I used to prefer amphibians, but now I like wildebeests. Out with the toad, in with the gnu! (Stop me if you've herd this one.)
@Mike I do admire the eland of your puns!
@Mike Savvanahr eight species left to go. Good to see that you're not lion around. When you come up with your next one, we'll snag a giraffe of wine and have a party. (Be sure to be wearing your cheetahs when you decide.)
@Mike DOGgone it, but your puns were RATTLERS. I CANARY BEAR to try to beat them. TOUCAN EMU I guess.
@Mike A variation of your idea: I used to prefer fungi, but now I like wildebeests. Out with the mold, in the with the gnu. Maybe it will grow on you (figuratively, not literally).
Interesting! The puzzle didn't *feel* easy yet I solved it in near record time. It would have been harder had I not remembered BATIK from a previous NYT grid 🙂 One entry today reminded me of when I used to travel around Europe with my parents in the 1990s. Since Polish prosperity at the time did not match Western European levels, we had to stay at campsites - it was all we could afford. Germans love camping and back then they issued a guide to all European campsites. It described the facilities, and the level of comfort. There were also other designations, which we did not understand. Travelling in Germany, we looked in the guide and saw a very highly rated yet affordable campsite on our route. It was designated as FKK, which was explained in the legend only in German: Freikörperkultur. We did not understand what that might be. So, we arrived at the campsite, nestled in the hills of the German countryside, in a truly idyllic spot. It was at the end of a long drive, and surrounded by a 3 m hedge. At first my attention was focused on a very nice Jaguar parked in the entrance area. Then I heard a sound of surprise from my mother. I looked around and saw loads of naked people walking around. It was quite surreal. We learned FKK is the German NUDIST movement, and they have their own campsites. It's considered rude to wear any clothes there. My mother wanted to stay the night in the buff (she was quite free spirited), but friends we traveled with wouldn't hear of it 🤣.
@Andrzej I like you very much. And I also feel like I would like your mom very, very, verrrry much!! 😂
@Andrzej I've heard that staying in nudist places takes some getting used to; the first few days are the hardest.
@Andrzej Thanks for sharing the memory. I enjoyed this a lot. It was a very good puzzle. I love it when puzzles make me nostalgic.
@Andrzej Great story! And you've painted a picture of your mother over the months that makes her willingness to go nudist on the spur of the moment so hilarious.
@Andrzej Great story! Thanks for sharing it. Mine doesn’t in any way compare to yours, but here goes: It’s easy for me to remember BATIK because when my husband and I got married, my sister offered to make us a quilt as a wedding gift. It’s very bright and quite beautiful (I would share pictures if I could). Anyway, most (maybe all) the fabrics we chose are batiks.
@Andrzej We had a similar experience about 30 years ago. We had a lot of friends together in a church campground in the hills between Silicon Valley and the Pacific ocean. After breakfast on Saturday we all drove down to the nearest beach and parked. While the parents worked on unloading the cars of their beach gear the teenagers dashed down the hill to the water. They shortly came back stating that we had better go to a different beach. This was Davenport -- one of the few "swimsuits optional" beaches in California. Oops. Parents agreed. We all piled back in the cars and drove a little south to the State Beach at Santa Cruz and had a lovely day.
Nu, I must still have yesterday’s James Bond lingering in my head. Right away, at 1A, my brain said “Berg. Ice Berg.”
@Cat Lady Margaret Did you get it in one pass through. Meaning once through the across and once through the downs? A rarity for me but I did today. Giggle worthy.
I liked the puzzle, but quite possibly the hardest Monday puzzle I've ever seen. Just to have BATIK, BLINI, and LAPAZ all intersecting each other. And BOERS and SATEEN. Most Mondays I just bulldoze through, today I had like three squares at the end I had to cycle all grammatically reasonable letters.
@Chris yep, thanks for these. I was just wondering where to go with these crosses.
@Chris - same, got stuck on both crosses myself. Hard for a Monday!
