Solid. Sunday. Construction. Lovely. My son is getting married in May. He identifies as cis, and his pronouns are he/him. My soon-to-be daughter-in-law was born female and presents as female. But their abusive and misogynistic upbringing led them to prefer they/them pronouns. Years ago, I was an eye-roller. Why make it so *complicated*? But now, we’ve had so many lovely, gracious humans in our home who have unique and personal reasons for the pronouns and prefixes they identify with, most accurately. And what have we, the former eye-rollers learned? It has taken *nothing* from us, and gifted us with some of the most sensitive, empathetic houseguests that we have come to adore. Do I sometimes get their pronouns wrong? Yes. Often? Yup! And I’m only met with gratitude that I’m trying. Because it matters to them. Just sayin. Happy Sunday all!
@CCNY Great post. My son is gay and happily identifies as male. My other son’s bestie was non-binary in their 20’s and used they/them but had absolutely no issues being addressed as he/him. She is now a trans woman in her 30’s and still doesn’t care if old friends (particularly we oldsters) refer her as he and/or his old male name by mistake. She knows no malice or agenda is implied. As you say, we learn far more from the people brave enough to declare who they really are, regardless of birth gender/name. All strength to them.
@CCNY This brought tears to my eyes. So beautifully said. Thank you!
@CCNY I wish more people shared your tolerant attitude.
I’ve been emu’d, and while the embargo might be lifted, I am trying to post a milder version before I fall asleep (last day, hopefully, of a bad head cold): With this puzzle, I’ve decided to sever my crossword self (hereafter “my crossie”) from my self self (hereafter “myself”). So that entries like SPURIOUS, GREEDY and UTTER ROT don’t trigger a response other than, “Oh, how interesting!’, FEDERAL GRANT doesn’t make me retch, the clue for IRONIES doesn’t make me scream, “There is nothing ‘amusing’ about any of this!”, and MALARIA doesn’t make me weep. My crossie did pretty well on its MAIDEN voyage. It admittedly balked momentarily at RIOTS, RAID, RAT and a few others (well, if we’re honest, about half the puzzle). But they say the crossword severance procedure can take several days to really take, so that a crossword puzzle can once again just be a pleasant diversion. Fun puzzle that grew on me (my crossie)!
@Puzzlemucker I'm guessing many of us relate. Perhaps a music dance experience to honor your crossie? I recommend the castanets. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VngE9BiEe7Q" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VngE9BiEe7Q</a>
@Puzzlemucker This is wonderful! With your permission, I will try it as well. You see, lately every crossword has had triggers for me, to where the complete enjoyment of them has faltered. I try to balance it out with pleasant or funny memories elicited, or the aha moments, or a welcome earworm to take over my mind. And yet that joy I used to have seems never quite all there anymore. And so... I too will sever myself for the sake of joy! Put on a superwoman cape! Deliberately block the noise! Puzzles will no longer have triggers, just coincidences i will shrug off! You, Puzzlemucker, are a genius. Thank you for the inspiration!
@Puzzlemucker Nicely expressed. I, too, felt a stomach lurch when I resolved FEDERALGRANT. They used to be a tool for science, for social research, for something other than making sure billionaires are not suffering too much. We taxpayers need to reduce their suffering from the mass of all that money and all that responsibility for "job making" and all that effort it takes to ignore everyone besides themselves. Sorry, I'm doing it again. I truly wish I could stifle my horror and indignation at what this place has become.
@Puzzlemucker My husband and I worked on this puzzle together. We both figured out FEDERAL GRANT at the same time and just looked at each other sadly. No words necessary. Where can we get the severance procedure? I promise I'll be nice to my crossie and not force her to do anything she doesn't want to. The question is, will she have so much fun in blissful ignorance that I'm the one who will suffer for her pleasure?
@Puzzlemucker I did not understand much of this till I read the comments and deduce that despite following the U.S. political news closely, being an expat apparently removes me emotionally from the reality.
@Puzzlemucker -- Your post was beautiful and hit the nail on the head. It read to me like a poem, expressing so much in a relatively few words.
