked "What's you eta?" Cause he clued it 44, and so I solved it But Freddie, I don't understand, why so many tarot cards fall out of NYT pockets And tonight I got every clue like Freddie said And when I hear that happy tune, I'm just gonna throw that stylus on the bed, Your clues were more than meta unblocking For this happy bluestocking Hey Freddie, you got a fan on your side.
Cute theme and an enjoyable solve. Was surprised to see that three of the theme answers were debuts. Nice start to the week. And, of course I had a puzzle find today inspired by 'abc' and wondering about 'onetwothree.' Anyway - a Sunday from November 7, 1999 by Brendan Emmett Quigley with the title; "Cues." Some theme answers in that one: SQUEALOFAPPROVAL THEBASQUESARELOADED NOAHSQUARK QUEASYASONETWOTHREE QUALMSFORTHEPOOR Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/7/1999&g=97&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/7/1999&g=97&d=A</a> I'm done. ..
The Guardian has a piece on The Shawshank Redemption today - some may find it interesting after yesterday's puzzle. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/23/shawshank-redemption-30th-anniversary?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/sep/23/shawshank-redemption-30th-anniversary?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other</a>
@Andrzej - dziękuję, that was an interesting link for me, since I both knew the novella before the film was made and know well the film. I feel the same way about “Stand By Me”, the film based on another novella from the same set, “The Body”, that the film is drastically better than the original story. I don’t think Stephen King would mind my saying so.
@Andrzej Thanks! Interesting article. Of course the best part is skimming the comments, almost 500 of them, with everyone arguing with each other whether it's the greatest movie of all time, or if it's just great, good, or meh. Sounds familiar.
Great doing a puzzle on my bday which just so happens to be on the same day as The Boss. Happy Monday everyone!
How interesting to see 22A.....already achieving obsolescence in so many settings! Gosh, ain't it something how fast we can move to turn an advance into a retreat? Makes a change from that old "Agnus __" clue, too. Nice puzzle. Wonder if there are actually any TYPESETters still on the job...maybe in one of those "villages" with artisans practicing "old ways" in Colonial or Frontier days or the "quaint" Roaring Twenties ?
@Mean Old Lady The Minnesota State Fair has an exhibit with typesetters and the equipment showcasing the landmark 1931 "Near v Minnesota" freedom of the press case. It's fun to see the reactions, esp the realization of how much work it took for people to publish their opinions (not just a quick tweet)!
Enjoyed Mr. Chang’s puzzle, a quick breezy solve on a pleasant Sunday afternoon in the PNW. But today I want to give Joel Fagliano a quick shout-out, our unsung hero of the mini, for turning out little bursts of joy Every. Single. Day. Today’s clue [Someone walking in front of a train] made me laugh out loud when I figured out the answer from the crosses. At first I thought, brave, but no, walking in front of a train is actually just dumb (or stupid), but neither of those fit. BRIDE…so clever, Joel!
Well done, Freddie. I like how the initialisms in your themers each abut another initialism: DEI, NTSB, IRA, and ... POTS? You know -- when someone ROUSES and their heart rate speeds up?
Henry, Yes, POTS! Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS), or Plain Ordinary Telephone System, is a retronym for voice-grade telephone service employing analog signal transmission over copper loops. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_old_telephone_service" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_old_telephone_service</a>
Lots and lots of music to enjoy in this one, much of it overt and obvious, and some more slyly referential. We had The Boss, La Môme Piaf, Miss Peaches, la Selenita, a hit West End musical, and the ubiquitous (and brilliant) Mr Eno. Then we had prog giants Yes; a line very close to the lyric of an old Jackson 5 hit single; the energetic former Van Halen frontman popped up (twice); and in Latin, the second word of an ancient liturgical chant. And who else thought of Buffy and the great track by Bif Naked, "Lucky", when entering 5D?