@Chris Isn't it interesting how differently diverse solvers perceive the difficulties of puzzles? All your unknowns were my gimmes (I needed a few crosses for SATEEN though), and I solved the puzzle just 48 seconds slower than my personal best of 6 minutes. However, often I've found myself stumped by puzzles most solvers considered easy!
@Chris It always amazes me how individual our reactions are. My thought was, "Easiest crossword I've ever done." One man's meat....
I think this is my first true under 10 minutes solve. I enjoyed it as well.
@Elizabeth Connors what do you mean by "true"?
@Elizabeth Connors Congratulations! It’s fun to see that minutes figure as a single digit, isn’t it?
@Elizabeth Connors Did you get it in one pass through. Meaning once through the across and once through the downs? A rarity for me but I did today. Giggle worthy. The above comment was supposed to go here🤓
Our constructor writes: Surprisingly few clues were changed from the ones I submitted. Ms. Lempel, By this, your 103rd NYT XWP, I would expect you to know what the editors look for in clues. Thanks for the delightful Monday puzzle!
@Barry Ancona I worked for a newspaper for years and never, ever figured out what the editors look for, other than making my life as miserable as possible.
@Barry, Barry, I was discussing your comment with my neighbor, Mr. Wilson, and he said he was surprised that I am surprised that you were surprised that Ms. Lempel was surprised that few clues were changed from the ones Ms. Lempel submitted.
Monday puzzles walk a fine line: too hard, some say; too easy, others claim, plus they are supposed to be entertaining, with supporting crosses to clear up any possible unknowns. This one hits all the marks. Congratulations, Lyyn Lempel, you created a puzzle that we can all enjoy. Thank you for this gem.
I think good Monday puzzles are very hard to write. They need to be accessible to those who are just starting out, but interesting to those who have been solving for a while. This one hits the sweet spot. I found it easy, breezy, but the clues and the solutions were fresh and held my interest. And the theme was original and amusing, but not too tricky for the newbie. Hmm, "newbie"? Could that have found its way into today's puzzle? Thanks, Lynn Lempel, for a lovely way to start the week.
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. They might have their noses turned up (9) 2. Places where it's OK to push someone at school (5)(4) 3. Heat setting, perhaps (4) 4. Kick-starter program? (6)(7) 5. Device for cutting bangs? (8) AIRPLANES SWING SETS MEET KARATE LESSONS SILENCER
My favorite encore clues from last week: [R as in Rolls-Royce?] (7) [Guide for writing a perfect letter] (7) REVERSE STENCIL
@Lewis I’m shurprised that SHINEDSHIELDDELIVERED didn’t make the lisht
@Petrol -- Alas, the magnificent SHINEDSHIELDDELIVERED is not a clue. @Barry -- My week is M-Su.
Lynn’s puzzles are liltingly smooth, with an elegant feel, and filled with lovely touches in answer and clue. They’ve always been, and she’s been making NYT puzzles for 46 years. Mondays are her specialty, making up almost three-quarters of her 103 puzzles. Standouts today: • Alliteration in clues – [Ticker in a taxi], [Flexible Flyer, for one], [“Bald” birds]. • Echoes in SATEEN / TEEN, and ACCRUE, RUES. • Bouncy trochaic trio of BOGO, YOYOS, and ONO. And that “double-O” vibe serendipitously recalls yesterday’s JAMES BOND puzzle. The themes that come out of LL’s bean are catchy and fun. What a marvelous revealer today. I see your name atop a puzzle, Lynn, and I know I’m going to leave it feeling warm, entertained, and richer for having experienced a brush with beauty. As I was today. Thank you!
@Lewis I note the triptych of ACELA, AETNA, and ALEXA. It's a schwa day.
They call Lynn Lempel the queen of the Mondays for some very good reasons. This is her 74th Monday, and the quality, as always, is very high. We haven't seen her work for a while, it's been almost two years since her last Monday, and about a year and a half since her last Times puzzle (a Tuesday), so it's very nice to see one from her again. Excellent as usual, and thanks!