@Puzzlemucker Crossie is practicing Vipassana :)
@Puzzlemucker It's different this time. Everyone is just so scared. The inclusion of FEDERAL GRANTS just hurt. Yesterday I found out that a woman I know, who has cancer, has had experimental treatments denied to her because of the halt in federal research grants. This crossword is something I do to escape. But as the destruction of our government continues to reshape every part of our lives, I'm afraid there won't be any more safe spaces. Sorry to be a downer. I just need to get this out.
Busy chiropractors are back-logged. (This pun needs an adjustment.)
Fun puzzle My favourite clue/answer was 30A. When I lived in the suburbs and shopped at malls, I asked myself that so many times. One mall I frequented had an SAQ (the provincial liquor store). The SAQ was among the first businesses to do away with plastic bags, and I wasn't in the habit of bringing my own. It was embarrassing enough walking around the parking lot looking for my car. All the more so holding a bottle of wine in each hand.
@Esmerelda thanks for the image!
@Esmerelda I solved this problem by buying a lime-green Ford Fiesta. Also, when I was still drinking, I had no shame, so wandering about with a handle of Wild Turkey was a common occurrence. Come to think of it, the lack of shame probably explains the Fiesta as well...
"In the Rearview" When I lived in Texas, I once drove between Austin and Marble Falls on an empty, straight, wide open road with a speed limit of 75 mph. Even at that speed, the car felt like it was inching. To pass the time, I pulled out my (real) camera (with a film roll) and decided to do a study of Texas through the rearview mirror. With one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the shutter, I clicked away and did this for most of the way, until other cars started showing up on the road. When the film came back from being developed, I flipped through the 24 photos only to find they all looked absolutely the same. Barren flatlands framed by a rearview mirror, all of them. It was as if I'd taken only one shot and run it through a xerox machine 24 times. This memory made me laugh, which was great because it balanced out the unavoidable triggers (56A, 67A, and even, yes, ARTS.) Despite them, the puzzle itself was for me one hour passed in joy and I loved it. Daniel and Rafa, you've done a wonderful job, bringing us a top-notch puzzle, and I thank you. Please know that the time and love you put into it for the sake of our entertainment is very much appreciated and not taken for granted!
@sotto voce Thanks for sharing your story - I was riding right beside you. I also join your accolades for a puzzle well done. My head will rest easier on my pillow tonight.
@sotto voce From the age of nine I lived on Galveston Island, looking at the beautiful Gulf of Mexico every day, and a four hundred mile train trip across the state to join my new husband in El Paso when I was nineteen was shocking. To look at mile after endless mile with nothing in any direction nearly drove me crazy. I kept thinking about how you could run as hard as you could across all that featureless flat landscape and never come to anything. Years later, I went to see "Midnight Cowboy" (brilliant movie). I started to panic at the opening scenes of Joe Buck in Big Spring, Texas, and I almost had to run out of the theater at the sight of all that emptiness again. Fortunately, I stayed until Joe got to New York City, where life, though fraught, was livable. El Paso was a mecca of culture, where I saw live performances of everything from the New York Philharmonic, to the Dublin Players, to Carlos Montoya, to Maria Tallchief, and more. A rich and ancient city on the other side of the state.
@dutchiris Nice recollection. Thanks for sharing.
SAnta before SAuce, Cha before Can, but otherwise pretty smooth. I had a coworker whose favorite phrase was "It'd be my pleasure", but what she really meant was "Make whatever poor choice you want, and I'll execute it, but we'll all pay the price down the road." And she was usually right.
I held on to Cha Cha instead of CAN CAN for an embarrassingly long time. Given puzzle lead times, I’m sure it was unintentional, but did anyone else find a new sad resonance beyond the theme answer between FEDERAL GRANT and LOOK THE OTHER WAY?
Jennifer, Yes, quite a few did. Yesterday. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/45gtmh?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/45gtmh?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share</a>
46A & 56A: [insert comment here] On a funnier note, I laughed at the time zone clue! I always do try to “live in my own time zone”. It keeps me grounded. Occupy the space you occupy.
