It's not Choo baby, it's Smee...
@Captain Kidnap You are very good.
I was baffled as to why this had 95 recommended, until I read it aloud. Good one!
Said one handkerchief to another, "Sneezed to meet you!" (Everybody nose that pun already.)
@Mike Come on. A pun like that is snot okay.
@Mike I use to scough at these puns, but now I find I have a real hanky-ring for them.
@Mike I don’t want to be THAT commenter, but this is Wordplay, so here goes…wouldn’t “sneezed to meet you” be what the NOSE says to the handkerchief? I’ll show myself out now.
@Mike My oh my, how do you manage always to amucous!
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. March V.I.P.s?: Abbr. (4) 2. ___ for sore eyes (www.optometrists.com?) (4) 3. Mars with bars (5) 4. Those whose time has come and gone? (2)-(4) 5. Liver spot? (5) SGTS SITE BRUNO EX-CONS ABODE
Just had to chime in here with a comment that will occur to just about; namely, that this Monday puzzle was nothing to sneeze at.
This is one of the cutest Monday themes in a while! Great puzzle overall. Thanks!
From wikipedia: "Amin's rule was characterized by rampant human rights abuses, including political repression, ethnic persecution, extrajudicial killings, as well as nepotism, corruption, and gross economic mismanagement." Yeesh. Seems a little harsh for someone who was just trying to make Uganda great again. (Email me when my comment is removed)
@ad absurdum Email... that's a strange synonym for "deport".
@ad absurdum You made me laugh. Do you remember the song: "Idi, Idi, Idi Amin. Most amazing man that there has ever been. He the general, the president, the king of the scene. Idi, Idi, Idi Amin."
@ad absurdum I've often wondered what Forest Whitaker's initial reaction was when his agent pitched "Last King of Scotland" to him. He couldn't have imagined he'd get an Oscar out of the deal. (Apart from the nepotism, your post is indeed absurd, but I'm not saying it wasn't funny.)
So, I was smiling inside as I filled this in. Why? • Gorgeous-to-fill-in answers (EPITOME, NEMESIS, ARMOIRE, APPEASE). • Fun-to-say-out-loud answers (ANDALE, GESUNDHEIT, MAHI, CHIC, UTZ, TABASCO, CASBAH). • Names with spark (JIMMY CHOO, DOJA CAT). Then, when the theme hit me – this chutzpah theme that could have either landed or thudded – I laughed aloud. When anyone buoys my mood, I get happy, yes, and always wedded to that happiness is gratitude. A mighty thank you, Thomas, for turning this box of letters into a marvelous day brightener!
Side note: Fantastic NYT debut answer in GOOD BET – how can this never have been in a Times puzzle before?
@Lewis I love your list of “gorgeous-to-fill-in answers” — probably because it’s the same as mine! Excuse me while I go appease my nemesis, who’s hiding in the armoire waiting to STARTLE me. I’m not sure what that’s the epitome of, but it’s the epitome of something.
I hope 36 across doesn’t get you in trouble with President Trump.
State is going to ignore Africa... ...and 59A shows up.
@Susan Denali Denali Denali He can come find me. I'll be near the Gulf of Mexico.
What a post Easter treat to find a sprightly Monday puzzle with a witty theme perfectly in keeping with the advent of allergy season here in the NE. It makes me feel like I could rock THECASBAH. Special props for DENALI. Small acts of rebellion are meaningful.
@Marshall Walthew All y'all are LATE. Down here in the Southern states we have been sneezing, sniffling, coughing, hacking, blowing, and weeping for more than 6 weeks, thanks to an early Pollen Season (which is predicted to last longer than usual.) All of our cars are yellow. Puddles are rimmed with decorative yellow collars; ditto creeks and lakes. If you catch it at the right moment, you can see a pine tree emit an explosion of pollen--timing the release for maximum results. Kleenex sales are through the roof...
@Mean Old Lady It’s been like that here in the Sierra foothills of California too. Crazy long allergy season showing no signs of ending.
Forgot my favorite pun. If you get offended easily at religious puns please skip. However this was hung up in my priest’s office. A picture of a kid dragging a string with a wadded up Kleenex on it and a sign post pointing to hell off the page. Titled: lead a snot into temptation. (And lead us not…..). I still can’t say the Lord’s Prayer with a straight face
@Megan Seems to me an irreligious pun...
@Megan And now, none of us will be able to say the Lord's Prayer with a straight face, either. 😀
@Megan......." but deliver it to under the desk."
