I tried so hard to make OKLAHOMEH work.
@Lee I really wish this was the answer
@Lee You made me smile 😀 Thanks!
Sage colored Sage. Clue of the week. Or year.
@Kris -- I'm sorry to say, while I love this clue immensely, it will not go on my Favorite Clues of the Week list, as it has been used before (not verbatim, but too close to ignore). I very well may credit it as my favorite "previously used" clue of the week, however.
@Kris I know! I loved that clue as well. One of the many things I say anymore is, “the world especially the country needs a serious heavy sage”. Namaste!
I thought I would win at Battleship, but I was knocked down a peg. (I'll have to go off the grid for a while.)
3 star review of the kazoo-and-percussion one man band? HUMDRUM
@JohnWM almost stood up and applauded in my dining room 👏👏
After I finish, get the gold star, etc., it always asks if I want to "review" the puzzle, and today I thought, yeah, I DO want to review this better than passable, great not good, hits way more than misses, with fine results, puzzle. I put in CYCLOPS at first, but appreciated CALYPSO as an answer, too, especially since the limbo dance is often done to calypso music, especially in Trinidad. And I just hate when I see the word sorghum on a menu. It doesn't sound good, it sounds like something gizzardy, pinkish gray pulp, and I know this is irrational, but I often avoid dishes with sorghum that I'd gladly eat if it were called millet. It's funny, you know, millet being a kind of cereal grain, that it was Millet who painted "The Gleaners." Spooky! I wouldn't sleep alone tonight if I were you. Liked abut and abet, the interchangeable ATTN and HTTP, the clever cluing of Con Artist, and we all know that oleato is even more disgusting in name than sorghum. Oleato sounds like one of those weird dietary fads that led to soiled undergarments back in the 80s or 90s. But most of all I liked seeing "fiscal" on a day in which -- oops, you don't need an earful of that!
@john ezra Ha! I was just going to say that Oleato sounds much, much worse than sorghum, but I see that you agree. Hadn't heard of it before and kinda wish I didn't know about it now
@john ezra I wouldn't mind an earful. In fact, I think I'd like two earsful...earfuls...two of them.
@john ezra, You’re right Oleato sounds too much like *olean* (was that what was in the potato chips?) to be appetizing! 😀
I love puzzles that teach me things I didn't know before. TIL 1) OLEATO is a drink made with olive oil that I'm afraid to even look up because it sounds so disgusting. Anyone tried it? 2) FISCAL's first meaning is related to taxation or public money. I thought it was just basically a synonym for financial until I looked it up. (It does also mean that, but that's the second definition ) <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiscal" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiscal</a> 3) A sea COW is an order of fully herbivorous aquatic mammals, which includes manatees. <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirenia" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirenia</a> 4) A busser either busses or BUSes a table, depending on where you live. (I looked it up because I'd thought the verb was just buss.) <a href="https://www.consumersearch.com/home-garden/understanding-difference-bussing-vs-busing-tables-explained" target="_blank">https://www.consumersearch.com/home-garden/understanding-difference-bussing-vs-busing-tables-explained</a> There were also a few proper nouns I didn't know but filled from crosses and didn't bother looking up because I'm tired. Proud of myself for guessing RBI from "Diamond stat." Crossword puzzles are doing the job my dad could never seen to manage: teaching me about sports. Loved seeing LeVar BURTON mentioned!
@Beth And to be clear, because it matters to me, I looked these things up *after* finishing the puzzle.
@Beth The Guardian ran a feature on oleato a few years ago. Apparently it is loved by some and loathed by others. Must be a matter of taste. I've never tried it myself, but who knows, maybe it works? Apparently the fats from the olive oil make the taste more intense yet the texture more silky. In Polish "fiskus" is a collective noun used to describe the fiscal authorities - it rolls of the tongue better than "organy podatkowe" (tax authorities) or "administracja celno-skarbowa" (tax and duties administration) 🤣. Your IRS would be described as fiskus in my language.
@Beth "I looked it up because I'd thought the verb was just buss." No, that would be [Respond to flirtation, say] (which was the direction my mind was taking that clue.)
