What fun to find a Wednesday rebus! Enjoyed it a lot.
Nobody expects the Spanish Inqui....oops, I mean a Wednesday rebus. That was fun. I particularly liked the double RAY words, most especially cRAY cRAY.
@Vaer ‘Twas cute but shouldn’t it have been clued as “slangilly” or something like that
@Vaer “Among our weapons…are surprise, fear, and….rebuses!” My wife and I recently visited the British Library to view their wonderful collection of rare literary works. Gutenberg Bible, Shakespeare First Folios, ancient Qurans and Torahs, the Magna Carta and…Michael Palin’s original notes for the Spanish Inquisition sketch! I certainly didn’t expect that… But to my mind it was not out of place with other works of human genius and inspiration, and I was more delighted than finding a rebus on Wednesday!
This puzzle was a welcome RAY of sunshine, featuring the gentlest of rebuses. I would even go so far as to say it is the perfect puzzle to introduce the uninitiated to the rebus concept. The rebus was easy to spot and repeated itself, so, once gotten, it became even easier to spot the other rebus squares. For myself, I’d prefer a more challenging rebus, but since this is only Wednesday, it’s probably best that the constructor tried to minimize potential blowback. On a more serious note, I’d like to thank again all those who responded to my post on the Tuesday thread with kind thoughts, consoling words, especially those who shared their own stories.
@Marshall Walthew I didn't take time yesterday to read the comments, so I went back and found your post. My sympathies on the loss of your mother and may the Sunday puzzles always make you feel close to her. (I got started on crossword puzzles from my Grandmother, as I began helping her solve.)
@Marshall Walthew I caught up with the Tuesday comments this (Wednesday) morning and saw your post then. My condolences for your loss, and thank you for sharing your loss with this community. Yours are some of the posts I always make a point to read, and I agree we all are able to "know" each other across the ether. May you continue to find comfort here amongst us!
omg I actually did a rebus puzzle fair and square.
@Keith See? They're not so evil! (Rebus enforcers are watching me as I type)
@Keith SAME! Absolutely delighted with self.
I RAYS a glass to an enjoyable Wednesday crossword.
I’m delighted to say that this is the first rebus crossword I’ve solved without the usual frustration and confusion!
Sam, your opening sentence made me laugh out loud. I didn’t come here to complain, but I did come here thinking “I thought they only did rebuses on Sunday and Thursday”.
@John Appleseed Rebuses have appeared every day of the week since they first appeared in the 50s. It's true that they're most often seen on Thursdays and Sundays, but Wednesdays are the third most common day.
@John Appleseed For once, one of my presumptions pays off!
Hip Hip Hoo(RAY) for this gentle intro to rebuses! I finished quickly, then dawdled over reading about the Kray twins, gangsters in the 1950s-60s in London. For no good reason, I really wanted Ronald and Reginald to make an appearance in this grid. But cray cray is pretty close. And the rebus haters will remain silent, we p(RAY). Speaking of quick finishes, I recently watched WORDPLAY for the first time. I think it's from 2005, and centers around Will Shortz, some of the top competitive solvers and a few constructors. Probably most of you have seen it, and I wouldn't be surprised if a few of you participated in the tournaments. Top tier players can complete a Monday puzzle in well under 3 minutes and the Sat-Sun puzzles in 6-8 minutes. Sheesh! The tournaments, you could tell, were lots of fun, lot of love and warmth and good humor, close friendships, nerd utopia. Maybe they still are. The emphasis is on speed for the competitive solvers, although Shortz and the constructors emphasize the beauty of xwords, their playfulness and restorative effects, and some of the celebrity solvers -- Bill Clinton, Mike Mussina, Indigo Girls, John Stewart -- also extol the play, art, charm, poetry, healthfulness, and bonhommie of doing xwords. Is there a way of balancing the two? Keeping a fine clip but appreciating the minutiae and finery? I haven't found it, and am a habitual last guest to leave, so I think these tourneys are not for me. But I loved the spirit they all displayed.
@john ezra I saw "Wordplay" when it came out. I've been meaning to rewatch it since I've gotten back into crossword solving (going on five years now). It really is something to watch the speed solvers. A few years ago, I did an online tournament that stretched over several weeks. The final puzzle was by Kameron Austin Collins and was the only I finished within the allotted 20 minutes. I think I did it in about 18 minutes. Then I got to see the champion — Paolo Pasco, maybe — solve the same puzzle in about four minutes.
