"Said one 45-degree angle to another, 'You're so acute!'" "Must be a complimentary angle." (These puns are never obtuse.)
@Mike You're probably right. What do a pair of angles get when they stay out in the sun? A co-tan!
@Mike Wanna a five letter word for making three puns? Try angle.
@Mike Could be a slippery slope. "Lets get together. I know it will work out right."
@Mike I came here for sensible people, and i saw sillies!
@Mike Your power to pun appears to be infinite. Sometime you should tell us your origin story.
@Mike Why must you always stir up a rhombus?
Punny theme that did not elicit a groan from me? A rare thing indeed 😀 I liked this puzzle. I solved it in typical Tuesday time, and it offered just the right amount of resistance - it was mostly easy, but there were several pleasantly challenging spots. Personally I perceived the grid as perfect Tuesday difficulty. FALCON reminded me of the theme song from the Polish tv series "Pan Wołodyjowski" ("Sir Wołodyjowski"). The series was a 1960s adaptation of Henryk Sienkiewicz's historical literary epic of the same title. The protagonist, Jerzy Michał Wołodyjowski, portrayed by beloved actor Tadeusz Łomnicki, was a master Polish swordsman, an officer in the Polish army in the middle of the 17th century. For his stature he was called the Little Knight. There is war, love, betrayal, and honor, and the setting is the Ukrainian steppe (at the time, the lands of modern Ukraine were within Polish borders). The theme song, a beautiful ballad composed by the famous Wojciech Kilar, and sung by the actor Leszek Herdegen, describes the steppe as so big even a falcon can't see it all from up high: "W stepie szerokim/którego okiem/nawet sokolim nie zmierzysz/stań, unieś głowę/wsłuchaj się w słowa/pieśni o małym rycerzu" (In the wide steppe/which even with an falcon's eye/you cannot measure/raise your head/listen to the words/of the song of the little knight." PS. In early September we're getting a puppy: a gray standard poodle ❤️
@Andrzej Good for you on the puppy! He or she is very lucky. Can you direct me to something online in which Polish is being spoken? I'm fascinated to try to match how it looks, written, with how it sounds. I have a similar fascination with Gaelic languages. I'm drawn to them in ways I can't explain, other than the effects of a life of vice.
@Andrzej Watch out--poodles are known for their intelligence, and your puppy might soon out-pace you in the crossword:-)
@Andrzej The new pupper will be very lucky to have such caring humans. After our last dog died I swore I was done. Until we got our Shiba. Now I can’t imagine life without him. Except when he’s been exceptionally naughty (chased a delivery van for two miles across the farm land, biting at the tyres). Here’s to many happy years with Lucifer/Luca/Lucian, or whichever name he allows you to call him by.
@Andrzej I am living with my second standard poodle…the smartest, sweetest dog on earth. My constant silent companion. An incredible athlete and natural clown who never fails to elicit smiles. Enjoy!
@Andrzej You have made the perfect choice for a smart, funny, companionable and loving dog: a standard poodle. The one I knew kept part of his AKA registration name, Phipps, which seemed rather formal for a dog who wore a tee shirt and sunglasses sometimes, when kids were playing with him. When there was no one to play with, he invented a game, running in a huge circle, grabbing a ball and pitching it high in the air, while he kept on running full tilt. If he missed, he threw us an embarrassed glance, hoping we hadn't noticed, and kept on racing. Once, when I was having a rough time—feeling really sad and unwilling to talk to anyone about it, Phipps came into the living room, where I was sprawled on the couch,, took one look at me, walked over, and calmly put his head on the pillow beside mine. No slurping my face, nor in any way doing anything intrusive, just compassionate company. I never forgot it, and that was many, many years ago. The angels are lucky to have him now.
@Andrzej Thanks for this cultural/historical information. I have a vague recollection of knowing that at one time the Polish-Lithuanian Empire was the largest in Europe. [Pause for quick internet search] I find that it was called the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth or First Polish Republic (1569-1795). Interesting that it overlaps the colonization of the New World and both the French and American revolutions plus the rise of Prussia under Frederick the Great. (Ominous.) [More reading] Long before that there were the Teutonic Knights and the Christianisation of the Balts and Slavs. You certainly have a lot more history than we have. :)
“An urge to come to wordplay and make provocative comments about plurals, usage, days of the week, cookies, and pretty much anything” A GREED TO DISAGREE
@Cat Lady Margaret, I see what you did there!