CLM, May we 91A before too long so that clue and answer pair will once again be valid IRL.
CLM, [It's a sad state of affairs when there's no need to refer back to the puzzle to know which answers you're talking about.] BA, Hear hear! Heathie, Spot on. Big time 67A. Thank you to the three of you. I call it "the fine art of crossword code." It does the venting in a subtle way that soothes the soul.
This is a solid, top quality, very good no bad puzzle, a Sunday puzzle in the lead pack. The theme is tight. I have yet to see worthy alternative theme answers pairs in the comments, indicating that they are hard to come by, if not fully used up. I especially love the first entry of the theme couplets – everyday phrases that can be word-played upon. Terrific finds. The build is impressive – a sky-high eight theme answers embedded in a grid with hardly a whiff of junk. Lovely spark throughout, with nine excellent NYT debut answers, including BREW CREW, TAKE HEAT, REVERSE COURSE, and QUICK TURNAROUND. Every theme pair has at least one debut. Not only that, but eight other answers have only appeared once before in the Times. For me, the difficulty is Sunday-pitch-perfect. On this large-puzzle day, I don’t want a mindless rote solve that goes on forever, nor do I want a trudge where I feel like I’m endlessly trying to run in a swimming pool. What I want is what I got today. Spark, skill, solving satisfaction. I left this puzzle with all my thumbs lifted high, and it’s going on my Sunday Puzzle of the Year list. Thank you so much for this, Daniel and Rafael!
Lewis, Your analysis of the construction is spot on as usual, but I beg to differ on the difficulty. While I appreciated the theme IN THE REARVIEW, I did not need it to solve any of the themers, and I found the clueing of the fine answers -- theme and fill -- much too easy. I like a bit more of a challenge from a Sunday, from the clues if not from the theme.
@Lewis I loved this one as well. @Barry Ancona I used the theme to get HAPPY TO OBLIGE. I needed that second O in Booty to figure out OBLIGE. YMMV
How am I supposed to enjoy this puzzle now, knowing that "Aaron PURR (punny name for a cat)" could have shown up as a clue? (I kid . . . mostly.)
@J.S. I want to adopt a cat just so I can steal that name.
@J.S. No kidding! Not fair to deny us that smile while solving.
@J.S. Me, the next time I see a cat: Pardon me. Are you Aaron Purr, sir?
@J.S. Our son named one of our cats Catty Purry (ala Katy Perry). I thought it was hilarious 😹
Recently, every day, there is something in the puzzle that sparks a sick feeling about what is going on in our country. I thought I was reading too much into it. Maybe the poisonous tentacles reach into so many facets of our lives that almost any word can be a trigger. Now I'm convinced that Will Shortz is launching his own puzzle revolution (hat tip to Puzzlemucker). Since we still have to laugh as we head for the chopping block: <a href="https://www.gocomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2025/02/20" target="_blank">https://www.gocomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2025/02/20</a> Gird your LOINs for the struggle.
@Nancy J. If you'll indulge me, I have one more: <a href="https://www.gocomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2025/01/31" target="_blank">https://www.gocomics.com/tomthedancingbug/2025/01/31</a>
@Nancy J. "Maybe the poisonous tentacles reach into so many facets of our lives that almost any word can be a trigger." Yes, unfortunately. For those of us who are paying attention.
ELEVENTY appears, quite unfacetiously, at the very start of Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring: Chapter 1: A Long-Expected Party When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/19/books/chapters/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/19/books/chapters/the-lord-of-the-rings-the-fellowship-of-the-ring.html</a>
@Xword Junkie Thanks! I knew that sounded familiar but didn’t remember where I’d heard (or read) it.
I was struck with the inclusiion of LGBTQ and Federal Grants which almost seem to come from another era.
@Alice Likewise. I filled in FEDERALGRANTS and said to myself, ‘not anymore.’
Got that wrong, 56A: this puzzle is already dated.
@John Yes, other than for billionaires like Musk, federal grants as originally designed are gone. Just like compassion, critical thinking, understanding, willingness to consider the feelings of others. All gone. Remember when the safety net was for poor people, not billionaires?