Thoroughly enjoyed this theme and puzzle. My favorite stage production in hs was Peter Pan. Like a puzzle where Denali and Dog team are in the same puzzle. Trump is in Denial over Denali. I’ve seen all the comments that this is more a Tuesday but I disagree. The chewier clues had lots of easy fill in my opinion making it a delightful ah, ah, CHOO (I’ve been known to scare people with my sneezes) theme.
@Megan I agree. On first pass through I initially thought “sheesh, bit tough for a Monday” but after getting some crosses everything fell into place nicely. Exactly how a clever crossword should be.
@Megan I thought this was easier than a Monday -- at least my time was faster then average. But I did love the puzzle. Lots of interesting clues for a Monday, and the theme was priceless!
Perfect mood for a Monday morning. My Swedish mother would say “Prosit!” when we sneezed. (Pronounced PROOZ- it) In 4th grade, someone sneezed and I said “Prosit!” What? Prosit? Why did you say that? Because you sneezed! What did you say? Prosit. Why? You sneezed! But…why would you say that? You. Sneezed. Got home and had to explain to min mamma that she should give us a heads-up when we’re speaking Swedish. Swinglish was confusing. Thank you Thomas!
@CCNY I learned gesundheit in HS and prosit in a grad program in Sweden. Fun memory. Extra fun Monday sneezy puzzle!
Plodding Mondays are the pits. What a pleasure to find that this one definitely was not. Put me in a good MOOD! I didn't even mind that my first fill BA t MITZVAH was wrong, because JIMMY was a CHOO-in. A lively and interesting puzzle, Mr. van Geel. Pretty much the EPITOME of a Monday winner—a SUREBET we'll see you again. I don't think I'm BIASED when I say I hope it's soon.
Uh Oh. I don't think this one will pass muster in the Oval Office. But then, I doubt if the NYT is a regular favorite at 1600 Pennsylvania these days, so it probably won't be noticed that Denali (shhh) was used. :)
@MarkInTheMountains I literally said "Yay!" when I got to that clue. :-)
I'm assuming the NYT will be dis-incorporated by regal decree over 36A.
Regarding JIMMYCHOO. I got it by crosses and logical guesses. I swear I'd never heard of it before. And then, about an hour after the puzzle, I'm re-watching "The Sopranos" season 3, and Christopher walks in with a whole bag full of Jimmy Choo's. I've seen that episode at least six times, and it never once made an impression on me. I think my brain completely shuts down when anything involving fashion comes along. Constructors, I enjoyed your puzzle.
Now even the Mondays are getting difficult for me, but I’m not complaining as I know the majority would like that. I especially enjoyed the constructors notes today, and look forward to more puzzles from Thomas.
Such a fun Monday puzzle and theme - I had to work to get those crosses because I definitely don’t know how to spell the revealer!
Aw shucks, if that wasn't the most adorable little theme I ever...!
Lovely crossword. Funny, clever theme. The NW was tricky for me; fortunately I knew BARMITZVAH other wise UTZ would have been impossible. GESUNDHEIT is not much used in UK; people used to say, 'Bless you' but not so much now. With two small grandsons it's usually "Don't use your sleeve!" For me, US English is inventive and ingenious, but HONEY DO .... Gruesome.
@Jane Wheelaghan Interesting. Over here, when COVID first hit, health agencies promoted the idea of sneezing into the crook of your elbow. Or are you just referring to using one’s sleeve as a Kleenex or handkerchief? I agree that’s pretty gross. And “bless you” is probably more common than GESUNDHEIT here. I say it myself despite being an atheist.
@Jane Wheelaghan Some cities in the US had a lot of German immigrants. You will hear "gesundheit" in Milwaukee, WI.
I love when a Monday puzzle has aspirations for a Tuesday. I'm always in favour of upward mobility. You go, Monday. Don't stop believin'! ANDALE.
The Sharif don’t like it You know he really hates it Rockin’ the … Denali
@Mango Until today I would have placed money down betting that it was Kareem who didn’t like it.
Not a Monday puzzle. Too many obscure clues for Monday. Definitely a Tuesday.
@Susan I'm curious which clues were obscure. It's a genuine question. The only clue that made me pause for a few seconds was military choppers, but that filled in from the crosses.
OHWELL If only every solve was as swift - a light shift from Sunday to the realities of Monday a sweet little repast that jiggles a few words from this old solver's feed bag, and signals, "Giddyup - here's a new week of grids to wrassle!"
