My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. Biblical figure seen in the sauna? (4) 2. Place for a cabin (4) 3. What might get you out of a jam? (4)(6) 4. Lousy pair to choose from (5) 5. Flat-headed crew driver? (3) ESAU SEMI SIDE STREET EVILS OAR
@Lewis Are those the same five clues which you have favorited?
Sigh, I cannot get the hang of having to reply to the OP. Bill, I replied to you here in case you want to seek it out.
CLM, This is what Customer Service thinks is "nesting;" one can only see your reply if one knows to look for it.
@Cat Lady Margaret Never mind. I'm wrong. After refreshing the page, your comment disappeared again. This really sucks!
And while on the topic of yesterday's comments: If you find yourself doing a puzzle that makes zero sense to you, it's not that the puzzle was horribly designed. It's that you're missing something. And blaming the puzzle, the constructor, and the editors shows more about you than the puzzle. Also, people should note that if you don't get a very unusual gimmick, that doesn't make the constructor lazy. Constructing puzzles like Sunday's isn't easier for a constructor; it's much harder. And saying that about a complex puzzle just makes you look like you have no idea about the subject. There were two factions, mostly. Those who hated it, and those who loved it and even some of those who thought it should be Puzzle of the Year. If you hate a puzzle that so many people absolutely adored (and they were in the clear majority this time), reconsider that maybe it's just your solving level, and not the puzzle's fault. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but every opinion should make sense, and not be an attack. One final observation: So many people complained they didn't see the colors. The only explanation would be that Show Overlays was off. Why do so many people have Show Overlays off? What would compel someone to take that off in the first place; what's the benefit of doing that? And why is that an option in the first place? The only thing that turning Show Overlays off does is sow confusion unnecessarily.
@Steve L. I chose not to comment on yesterday’s puzzle, mainly because I haven’t been feeling well. I struggled with the rebus but that’s not unusual for me. I did find the rest of the puzzle fun and relatively easy.
@Steve L Well said Steve. There was a third faction, actually—“It was too hard for me” or even “I didn’t enjoy it”. Contrary to what many naysayers believe, you and I don’t have an issue with that. What we have an issue with is when those people then go on to declare that the constrictor is lazy, sloppy, unfair, etc or that the editors are somehow contributing to the end of crossword civilization as we know it by publishing it. That’s what we take issue with.
@SP I forgot to mention those who thought it wasn't a crossword.
@Megan I hope you feel better soon.
@Steve L When i was young, I played my grandparents in some flavor of game...maybe rummikub? And my grandfather was not happy with my style of play. See, I play defensively. Means that if I lose, I'll only lose by a few points. The challenge is that my style of play makes it miserable and frustrating for everyone else at the table. Enjoyable for me....bad for them. And since that point in time, its been clear that there is a set of people who like there games to be straight forward...and kinda easy. They dont want the challenge...They want to play their pieces and be left alone. That's the way it is with some people and crosswords too....Some just want it straight forward and dont really want a CHALLENGE. A challenge yes. A CHALLENGE!! no.
Steve, To my delight, and, I hope, to the delight of Dylan Schiff. almost all of the most recommended posts in yesterday's comments celebrated the puzzle.
@BA. Yes, I believe I said something like that.
Steve, Yes, you said something about a majority liking the puzzle. I hope you didn't mind a bit of added specificity (and my reference to the constructor).
@Steve L it took me so long to realize that the colors were the worm hole pairs—that was the least of solving! I solved without reading the hints and enjoyed immensely, but saying it was the colors fault is really a reach
@Steve L There’s another lane - I thought it was good and was very impressed by the theme, but there were still some real clunkers in the fill. WATERGAS might go down as one of the worst of the year. Anyone who comes in and disses the entire puzzle for selfish reasons in around 15 words or less, I completely disregard their opinion.
@Steve L If I could ban one word from the comment section, it would be “lazy”. Anyone who makes an accusation of laziness clearly has no idea what it takes to create a crossword at this level. And whenever I see that word, it’s my cue to ignore the comment. I agree that everyone is entitled to their opinions, and if everyone liked every puzzle this would be a very boring community. But using ignorance or disrespect to express displeasure just ensures your voice won’t be heard.
@Steve L, I made a similar comment recently. I too am frustrated and turned off by folks who insist a puzzle is some form of "bad" because they didn't get it or enjoy it. To me that's akin to saying a chef is terrible if you decide to try a new dish but find that you don't care for it. There's nothing WRONG with something you simply don't like. The wormhole puzzle wasn't my jam but it was infinitely clever and I solved it with a moderate level of look-ups and relying on Wordplay for some hints. It was certainly not bad, unfair, or anything else negative simply because it wasn't my personal favorite. Thanks for writing such a clear and non-provocative explanation.
@Paul "They don't want the challenge." There are a lot of people out there like this. What I wonder is why they're doing the NYT crossword if they don't want a challenge? Confusing. I remember my first encounter with this attitude. I was playing a difficult video game at my mom's house, and I was getting sooooo frustrated. She asked me why I was playing if it was so frustrating. Because when I finally get through that level, it feels sooooo satisfying! If it was easy it wouldn't be fun.
@Steve L "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but every opinion should make sense, and not be an attack." Amen!