@Cat Lady Margaret When editors overdo it? ABRIDGE TOO FAR
Grant, Your offer is the inverse of the puzzle theme. In the puzzle, the clue requires dropping the A; in your offer, the clue requires adding the A. A few more of those and you'll have your own puzzle.
Went through the labyrinth adroitly? AMAZING GRACE Fun one. Got a Taco Tuesday clue in there, too. If there are those who say this was easier than yesterday I'm with them, but don't feel strongly about it. A SCENT OF MAN, that was gold.
Before anything else: This is not Gary Larson the cartoonist. Now that that's out of the way, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Steve, So Amy Ensz is the cartoonist?
@Steve L You know how Andrzej exaggerates. I was simply hoping that there would be a resumption of the solace we all get from the routine of the forum. Or something.
@Steve L, Aw, heck! I was looking forward to asking about that. For a friend.
Very enjoyable Lots of great words IMPETUS, ARDENT, USURPS The STUB / STUD symmetry was a nice touch
What a treat! An excellent puzzle and a chance to tell a Satchel Paige legend. This is how I heard it. No telling how many re-tellings this has gone through. Satchel Paige was a stellar pitcher in the Negro Leagues. He was also a wonderful story teller, and this story is part of his legacy. He claimed to have a lightning fast pick off move, a move in baseball where the pitcher throws to first base trying to pick off a runner taking a lead off first base This was instead of pitching to the batter. He claimed he had a man of first, and a 2-2 count on the batter. He said he made a casual move, and the batter easily scampered back. Then he did a better pickoff move, and it was close but the runner was clearly back on base in time. The third time he used one of better pickoff moves, and it was an incredibly close play at first, with the runner diving head first back to the base. The umpire called him safe. "Next", Paige said, "I made my best, sneakiest pickoff throw". "What happened?", someone asked. "I struck the batter out, " says Satchel.
@Francis Don't know if you saw my reply to you on yesterday's comment about the Negro Leagues. The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum share a building at 18th & Vine in Kansas City, MO. nlbm.com is their website.
@Francis Thank you for your explanation - though I have to say it was still like a foreign language! No matter, I was glad to hear the story, after assuming the clue referenced a 'satchel' maker from a place called Cooperstown, so famous everyone knows about it. Like the famous biscuits, which I looked up, would never have guessed!
@Francis I can't resist adding my own favorite story about Satchel Paige and a young Willie Mays. Willie Mays describing when, as a 17-year-old, faced Satchel Paige for the first time: "It was 1948. Satchel had a very, very good fastball. But he threw me a little breaking ball, just to see what I could do, and I hit it off the top of the fence. And I got a double. When I got to second, Satchel told the third baseman, 'Let me know when that little boy comes back up.' Three innings later, I go to kneel down in the on-deck circle, and I hear the third baseman say, 'There he is.' Satch looked at the third baseman, and then he looked at me. I walk halfway to home plate and he says, 'Little boy.' I say, 'Yes, sir?' because Satch was much older than I am, so I was trying to show respect. He walked halfway to home plate and said, 'Little boy, I'm not going to trick you. I'm going to throw you three fastballs and you're going to go sit down' and I'm saying in my mind, 'I don't think so.' If he threw me three of the same pitch, I'm going to hit it somewhere. He threw me two fastballs and I just swung...I swung right through it. And the third ball he threw, and I tell people this all the time, he threw the ball and then he started walking. And he says, 'Go sit down.' This is while the ball was in the air. He was just a magnificent pitcher." ~Willie Mays Comes Home GQ Magazine interview 2010
Now that was a more Tuesday puzzle. Doable but required a little thought in places; the usual suspects of sports stars etc. The theme was ACUTE one. Still battling Alpaca fleece. The fibres do not want to let the grime go. Is it worth it for the hope of a pair of socks? Probably.