The best kind of Monday puzzle is one that doesn’t feel like a Monday puzzle. This one wasn’t too difficult, but the clues definitely required some thought. It was a skillful balance, and I appreciate the extra effort.
A nice breezy puzz, not too laborious for this Labor Day. A day I hope you all celebrate safely and enjoyably. And if you can make the scene at a local protest demonstration, bless you!
@Alex Barry Oh, your Labor Day is not May 1st? I thought it was the same all over the world. <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Workers%27_Day</a>
In my hippie days, there was a place in upstate NY, probably the Catskills region, called Su Casa. I can't even find it in an extensive search now, but it was the place to go. So I went for the weekend, along with two girlfriends. We checked in and headed for the pool, my new camera hanging from a strap around my neck. I was stopped at the gate and told I couldn't come in with the camera. With all I had read about the place in the Village Voice, I somehow missed the part about it being a nudist resort! Today's 17A brought back that long-ago memory. Thanks, Lynn, for a terrific and entertaining puzzle. Queen of Mondays, indeed!
@Times Rita Perhaps you remember Casa Susanna in Jewett, NY? <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Susanna" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Susanna</a>
Times Rita, There seems to have been a Su Casa in Accord, NY. There is a photo here of the kitchen, but not the pool! <a href="https://catskillsinstitute.northeastern.edu/exhibits/hotels-and-bungalows/ac-fo" target="_blank">https://catskillsinstitute.northeastern.edu/exhibits/hotels-and-bungalows/ac-fo</a>/
This might be my favorite Monday puzzle in a long time. The revealer is so perfect. I’ve a soft spot for this kind of theme. I still fondly remember Andrea Carla Michael’s “way” homophones, with Anchors Aweigh and Ai Weiwei, and that’s been a couple of years at least. I had one minor snag that slowed me down — NOODLE bOwl. Favorite clue: The one for NUDIST CAMP. Thanks for the fun, Ms Lempel!
@Eric Hougland I briefly had NUDIE BEACH. Tsk tsk.
@Eric Hougland Fun Fact: I worked with an older (to me, I was 24) lady back in the late 70s who I thought was a little odd. She was gray haired, smelled of talcum powder, had an eye you avoided because it avoided you, and always said things like "I've been rich and I've been poor, and believe me, rich is better!" She lived in one of the famous hotels downtown, and worked as an editor in the desk next to mine on a top trade magazine in NYC. She, like most office mates, talked about what went on in her daily life, but never her past life. We knew she had a male friend, was and had always been unmarried, and had been friends with our chief editor for many years. That's all we knew. Fast forward to the next century, and the whole world is Googling people they used to know. And there she is... with her own Wikipedia page...Natalie Marcin. Writer of the original Anchors Aweigh. She had been invited to California to watch as they filmed her story, but her parents felt she was too young. And yes, she had been rich. And she certainly knew which was better! How I wish I had asked her more about herself when I had the chance!
This puzzle brought to you by Linda Ronstadt: <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ookPAQ2yJI" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6ookPAQ2yJI</a>
@Steve L A beautiful version and from an album filled with lovely covers. What a shame that she no longer sings.
@Steve L Thanks, Steve. Rex Parker also posted this on his blog, which I always go to first. But it's so beautiful that I'm going to listen to it again. Breaks my heart that she can't sing anymore.
@Steve L Our “Standards” playlist has all three of her albums with those classics. Her version of My Funny Valentine is by far my favorite.
BLINI crossing BATIK is a little natick-y for a Monday
@Cody Hey, you're in Minneapolis.... Cross the river and go visit Moscow on the Hill!! The BLINIs and everything else is divine. If you like martinis, you should probably take an Uber cuz they're amazing! ☺️🪆
@Cody Respectfully disagree: Both are really common words, adopted by American English. Especially BATIK.
@Cody Agreed, it made the NE corner pretty impenetrable unfortunately.
A Pall was cast on the Nudist Camp. Someone had crossed the Neutralized Zone. People shielding their eyes. Offense being taken. There he was, a fully clothed man wandering around looking like it was the most natural thing in the world.