Fun and fast — xwstats tells me it’s my second fastest Monday. Though I could easily picture SARAH Silverman, I inexplicably remembered her name as Susan. That might have cost me a new personal best. I like many of the longer Down words, such as APPEASE, EPITOME (which I long thought was pronounced like the EPI- of “epidermis” and a word that means a large and heavy book), NEMESIS and ARMOIRE. That’s some fresh fill. I also liked being reminded of “Rock THE CASBAH.” It’s not the Clash’s best song, but I have always liked it. Many of the locations in the video for the song were within a few miles of my house in Austin, so watching it is a trip back to the long-gone Austin of my college years. <a href="https://youtu.be/bJ9r8LMU9bQ?si=DOnSraGY2wcw5sP_" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/bJ9r8LMU9bQ?si=DOnSraGY2wcw5sP_</a> Thanks, Mr. van Geel!
@Eric Hougland The place I went to hang out at to drink and dance during that era was nicknamed the Casbah. Needless to say, the place always went a little nuts when that song played. London Calling was on my turntable(!) continually back then.
@Eric Hougland Were you a fan of Robert B. Parker's Spenser series? Spenser's paramour for the entire series was named Susan Silverman.
I'm never sure how to rate Monday puzzles, since I breeze through them (comparatively, of course). Usually I try to break my personal record for speed, and when I know I won't, I just finish up and move on. So it's pretty noticeable when I enjoy the Monday theme enough to flat-out stop caring about my time. It was simple and silly, but it totally worked. What a fun little way to start the week!
@Pete I stopped caring about my time a while ago and don't always fill in answers lest I miss reading all of the clues, but haven't turned off the clock. Today was an ideal combination of pleasure and speed. Thanks, Mr. van Geel!
Yesterday's Comment in Chief never appeared; can't figure out why... But here I am to try again... (Several responses did pass muster.maybe I need a new identity? Too late! I already carried MOL into the substack...) AH, so relaxing to do a Monday puzzle...but what is more annoying than a sneeze that is a "hang-fire"? Speakiing of MAGMA...Etna just erupted (again)...and there are dire predictions about Mt. St. Helen and even Mt Ranier. Uh Oh. Speaking of shoes....after a certain age, you can wear cute shoes for about an hour, after which your feet hurt too much and no amount of sparkly CHIC fashion is worth it. The End.
@Mean Old Lady The Alaskan volcano that's starting to act up is Mt. Spurr, which has been doing a lot of steaming and shaking lately.
I spent a little too long wondering what languages sneeze in VAH, BAH, and TAH CHOO?! It was a fun mind journey and I looked forward to seeing what Sam had to say about it that would clarify the marvelous people who sneeze this way. D'oh! Talk about boneheaded! Took a while to stop laughing at myself over that one! Really enjoyed the puzzle! Looks like I finished a little slower than my average, but it felt very fast and fun. I'm currently on a road trip home from Easter with my husband and now I have to decide whether I should torture him the rest of the way home by singing COPA cabana or Rock the CASBAH at the top of my lungs. I'm not a good singer, but what I lack in talent, I more than make up for you enthusiasm. You know, there are enough hours left in the journey that I could just sing both to him. Yep, he's a lucky guy! 😂
@HeathieJ Just remember that the Sharif don't like it. ...
@HeathieJ I did something similar (see my comment below)
Just found out I didn’t know how to spell GESUNDHEIT. 🤣
Sometimes the puzzle seems like it’s just for me, does anyone else feel that way? Starting off with DENALI, then with MTV and the Clash and Barry Manilow and DOJA CAT, little reminders of childhood with Speedy Gonzalez and Peter Pan, and, to top it all off, BARMITZVAH and UTZ and GESUNDHEIT! L’chaim!
There are so many car models it might be possible to construct a crossword puzzle with every clue solving to a car model name or make.
@Keith I would simply give up and go cry
@Keith What about a crossword with just the names of rappers? Then not use them again? Just me.
First: what’s with the new layout? It took me 10 minutes to find out where I can type my comment. Ok, on to the grid; a cute and breezy offering. Love that the Clash get a mention. APACHES used to regularly fly over our last house, as we lived near an army base (helicopter wing). I was also used as target practice when walking the dog in the fields; the peace and quiet would be shattered by the distinctive whup whup of the blades. I’d look up to find a helicopter on either side of me, low enough to see the pilots waving. Thanks guys. I dream of owning a pair of shoes as pretty as JIMMY CHOO makes them. Alas, they won’t fit in with my country lifestyle and I don’t think he makes wellies. Ah well. I have no idea if this will post, as it’s in a new and weird format. Here goes…
@Helen Wright New layout? Looks the exact same to me. Maybe you're on your phone or tablet? I'm on a laptop. If that's the case, I can understand. To me, everything is harder on a phone. The older I get, the fatter my fingers are!