Katie, Right! It's supposed to be hard. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLiMv4gYcRc" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLiMv4gYcRc</a>
@Steve L just because a puzzle is easy or difficult doesn't make it good or bad. Today's and yesterday's are equally unimpressive. At least today's wasn't quite as lazy.
@Heidi I disagree. I am being very deliberate when I say Sunday puzzle was lazy. It doesn't take any skill to redirect words the way that puzzle did. I compared it to a sodoku that allows duplicates: it makes for a lazy puzzle maker and needless (bad) complexity for the solver. Add in fillers, like "ACAI" and you have an incredibly bad and lazy puzzle that I blame the editors for ever allowing through. Yes, it was a 100% "lazy" idea by the creator that's not impressive, at all.
Unfortunately, the comments you dislike are here to stay. I'd recommend everyone polish their ability to ignore them. When it comes to the Internet no one ever backs down, so angry or insulting replies are a waste of time and just add to the hostility.
Random thoughts: • Lovely to see a pope’s name (URBAN) crossing ASH WEDNESDAY. • FARINA! Last time I had this – and I loved it – was CIRCA childhood. Also: Nice to see its counterpart OATY in the box. • Theme echo in OLDIE. • Those sweet ahas that come when an answer is something you haven’t thought about in ages? Happened twice with ANY GIVEN SUNDAY and FREAKY FRIDAY. • In my never-ending quest to guess the revealer without even reading its clue, a skill I’m weak at, I got the WEEK part, and dang, I should have gotten the MOVIE part. Sigh. Small steps. • Fun fact about 17 (the number of years since Ari’s last NYT puzzle): In a study where people were asked to choose a random number from 1 to 20, 17 was the most common choice. • Rhyminess: BLED/BRED, EEK/WEEK, ARMS/ALARMS. Your puzzle was fun to fill in, Ari, and fun to muse over. Thank you for making this!
ANY SUNDAY afternoon, GIVEN or otherwise, I look forward to a lively Monday puzzle. I also look forward to the rASH WEDNESDAYs and the FREAKY FRIDAYs. To be honest, every day is puzzle day for me and I love them. They perk up my sleepy brain, quicken my pulse, (may occasionally occasionally wreck a little tooth enamel), and I am grateful to the imaginative and skilled artists who construct them for us. This one was a perfect example of a Monday puzzle. Thank you, Ari Halpern, you made my (puzzle) day.
@Dutchiris So well said. I feel the same.
So, I am guessing the fooferaw has dwindled down to a few muttering late-comers. Before PhysicsDaughter arrived, I used colored pens to indicate the pairs--putting her on par with the folks who use the app, etc. She did the puzzle and chuckled. It *is* Memorial Day...so the lone entry that seems apt, in today's puzzle, is 38 Across. I remember Stevie Odom, who was 19; his sister was a year ahead of me at Briarcliff HS. I stood in front of his name on The Wall, remembering. Years later, I learned that Jim Pender, a stand-out upper-class-man when I was a lowly sub-Freshman, had become a military pilot; he also was killed in VietNam. Sadder still, I had tutored the girl he married--we were both students at Young Harris College--and she had a new baby the last I had heard. Sadness for all that could never be.
@Mean Old Lady So you went to Briarcliff HS? When? Is that the one in NY? I went to neighboring Ossining HS (class of 63). We attended a church in Briarcliff but I never really got to know any of the Briarcliff teens. (There was a bit of snobbery and reverse snobbery between the towns. Still lingers; and there was a (wealthy-ish) part of Ossining that a few years ago wanted to secede and become West Briarcliff or some such.) 1963 would have been just before Vietnam hotted up. I remember anti-bomb and peace marches but not yet full mobilization. And of course the other 1963 march. Which my parents wouldn't let me attend because they still remembered the McCarthy era and were sure it would get me on a List.
@Mean Old Lady Actually, the foofaraw was maintained by early-comers here. You can't keep a good foofaraw down, it seems.
@Mean Old Lady I'm with you on the 38A for many reasons!
@Mean Old Lady My company in Vietnam was called 'hard luck Alpha.' We were always in the wrong place at the wrong time. One example - we'd been out in the jungle for weeks and in frequent combat and had taken a lot of casualties. They finally took us out and sent us to a firebase and we were told: This is a safe place hasn't been attacked in months. And... we got hit the first night we were there. 28 more KIA. Sorry for the diversion. ...
Rich, Perhaps your story will cool the ardor of those looking for a "themed puzzle" today. (There are already enough crosses in it for me.)
@Jerry Let us hear all the stories. None diminishes or negates the others. They all constitute these United States, and i don't mean that to be sappy. @Rich in Atlanta Thank you for doing and surviving what so many of us could not have done. I could not have. Honestly, i don't know if war serves justice or democracy. But i deeply honor you and everyone who tried and tries their best.
In a brief scroll of the comments, I see folks mentioning a lack of Memorial Day-esque answers — other than LEST (as in, lest we forget, perhaps) in the grid. Having come here after seeing some very meaningful posts on Facebook, I think multiple answers could be seen to connect with this day of remembrance. They BLED (1A) at the COST (9A) of their lives, many in ASIA (14A). My husband’s grandmother never forgot the sound of the train whistle taking her only son AWAY (45A) (thankfully, he was not one of the fallen.) Let us never forget those who took up ARMS (60A) serving our country whom we honor today. 🇺🇸
@Laura Good for you in making that connection. All's right with the world.