This was such a great Monday. Appropriately quick to solve but clever and not boring. Didn’t realized the creator was a beloved puzzle maker till I checked the comments but it makes perfect sense! Now I am a fan too!
I was off by a letter. LAMAZ didn't feel right but what do I know about Bolivia? I do find that MALLS have a dreary atmosphere.
@Pablo The capital of pregnancies?
@Pablo I'm pretty sure that LAMAZ are a camel-like animal that lives in the Andes.
I'd prefer to attribute human hubris as Titanic's undoing, even though iceberg was the direct cause of its destruction.
Heidi, When I saw the 1A clue and only four letters for the answer, I briefly wondered if we would see a Monday rebus for "hubris." And in a Labor Day puzzle I wanted 29D to be a rebus for "union."
Really?!?! NYT crossword is going to clue BOERS as “Descendants of Dutch settlers of Southern Africa”?!?! Way to “white” wash it. You could easily have clued it as “Dutch farmers” since “Boer” means farmer in Dutch or go further by being honest with something like “The Dutch colonists whose presence led eventually to the Apartheid state of South Africa”.
Byron, Since the puzzle clue and your two suggested alternates are all valid, why would one be more "honest" than the others? Your #3 is certainly the only "political" clue. But you know that. Really!
@Byron coming to the times and expecting any sort of anti-colonial rhetoric is kind of a wash, but I’m glad someone said something. Free Palestine
@Byron Or "Who the British fought in Africa from 1899 to 1902?"
@Byron I totally concur with you! Sadly, I’m starting to think that even the NYT is becoming scared with the political climate and essentially being silent. Silence is complicity! So much for Freedom of Speech which is obviously the First Amendment Right but anymore it seems like it’s only appropriate when it suits the Criminal Enterprise/Cult. It’s becoming one sided. Pretty much every publication is afraid of the Big Orange Bully who is sue happy. Forever hoping and praying for a miracle! Namaste!!
@Byron Sorta like how CHE gets clued as a "supporting character in Evita" but not "Fidel's executioner."
Very nice puzzle but a bit of a frustrating theme for someone who is used to Australian pronunciation 😅
A paper solver I've taken to using a clipboard while reclining. Got to the end of this gem and wondered, "Who did this?". Raised the clip. Ah. Of course. Perfection.
@John Carson Me, too, using a clipboard for my printed puzzles. The clip does usually obscure the constructor's name. That can be good, dispelling dread or high hopes. :)
1a was a gimme and allowed me to settle into the ease of the puzzle. Also enjoyed the globe spanning food entrees. From blini to noodle soup and sea salt to pea. Thoroughly enjoyed this puzzle and loved that I came in almost 3 minutes under my average
@Megan -- ... and don't forget the backward STEW.
Nice and smooth Monday. After the first two and the revealer I tried to guess the next two themed entries; I was close with NOODLEDISH but was off with NOUVEAU RICHE which would have been a letter too long anyway. Another cheeky answer to SOWHATELSEISNEW is “It’s a Yiddish word that can be used in all sorts of contexts” as explained by Mayim Bialik in this short video: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@mayimbialik/video/7242378660068609323?lang=en" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@mayimbialik/video/7242378660068609323?lang=en</a>
I was prepared to be all ‘yes, but we pronounce it neu, not noo’ . But Ms Lempel gave us both. Clever. Very clever. Brava.
A good example of why Lynn is considered the queen of Mondays. A nice start to the week, thanks, Lynn.
Very solid Monday theme, though "nougat" would have been nice somewhere in the grid! BATIK/BLINI might be a bit rough for a Monday. And perhaps the clue for BOGO could have indicated that the answer is an initialism. (Let me guess---BOGO has already earned its word-hood.) If it weren't Monday, we could have had "___-Indian (chess defense)". Nice puzzle, all in all.