I have nothing relevant to say about the puzzle, but I do need to tell you and hope that you can pass it on to Deb, as well, that both your writing and hers, brings me joy. I always get an out loud laugh or two from the Wordplay column. Not only that, but I apparently have the same type of sense of humor as you, and it always makes me feel included in your community. Thanks for that and giving me chuckles at a time when there's not a lot to chuckle about these days.
What a delightful puzzle!
@Petrol What is it about often grumpy Europeans going into cute mode today? 🤪 It was a great puzzle, sure, but have some dignity, people 🤣
I know this isn't a huge streak by some of the aces here, but just hit my first 30 day streak. Got through four consecutive Fridays and Saturdays. Yay me!!
@Allen Congrats!! Way to go!! And remember that every 35-day streak starts with a 30-day streak, which you couldn't have done without your 22-day streak! So celebrate your 30-day streak!! May it live long and prosper! 🖖
@Allen Wow that’s remarkable! Four weeks of Fridays and Saturdays!
Serious question: Does the American Orthopaedic Society pay the Times to have ULNA appear in so many crosswords?
@Steve was thinking the same thing about Oreos. At least twice per week!
@Steve Everyone knows that the NYT crossword is a mere puppet of the American Orthopædic Society, and the American Council of Bishops! (Serious response.)
@Steve I was fortunate (?) enough to get mine broken in a fight when I was eleven, which made it a permanent gimme. Grade-school tussles take on a different dimension when both of you know some basic judo.
@Steve Actually, these puzzles are constructed with auto-fill platforms that fill in the grid for you based on established digital dictionaries. High priority is placed on four-letter words with 2 vowels, because it leaves the most possibilities for crossing words. So words like ULNA, OREO, ESAU, ENOS, ERIE appear pretty much daily, as everyone is making their puzzles this way.
Can’t wait for a puzzle where the theme is yoko ono sitting by lake erie eating oreos while listening to etta sing an aria accompanied by eno…
Oreo. Amos. I’m buying this round. The cookie jokes walk right into the bar themselves today. Do the gods pay for all the free publicity in the NYTXW?
@JohnWM There is a rule that all American crosswords *must* contain the word OREO.
Nice puzzle, and perhaps skewed a little toward older solvers. It was nice to see ARLO and Janice mentioned, as the strip just celebrated its 40th anniversary. And I was just starting college in southern Iowa when Satchel PAIGE made his 3-inning, 1 hit, pitching appearance for the Kansas City Athletics at age 59, part of the effort to make Satchel eligible for a MLB pension. Thanks, Gary and Amy!
@JayTee Ooh, PAIGE was a baseball name! Thanks! I was *very* confused by that clue and answer, but I forgot to ask about in my post, and it's not covered by the column (Why? What's a tricky clue if not this?)
@JayTee There are so many great stories about Satchel Paige, and that is one of the best. At 59! 😳
@Andrzej Sorry, not tricky for an older American. Satchel Paige is a very famous Negro Leagues baseball player.
sam, i really enjoyed your writeup this evening. it improved my mood considerably. thanks.
Another Tuesday that seemed chewier than usual, which is AOK by me. I saw ACORN… before reading the clue and was looking for “Too tight shoes?” —ACORNSQUASH. I would love to see SPACEBAR clued as “Mos Eisley Cantina on Tatooine?” Finally, not knocking Pulko’s motorcycling feat but what’s the big deal about “solo”? It’s not like Charles Lindbergh flying the Atlantic where you can’t sleep (I assume) or mountain climbing where your team actually helps and protects you. Honestly it seems like it would be harder logging all those miles with someone on your back or in a sidecar. Or am I missing something? Motorcycle marathoners of the world please chime in.
@SP I don’t know, 111,800 miles seems like an awfully long way to travel by oneself.
@SP I would venture to say your clue would have been apt for the answer: A CORN’S HELL.
@SP Second time trying to point out that your clue, “Too tight shoes”, would have been an equally good one for the actual answer, but won’t bother to explain because the emus evidently didn’t like the four-letter word I used the first time.
@SP If everything goes well, solo is okay. 2000 days and 112k miles though ... there must have been some rough spots. That she made it across all seven continents managing the riding, navigation, and human interactions alone is a pretty big deal.