@Laura that’s very clever of you to realize and put together so well too! At the end of the week, I use the several words that are from Wordle and make a story out of them lol! Another thing that reminds me of your post, is one of the best songs ELO ever made. Check out the link below since it really puts so much in perspective along with what I’m hoping doesn’t happen again; however, it seems as though most people are forgetting history aka the PAST and/or want to whitewash it which is a SIN! I hope you have a Marvellous Monday and Namaste!! <a href="https://youtu.be/L_0jdnsuLpE?si=6e3VI_Wn1UXnassz" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/L_0jdnsuLpE?si=6e3VI_Wn1UXnassz</a>
For a Monday and an American Holiday (which is rather saddening to me due to a multitude of factors), this puzzle lightened up my overall mood. For example, 7 down the clue should be “what our current president does every time he speaks”, 8 down should have been, “what the current president, administration, and the maga cult are trying to whitewash”, 44 down should have been, “what so many are fearing they’ll have to do”, and 50 down should have been, “what our current VP apparently likes to satisfy himself with” which actually made me laugh! Other than that, I enjoyed the theme and solved it in a little over a half hour! Anyways, I apologize in advance for my bluntness about the “should have been clues” but anymore I’m trying to get my PerMinions (personal opinions) before I am no longer allowed due to my choice not and never to be loyal to a criminal. I hope all my fellow NYTers are having a Marvellous Monday and if you celebrate Happy Memorial Day and Namaste!!
@Lady Morgan Kelly Diana Bravo! Maybe I'll see you in the re-education camps.
I'm old enough to fondly remember looking forward to the Movie of the Week, so this was a lovely throwback to simpler days. I always enjoy the reset of solving difficulty as we start a new puzzle week, and this was a smashing, perfect Monday solve.
On my computer, from now on I’m calling it the escapearoni key. And of course, Pinky and the Brain (stem): <a href="https://youtu.be/dq2SDObsLjk?si=IO6434wKy3kt2VG0" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/dq2SDObsLjk?si=IO6434wKy3kt2VG0</a>
@JohnWM I was just gonna say, escapearoni is the new term!
@JohnWM Did you notice that Rich in Atlanta linked to a puzzle with the revealer F LOSS, but it coulda(shoulda!) been HIDE F?
@JohnWM That's about as good as The Elements song!
ad absurdum, I had some life happening today, so just skimmed comments in the morning and didn’t see that at the time. Thanks for the heads up - just a day later, wow. Coincidence is a weird and fun thing, despite the kill-joy of statistical near-certainty that *something* I see today will crop up tomorrow. And Linda Jo, maybe that last sentence also applies: I’m sure both you and I knew others from yesterday were whispering “escapearoni” to themselves as soon as they saw 33D! 😀
This was fun! Thanks so much! And thanks to all who sacrificed all for us. And to their families.
@Terry All gave some, some gave all. <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ydWhRObVxrM" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ydWhRObVxrM</a> hi
@Terry Ignore the superfluous “hi” at the end.
🧵“Point of no return?” isn’t ICE ? I thought it was, until it wasn’t.
@David Pearce I'd like to know why you think ICE fits this clue.
@David Pearce I thought the same thing!
(2nd post so all can read ... I hope) Steve, Think about it. Or have you already?
Those melodious canaries get their name from the Canary Islands, on which they're native. The islands get their name from--dogs! The islands were rife with wild canines*. Another explanation is that fleeing from melodious yellow hoards, the locals would exclaim: "Help! Help! I'm being dogged by those flockin' birds!" In any case the native humans were pretty melodious themselves, and could dance, which they taught to their Iberian colonizers: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyhF9KEiDsc" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyhF9KEiDsc</a> (Gaspar Sanz, 1675; here performed three hundred years later, by a very young John Williams.) *they might actually have been monk seals--it's easy to get those two species mixed up, especially after a couple glasses of Canary wine.
@Bill Thank you for putting me in mind of Spanish baroque guitar. Ah, Gaspar Sanz. I’ve just lined up a playlist for myself accordingly and now my day shall unfold in 3/4 time with light ornamentation and the distant scent of varnished lutes.
@SL More HIP (historically informed performances) out there: check out Andrew Lawrence King and his Harp Consort, or Jordi Savall's Hesperion XX(I). But it was fun to see John Williams as a 70's dude. (Not the composer, btw.) *** I should add that the Iberians were not the most humane of colonizers, and their attitude towards the indigenous Guanche was something like: "Dance, monkey-boys, dance!"
This made me think of a song of the week puzzle... Manic Monday Ruby Tuesday Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting One More Saturday Night Kinda surprised that off top of head, cannot think of a Friday or Sunday title... Not surprised that I can't come up with Weds. or Thurs.
@Bill in Yokohama U2’s “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” of course… And Morrissey’s “Everyday Is Like Sunday.” Then there’s “Gloomy Sunday” from Billie Holiday—not for the faint of heart, though. Also, David Bowie’s “Thursday’s Child.” And I’ll close it with Friday I’m in Love” by the one and only Cure. It’s the GenXers-Unite! song selection.