@John I was thinking the same thing. Now it should say "one time" since they seem a thing of the past ☹️
The truth is, we're all a bit cis-y. Guarding a gender should have fallen away by now, when the pretense has dropped that the only possible sexual identitiy is the one you were labeled at birth. I'm sorry to see pronouns in the singular replaced by plurals. "They are coming to dinner" blurs the meaning—it could mean a single guest or a dinner party. "One is coming to dinner" might have been a better way to go, but "one" has its own label as being a bit snobby and pretentious. We survived the progression of the singular "thee" and "thou" to the plural "you" and "your" to mean one person or many, and we will eventually get all this sorted out and no longer be threatened by words like "cis," and become perfectly comfortable with them. Just as you can choose a name if you don't like the one given to you at birth, you ought to be able to choose whatever pronoun seems right for you.
@dutchiris Nicely said. Thank you.
@dutchiris My only objection to CIS is that it sounds unpleasant, and I have a sneaking suspicion that it was intentional. I get it, though. Straight implies that the opposite is bent, or twisted. I will continue to refer to myself that way, just not out loud, because I endeavor to be polite.
@dutchiris "you" is ambiguous too, but we manage.
@dutchiris Personally do not like being called “cis,” being born many years ago as an infant baby girl, and now alive as a very old woman. People who for their own myriad of reasons need to change their gender identity maybe should be respectful of women. Hopefully, although improbably, this comment won’t generate too much animosity.
A clever theme from Daniel and Rafa but my chuckle today came earlier today, with the Mini, where I confidentlytyped in AFFAIR for "Hey, that's cheating!"
@Henry Su 😂 You were just too clever for that one.
@Henry Su I rarely do the Mini. Are animated graphics common ? And why today's?
@Linda Jo Hi. I always do the Mini before the main crossword. If nothing else, it warms my brain up as I turn on the puzzle mode. I can't say thar animations are common but today's was of course apt.
15 day streak now, my longest ever, and should be able to tap on at least a few more with the early week coming next
@Steven M. Well done. My longest streak is 55, and it still seems like a fairly monumental achievement every time I make it through the weekend unscathed. I can’t help but marvel at these folks on here that mention their streaks in the thousands.
@Steven M. Kudos! You should be good for another three days at least. Feels good, don't it?
While most will comment on the theme (it was a fun challenge!) I have to comment on 82D. As a season ticket holder I am one of the BREWCREW 💙 and sm looking FORWARD to the season starting. Sadly for the first time since the Brewers came to Milwaukee (1970) we will be without our beloved Bob Uecker behind the mic. 💔🙏 Thank you for a fun puzzle! Hope to see more like this.
@DLB Just a little outside. RIP Ueck.
Once again, I am utterly charmed by a Joel Fagliano mini. His Sunday puzzle is a tunnel of love. Many people seem to be on mini duty these days, but no one can replicate Joel's sly sense of humor.
@MmmmHmm That little car driving through the 'tunnel' gave me such a tickle! What a joy!
@C Pond Couldn’t stop following the Mini animation. They could do that with the word “hypnotize”.
A wonderful puzzle today. I solved it in good but not record time. The circled letters had no bearing on me solving this, however, I always marvel at that sort of wordplay. Thoughtfully clued through for the most part. Fascinated by the history of the House of Tudor, I loved that there were two of the six wives of Henry VIII included in this puzzle. It's always sad to contemplate the fate of any of Henry's wives, but I feel the most (although hard to choose) for the dutiful and pious Catherine Parr. Within her short life of 36 years: she outlived two husbands; was almost ready to marry a third when Henry chose her to be his queen/nurse; the ailing Henry dies; she has to marry her previous beau in secret since it's only four months since the king died; she dies after childbirth less than eight months later. Her husband, Thomas Seymour, is beheaded for treason six months later, and her orphaned daughter's whereabouts afterward is not known for certain. (I think I have that right, but feel free those historians among us.)