@Xword Junkie I'd been planning to come here for an explanation for BOGO till the penny dropped. Had heard of the concept of course but not the acronym and shouldn't it be BOGOF? So then I did an internet search (to avoid the shame of posting that the term was never heard IRL, only to be met with several slightly haughty posts with evidence to the contrary.) Look it up and see if you can get to the post riffing on the Payless Shoe "Buy one; get one half price" promo. Hint: where might BOGO HO take you?
Who knew what a cute puzzle Lynn would create? I imagine we all did. Thank you, Lynn. Happy Labor Day, Crosslandia ☺️
It's a pleasure to solve a construction from Lynn Lempel, and not a New Sensation. <a href="https://youtu.be/KygvdzH0gj4?si=26KTr0z7gV0H76w5" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/KygvdzH0gj4?si=26KTr0z7gV0H76w5</a> Emus, they're Aussies, let them through.
The puzzle was ACES! NEUTRALZONE made me think of Star Trek, which you've probably figured out recently I'm a big fan of! 😂 Granted, there are a other great songs about kisses, but I really love this one and I think of it I think every time it comes up in the crossword, which is fairly often. I don't think I've shared this out here before though. It's an earworm that I never mind!! <a href="https://youtu.be/fHjZQb-kGek?si=B6Fz4l2qfnjm_ZHb" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/fHjZQb-kGek?si=B6Fz4l2qfnjm_ZHb</a>
“Wallops” is a delightful word and a lovely way to add some sparkle to a common clue/answer combination for ACES.
It was the best of puzzles, it was the worst of puzzles, it was the puzzle of wisdom, it was the puzzle of foolishness, it was the puzzle of belief, it was the puzzle of incredulity, it was the puzzle of Light, it was the puzzle of Darkness, it was the puzzle of hope, it was the puzzle of despair. Bravo. Congratulations. Now I'll walk out in a huff.
@Bruce It is a far, far better grid that I did, than I have ever done; it had far, far better clues that I read through than I have ever knew.
Fun and well done! This puzzle is an excellent source of commonly used answers and should be required "solving" for new puzzle solvers.
Oh - one more late puzzle find. NEVER seen another one like this. Really clever. Anyway - a Sunday from June 22, 1997 by Matt Gaffney with the title: "Full-Length Features." All the theme answers were just clued as a film from a particular year. e.g. - the clue for the first one was: 1944 film. And that answer: MEETMEINSTPERIODLOUIS And the other theme answers: HELPEXCLAMATIONPOINT NOBODYAPOSTROPHESFOOL QUOVADISQUESTIONMARK SORRYCOMMAWRONGNUMBER Here's that Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=6/22/1997&g=112&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=6/22/1997&g=112&d=A</a> ....
I like it when a Monday puzzle has a theme!
Good news: virtually all Monday puzzles have themes.
Is everyone up early on this holiday Monday? 100 Comments already! What is a NUISANCE TAX? A "fine" I could understand, but a TAX? Other than that, of course this was a nice puzzle with a number of clues and entries that I never read due to their having been bypassed/filled already... 19A reminded me of a funny bit from a small-town newspaper: An article about a recent funeral included a report, as follows: "Mr. Eaton suffered a broken leg, having fallen into the open grave at the cemetary. The incident cast a PALL of gloom over the entire proceedings."
@Mean Old Lady Might be regional? I know Nuisance Tax but not Fee
MOL, Lots of dictionaries show NUISANCE TAX without explaining it, but see the "usage notes" here: <a href="https://ultimatelexicon.com/definitions/n/nuisance-tax" target="_blank">https://ultimatelexicon.com/definitions/n/nuisance-tax</a>/
I can't resist reposting the "Ode to Aplomb" composed by @Francis and me on Sunday: Francis: I think that I shall never see A word more lovely than APLOMB. Me: ELAN is good. And GRACE is surer. But better still Is SPREZZATURA. [Yes that is the correct spelling]
@RozzieGrandma Thank you. Somehow I missed it in Sunday. Love it 😊
@RozzieGrandma Somehow I missed that! Thanks for the writing credit.