@Bill in Yokohama Funny, Friday and Sunday were the first that came to my mind: Friday I'm in Love--the Cure <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGgMZpGYiy8" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGgMZpGYiy8</a> Gloomy Sunday (the Sensational Hungarian Suicide Song): <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ2AuLaClmk" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ2AuLaClmk</a> Lots of choices for Monday: Monday, Monday--the Mamas and the Papas I Don't Like Mondays--the Boomtown Rats Blue Monday--New Order
@Bill in Yokohama I'll play. @Bill in Yokohama You only need three for a weekday.... Never on Sunday, a song and movie title Sunday Morning Coming Down Kris Kristofferson Monday, Monday The Mamas and the Papas Monday Morning Fleetwood Mac I don't Like Mondays Boomtown Rats Tuesday Afternoon Moody Blues Wednesday Morning 3am Simon and Garfunkel Black Friday Steely Dan
@Bill in Yokohama Old Blue Eyes had a hit with this one: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP0P2hw31i0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP0P2hw31i0</a>
Thursday: <a href="https://genius.com/David-bowie-thursdays-child-lyrics" target="_blank">https://genius.com/David-bowie-thursdays-child-lyrics</a>
@Bill in Yokohama Friday I’m in Love - The Cure
@Bill in Yokohama I'll weigh in and try not to duplicate...but y'all have picked some really fine songs. MONDAY—Allman Brothers—"Stormy Monday" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqnmLsfJFc" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeqnmLsfJFc</a> TUESDAY—Lynyrd Skynyrd—"Tuesday's Gone" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7p2ogicS1U" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7p2ogicS1U</a> WEDNESDAY—Clark Kessinger—"Wednesday Night Waltz" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POFzGxvV0Lw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POFzGxvV0Lw</a> THURSDAY—They Might Be Giants—"I Lost Thursday" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb8PtIDrCLA" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb8PtIDrCLA</a> FRIDAY—Timmy Trumpet, Blinkie—"Friday" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=725FqPT_xxI" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=725FqPT_xxI</a> SATURDAY—Sam Cooke—"Another Saturday Night" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O8m0mMDpHw" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O8m0mMDpHw</a> at last! SUNDAY—Etta James—"A Sunday Kind Of Love" <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl0DehwApzE&t=10s" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl0DehwApzE&t=10s</a>
@Bill in Yokohama I can’t believe nobody has mentioned Tom Waits’ “(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night.”
@Bill in Yokohama Be sure to check out Ash Wednesday Blues by Anders Osboure - a fine addition to the playlist <a href="https://youtu.be/r10xMDb8uS0?si=kKMHYCgqdPLeh8-F" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/r10xMDb8uS0?si=kKMHYCgqdPLeh8-F</a>
I will never enjoy trivia based themes, even when the theme reveals itself via crosses, as it did in today's very easy puzzle. I solved it in typical, albeit not record, Monday time, despite only knowing one of the themed entries (I once watched the pretty poor Any Given Sunday, and I remembered the title, because I did not understand it at the time and looked it up - presaging my future lookups of Americana in NYT grids 🤣). Even though I watch tennis from time to time, I only got the clue for ACE with crosses. It was a really good clue, and I wonder why it stumped me. Maybe because I don't expect trickery on Mondays? The hot breakfast bowlful also confused me. I only know FARINA as Italian for "flour". I see it every time I cook Italian pasta, and it is common in the names of Italian eateries in Poland. Even though I did not know the actor from the cross, SAR_ could only be SARA, however, so I put in FARINA, resigning to the fact Americans use the familiar word in an unfamiliar way. Then I looked it up, and was treated to a picture of Farina Mills Fortified Farina - the child on the box looked at me with the empty eyes of a person dead inside, making me shudder. "Kasza manna" (literally, manna groats) is a popular breakfast (for all ages) and lunch (for kids) dish here, and some think it is a good Polish translation of the American farina. It is made from ground wheat, usually cooked with milk rather than water, and sweetened. The name comes from the biblical manna.
@Andrzej that’s how my grandmother taught me to make our Cream of Wheat ☺️ Milk, a touch of sugar and some butter.
Apparently it is Memorial Day in the US, as I've realized from the posts of others. In Poland May 26th is Mother's Day.
@Andrzej I found, I think, the cereal box picture you referred to. Yeah, so much from that era is down right satanic now, and I have no theory as to why. I'm guessing the kid on the box is a drawing? Embarrassing that I can't always distinguish between a drawing and a photograph. At any rate, I find it astonishing that nobody at the time (I don't think) would have found the picture out of the ordinary.