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. It may lead to a second opinion (4) 2. Old story coming straight from the horse's mouth? (6)(3) 3. House in Milan (6) 4. Ball two? (10) 5. Toy with one's food, perhaps? (5)(4) ALSO TROJAN WAR ARMANI AFTERPARTY HAPPY MEAL
Liked the puzzle today, a good Wednesday, just the right amount of challenge. Well done, Aidan and Oren. I’ve been traveling lately and am still catching up on reading the comments from the last few days. What an amazing set of puzzles from last weekend! I seriously thought that my streak would end on Friday, then again on Saturday. The NW on both of those really kicked my onager (hah, emus!). And Sunday was a ton of fun! I felt like a real yegg by the end. (Flashback to the 70’s) A few months ago I bemoaned the fact that I wouldn’t be able to attend the ACPT event this year and meet some of the people that I have gotten to know through this forum. After I finally got up the nerve to actually go, I had to change my plans. But for a good reason. My first granddaughter Maya was born to my daughter on March 9! First girl in the family after four grandsons, much like my daughter was the first girl of her generation. I had a wonderful time being there with them all and glad that I could be there at her birth. Just wanted to share my good news with everyone, and maybe I can bore you all with pictures in Stamford next year!
@NYC Traveler Wonderful news! I'm so glad you were there for the birth and got to be one of the first to hold little Maya in your arms. I'm truly delighted for you!
@NYC Traveler Congratulations!
@NYC Traveler Congrats! That’s a beautiful name.
“Sage colored sage” - what a clue! A more than passable Wednesday puzzle.
@Psychonaut Hmm… I would’ve said more of a Nile green, but…
It was “Hah!” after “Hah!” for me from get-go to got-done. This puzzle was so playful! Just a stellar mood booster. So much to like – that friendly poke at the Times with its flying machine prediction, the PuzzPairs© of TIDY/NEAT and BITE/EAT, the marvelous LE-ending verb trio TWIDDLE, WIGGLE, and DWINDLE, and the terrific Oklahoma and Good Friday theme answers. Talk about a meteoric rise – this is not only a NYT debut puzzle for Oren, but it’s the first puzzle he’s ever made! Talk about the potential for crossword history – this is Aidan’s third NYT puzzle, his first two being a Friday and Thursday – so he can be only the second constructor to hit the cycle (a NYT puzzle for every day of the week) in their first seven puzzles (the first being Andrew Ries). Go for it, sir! It’s obvious to me that you two have a great time together making puzzles, and please do it some more – thank you so much for this!
Sage-colored sage. LOL. Clever, it is. Enjoyed the puzzle. Just enough bite and chew for a Wednesday.
@Linda Jo the world and especially the country is in need of some serious heavy sage! Namaste!!
@SRD same here! It’s always nice when people embrace their humility and not freak out and start playing the blame game. Perhaps if a certain someone actually admitted their defeat by saying, “I LOSE” then domestic terrorism wouldn’t have happened. Also, that’s a nice bit of history regarding the very first plane and the NYTimes. I’m still trying to figure out what PDAS means lol! I know PDA means Public Display of Affection but when it comes to it being the predecessor of the smartphone, I’m lost! Namaste!!
@SRD I second this. Though I give big ups to the NYT for being quite willing to take the foul. Big people aren't afraid to say that they were mistaken. In these days of spinning, deflection and flat out lying, it's pretty refreshing.
@SRD We enjoy it too ;)
@SRD Yeah, I giggle-snorted as well.
After reading some OLEATO recipes, I see now what it is: yet another way for people who don't really like coffee to change it into something else. Every morning I have a cup of Peet's Italian roast pure coffee—no sugar, no cream,no milk—oat (not milk) or otherwise. I honor my morning cup, I drink it with respect and gratitude. When we can no longer afford to buy coffee because of a brutal import tariff and we are roasting hickory shells, or god knows what, on the backyard hibachi to make some ersatz swill, I may actually resort to Oleate and dump in some oat "milk" and olive oil, but I won't kid myself that it will ever take the place of the majestic Arabica, or any other genuine coffee.
A sly and funny puzzle, some TILs tucked in here and there and some challenges to get the reviews with only a little to go on. Thank you, Aidan and Oren. I'll give these AUTHORS a ***** review..
Sage colored sage made me chuckle. Great theme too. More puzzles about mediocrity!!
What a delight. Well done and congrats on the debut. Picking up on our constructor's comment, I've carefully researched the question and Google's AI has provided the most definitive answer: "While there's no definitive public information confirming whether LeBron James solves crossword puzzles, there's no evidence to suggest he does not. The New York Times crossword is a popular puzzle, and it's possible he enjoys them, but it's not something he has publicly discussed. " A sage reply indeed. We are all doomed.
But of course, there are King James themed crosswords: <a href="https://wordmint.com/public_puzzles/3882645" target="_blank">https://wordmint.com/public_puzzles/3882645</a>
@John Carson I'm still holding out hope
@John Carson Or doomed we all are.