@Alex Barry Let me toss in: The *first* word of an ancient Latin liturgical chant; Chopin's Waltz in A-flat major ("l'Adieu") and a hit by crossword favorite Adele (and the two together, one by the Beatles) (Here's what I was listening to while typing this post: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxd6NjERpuI" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lxd6NjERpuI</a> )
Not sure, but I think this is the first puzzle I finished almost completely on the first run through on Across. Almost. I didn't even look for the theme until it was completed. Not my best time – off by almost two minutes – which is fine. Very enjoyable! Some fun cluing, for me. Loved the clue for USE, which will have me ear-worming songs from Carousel all day (just me? Anyone?). I had to go back to read a lot of clues, just to see what they were after it was all filled in. One of the reasons I was able to finish it quickly (besides it being a Monday, of course) is because Hubby was out of the house for a dr. appt. Usually he interrupts me several times, adding at least a minute, sometimes five, to my time. Happy Monday, friends. Off to the hospital for me. I won't be volunteering at the ER much longer; they are moving us out, and replacing us with paid personnel. Now they see how valuable we are, we are being replaced with people who won't do nearly as much as we do. Oh well. Look for me at the info desk in the cancer wing.
@Mar in PA I think “What’s the Use of Wond’rin’?” is the only song from “Carousel” that I know. Good luck with your new volunteer position at the hospital. I admire your dedication. The few times I have done volunteer work, I’ve gotten burned out.
I learned form the comments below that today's puzzle was themed 🤣
Fun Monday puzzle. I sometimes wonder how many times Brian Eno's name has appeared in crossword puzzles. He's probably more known by crossword solvers than musicians at this point. (Not criticizing the constructors, they are way smarter than I am. Just a thought)
@Jones ENO has been the answer 327 times, of which 267 have been in the "Modern Era" (Shortz forward). Almost all the Modern Era answers were clued to Brian. Not so, of course, pre-Shortz, as Brian apparently became famous enough to be in the puzzle in 1985. Prior to that, it was clued as [Wine: Comb. form] or [Wine: Prefix] every time. So at least about 280 times. Not quite "ERA" (1587 times), but quite a lot. The full name BRIAN ENO has been the answer 6 times, all Modern Era.
Lovely. One of my quicker Mondays; this lead me down the path of fancying a KIR Royale (a favourite tipple) while listening to The Boss. I may be a punk at heart but Mr Springsteen always has a place there too. I noticed the acronyms, which this early on a wet Monday morning is no mean feat for this aging brain.
I foresee a good week for Cartomancy. Arcana XXII: The Emu
Slight hold-up in my solve bc Diana Ross did most definitely *not* moonlight as a flagmaker! Doh. Loved EASYASABC for a Monday solve! Speaking of which, I have a quick question for the speed solvers out there: the most obvious approach to solving quickly is to just go through each clue, across or down, sequentially. Is that how y’all do it, or does anyone here have a specialized approach? I imaging the difficulty of the puzzle plays a part, so really I’m thinking about Monday-Wednesday puzzles.
@Josh I always work my way across starting at the top left corner, no matter how many or how few answers I put in. Even if I’m not sure, I take a stab, because I find just seeing the letters in the grid helps me find the other answers. After one pass, I start doing the down clues, and it’s at that point that I see some of my first across guesses were wrong, and I move on from there. This really helps with the late in the week puzzles, when it seems as if you don’t know anything!
@Josh I’ve been told by people who solve faster than I do that constantly switching directions is faster than trying to get all the Across or Down answers first. In any case, if you can’t answer a clue quickly (especially in a Monday or Tuesday puzzle), move on to the next one.
Just seconds away from a Monday personal best. I don't know how to get much faster in early week puzzles... not because of my brain but my fingers. Later week puzzles are getting faster because of my brain and from learning the crossword ropes but early week, I feel like I move as fast as I can but can't break 7 minutes. I had no hang-ups in today's puzzle at all. Sure, there were a couple things I didn't know, like KIR and NTSB but I didn't need to know them, they kindly showed themselves in and stayed. Amazed that I immediately placed EDITH for Piaf who sang "La Vie en Rose". A fact that I never knew prior to doing puzzles and today it just came to me. Huzzah! Ah, but these fingers of mine can't go much faster.
Quick and fun Monday! Thanks, Freddie!
A beautiful Monday solve, thanks Freddie! Hope everyone has a great week.
Some oldies for this oldie. Zipped through this easy as abc Monday puzzle. I had fun. Got another Deuce in WORDLE today, 🤴🐝'd in SP, and didn't embarrass myself in Connections, found all the words in Strand, and finished the Monday Crossword in a minute or so over my best time. I type slower these days, so I have to solve faster. Have a wonderful day y'all! Cheers from Texas where we are eagerly awaiting a cold front to drop us into the 80's. 😀
@Bonnie Ann Yay you!