@Francis You're not a gamer so you would not know this, but the perfect, suburban, 1950s lifestyle, or rather its version out of the creepy advertising of that era, plays a huge part in the Fallout series of games. It introduces players to an alternative history of Earth, after a 2077 nuclear holocuast. In the game's world, pre-2077 America was all 1950s style: atom power everywhere, people living in perfect, suburban houses, prim, perfect housewives in high heels cooking instamash potatoes for their perfect husbands, perfect kids in starched clothes smiling creepily like that poor soul on the Farina box... What a nightmare! I always thought the horrid post-2077 world of that game was much less disturbing than the pre-2077 one :D
@Andrzej Ah, I just learned that the plural "groats" has a meaning beyond the singular "groat"---thanks for that. I was only familiar with "groat" as a small denomination coin (various values, various European countries). So "manna groats" seemed to me to be equivalent to "pennies from heaven", which wasn't an entirely implausible name for a breakfast cereal! But now I see that groats are crushed grains of various kinds, cognate with the "grits" that will be familiar to speakers of AmE. That's my TIL for today! Maybe already familiar to everyone else, but I despise breakfast cereal and all it stands for, so am a little cut off from that lexicon.
@Andrzej While you're learning FARINA, you might as well learn "grits" as well. That's the American version of polenta, usually had at breakfast, and served either sweet or savory. (Shrimp and grits is also quite delicious as a dinner treat!) Kasha (as Americans spell it) is available in this country, but relatively rare. Some Americans call it "buckwheat groats". I'm a big fan of Kasha Varnishkas, but no one else in my family is, so I don't get it as often as I'd like. It's kasha and bowtie pasta (farfalle) with onions (preferably sauteed in schmaltz (rendered chicken fat). As you might guess, this dish has central European/Yiddish origins. Does that dish still exist in Poland? Or has it gone the way of the bialy?
@The X-Phile Kasza is most often eaten with goulash (gulasz, for us), as it goes perfectly with saucy dishes. Roasted buckwheat groats (kasza gryczana prażona) is my favorite. A simple dish of kasza fried with onions and something fatty, like pork belly, is also popular. I've never seen kasza mixed with pasta. In fact, my wife considers it blasphemy to combine two starchy sides with any dish. It's either pasta or potatoes or kasza, but never more than 1 of those. @Oikofuge Except for kasza manna, we dont consider groats a breakfast dish, or a cereal, at all. Typically, kasza will be served as a starchy side to a main dish, like a roast, or goulash. Then it is cooked in water, drained dry, and on the plate you pour sauce or fat over it. I love me some kasza from time to time. It's dirt cheap, healthy(-ish, anyway), and goes well with many dishes.
Barley groats as a side dish are another Polish staple. @Helen W I replied to you but emus ate the post... The "moderation" here is such a mess.
@Andrzej Thinking of you on Polish Mother's Day! It can be so bittersweet after they're gone.
@HeathieJ Thank you. My wife called her mother, and I had my own mother's day wishes for her. But it's not quite the same...
In the box today: Things to draw when playing Hangman: FOOT, EAR, ARMS, and if you’re really desperate, BRAIN STEM.
Lewis, Har har! (Sounds like Easy Mode Friday: 26 letters, 25 body parts.)
Easy, breezy Monday! I was 30 seconds over my best time on this one! Cute theme. I laughed at seeing FOOT over ARMS…with ALY Raisman just above that, I pictured her flipping over!! The original FREAKY FRIDAY with Jodie Foster was one of my favorite movies as a kid. The remake with Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan is also good, but I’m always a sucker for the originals. Thank you, Ari, for brightening my day. Happy Memorial Day, everyone. Enjoy yourselves as we remember those who gave their lives for our freedom.
@Jacqui J I enjoyed this one as well and beat y best time by almost a minute. I had to think on a few answers, so I definitely have room for improvement.
Thanks Ari Halpern, for a fun and fast Monday puzzle. I found yesterday’s quite challenging (also brilliant), and yours was a good way to start a new week. Hope we see you again soon.
I'm embarrassed to say that I know none of the movies nor the sitcom in this puzzle. The good news is that it's a Monday, so the solve didn't suffer at all. And it was a delicious solve, even more so and exactly because I had to use the crosses and a little logic. My musical picks are two for today; one, a nod to the puzzle and the days of the week (<a href="https://youtu.be/pG7_gceIFL4?si=HBU5yVX0JKDiNsqB" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/pG7_gceIFL4?si=HBU5yVX0JKDiNsqB</a>) and the other, a nod to Sam's mention of reeling in the years (<a href="https://youtu.be/pG7_gceIFL4?si=HBU5yVX0JKDiNsqB" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/pG7_gceIFL4?si=HBU5yVX0JKDiNsqB</a>) I guess both of them could be considered OLDIES at this point (Sting's song is from the 90's and Steely Dan's, the 70's) but to me they're still fresh as Springtime blossoms. Thank you, Mr. Halpern, and welcome back!
@sotto voce Yeah, so, about not knowing the movies… It’s late here and I wasn’t reading all my down clues. And that is how I came to have to fly speck on a Monday for the crossing of mARINA with mR. EAKY FRIDAY.
@sotto voce Something went away when you were copying and pasting. Both links are to the Sting song.
@sotto voce What sitcom? I must have missed it.
@sotto voce if you’ve never watched freaky Friday, you need to watch them in order! Each version is enjoyable.
I can't believe I'm the first to mention that August 8 is the release date of "Freakier Friday"! Buy your tickets now! Actually I'm surprised I even knew that movie was in the works. Have a meaningful day.
This was a fun puzzle. Thanks for constructing it for us. P.S. I'm surprised by how many people have never heard of farina. But I'm old enough to remember farina and the movie of the week.