@SP, FWIW, I like your clues better!
@SP I've never heard of her or that journey either. All I know is that is one monumental accomplishment. Me along with a couple of my fellow Harley riders had once decided to embark on an Iron Butt trip. That's 1000 miles within a 24 hour timeframe. Even after calculating the speeds and distances to safely accomplish that, it turned out to be much more challenging then first expected. Simple right? 500 miles out, 500 miles back. Yeah, right.
A really fun theme that made me smile. I caught onto A CUTE ANGLE quickly, which helped with the others, and led to a personal best. I’m tickled to find it entertaining as well as a smooth solve.
OILPAN made me think of my first car, an '82 Honda Civic. My brother taught me how to change the oil myself. It was easy because I could raise the hood, lean in and put my hand on the oil filter. Those were simpler days....not saying better or worse, just simpler. (BTW, it was a stick shift with a TACH.)
@CRTH I remember those days. Even for a non-DIY guy like me, it was satisfying to be able to change oil and oil filter.
@CRTH Tbh, it's simpler to have somebody else do it for you though? I drop my car off at the mechanic once a year, I pay him, and everything is sorted. I don't even have to get my hands dirty 🤣 Still, OIL PAN was a gimme.
@CRTH et al. Back in college, in the 80's, I changed the oil in my (inherited) Buick Regal--once, just to prove I could do it. The problem wasn't changing the oil, it was disposing the old oil.
@CRTH I still do basic stuff like oil, tires, brakes, suspension on cars, boats, atv's, etc. My neighborhood is full of 30 somethings who have a service for grass cutting, house cleaning, fertilizing, etc. I can only imagine what they are thinking about that guy banging around in his garage.
@CRTH, Thank the Good Lord you had a TACH! 😄 Well, thanks to @DocP and his suggestion that I stop driving altogether, I’ve learned the importance of a tachometer for manual drive cars. Still not sure how necessary they are for automatics, which are only about 90% of the cars on the road, and 0% of rental cars.
@CRTH I loved working on my cars back in the day. I would tear down the engine on my old 67 Alfa and put it back together just for fun. Then there was the time when a defective timing belt snapped while I was driving. I glided to the side of the road, got my toolbox from the trunk. Popped off the head, walked to a machine shop and had him straighten a couple of slightly bent valves. Back to the car with a new head gasket and belt and was back on the road. Total time less than two hours at a cost of about $30. Maybe $150 today, but of course any kind of do-it-yourself repair like that would be impossible with today’s cars. I still do oil changes on a car once it’s past its initial 3 years. Imfind it cheaper and faster than having it done.
From SYNOD to SNOOT, this was a hoot.
"Sew! It seams!" -Buffalo Bill I wonder if this is the same Gary Larson who did "Doonesbury".
@ad absurdum I expect you mean “The Far Side.” I was wondering the same thing.
No, David, the OP meant "Doonesbury." The OP is ad absurdum. And no, it isn't. <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Author/Gary_Larson" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Author/Gary_Larson</a>
@ad absurdum I believe you’re thinking of Pierre Trudeau. 😉
@Heidi Isn't that guy dating an astronaut?
If anyone is unfamiliar with the incredible constructor Ross Trudeau, you can check out his xwordinfo page here: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Author/Ross_Trudeau" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Author/Ross_Trudeau</a> and his personal site here <a href="https://rosswordpuzzles.com" target="_blank">https://rosswordpuzzles.com</a>
My Diary of a Crossword Fiend review of today's puzzle: <a href="https://crosswordfiend.com/2025/08/04/tuesday-august-5-2025/#ny" target="_blank">https://crosswordfiend.com/2025/08/04/tuesday-august-5-2025/#ny</a> As always, Diary of a Crossword Fiend covers several puzzles each day — some from major newspapers and some more indie. Come by, rate a puzzle or two, and learn about some good puzzles you might otherwise miss.
@Eric Hougland "Paige made his American League debut in 1948 at age 42 with the team then known as the Cleveland Indians. He’s still the oldest debutant in MLB history." Rookie, Eric. As Tom Hanks might've said, there's no debutants in baseball.