@Mark I can highly recommend watching "Wolf Hall" for you. Originally from BBC, I think it's on Amazon Prime now. The primary focus of the series is Thomas Cromwell. Then there's "The Tudors," which is quite a bit sexier, but perhaps not as historically accurate. (That's on Paramount+.)
@Mark I hope you've heard of the musical "Six" about those wives. An unlikely plot, one would think. One of its songs has a chorus of "Divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, died". Granddaughter loved it. Never too early to atart them on history, right?
@Mark Thanks for this! I also really appreciated that two of his wives were included. I've always had a soft spot in my heart for them, as well, and I appreciate your heartfelt summary here. Also, hope you've recovered completely and are feeling great after your ablation!
@Mark Late last year over a period of about a month I binged (in their historical order, not necessarily as listed here) The Spanish Princess, The Serpent Queen, The White Princess, The White Queen, and The Tudors, and re-watched Wolf Hall. What an immersive experience that was! I came out at the end just about expecting to be either knighted or beheaded.
Caitlin, I think Me Days existed before Parks and Recreation, but the show took the idea to another level with Treat Yo' Self Day. <a href="https://youtu.be/t1FM4nExR5c?si=aPkByaftZ5qTsQvE" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/t1FM4nExR5c?si=aPkByaftZ5qTsQvE</a> Highly recommended for watching, if you've never seen it. It doesn't really find its feet until the characters played by Rob Lowe and Adam Scott show up, so give it a little time. Oh, the puzzle! Lively and punny and fun to solve.
@Vaer I hated the first season... so painfully awkward. I'm honestly a bit surprised it survived. I'm glad it did, though. I ended up coming back to it again in reruns and found it to be a really fun show with so many memorable moments. Eventually, I revisited the first season and while I wasn't wrong, it was much more tolerable when you know how much better it gets. :-) Two sort of nods to Parks and Rec in a row.
I didn’t check out circles until I finished because I kept filling in. I’ve been doing this puzzle for a zillion years, And I thought the puzzle quite clever, but I have a big confession to make. In my old age, I get impatient. When I run across a brand name, “ulta” in this case, and an obscure (to me) cross, “otown” in this case, or even a reality show (shudder) I become… unenthusiastic. And more likely to consult Wiki. On the other hand, all of this pop knowledge actually helps me to understand the changing world, and I am happy to learn about current mega song hits, because I am pretty sheltered now.
@Claire @Claire lol as a teenager i got so excited when i saw those because they were entries i recognized. i guess it goes both ways!
@Claire in the meantime, the younger people are left to wonder what Palm Pilots are 😂
Man, I don't think I could transcribe an answer sheet in the time some people claim to solve these puzzles! I muddle along, trying not to look up anything, scratching my head at the misdirects and vague clues, finally getting it filled only to have to look for something amiss somewhere in a giant grid. This time I was stuck on bottom right, since no nickname for brewers came to me, and I don't watch reality shows. Finally looked up the lohengrin soprano and put it all together. Theme was fun, and I enjoyed meerkats, malaria, and ibexes. Surprised to see the debut 20a in a puzzle.
@KD Soprano gave me trouble too: ILSE then ILSA then ELSA.
@KD Yes, the speeds are hard to believe. However I've seen the documentary about the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, and I guess there are indeed unbelievably speedy solvers out there.
@KD you do you. I’ve gone to will shortz puzzle events and think I’m a pretty good solver and then seen people solve in half my time. There’s always someone faster.
Like dodge ball, I kept moving, expecting the unexpected, and the puzzle was won and done more quickly than I would have imagined. Clever fills that didn't need look-ups, but were always a bit bassackwards, as my mother used to say (ASSBACKWARDS being a bit too graphic for her vocabulary). I love the MEERKAT picture—I keep expecting that he? she? will do a QUICKTURNAROUND to give us a grin and a wink. (The plural "they" seems at odds with such a solitary figure—alone on the rock with the clear blue sky.) Fun puzzle Daniel and Rafael, with the sure touches of a couple of pros. Thank you.
@dutchiris Aren't meerkats great? They remind me of prairie dogs. When I was a boy we'd occasionally find a prairie dog community. What a hoot they were to watch! What a danger of black plague they posed!