@john ezra -- The movie "Wordplay" also featured one of Crosslandia's all-time great constructors, Merle Reagle, wordplayer extraordinaire, who passed in 2015. His puzzles abounded in wit and humor.
@john ezra Thank you for sharing this. I’d never heard of Wordplay and after reading your description, I can’t wait to make my family watch it with me!
This Wednesday puzzle was a perfect introduction to the rebus fill. The most forgiving and fun rebuses I can remember—they all seemed to smile and take a bow as I filled them in. Thank you, Robert Gard, it was a pleasure to spend an evening with you.
As a community, I feel like we can find better things to complain about than a stRAY rebus. I believe in us.
@Sonja That’s your opinion. Some people feel strongly about not having rebus puzzles on Wednesdays. It’s not for you to belittle them.
How many times did I look at my calendar to see what day it was? Let’s just say my mind was fRAYed and led astRAY as I foRAYed into disarRAY and had to pRAY to say hooRAY on this Wednesday Or as Poirot would say, I had to use the little gRAY cells.
@Tony Poirot would say gREY Holding a pair of tREYs And drinking comfREY While pursuing his pREY.
Putting two rebuses in a single word is an evil genius move… maybe even a little CRAY-CRAY! But I love the sneaky little R-squares, so I’m not complaining. Fun Wednesday!
I love Rebuses?. Rebusi?. Totally enjoyed the puzzle!
@Karen REBII. (like RADII) Though I like the hat tip to the music star REBA McIntyre.
@Karen Perhaps rebera? Seriously. Like opus - opera, genus - genera.
@Karen I also enjoyed the puzzle! And love the question. Alas, although it seems to me that "rebus" is the only fitting word to express its own multiple, Britannica and Collins both indicate "rebuses".
I was delighted to have a Wednesday rebus puzzle, but do have sympathy for those who are not fans. I especially like it when the whole rebus entry fits the square as it did today. Perhaps Sam's excellent column will convince a few rebus haters to give them a chance. Loved it, Robert. Looking forward to more.
Oh, what a delight! A surprise Wednesday rebus, But over too soon!
As many years as I’ve been doing crosswords, I always feel an inner thrill when I figure out there’s a rebus going on, and an echo thrill when I figure out what it is. I’ve yet to respond with a flat, “Oh, hmm, it’s a rebus.” Rebus themes often include punny revealers that justify them. I love the challenge of leaving the revealer blank in a rebus puzzle and trying to crack what it is. Today I was at wits end; nothing was coming to me that would justify stuffing RAY in the rebus squares. Oh, I love when that happens because my brain revels in the workout of popping out with wild stabs. Eventually, though, I caved, resorted to crosses, uncovered the answer, nodded with respect, and sent a “Well played!” thought-a-gram to the constructor Robert. I liked the abutting PuzzPair© of RULER and ENLAI. I also noticed what must be a high number – ten – of answers ending in N (n-ders?) Robert, you’ve had three NYT puzzles – Saturday, Tuesday, and Wednesday – and only one constructor – Andrew Reis – has hit the cycle (a Times puzzle for every day of the week) in seven days. Go for it! And thank you for a most splendid outing today!
Rebuses never fail to delight me. Whatever day they come on.
I’m disappointed. I came to see everyone losing their 💩 over a rebus in a Wednesday puzzle only to realize I’m early. I thought it was a fun puzzle and I enjoyed catching some rays, something we’re sorely lacking in our weather.
@Snorting Elk You’re about 12 hours too early. Get some sleep and come back with your morning joe. I think the reason people lose their minds over rebuses on Wednesday’s is because generally Wednesday is the last day before Thursday trickery, Friday feints, and Saturday masochism. So, when a Wednesday has a trick, then people are sad and disappointed that they have to work harder for the sense of satisfaction they seek.
@Snorting Elk Good luck with the weather. It looks like you need to batton down the hatches!
I am more than OK with a Wednesday rebus...in fact I am firmly in the welcome-it-any-day-of-the-week camp. This is especially true when the puzzle is a gem like this one. What a great start to this lovely day!