This puzzle really hit the SWEET spot, somewhere between being doable and TIDY, and having just enough of an ANCHO BITE. And I thought the themers were fabulous, keeping me interested throughout; I couldn't wait to unravel them. In Brazil, Battleship was available in printed pads, making it very portable and easy to tuck into a bag for a road trip. Better yet, many school notebooks offered the game in the first few pages (whoever came up with that idea must have had a PhD in adolescent psychology.) Even as we took notes in class, we would secretly play the game. We were all just that great at multi-tasking! Thank you, Messieurs Deshong and Hartstein, for a solve that was as much fun as playing Battleship! P.S. The musical selection today is Boy George with "The Crying Game" – which this puzzle wasn't (and Battleship was... when the teacher caught us.) <a href="https://youtu.be/-EPGhjxm0G0?si=ip6vNt6v87baoYlE" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/-EPGhjxm0G0?si=ip6vNt6v87baoYlE</a>
@sotto voce When I was a kid, we played Battle Ship with plain paper on which we'd draw our own grids because Mom didn't think there was any reason to pay for it. Worked fine for us!
Loved the theme answers. "MIXED RESULTS" and GOODNOTGREAT Friday are hilarious. (and the second one is timely) I also liked the sage sage, and I liked that the NYT got a slightly embarrassing shout-out in its own pages. Thanks Oren and Aiden!
So difficult to compliment a puzzle with the theme of mediocre reviews. My brain isn’t awake enough! Something will come to me. And it will happen at the very *moment* it is no longer relevant. That’s my superpower. Fantastic one. Keep ‘em comin!
This puzzle is nothing to write home about (but I loved it anyway).
Every consent request to a JDate begins with "Would it be kosher if I ... ?" "No. But some like it tref."
Awesome Yoda clue. I head of course looking in the herb/vegetable family so was presently surprised
Possibly my favourite clues this year, 22D made me choke on my cuppa when I realised what it was. I’m not even a SW fan. Haven’t tried OLEATO but I put butter and salt in my coffee, so I guess it’s similar. Delicious and silky. The puns made me smile. Overall a delightful, relatively smooth Wednesday, though that top right corner was chewy. Didn’t know the pepper and held on to BencH for too long. Hobbling off to the alpacas now, foot still tender from the not so gentle love tap of a heifer. Bless her.
@Helen Wright But did you get the baseball answer? (28A)
Fun Wednesday puzzle,and I especially enjoyed reading the constructors’ notes, so looking forward to more from Aidan and Oren.
I found this much easier than yesterday's puzzle. The theme was nice, the fill quite fun - I managed to deal with the proper nouns on my own, even though at first I thought they may defeat me (for example, I don't know any names from Seinfeld. I've watching the brilliant Curb Your Enthusiasm recently, where those names pop up sometimes, but since I never watched that show, they are just not ingrained in my memory). I'm glad I did not enter FRY for actor Stephen - I still remember the puzzle where Stephen from V like Vendetta turned out to be REA rather than Fry, which I found particularly cruel at the time 🤣. PS. When I get back from work I'll answer yesterday's comment (ehifhbinonly read just now given the time difference) about travelling to places along Wisła [Vee-swah], aka Vistula.
@Andrzej Madre de dios, the errors above! Typing quickly on the phone ends badly. ... I've been watching the brilliant... ... comment (which I only read...
Hi, @Andrzej! I left a late-afternoon reply to our discussion of brown sugar--did you see it?
For what it’s worth, a lot of Web browsers make you jump through hoops now to visit a site starting with HTTP… if they’ll even do it at all. The much preferred prefix is https.
Quite a challenge for me, but ended up being an enjoyable workout - especially having enough crosses for the theme answers to dawn on me. Really clever theme. Looking forward to more from these guys. Oh - and my usual puzzle find today. A Tuesday from May 18, 2010 by Peter A. Collins. Not anything spectacular - just don't recall seeing another theme quite like this. Three theme answers straightforwardly clued: HORSERUSTLER STEELTRUSSES ROBERTRULES And then the 'reveal' clue and answer: "Unclear outcome ... or what can be found literally in 20-, 29- and 47-Across" MIXEDRESULTS I'm done. ...
Took me a while to get on these guys wavelength, but I enjoyed the challenge.
Find this one quite easy personally (except oleato - sounds vile) but a neat theme well executed
@James I don’t know OLEATO, but I take my coffee black, with a dab of butter and a pinch of salt. Absolutely delicious.