Back when I was into baseball, Cecil COOPer was my favorite. Even though he's not clued as such in here, it's fun to see him crossing the amazing Satchel PAIGE! And, so near to CREW, for my old team, the Brew CREW!! Cooooooooooop!!!! I spent a good many days up in my tree house in the backyard or lounging in the backyard with my little radio listening to the Brewers games. I later upgraded to a boombox because I was definitely not a girl AHEADOFherTIME. Nowadays, I suppose I would be up in the treehouse with a crossword puzzle. And when i lounge out in the sun (which we call butterballing), I am covered with SPF as high as it goes instead of the baby oil I used back in the day!! ☀️ Yeesh!!! Anyhow, fun and fast one for me, but not so fast that I didn't appreciate the theme while filling it out. That's just about that pace I like things at. So did I think it was A CUTE puzzle? Yes, I did! NO LIE!! But also, why does the New York Times keep trying to push eels on us!? How much is Big Eel paying to constantly have them in the puzzle!? Today it was subliminal, but you can bet your bottom dollar it was there! I demand to see the manager!! By the way, I just had to get a new license and normally I look like a seriously deranged party girl from the '80s in them, so this time I tried to tone it down my big goofy smile and poofy hair and now I look like a person demanding to see the manager... Or like an old man trying to return soup at a deli. 🐳🌊
That was delightful! Done in half my average time. I particularly liked 45D [Sewer lines?]. Quite clever. I think the emus need to eat some Oreos though!
Really well balanced with clever clueing and a smooth solve. Easy for a Tuesday.
Very fun and very tight. Clever theme. No foreign languages, sports, or college abbreviations, very few proper nouns, and no “words” that are a bit of a stretch that I recall. Super impressive!!!
Not sure why but one of my favorite words is SYNOD: A synod (/ˈsɪnəd/) is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word synod comes from the Ancient Greek σύνοδος (synodos) 'assembly, meeting'; the term is analogous with the Latin word concilium 'council'. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synod" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synod</a> Loved ASCENTOFMAN and perhaps a generational split between the examples? (Axe=teens, Old Spice=old dudes?). It's interesting that the deodorant Axe' was launched in 1983 but it took until 2015 to show up as an Xword answer, [Grooming brand for "helping guys get the girl]. A lot of talk today about OREO and ETSY but AXE is a contender with 459 appearances. Favorite clue? [Oviform : egg :: dolabriform : ___]
@John Carson Old Spice = pre-Boomers Axe = Gen X So, it's middle-aged dudes and dead ones.
@John Carson Interesting to compare an Old Spice commercial from 1976 ( <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Akoi02B6Ko" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Akoi02B6Ko</a> ) with an Axe commercial from today ( <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haSUkHtYqFY" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haSUkHtYqFY</a> ). FWIW, Old Spice is still producing commercials, at least for their Youtube channel; they still use the "whistle jingle.")
@The X-Phile Millennial here. Axe body spray was a constant olfactory presence at my high school in the early aughts. There was a particularly potent ad campaign back then that implied dousing yourself in the stuff would get you girls. Agreed about Old Spice, though. My dad used it, and he was just barely too old to be a boomer.
@John Carson I also love the word synod! It sounds sort of mysterious and awesome at the same time.
@John Carson I grew up in a Reformed Church and heard the term SYNOD all too often. I like the mention of the word, too, don't know why. Maybe it brings up a vision of Godly men gathering with close spiritual connections to Our Maker in an angelic atmosphere of piety and reverence. It just speaks to me.
In addition to TETLEY, also found in this puzzle [TEA]TREE, S[TEA]MROOM, and ACU[TEA]NGLE. I wonder if this puzzle may have grown out of a grid with a different theme originally
Fun to see my town as a Crossword answer. Home of the Rainiers! Grit City.
@Laura You might already know this song: <a href="https://youtu.be/lT4QMN93g9o?si=-87ZEE91srY7OHSW" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/lT4QMN93g9o?si=-87ZEE91srY7OHSW</a>
ASCENTOFMAN made me smile. Last to fill: the I in PAIGExMIR. I knew neither, but it seemed to be the only letter that would work, and it was right.