@Phydeaux I'm also old enough to remember both, but FARINA didn't come to me and when I finally got it from the crosses I thought my goodness I haven't thought about farina in forever. It was buried deep! Great puzzle to start the week!
@Phydeaux Willie and Wilhelmina eat their FARINA, HO FARINA…
Mondays are my least favourite day, because they’re over so fast :( breezed through this and almost set a PB! Super cute puzzle though! Thanks Ari.
@Sam Mondays are the hardest day in the New Yorker. If you're bored with the NYT puzzle, try the New Yorker puzzle: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2025/05/26" target="_blank">https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2025/05/26</a>
Fun Monday puzzle. None of the theme answers dawning on me just from the clues, but they all came together with some crosses. Nice to catch on to the theme at the end. Had to go look up Mr. Halpern's two previous puzzles. Both of them quite interesting. One of them involved adding a couple of letters to a familiar phrase. A couple of examples: "Bows and arrows for Midas?" GOLDENARCHERY "Storage area for ribbed fabric?" CORDUROYPANTRY Here's the Xword Info link for that one: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/10/2008" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/10/2008</a> And the other one involved dropping an 'F' from the beginning of a familiar phrase. A couple of examples: "Injured pitcher?" LAMETHROWER "Class for an aspiring poker player?" LYINGLESSON "What bells on sheep are attached to?" LEACOLLARS Here's that Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/23/2006" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/23/2006</a> I'm done. ...
@Rich in Atlanta Oh - and one more puzzle find. One of oddest I've ever seen. Can't imagine what it would have taken to solve this one. Anyway - a Wednesday from January 4, 2006 by John Minarcik and Nancy Salomon. Four fifteen letter theme answers in that one. The last one was the 'reveal': "Classic novel, following "A," with a literal hint to 17-, 27- and 48-Across" TALEOFTWOCITIES And then the clue for those three answers was all: "Geographical combo #1" (and then #2 and #3). And those answers were: SARASOTALEIPZIG CALCUTTALEHAVRE BOGOTALENINGRAD Whew. That would just have to be all working the down crosses. Here's that Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=1/4/2006&g=63&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=1/4/2006&g=63&d=A</a> ....
POINT OF NO RETURN? proves that even Mondays can have great clues. That said, I have a small gripe when almost the same clue/answer is used on back to back days like TRIO with ZZ Top. Or maybe that was Saturday. It’s a long weekend (at last) in the US so forgive my scattered sense of time. Same gripe with repeating more obscure answers like NERDALERT in the same week.
@Brian maybe it's our reward for working the weekend puzzles!
This was a great Monday puzzle. Loved the “point of no return” clue, has it been done before?
@SP Yes, ten times, with ACING once. <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/SearchClues" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/SearchClues</a>
Quite surprising to see a word I never heard of (FARINA) on a Monday. Got it from crosses, though. Breezy solve
Steven, Had you ever heard of Cream of Wheat? (It's a brand of FARINA.)
@Steven M. This probably belongs in the thread with the other songs but here's a different Farina. <a href="https://tinyurl.com/mutx94t6" target="_blank">https://tinyurl.com/mutx94t6</a>
(Sorry --- repost so all can see) Mimi married Richard Fariña, not FARINA. (He was from Brooklyn.)
1. I have to say I was REALLY hoping the “hi from Hilo” was AAAHHH from the graphic novel series and it was so close! 2. I knew Nate Cardin in high school and it brings me huge joy to see his name pop up!
@Lindsay Nate Cardin is a contributor to Diary of a Crossword Fiend (as am I). If you hadn’t heard, Nate and his husband lost their home in the LA wildfires this year. If you Google Nate’s name, you’ll find a gofundme page where you can contribute to their efforts to rebuild.
Didn't we just have NERDALERT in another puzzle? It may become the new OREO of playground taunts. It's much more interesting than AMTOO or ARENOT.
We literally had ZZ Top as a clue for TRIOs yesterday.
@Hugh Perhaps Triumph and Tea Party, then?
@Jay Werba Curious that you named two rock bands from Ontario but omitted Rush: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart.
Anyone else confidently fill in DAYSOFOURLIVES as the revealer at first? Thanks for a great puzzle!
Must be my lucky day. Got Wordle in 2 and spelled YACHTS correctly in 1. Nice Monday puzzle, with a very simple theme and rather few proper nouns. Could have made 38A WEST instead of LEST, and then 38D (WII) would resonate nicely with 32A and 52D. Then again, having LII in the grid directly above the number 52 is also interesting. I'd have preferred KATY/WOK instead of OATY/WOO, with KATY mirroring SARA and with OATY making a much deserved exit from the grid. Just not fond of OATY, I suppose.