@dutchiris "a bit bassackwards, as my mother used to say (ASSBACKWARDS being a bit too graphic for her vocabulary). " Me, too, my mom taught me bass-ackwards. I spent a few minutes trying to fit that in at 67A. Agreed, it was a fun puzzle.
I'd like to clarify that the Tao/Dao is not a concept of Confucianism which is diametrically opposed to Daoism. Proceed
@Winston that stalled me out too! “That can’t be ‘Tao’. It’s a totally different philosophy.”
@Winston THANK YOU! I had the same frustration.
@Winston Eh, it certainly doesn’t mean the same thing as in Taoism, but the same Chinese word “dao” to mean “[correct] way [of behaving],” “[good] principles,” “[good] governance/leadership,” and so forth, is used quite a bit in the Analects. It’s not a particularly unified concept, and most English translations tend to translate it differently in different contexts because of this nebulousness, but I would say that the clue isn’t *technically* wrong. Of course, because the word is so common and generic, it could be considered a concept in pretty much any school of Chinese thought.
This would have been a new personal best for me had I not gone aSKEW by originally spelling it ScEW, and knowing the singer's name didn't help because I just figured she spelled it with a C. Ah well, I was just a few minutes over. Fun and fast with some clever clues and a cute theme. The theme actually came in handy for me at 79A. I was a bit stuck on thinking IMHAPPYTOassist, which clearly didn't work with the theme, so the theme OBLIGEd me a bit there. Liked seeing my old BREWCREW in there. I have fallen out of following sports, but I was obsessed with them as a kid. Rollie Fingers, the Coop, Paul Molitor, and my all time favorite, Robin Yount. Fun memories, even if I'm not into it anymore. I also liked WAY meeting WHEY in square 48. I might start using protein powder just so I can start saying in Mando fashion, "This is the WHEY."
@HeathieJ Lest I forget, Stormin' Gorman!! :-)
@HeathieJ I loved BREWCREW, though I initially thought it was BREWskis. Considering baseball and the Brewers...of late you know I've been doing anything to stay sane, and one of the things I've done is to resume following sports, especially football and baseball. Not as a fan. God, no. Being a fan committed to a single team is worse than being on the wrong side of politics. As an anthropologist, finding our inner cores as expressed in sports. So you might consider paying a bit more attention to MLB if you used to enjoy it.
A very quick Sunday for me and a great theme. Loved linking the clues to get the ‘rear view’ solves. Any puzzle with KATE BUSH gets my vote. I’ve adored her since Wuthering Heights came out when I was 17. It’s been a good week for music/film reminders. Not going to get into the 36A-56A thing. I feel for you all, but am more concerned about the recent implications for Europe. Long may Wordplay remain a calm space.
@Helen Wright I was very surprised to see the Kate Bush track in the 'tricky clues' section of the article. Obviously not as well known in the US. When Wuthering Heights was out, I was having my lunch in the pub one day and a man came in with a yellow labrador. When that track came on the jukebox, every time she sang the dog started howling. Not sure whether that meant he was a fan or not!
Got only 3 squares wrong. Best yet.
@Schwartzy I would be so delighted if that was me. Congrats!
Enjoyable today for me because fewer actors and brand names. But I really enjoyed the discussions that were only a little crossword related. Thank you.
@Jane Wheelaghan This is why I read the comments - what someone thinks of the puzzle is rather boring to me on most days but the crossword adjacent stories and insight can be very entertaining
Good Sunday puzzle (for a Saturday night).
Fun puzzle and a really clever theme. Was an unusually smooth solve for me for the most part, but when I had it all filled in I had the 'at least one wrong square' and it took me a long time to find it. Turned out I had TAI crossing SPIKE instead of TAO /SPOKE. No big deal. Answer history search today was inspired by 79a. Wondered first about 'SHAKEYOURBOOTY' - nope, never been in a puzzle. But went from there to 'SHEIKYERBOUTI' and... that's never been in a puzzle but 'Sheik' did lead to an interesting puzzle find. I'll put that in a reply. ...