Here’s my life: “Daddy, can you give me another piggyback ride” (SYNOD) “Of course. Climb on!”
@Striker That's even funnier for those of us who know you don't have children.
The top half of the puzzle was quick and easy, but the bottom half not so much. It was more fun than the top half because it seemed more complex, but that always varies with the solver. ACUTE ANGLE and ASCENT OF MAN were finished with the crosses before I read the clues, and when I did? Really funny. Genius! Thanks Gary and Amy. Got any more?
I really enjoyed this one. Nice to have the wordplay, even though it wasn't too difficult. The ARIE/GAG corner was tricky for me, there are so many singers I don't know. The taco and Satchel clues would have been impossible but crossers did it. I found it easier than yesterday.
Fun puzzle. Theme was in vicinity of dad jokes so right up my alley (oops). And.. speaking of dad jokes, an amazing puzzle find today. A Sunday from June 17, 1990 by Jack L. Steinhardt with the title "Searching questions." Some clues and answers: "WHERE'S THE STATION?" RIGHTOFWAY "WHERE'S THE SECOND?" BEFOREHAND "WHERE'S THE FINDING?" AFTERTHEFACT "WHERE'S GREENWICH?" AHEADOFTIME "WHERE'S THE PITCH?" PASTPERFECT "WHERE'S THE WAVE?" AFTERSHOCK And there were more. Here's the Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/PS?date=6/17/1990&g=38&d=D" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/PS?date=6/17/1990&g=38&d=D</a> I'll shut up now. ...
@Rich in Atlanta one I reached a certain age, I found that dad (mom in my case 🤣) jokes seem to effortlessly flow from my lips, much to the chagrin of my teens.
Route out? AWAY FROM HOME Government medal? AWARD OF THE STATE Urban flight? ALOFT IN THE CITY Nice puzzle to come home to. My mom is now 96, but quite frail. Had a pack of Selena Gomez (cinnamon creme) Oreos as a road snack. And the local paper up there had a special edition of puzzles from USA Today, which reminded me of the NYTX with emus, Alda, SSN, ekes, yens, bicep, acai, etc. Did I miss anything? Barry was AWOL?
Taco Tuesday...me gusta! Muchas gracias G y A!!
Speaking of comic strips, "Get Fuzzy"(by Darby Conley not Gary Larson) featured Satchel Pooch and Bucky Katt, who were named after Satchel Paige and Buck O'Neil. They both played professional baseball before joining the MLB. Buck became the first Black coach in the MLB.
Had blooperS before GAGREELS (at least until I realized Mars and Mercury aren't bODS ... though they do have god-bods I guess) and REr_n (space left blank because ran and run both fit) before REAIR. Also mistyped MADAT as kADAT and spent a bit trying to figure out a "sewer lines?" answer that fit S_AKS. Yesterday felt hard for a Monday, today felt Tuesdayish but slow (slower than my average even). Hmm.
A little post-solve wikipedia has taught me that Axe® is marketed in the UK as Lynx®, and, until 2002, elsewhere (South Africa, for one) as EGO®. It also introduced me to the term "smellmaxxing." SMELLMAXXING--now wouldn't that be a wonderful late-week entry!
@Bill I'm scent sensitive, so, please, no smellmaxxing. The very word is triggering.
@Bill No. No, it wouldn't (for me). For you...sure. Not so much for those of us who would be complaining loudly here, discussing whether running the alphabet on a single final entry counted as a clean solve, and mentioning post-solve headaches. But then again, if you show up for a late-week puzzle, you have to expect you're going to go down in flames occasionally. I would have reached a certain level of frustration, shrugged, looked up the answer, and gone about my day.
@Bill I knew so many boys in high school who would just douse themselves in the stuff. It seems to be something teenage boys are more prone to. Though one time, I had a (female) boss who was a smoker. She seemed to think she could hide the smell by Febreze-ing herself after her smoke breaks. She would come in reeking of both Febreze and cigarettes.