Part 1: (I have a lot on my mind) Way to go Ari for a great Monday puzzle! I really enjoyed the cinematic references. Admittedly, Ash Wednesday was a bit of a challenge. It's a good thing it's the day after If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium. What Happened To Monday, Stormy Monday? Not a whole lot of good happened on Sundays, except maybe in Any Given. I have never asked the Lord for a boon, God only knows what I'd receive. I think I'll continue with the request of a blessing from on high. I shouldn't be surprised at 38A being the only reference to this great American holiday; one 4-lettered word, at that. Well, onward and upward we go. Difference between a cavern and a cave? There is no natural light in a cave. Try SCUBA diving the caverns/caves in Branford, Fla, and you'll quickly and frighteningly discover the difference. There goes that highly offensive term (32D) again. Those who use that term do so out of jealousy and offend me not one bit. I just wish there was more occasion to use the term “behest.” Aver or Avow, nice little distraction, but the Kindle download corrected it. 33D - It should be so easy! I remember that key having much more relevance. It would serve us much better to help combat the cookie acceptance, ads covering web pages, upgrading memberships and taking surveys. eSC is all but an ornamental fill-in. Maybe a nice hot bowlful of purina (oops farina) will do the trick. Never heard of that, either. Grits, of course! Oatmeal, definitely!
@Jerry I've never seen the Pacino movie; I got it confused with "On Any Sunday," which was a documentary about motorcycle racing.
Finished this gem of a puzzle well below average time, however full participation of all brain cells was required.
Fun puzzle, and a welcome break after yesterday's challenge. I haven't seen any of the movies, but they fell pretty quickly. The hot cereal rotation in my family growing up included Cream of Wheat, oatmeal, and Wheatena. I was partial to Cream of Wheat and didn't really like Wheatena, although I think I would like it now if I had ready access to it. Somehow, the texture of oatmeal bothers me now in a way it didn't in my youth, but I pretty much always have it on hand in case the need for Oatmeal Scotchies arises. <a href="https://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/oatmeal-scotchies" target="_blank">https://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/oatmeal-scotchies</a>
Part 2: Freaky… My wife and I watched Lindsay Lohan in Our Little Secret recently (I'm only permitted to do so under her careful supervision). We were impressed, entertained and genuinely enjoyed that movie. Her acting chops in Machete did enter my mind, but I digress. Now Jessica Alba is in my head. Quick! Bea Arthur, help me down! Well, I must Get out of Dodge, jet, haul rump, make like the trees, etc., etc. Remember all those who sacrificed their lives to make this a great nation to be proud of. In that carefully crafted term used by Lt. Col. Frank Slade, Hoo-ah!
@Jerry I like how you call out your own self and embrace your own humility such as NERDALERT. In my opinion, that’s a great trait knowing who you are and not caring about being criticized. Bea Arthur struck me since she was an amazing actor and person overall. She played in my top five favourite shows of all time which is The Golden Girls! Feel free to check out this clip below given that it should jolt horrific memories of what our ancestors did for us and to fight for our freedoms. Sadly, I’m so fearful that may happen again beings that many people/criminals in power are forgetting the PAST, wanting to whitewash history which is a SIN, and then we may have to FLEE. Anyways, I apologize for the novel but I hope you’re having a Marvellous Monday and Namaste!! <a href="https://youtu.be/L_0jdnsuLpE?si=6e3VI_Wn1UXnassz" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/L_0jdnsuLpE?si=6e3VI_Wn1UXnassz</a>
New record for me!! Happy memorial day all
My usual late puzzle find. I'll probably re-post this tomorrow. A Wednesday from September 27, 2000 by Fred Piscop. Three theme clues and answers: "Russian Irving Berlin classic?" PUTINONTHERITZ "Russian regulars on the Lawrence Welk Show?" THELENINSISTERS "Request to a Russian procrastinator?" QUITYOURSTALIN Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=9/27/2000&g=20&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=9/27/2000&g=20&d=A</a> ...
I often have a hard time mustering enthusiasm for Monday puzzles but I was delighted by this one, both for its subtle chewiness and the subtle humor and lively spirit of its fill. Excellent work constructor!
Finished really fast, but something was wrong! Turns out I spelled YAgHTS and had AgE for point of no return. Took me forever to find!
Thanks Ari for a fun Monday and congrats on your persistence.
PS: Yesterday, Sunday, it helped me to stick with what I thought were the answers even though they didn’t quite fit at first. Was worried at first but I love rebuses that work both across and down and colors in the Sunday puzzle. Loved Caitlin’s saying something like, “If you breezed right through it, congratulations Einstein!” Also liked how Caitlin made me look for the applications of the revealer before I checked anything. Did some Sunday night and then Monday afternoon but just commenting now. Glad so many people liked it. Congratulations to Dylan Schiff!
A couple of weird things happened to me in the run-up to this puzzle. First of all, I was wading through the 700 Sunday comments, oldest first, when I got to "6 hours ago" and decided it was time for a nap. And it was a good long one. When I woke up over an hour later, I finished reading through the comments. I was at it quite a while before my nap (didn't think to notice exactly how long) and at least a half hour after (I noticed what time I woke up). I got to the end and decided, well, I have about 20 minutes until the new puzzle comes up, let me refresh and see what came in after I opened the comments at least two or maybe three hours ago. Having noticed the heavy volume, I expected at least another hundred or so comments to be there. But there weren't any new ones. And the last few comments, which were listed as "5m ago", "8m ago," etc., were still the most recent comments, but the time stamps still were the same. In other words, while I was napping, the comments updated and the time stamps changed as well. There were no new comments because the latest comments were already on my phone, without me updating them. A fluke, or a new feature? If the latter, it's a game changer. The other thing I noticed that when I went to xwordinfo.com to view the Monday page, it was already on the home screen. Usually, I have to refresh the page in order to see the new puzzle. I honestly don't know what's going on, or if I'm imagining things.