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened: A Sunday from August 4, 1996 by D. Tuller with the title: "Speesh problem." A couple of theme clue/answer examples: "Like some Arabs' conversations?" SHEIKHTOSHEIKH "Wine connoisseurs at dinner?" SHERRYPICKERS And some other theme answers: BRONXSHEARS SHOOSTHEFAT POLICESHEAF GREGORIANSHANT Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=8/4/1996&g=3&d=D" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=8/4/1996&g=3&d=D</a> ....
Sometimes seeing the constructors' names can help with the solve. Knowing Rafa was involved, I had no qualms about filing in ASSBACKWARDS with only the third A crossing 😁 A fun, funny, fresh, smooth solve. A very nice Sunday indeed - thanks Danny and Rafa!
BREW CREW evoked some great memories. We lived in Wisconsin for a few years in the town where the Lakeshore Chinooks are located. The Chinooks are a collegiate summer league team and we hosted a couple of their players one summer. We had season tickets to watch their games. Bob Uecker and Robin Yount were both part owners of the team and were present at many of the games we attended. They were both a riot to hear and watch. They both played in MACC Fund Celebrity Softball tournament we attended. Such a hoot! The pitcher that we hosted was the only pitcher in the Northwoods league to pitch over 100 mph that year which happened in the All Star game and he ended up getting drafted the following year. It’s been so exciting to follow his career. Thank you for this awesome puzzle, Daniel and Rafael. I loved the trip down memory lane.
The title of the puzzle made me think all the themers would have a 67A hidden in them. eT TU Brute
They’re a bit wimpy, but had to try: Echolocation: thE UNEVen bars Flip your lid: straighT AHead
And for the forest pathologists in the crowd: Bouncebackability barK CANKer (that tree disease you’d be getting from the crosses)
Off the jump, not a good start not to be able to get 1A. It was the last one filled in for me. Overall, though, enjoyable puzzle with a theme that wasn't too difficult and didn't affect the solve.
@M J S I ended up skipping 1A also- the upper left corner was the last part I finished. That long across clue in that area had me stumped for a while.
@M J S ECLAT is one of those words I see more often in crossword puzzles than in "real life". Elan is another one. Good ones to remember for puzzle solving.
A fun 48 minute solve that had me chuckling at some of the clues like 30-across. I’m not usually a fan of puzzles with a gimmick but this offering from Mr. Grinberg and Mr. Musa was quite punny and an enjoyable solve. Thank you sirs and I’m looking forward to more of your puzzles in the future. It looks like temperatures will pick up here in the next few days so enjoy your Sunday, fellow East Coast solvers!
@Prof. Toru Tanaka Glad you enjoyed wrestling with this one.
Very nice (and unforced) theme entries, and it all hangs together happily. Good one!
It's always nice to have a puzzle with so many debut entries!
Calling EXCEL an alternative to Google Sheets is crazy work
@Cody - How so? Both are spreadsheet applications. 'Spain, please?
@Cody I felt this with my whole soul lol. It pained me to plug the answer in. lol
@HeathieJ You gotta check out XLOOKUP now ;)
Very happy today, got the Sunday in 44:37 without asking my husband for any random trivia (house rule is that it doesn't count as a "look up" if the person helping knows the fact off the top of their head 😂) I would have been about 5 minutes faster but a typo in TOTTERS held me up
Terrific variety of entries and clever playing with words, but certainly not too easy for me.
The combination of 67A and 79A mde me laugh out loud. Up until then, I was kinda thinking, 'Meh'....but this one was perfect! The others, not so much. I suppose it's a coincidence tht 56A is in the puzzle (today of all days, given the times.) I'd like to LOOK...aWAY, but as with any horrific event, I cannot tear my eyes from the unfolding scene, nor can I flee. I had DREW CREW before amending the opener...I don't even think he's in the Minnesota team, actually. Query: can RAT TAILS ever be considered "coiffures"? Likely I'll be late to the party tomorrow morning. QUILT (not 'Blanket') Guild! I will be carrying Ranger Cookies and going early to get a seat up front. (The sound system sucks, and the acoustics are incredibly awful.)