A little too easy? I love an easy puzzle but this one blew my personal best time by 90 seconds... That's NUTS. Across, down, DONE. I thought something was wrong when I didn't start the second pass. Never happened before. Anyway, thanks for the ear worm .. Ebony and Ivory is a good one to have on a Monday ;)
@Jay wow, this was one of my longer Mondays!
Two thumbs up. Always enjoy a Lynn Lempel puzzle and this one was a lot of fun. Pretty smooth solve and the reveal was almost the last thing I worked out. Nice 'aha' moment when I looked at the other theme answers and finally caught on. And a fun puzzle find today. A Wednesday from February 5, 2014 by Tracy Gray. Four theme answers in that one and I'll put the notable string in each of them in parentheses. HELLORHIG(HWATE)R (THEWA)LTONS GR(EATWH)ITE SO(WHATE)LSEISNEW And then the reveal: "Breakfast cereal ... or a hint to what's found in the answers to the four starred clues?" SHREDDEDWHEAT Here's that Xword Info link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/5/2014&g=59&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/5/2014&g=59&d=A</a> ....
ONO, bad news. But no "gnus" is good news. (You *knew* someone would bring up the crosswordese.)
@Linda Jo I would have found it good news if good GNUS made its way into today's puzzle. Nu?
Fun puzzle and a great revealer! But imo the undoer of "Titanic" was the door thing. Selfish Rose. So is dodgeball a common corporate team-building activity? (see photo)
@ad absurdum that answer reminded me of Seinfeld when Jerry would say, “Mr. Alec Berg” lol! Namaste!
@Bill Very nice!! ☺️ I was a very rare five today. Three is my norm, so I was starting to sweat it a bit.
@Bill Me too. Annoyingly the winning word is one of my usual ones; I have three words with the same letters, today I started with one of the others. Today could have been a very rare Wordle in 1!
@Bill Don't remind me of world. My first guess today was the last four letters in the right place. It still took me four.
Instead of “settlers,” why don’t we start using “colonizers?”
Kat, Start? Both terms have been in use for centuries.
Is it just me or does the word MUESLI look and sound disgusting?
Francis, It's just you (and those who recco you!).
@Francis Now that you mention it... But IRL it's delicious.
@Francis nope. Way to close to mucus and I'm not eating that for breakfast...unless I have a cold.
@Francis I have more fun saying it ("Müüüüzzli") than eating it.
Some YOYOs claim that a NUDISTCAMP is a NEUTRALZONE. SOWHATELSEISNEW?
@dutchiris Been there, done that, a couple of times. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I remember years ago, following a an academic conference nearby, when I was persuaded to go to a nude beach for the first time. I felt like a fool still wearing my clothes, so I took them off, but kept on my disguise of picture hat and dark glasses. Then i saw one of the conference attendees approaching relentlessly across the sand—I was mortified. "I didn't expect to see you here!" he said, with a big smile on his face. RED faced, I gasped, "I didn't expect to see that much of you anywhere!" He laughed, I laughed. He went back to his friends and I got teased by my friends. To be honest, no salaciousness there at all.
They had a new gnu at the zoo <a href="https://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/denniscj/newspapers/herald/1935/works/elusivenewzoognu.html" target="_blank">https://www.middlemiss.org/lit/authors/denniscj/newspapers/herald/1935/works/elusivenewzoognu.html</a> Something of an lesser known Australian classic
@Patrick J. that link comes up as 404 Not Found error. I did find the poem <a href="https://allpoetry.com/The-Elusive-New-Zoo-Gnu" target="_blank">https://allpoetry.com/The-Elusive-New-Zoo-Gnu</a>
@Patrick J. My Chrome browser returned a privacy warning: "This server could not prove that it is www.middlemiss.org; its security certificate is from www.cannizaro.com.au. This may be caused by a misconfiguration or an attacker intercepting your connection." Most likely a misconfigured certificate.
@Patrick J. Firefox flags this site as a security risk "lest it rue What ill-doers do."