Maybe the puzzle was AHEAD OF lettuce - peeling off layers to reveal its core 🤷🏼♀️ That’s the best play on words I could come up with after getting back home from the east coast late last night. NO LIE, I was delirious last night after days on end of too little sleep. There’s no place like home 🏠😍 Thank you, Gary (not the Far Side 🤣) Larson and Amy Ensz for a fun grid today. Happy Tuesday everyone!
@Jacqui J as soon as I saw the authors of the grid, I was going to put out odds on how many people would ask “is this the same…” and Crosslandia did not disappoint! My favorite was @ad absurdum 🤣 And welcome back @Barry Ancona. You were missed
Gary Larson and Amy Ensz made a great puzzle. So far one of my favorites for wordplay. I loved all of it. I especially liked 45D. I laughed out loud when I solved it. All of them were wonderful. It was an easy play and didn't take very long, but it felt a little challenging. I really had to think about it and use a few crosses to get to the puns. Making me work a bit for them increased my enjoyment of that dopamine moment. I solved each one with glee. Thank you for a really good time. Looking forward to more from you folks. ✌️
A very fun breezy puzzle, 'punny'! I loved it. (I think the Monday and Tuesday got switched.) Thanks for the amusement!
The clue that hung me up for a while here was SYNOD, as I have not heard of a SYNOD and also I haven't heard of that use of the word YEN, NAGS or RAGS seemed to fit equally, and I didn't know enough about crank cases to get OILPAN without all the other cross clues first. The corner with TETLEY also took a while because I'd never heard of TETLEY and a few of the cross clues a few different things could have fit the space. Overall a medium gimmick and a tough puzzle for a Tuesday.
@Chris I came here to write the exact same thing as your first paragraph. Glad I’m not the only one!
@Chris First ran into SYNOD when visiting my brother in WI in the '70s, where there are a large number of Lutheran churches, and their signs would often indicate with which synod they were associated. TETLEY was a brand that was more prominent a few decades ago, and I somehow managed to pull that one up fairly easily.
@Chris synod is one of those cool/fun church words like nave and narthax... useful in crosswords but kind of niche otherwise!
Serious question to the NYT: Does ETSY pay you to have their store mentioned every other week in the crossword? So tiresome, clumsy and obvious. I’d never heard of ETSY until I started doing these which I guess is the point.
@Gareth The reason you see ETSY, OREO, ARIA, ONO, ENO, ETTA and other words on repeat is because they enable other answers because of the letter patterns or vowels they contain. There are times when the answers that constructor needs/wants to include can only appear by including crosses with some of these "helper" words. The style of crosswords that appear in most US publications contains many answers that have to interlock, so a constructor must use actual names, words, or phrases. ETSY has been used 10 times this year, twice in two months. It's been used 103 times since 2014, so its use this year is only slightly higher than usual.
@Gareth I must finally come clean. I can no longer live with the secret. I am not who you thought I was. In fact, I'm am the consigliere for the vowel mafia. For years I've been accepting kickbacks for getting our words into puzzles all over the US. Now that I've told you this my days are numbered, so you can expect to soon never see The likes of ETSY and ERE in a grid ever again. Ciao. It's been fun.
@Gareth The irony is that Etsy is becoming less of a crafter's place and more of an AI scams and dropshippers one. So if you do end up wanting to buy something there because of the crosswords' influence, be really careful. Even the reviews can't be trusted anymore.
@Gareth A thing I've noticed about the use of ETSY n the puzzle: it almost always appears as an edge word in the grid, usually in the bottom right-hand quadrant. (As opposed to OREO, which is usually sandwiched in the middle of a block.) Makes sense, as E, T, S, and Y are all common final letters for English words.
@Gareth Do you wonder if eels and emus are getting kickbacks too? Just curious! 😏
@Gareth That's on top of their shameful and transparent efforts to get us to read ARLO and Janis comic strips while motorcycling over 111,800 miles SOLO to watch a RODEO! We're on to their ruse!
What a great puzzle. Lots of fun, and the theme entries were the icing on the cake. Only one lookup. I had to change some guesses, but so be it. (My first thought for the far-sighted bird was Eagle, which of course didn't fit. Ahem.) Congrats to the constructors. More from them, please!