@Mean Old Lady Thanks for saving my SE bacon today with BREW CREW.
@Mean Old Lady I put in pig tails at first, never heard of rat tails unless we're talking about files. Blanket has really gotten stuck in your craw. Your comment gave me a chuckle, as your comments so often do.
20A, really? When I was a lad, that was an insult. Of course, that was before the internet, and things like clickbait did not exist. But RATTAILS were a thing. A friend of mine had one that was not only braided, but also bleached blond. And we listened to IRON MAIDEN (see the crossing at 36D?) but I didn't discover KATE BUSH until later. I enjoyed the puzzle, and not just for the nostalgia. CASTS "collecting signatures" made me chuckle. Why do we do that? And do Floridians really refer to Orlando as O-TOWN?
@Grant QUEER has been reclaimed by LGBTQ people, to the point where it no longer seems an insult (though I've never had it used against me, so I may be wrong). The homophone of 37D has also been somewhat reclaimed by lesbians, as in Alison Bechdel's 37Ds to Watch Out For.
@Grant I haven’t heard anyone around here use OTOWN in the year and two-thirds I’ve been here, or on previous visits to the area. There is, however, a boy band named O-TOWN, named after the city, which formed as a result of the “Making the Band” reality TV show. They’re on tour this year. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Khzjcd34E" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Khzjcd34E</a>
Fun puzzle! Just a query: Am I the only one who hears / uses BASSACKWARDS much more frequently than ASSBACKWARDS?
@Dave Munger Dutchiris and I were talkin bout that. Learned bass-ackwards from my mother, and tried that first for 67A.
Fully pulled “BREWCREW” out of my backwards behind. I do not follow baseball at all but “Milwaukee Brewers” sounded correct. I originally had “BREWBOYS,” then “BREWGANG” crossed with “TOPGEAR,” but having both lead nowhere I recalled sports fans’ penchant for rhyming, so I let it rip. This, along with crossing my fingers that the roughly familiar “To COW someone” meant what it meant and that “COPSE” was somehow coming in handy as a word that I knew existed but whose definition I had absolutely no cognizance of, gave me my solves for a challenging bottom right. Finally, banking on “IRA” as opposed to “IDA” gave me the full solve with no corrections necessary! Very satisfying.
@Alfredo I had BREWSKIS for the longest time.
I don’t like the “cis” clue when it shows up, it’s a slur to some.
@Rick I'm curious, how is it a slur to some?
@Rick I think nearly every word could be thought of as a slur to someone.
@Rick It's not a slur, some people just like to get offended about nothing. It literally means same side, as trans means opposite side.
@Rick I'd also like to know how it could be a slur.
@Rick And some people don't like their rights being taken away. Cis isn't a slur, it is a term and it is in the dictionary. There are bigger problems in the world (let alone, our nation) that cis should be the least of your worries. And if it is, man would I love to live in that carefree world.
@Rick I didn't even see CIS in the puzzle... I must have filled it in with crosses.
I did the MINI and there was animation after the solve (first time?). No idea what the significance of the animation was. Did I miss something? Sunday was close to a PB timewise…
@John I think it was a car going through a tunnel look at the words that the car travels on. Cute!
Disappointed that this crossword perpetuates the misconception that people who live in Hawaii are referred to as "Hawaiians." Hawaiian is a racial identity claimed by people who trace their ancestry back to the people who lived in the islands before 1778. Many Hawaiians don't live in Hawaii and most people who live in Hawaii are not Hawaiian.
@Avematro What are people who live in Hawaii to be called then?
@NH I suppose we could call them Hawaiiers or perhaps Hawaiiites.
Avematro, (1) I give up. What is the one accepted term for [Americans who live in their own time zone]? (2) Most people seem to understand that "Iowans" can refer both to all present residents of the state and to members of the Native American tribe for which the state was named (most of whom live in other states).
@Avematro not only that but the time zone includes the populated Aleutian islands. And we don’t call residents of those Aleuts by default (unless they are from a racial identity)