@James It does sound vile. And the name itself reminds me of Olestra (?) which was supposed to allow us all to eat as many potato chips as we wanted. If this coffee drink does the same thing to ones gut.......
Great debut from Aidan and Oren! It seems you were born for crossword greatness— look at all the vowels in your names! :)
Great clues! Especially “sage coloured sage”. Enjoyed this one
@Anu "Sage colored sage" is definitely going to be one of those clues that I'll bring up when people ask for favorite clues.
Thought I was going to lose my streak today. Spent 7 minutes checking and double checking. Had no idea what an OLEATO was, and wasn't particularly sure of the crossings, but they all seemed reasonable. Was convinced that a soghrum was a type of fish, and uLIUM seemed like a plausible name for a bone. Decided to fidget with that crossing and tried all five vowels. The I got me the Gold Star. 24 days!
@Steven M. Yeah, I usually don't have too much trouble with Wednesday, but this one had me concerned. I figured the Jewish singles thing was something in Hebrew, and I would need every one of the crosses. But I didn't. OLEATO was and is a mystery. I'm choosing to not learn anything about it because it sounds faux elegant and I hate olives. (The oil's not too bad, though.) I missed the word "model" in 59A, and poisoned myself with "crater" for the longest time.
@Steven M. I could only think of sweet things as to sorghum (syrup).
Congratulations on your debut, Oren, and welcome back, Aidan. This was a perfect early week puzzle. Great theme, lots of humor. Five stars.
I did enjoy solving your puzzle very much, Aiden and Oren! Clearly you make a great team. It seemed like a perfect Wednesday puzzle—many ways in, some crunch, and the clueing was so very good. Had never heard of an OLEATO and the thought of it makes me gag. I see from some comments that Starbucks gave up on it. Hoping to see more of your collaborations and/or solo creations too. Please keep them coming. 😊
The capsule reviews in the theme were well executed and smile-worthy. Ones getting great marks for CONARTISTS also made me smile. Very fresh and fun puzzle that kept me fully engaged. I did not TWIDDLE my thumbs while solving and my enthusiasm did not DWINDLE.
Wow, what a great puzzle! Gem after gem! So much fun to figure out these clever clues!
I wish I had tried this one without turning on Autocheck. I probably would have had to finish it this morning, but it would sort of reminded me of the good old days. A half-hour of fun anyway.
The reviews are in: this is a delightfully fun and clever puzzle! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The themers were fresh and fun, as was the fill! ATON of smiles and chuckles throughout! Some commenters dislike REPLY, but I thought it was great. I felt got in the best of ways. Loved the clue for YODA! I also always enjoy the clues like 54D for AGRA. They don't usually trick me anymore but I still enjoy them. And a reference to the fantastic Levar BURTON, to boot!? What's not to like!?
A nice story of puzzle collaboration among friends. Deb’s column refers several times to one co-constructor as Mr. Orenstein — seems like it should be Mr. Hartstein.
@Deb Amlen I think you may have mistyped one of these fabulous constructors' last names in your column. GREAT puzzle. I laughed at all the MIXED reviews. Thanks!
One of my favorite Weird Al parodies--recorded at a point in career before he could afford fancy "official videos": <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IUMCyAR6U0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IUMCyAR6U0</a> ("a muppet, but he's wrinkled and green.")
@Bill Weird Al is so weird. And so brilliant.
If any newbies out there want to practice on a very well made but extremely easy Patrick Berry puzzle, there's one in the New Yorker today: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2025/04/09" target="_blank">https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2025/04/09</a> Highly recommended for those just getting started.
@Steve L One thing I very much enjoy about the New Yorker games are the simple, themeless puzzles, yet crafted by experienced constructors--Berry, Robyn Weintraub, et al.
@Steve L Thank you. That was fun and very manageable.
What would the Sage-colored sage say about this puzzle? "Big ABUTS I like. Lie, I cannot." "Is what it is, it is."
I loved 51A, and not because I have anything against Oklahoma...ok...but...sheesh, I think I'm about to put my foot in it like I have for several days in a row. So I'll just say that I like some of the songs from their musical. And I think the state has a really nice, interesting shape. Oh, and it's cooler, I suspect, on the average than Texas. So that would be good for me. It was the first state other than Colorado that I was in. So that's kinda dope.
@Francis The opening song of that musical always makes my spirits soar! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5APc0z49wg" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5APc0z49wg</a>
Wonderful puzzle, very nicely done. Favorite fill in recent memory and the theme was excellent! Five stars
A very clever Wednesday. I quite enjoyed this one!