Friendly reminder about the best headline of all time: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/science/moray-eels-eat-land.html?searchResultPosition=5" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/22/science/moray-eels-eat-land.html?searchResultPosition=5</a>
Just here to counter the rebus haters: The only thing I love more than a rebus is a surprise rebus. I had my suspicions at SPRAY TAN but caught on for sure at STRAY/CRAY. Fun puzzle, and still finished in less-than-average Wednesday time.
Amy, As of 9:25 am AST, it appears all the serious rebus haters have died of shock before making it to the comments. (but there will likely be aftershocks)
I kind of roll my eyes at all the folks who brag about how quick they get the rebus puzzles. Ok so we get it, you’re soooo smart. Joking not joking. I’m a fairly new player so this one took me some time - but once I figured it out it was very satisfying! It didn’t take me 12 min or 65% of my average solve time though 😄
@Bethany This forum is for people of all levels and abilities. When someone tells you a puzzle took them 65% of their average, they're not bragging. They're saying they found that day's puzzle on the easy side. You don't know if their average is five minutes or fifty-five. Most people don't talk about actual times unless the thread somehow is specifically related to it. But newcomers should not view this as bragging; is it bragging when you hear that Tiger Woods shot a 68 on a certain day? When you can't even break 100 on a good day? Solving quickly is a sign of experience combined with awareness of the outside world. Intelligence figures into it somewhat--see my reply to Alice a little earlier--but largely is not a major factor. Experience is the factor that helps you realize you're looking at a rebus within the first corner of the puzzle. Is the typist who can do 75 words per minute particularly smart? Is the world's fastest runner necessarily the world's smartest person? When you have solved for decades, you will probably solve in 12 minutes or even less. But you're there for the satisfaction. If you've got that, you've achieved your goal for the time you put in.
@Bethany I don’t think the experienced solvers are bragging when they say that they quickly spotted a rebus. It’s simply a fact. I can only speak for my own experience, but I remember solving puzzles 30 years ago and being baffled by the fact that I was going to have to cram a five-letter word into a tiny square. (And there wasn’t a Wordplay column then to explain what was going on.) With experience, you learn how to more quickly identify answers that have to be correct but that don’t fit because they have a rebus extend beyond the grid or make a 90° turn in the middle. Good luck with your future solving, and have fun!
@Bethany There are people who solve the puzzles 20 minutes before they're published and have streaks that go back to when Hoover was president. And they'll tell you all about it (every chance they get).
Rebus on a Wednesday!! Super fun when I finally got it, should've known earlier (LUNCH TRAY was a dead giveaway). Also enjoyed the silliness of CRAY CRAY and the crayola. Thanks!
@Sanjana Totally agree. This was a fun one.
What a great Wednesday rebus puzzle, perfect difficulty and a fun solve. Also, cRAY cRAY was a stroke of genius, I grinned ear to ear when I solved that one. Thanks for the great puzzle, Robert!
Just a little context re the question: How rare are Wednesday rebus puzzles? 2016 -- Zero Wednesday rebuses 2017 -- One Wednesday rebus 2018 -- Two Wednesday rebuses 2019 -- Two Wednesday rebuses 2020 -- Four Wednesday rebuses 2021 -- Four Wednesday rebuses. 2022 -- Four Wednesday rebuses. 2023 -- One Wednesday rebus. 2024 (so far) -- Two Wednesday rebuses. Looks to me like 2020-22 was the Wednesday rebus heyday; no other year since the Shortz era began (1993) had four Wednesday rebuses. And by the way, the first Wednesday rebus to appear in the Shortz era was in 1995.
@Lewis Not all heroes wear capes!! This is the data I needed
"A rebus Wednesday? That's CRAY CRAY!" - Anonymous Gen-Z Solver
@CT "cray cray" dates back to when Gen Z were infants, so we probably have millennials to thank for that one.
Rebus on a Wednesday? Yes please! I loved this puzzle and happily rebussed (pretty sure that’s not a real word) my way through it. I completed the entire grid except for one square and finally had to peek at the answer sheet. The intersection of 22D and 27A had me. When I got the answer I STILL didn’t get it. Sawred? What is sawred? Is it akin to sautéed? Then it hit me and I Saw Red at myself. Great fun!