@Steve L I think at this stage nobody knows why anything happens with the comments, and this includes the NYT IT team. Maybe we should go on strike to get their attention?
@Andrzej I've thought the same, but was unsure how hard it would be to organize and how much effect it would have. Wouldn't it be amazing if we got 100% compliance, and nobody at the NYT noticed that no one did the crossword?
@Francis I was being sarcastic. It is obvious they just don't care, and the irony of them striking with the support of this community last year is not lost one me, either.
I love me a movie themed puzzle. I did get a little hung up on Farina, but still beat my Monday average.
Fun and quick puzzle. 20% faster than my usual Monday, which I appreciated as yesterday took me twice as long as normal. Cheers.
Never heard of FARINA before. I think a better clue for a Monday would've been "Law & Order actor Dennis ______".
@Dave K. Never heard of Dennis FARINA before. Wouldn’t have been better for me.
Dave K., So you *have* heard of FARINA before!
@Dave K. I'm old, and I remember eating FARINA as a child. My brother and I preferred PopTarts and Cap'n Crunch, which were considered 'normal' breakfast foods back in the day (late 60s/early 70s), despite all the sugar.
@Dave K. Have you heard of Cream of Wheat? It's a brand name for farina. You can buy that and other brands of farina at Safeway. It's not obscure. I would have had no idea who the Law & Order actor was.
@Beth There are no Safeways anywhere near NYC or in any part of NY, NJ or CT. (Which is not to say you couldn't find FARINA in other supermarkets.)
Beth, I remember Safeway in New York. They sold their stores here in 1961. Some of them went through several name changes and are now Stop & Shop.
@Steve L You might know Dennis FARINA as Avi in "Snatch." "Blagged? Speak English to me, Tony. I thought this country spawned the (expletive) language, and so far nobody seems to speak it."
cREAKYFRIDAY didn't bother me enough to reconsider it until I tried to look up "cARINA cereal." I may not even be able to do Mondays and Tuesdays even with lookups much longer.
Strands! Avoid spoilers, plz, 'til after View All Replies" Strands #449 “Body language” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵 Rather easy today, spotted the spangram instantly. I don't think this is spoiler-y, but in retrospect one answer reminded me of one of our frequent commenters.
@Linda Jo Strands #449 “Body language” 💡🔵🔵💡 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵 I know who you mean.
@Linda Jo I’m sure it’s not me but I almost immediately saw NAMASTE and I’m all about that lifestyle so to speak in which case, I end all my posts, comments, letters, etc…with that term. Anyways, have a Marvellous Monday and Namaste!!
@Linda Jo Strands #449 “Body language” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵 The spanner was the easiest part of this one for me and I had to work pretty hard to work out a couple of the words.
@Linda Jo Strands #449 “Body language” 💡🔵💡🔵 🟡🔵🔵💡 🔵💡💡🔵 I was and remain so lost! First Strands I tried in months and it ended in disaster. I have no idea how at least two of the answers fit with the theme.
@Vaer I meant Lady Morgan, but also thought of Lewis and his practice of yoga. @Lady Morgan Yep, it's you! Took me a while to figure out that one, as I think of NAMASTE as the word of greeting but mudra as the gesture. @John, and @Andrzej Yes, it was a little knotty to figure out some of the answers, but it felt easy to me because I'd seen the spangram immediately. NAMASTE took some noodling, and I couldn't see CURTSEY and KOWTOW for a while because I kept looking for "STRUCK a pose"
@Linda Jo I also thought Salute as appropriate to the day.
The wordplay overlords would not allow my combined comments, as being too lengthy. Thus the 2-part mini-series. I don't fully understand, given the size of some of the novels posted daily. While I'm at it: Too bad for the untimely loss of Dusty Hill and (much earlier) Left Eye Lopes. They could have joined forces for a great Texas Blues-Hop sextet.
I always knew Pinky and the Brain’s brainstem song would come in handy one day (1D)
A bubbly, breezy Monday. I only know FREAKY FRIDAY of the three films mentioned. Of course I’m unaware of the tv programme but it was easily gettable. FARINA threw me; that’s Italian for flour isn’t it? Also Farine in French. Not sure we have an equivalent. From comments here I’m thinking a cross between Weetabix and Ready Brek, though the former come in bricks and the latter is rolled oats.
@Helen Wright I think Weetabix is closer to American shredded wheat, and Ready Brek is oatmeal. Maybe you don't have anything comparable to farina (most common brand names here are Cream of Wheat and Malt-o-Meal) in the U.K.
@Helen Wright Farina is made from ground wheat. You add milk, sugar, etc and heat it up on the stove top. Makes for a smooth creamy porridge.
@Helen Wright @Beth @Heathiej Thanks for that. No I don’t think we do have anything similar, nit that I’ve ever seen anyway. I don’t eat any firm of cereal these days but I was brought up on Ready Brek; a kind of smooth, kid friendly porridge. Horrendously sweet.