@Momerlyn I’m on my iPad as usual. I think the difference is I’ve re signed up to the full NYT package (news etc). Your news is so ‘exciting’ over there I need full commentary. 😱 Even though I’m still using the games app it’s completely changed the set up. My comments are now posted through an email format rather than the comments box at the top of the comms section. It looks weird. Took me an age to figure it out. Even more irritating it means I can’t see the comment I’m responding to (like yours). Just leave things alone guys, it was fine as it was!
Mr. Van Geel, thank you so much for this delightful Monday puzzle. Sometimes Mondays are a little ho hum, finished too quickly, but this was such fun. Loved the theme, loved everything about it. I saw another recent comment noting that some folks were complaining about it. I can’t imagine why, and I’ve decided not to read any more of the comments (at least for now) and let it spoil my good mood. Instead I’ll go out for my daily four mile hike and enjoy the sunshine. I got the Wordle in 2 this morning, so I have to hang on to this joy for as long as I can. And Sam, as always, I loved your comments, your sense of humor, and your knack for finding great photos to illustrate the puzzle theme. 😊🙌🏻
My goodness. If your sneezes sound like that, please see a doctor 😆 Fun puzzle!
This puzzle was soooooo good looking.
DENALI forever. The HONEY-DO phrase has always grated on my ear. So twee. Probably doesn't help that I don't like the melon. ANDALE! Heading back up to the wilds of Jersey today, will be off-line for a week or so. Keep puzzling, friends.
What a fun Monday puzzle, with a clever theme. I now do not look at the time it takes to do a puzzle. That makes it much more fun. (A recent Mini which took 2 minutes was an outlier. I hope.) Hats off to the constructor! More from him, please.
Fun theme, but I didn't get it until I was looking back at the crossword after solving. Noticing the AH, AH, AHCHOO was definitely a lightbulb moment for me.
A fun puzzle indeed!! A cute gimmick, yet very fair and straightforward. Also, timely with all the pollen in the Air! 🤧
Fun Monday puzzle. Didn't tumble to the trick until I was almost done and stopped and pondered. That was just a great touch. Unusual puzzle find today - a Thursday from July 7, 2011 by Caleb Rasmussen. Don't recall seeing another like this - a bit hard to describe. The 'reveal' was: "Traffic sign literally violated 12 times in this puzzle" NOUTURN Except that answer actually appeared as: NOU ___T ___URN And all the other theme answers 'turned' down on a U. You have to go look at it to get it. Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/7/2011&g=44&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/7/2011&g=44&d=A</a> I'm done. ....
Very cute theme. Nicely done, Thomas. I'll admit that I was a little puzzled for a second about VAH, BAH, TAH......until I got to HOO. Seemed appropriate when I thought "AHh CHOO!".
Lots of fun with this puzzle today! Have to share that, coincidentally, I had a mini sneezing attack (North Jersey pollen is on the rise!) as I was completing the grid, before I got to the revealer. Made the a-ha moment (or AH-CHOO moment) that much sweeter, even as I was reaching for my tissues! Happy Monday fellow solvers!
@Joy Seems like allergies are much worse this year everywhere. Crazy!
Fun start to the solving week!! I loved the theme. I also love these oddly reassuring moments where I get a glimpse of a world completely beyond my sphere of existence and the ensuing relief that it's not one I inhabit: if someone asked me to HONEY-DO this or that, I would make like a melon and split.
Much more fun than a regular Mon puzzle, the theme made me chuckle
This puzzle was nothing to sneeze at. I must have missed the column: Crossword Rappers to Commit to Memory. 20A. From my Spanish 101 days, I jumped on VAMOS. How many of us can still recite the whole dialog? Repeatan: "Hola Isabel, como estas? Estoy bien gracias, y tu... ¡Feliz Lunes!
@Call Me Al Exactly! My rapper knowledge is seriously lacking. As for the español, we had the same book, and “Hola, Isabel” was the very first lesson. It is burned into my brain.
@Call Me Al Deb Amlen et al. have written a series of columns about “crossword answers that stumped solvers.” I feel like I have seen one about rappers, but I could be imagining it.