@StephieM I got a gold star but didn't understand sawred until sawread you comment. Thanks!
@StephieM Ha! SAWRED had me bamboozled for a second as well. My brain was thinking of "sawyer," which showed up in a puzzle not too long ago. The sawyer SAWRED some wood???
Never been a big crossword solver and relatively new to the NYT puzzle. My average for a Wednesday puzzle is about 44 minutes. Today, with the rebus, a straight-up 16 minutes. This was a fun one. Look forward to dropping all my averages.
@Joe V Crossword puzzle solving is a lot like distance running. Improvement is guaranteed as long as you can keep doing more of it without getting hurt. There are genetic and physiological limits for any individual but few ever reach those levels.
Thanks for a fun Wednesday puzzle. The repeated rebus added just enough challenge to keep me focused lest I be led astray…by the news or other folks in the house yelling about dinner or something.
I enjoyed this puzzle very much. I was just beginning to suspect a rebus, when I opened up the Wordplay article, and read the first sentence. Fortunately I found all the 'RAYs of sunshine' without much trouble. Thank you!
So today we had NSFW as an entry; and there has been recently been more than the usual complaints about the moderation filters used in these posts: frustration with the filters have nearly driven @Andzrej away, and I remember a time when Mr. Connell refused to post because of it. A couple days ago, a post of mine was held up for eight hours, as I had used, innocently, a word that moderation algorithm found offensive; and for that reason, in a post earlier today, I used then word "unclothed" when another word might be more natural. I only bring this up because these censorship algorithm, in other contexts, can have some serious ramifications. An old friend of mine, a High School biology teacher, would complain that her students were limited in online research (while at school) because some sites were blocked: while researching astronomy, say, sites which discuss stars which "could be seen with the --eye," or--and of even more potential consequence--when researching women's health issues, discuss "--cancer."
@Bill I got blocked the other day for casting aspersions on the journalistic profession and their apparent disdain for military service, regarding MIA/AWOL. And then again for bringing up why the WNBA player was (briefly) famous. Totally selective and biased.
An excellent rebus puzzle, if a bit on the easy side. Perhaps that is why it appeared on a Wednesday -- too easy for Thursday? In any case, the could be a good candidate for a "gateway rebus" for those who think they are too hard or have some other objection to them. Easily doable, fairly clued, and with a clear revealer. Thanks for a Wednesday rebus!
What a lovely puzzle! Very fun! On my first go-round, I always just zip through and skip anything that doesn't immediately come to me, so I didn't catch that there might be a rebus on the acrosses but when I got to 6D SPRAYTAN, I thought something must be up... I kept moving but when I came back to it after my first round, I jumped back down to the revealer and got it right away and eagerly sought out the others. What a fun and gentle rebus. I hope this will make some of the haters change their minds about rebus puzzles. They are just so delightful to me. CRAY CRAY made me laugh! Okay, back to work, no time to read the comments but I hope more people than not enjoyed this one. :-)
Loved this Wednesday surprise. I suppose I’ll brag a little by saying I solved it 12 minutes faster than my average. That’s not say a whole lot because I usually am at about a snail’s pace beginning Wednesday. Still, the need for Rebus RAY jumped out fairly quickly. I rode that wave pretty easily until the music 🎶 played. Ok, mes CHERIEs. Hope to see you on Thursday when I can only imagine the tricks in store.
Today’s rebus-filled crossword reminds me of an old and corny joke. A man was questioned why he named the cattle farm operated by his three boys “Horizon”. The man replied, “Because that’s where the sons raise meat.”
@Strudel Dad Embarrassed by the time I spent re-reading this before I got this. But even more by the racy angle I was adding to it! (CC! Behave!)
@Strudel Dad So that's where she gets it from!
I LOVE rebuses and I cannot lie! They bring a ray of sunshine into my life.
spoiler alert! rebus wednesday - fun. i never heard of a shrinkray - so fun to learn a new word. it was the last clue i completed. fun puzzle!
First time I think I ever picked up that it was a rebus AND solved it without peeking at the column first.
The only things I dislike more than rebuses are non-Thursday rebuses 😏🤨
Oh, great, now my calendar's broken 😀 Nice crossword!