@Bonnie Ann Thanks for the Central Texas weather report. I don’t miss that heat at all. Congrats on your Wordle deuce! I ended up getting the answer in six guesses. It was one of those situations where you have four letters correct, but can’t luck onto the right one for the fifth letter. I don’t like it when that happens, which is why I rarely play Wordle anymore.
Is ASAP - A-SAP or A-S-A-P or “as soon as possible,” an initialism or an acronym or both?
I think NYT's style guide, which includes periods in initialisms, made N.F.L. and (especially) N.T.S.B. look clunky in Sam's column. Not important, but those periods always distract me.
@C-64 That’s less distracting to me than the NYT style that eschews all caps in acronyms of five or more letter: Nafta immediately comes to mind, though I am sure there are others.
Other than the *pie* in the face at the end a smooth and "pdq" solve. Thanks.
1-across omitted the "y" in y'all. I guess that's to be expected, though, if you're struggling to use a language that's missing a specific second-person plural.
It’s odd, the various reactions that can be caused by imagining the delivery of simple infrared radiation to our hind quarters: - Chestnuts (or peach emojis) roasting by an open fire: nice. - A still-smouldering subway seat: (audible) ick! A Monday puzzle that yielded like butter to a hot knife.
@JohnWM Your first example indeed illustrates heat transfer by infrared radiation, but the second is by conduction, not radiation. (Physics geek here)
Initialisms!!!! How thrilling!!!!! The puzzle is well and professionally made, but that's hardly enough to make it exciting. I was looking for a cute revealer -- some sort of pun that would tie together the fact that there are initials ending the first three answers. I couldn't think of one because, of course, there ISN'T one. Oh well -- on to Tuesday...
Late puzzle find - one of the strangest I've ever encountered. A Thursday from September 11, 1997 by Matt Gaffney. The them answers were paired, with one being a clue to the other. Here's a couple of examples: 56a - "17-Across, in other words :" YTTJJU And then 17a - "What's the point of annoying Leno's sheep?" WHYTEASEJAYSEWE ---- 52a - "38-Across, in other words :" KKIICDD And then 38a - "Singers Starr and Kiki look at each other :" KAYSEYESSEEDEES Can't imagine having much of a chance with that one. Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=9/11/1997&g=56&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=9/11/1997&g=56&d=A</a> ..
@Rich in Atlanta Oh! And that puzzle had one other debut answer - not at all tied in to the theme, but seems like it's oddly appropriate for that puzzle (sure would have been for me). Anyway - 40d: Clue: "Failed to comprehend." Answer: DIDNTGET I'm done. ..
Strands #204 “Gnaw-it-alls” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵 Maybe the easiest Strands ever.
@Eric Hougland Strands #204 “Gnaw-it-alls” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵 Agreed.
@John Carson - and connected to the Xword at 33D!
60D: I briefly thought it may be a Saint Crosser, a saint on a cross, or someone who crossed a saint, but the abbreviated ground-level answer fell into place. However, even after completion, I'm wondering what that answer would be. 🤔
38A, yay from here, usually the Paris cathedral rather than the university.
Fun puzzle. Thank you. However, I'm sure you meant The Who, not Twisted Sister.
@Parker Cross Dang! I missed that. The first rock concert I ever attended was The Who, in 1976 or 1977. Keith Moon was still alive.
Just finished last Saturday’s puzzle. Thought I couldn’t do it then solved everything around 1A MOZAMBIQUE which I looked up. Love that song by Bob Dylan on the album Desire.
@Charlotte Me, too. Jimmy Buffet did a cover version last year not too long before his death. EmmyLou Harris sings backup on it, also. You can find it on YouTube.
@Charlotte I had that song going through my head all weekend.
This really was AS EASY AS ABC! However, I did not beat my best Monday time, as I stubbornly put OSHA in 27A and then spent too much time wondering why my downs didn't make any sense. 😆
Shout out for Senator Bill Roth (R, DE) and his 34A/51D. The bridge named in his honor is just south of me.
@Grant You must be in the wrong comment forum. There is no 34A in the Monday puzzle.
Hey Freddie, does "At Last" sound like Jazz to you?
@jerome higgins It does to me. I don't get it.
My new personal best! Now, I lay awake at nights saying "Thank you Fred!"
Four seconds off my fastest time... thank you for such an enjoyable puzzle!
Stumped by a Monday puzzle with 22A and 27A and had to look up, rather shameful.