I think this is my first time figuring out a rebus without any hints. The trivia wasn’t too bad in this one, though I did need to look up where the WB archives are. All in all a very enjoyable puzzle and a great way to help pass some time during this power outage.
@Alice Before tonight, I'd never heard of the Warner Bros. archives, or given a thought to where they might be. But based on the "Sch." in the clue, I concluded that it had to be at a college, and since the port at 37A was probably a USB, the U standing for university was at the beginning of the 37D initialism. So judging by where the movie industry is located, I figured the answer was either USC or UCLA, and only one of them fit. My point is, you don't always have to look up what you never knew before.
After filling in SAX at 64 down, i preemptively put a rebus [RAY] after the X, figuring it must be X-RAY , but nope. Fun puzzle. Love a non-Thursday rebus 🤓 .:.:.:. .:.:.
Jeez, looks like I inadvertently added some html code or something. That was supposed to say “X-RAY-something” or X[RAY]__. But I surrounded the word “something” with angle brackets, and it just showed up as a blank space. .:.:.:. .:.:. .:.
@Jeb Jones Y'know, sometimes it just pays to read the clue first.
Puzzle was fine, I tolerated the surprise rebus as usual, but I think I may have enjoyed Corbin's little Wordplay more: "Many makeshift sleds do not have blades, mind you. I have slid down snowy hills on plastic mats, skateboard decks and inflatable pool toys — whatever floats your b_tt." (Self censored here due to ridiculous E.M.U. precognition filtering)
@B And yet, despite my preemptive efforts at EMU appeasement, here the post appeared, nine hours after I submitted it. Just not acceptable. Further comments way down below (if those ever appear).
@B (and Sam) I've heard of LUNCH TRAYS being used as makeshift SLEDs, notably at Harvard, much to the dismay of cafeteria staff.
Another good long workout for me but ended up being a really fun puzzle. Stuck in multiple places early on but then managed to tumble to the trick with CRAYOLACRAYON and then just had a great time figuring out where the other RAYs went. Just lots of nice 'aha' moments. Puzzle finds today were inspired by a search for answers with two RAYs in them. A couple of quite remarkable puzzles. I'll put those in replies. ..
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: First - a Tuesday from October 13, 2015 by Patrick Berry. Don't recall seeing another one quite like this. Hard to describe - had 10 rebus squares, each of which was a pair of letters stacked on top of each other. A couple of examples - as best I can render them: CRAYO(LA) (NS) (FO)GHORN (LE) CHA(R)LI(E) (P) (N) Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/13/2015&g=17&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/13/2015&g=17&d=A</a> Don't have time for the other puzzle right now. Maybe later. ..
To Sam, "... whatever floats your butt." Hah! Big hah! Brava! Et tu, emu.
Fast and fun solve that prompts a useful bit of self-reflection for daily solvers: that bit of, "Wait, is it Thursday already?" panic indicates just how accustomed we get to our routines!
Zhou EN LAI was the lead-in to the puzzle....I 'pore over' tasks all the time, and they do not necessarly involve READing. That was a questionable clue, IMHO, but good ole ERIE PA was a nice gimme (four letters, i in place, a Snow Belt city that is likely to get it this week, eh?? Which leads me to think about a substitute for a SLED...)... Voila! That was a nice little romp. Wanted Polyphemus for 70A. What is this X MAN you speak of? SOTU, eh? Don't get me started. Heather Cox Richardson's Letter from an American today is timely... and in sync with a puzzle that iincludes SECEDE, GRAY, and UNION. Time for me to GREET the rest of the day. Be safe.
@Mean Old Lady Cyclops is an X MAN (comic book hero) who can shoot lasers out of his eyes. I always thought that was a bit silly.
@Mean Old Lady Not sure if you kidding with your X-Man question. I know you're pop culture challenged at times, but not always. Anyways, they are mutants with "powers" that first were in comic books and then in movies. Hugh Jackman played Wolverine in some of the movies. There are people here who could go on in greater length and depth, no doubt.
Come on, rebus-hating friends. Of all rebuses, this was a perfect one to have on a day besides Thursday or Sunday: VERY precise and accessible cluing for the theme answers, a clear and cute revealer... what more could you want? This was really fun and definitely made me smile. Happy Wednesday!