Aaahhh...don't say its too easy! I feel brilliant! I did a Thursday on my own! Its been a yucky year and this was a win that I needed. Loved it!
@Jenny Awesome Jenny, and same here! Also, a new Thursday best!
Loved this puzzle. My Thursday best. Loved the theme and that I got it quickly. I have to say, there is a lot of grumbling that goes on in this space. And that’s ok. I just know that I am not capable of putting together any sort of crossword; especially one for the NY Times. I love every one of them - easy or impossible. And I am thankful for the folks who are talented enough to create one that will satisfy the editors. Even if it’s easier than most Thursdays. Than you, Kevin! Happy Thursday, y’all!
@Terry I would only add that the constructor doesn't choose the day. Any cross words (see what I did there?) about the low difficulty of the puzzle should be directed at the NYT Games team, not Kevin. He was shortz-changed.
Comments did not disappoint. I have been playing for a couple years and am getting better. Almost solved this one without any hints and figured I’d see snobs complaining about how easy it was. But when I complain about a puzzle being too hard I get a million comments telling me “poor baby”. So I say to all you complainers with your nose in the air - poor baby! This puzzle didn’t satisfy your incredibly high level of intelligence for crossword puzzles? Give me a break.
@Matt Your post probably won't be up for long, but I do understand where you are coming from.
@Matt I'm actually a bit of a haIfwit (I'm not being cute or coy - it's the honest truth), and yet I completed this very quickly. Not a PB, but closer to Tuesday time, and almost twice as fast as a regular Thursday. And this even though I'm not even a native English speaker. It really can't have been a hard puzzle.
@Matt Certainly not familiar with your commenting journey. But if some posts “too easy” or “too hard”. I usually don’t think much of it. It’s just an opinion. But there are websites that provide data collected from solvers. Today’s was “very easy”. With solving tunes 50% less than average. So for people to say this puzzle was easy, isn’t off base. But I doubt anyone will post what you wrote “[this puzzle didn’t satisfy] incredibly high level of intelligence” When someone posts words that sound like absolute truths. Then I usually notice the arrogance of said post. Like, “this is the worst puzzle ever published” or “this puzzle was unfair”. Yes of course. The forum is gonna clap back. In any case. If you don’t come looking for a fight. You probably won’t get one. In this forum at least. But I don’t come here much. But that’s my take.
@Matt I would never criticize someone because they found a puzzle too difficult to solve. That's happened to me many times, especially with Saturday puzzles. I look up whatever I must and finish them, but I know they're not clean solves. What I have an issue with is seeing a difficult puzzle labeled as "bad," when in fact it's just too difficult for that individual. The implication is that the Times needs to dumb down their more difficult puzzles. I appreciate that high bar, and I hope it never gets lowered.
Matt, This puzzle was, objectively, easier than most recent Thursday puzzles, and clearly disappointed many people who expect a more challenging Thursday. Global Stats Difficulty Very Easy Median Solve Time 7:24 Median Solver 50% faster ⚡99% of users solved faster than their Thursday average. 95% solved much faster (>20%) than their Thursday average. 🐢1% of users solved slower than their Thursday average. 1% solved much slower (>20%) than their Thursday average.
@Matt, Exactly. The hypocrisy on this forum is astounding. Keep at it and be proud of your accomplishments. 😊
@Jake G The best way to get better is to force yourself to do it. Initially I would look up all trivia (usually on IMDb, but anything that wasn't wordplay). After spending time in this forum, I kept hearing the phrase "no lookups", so I tried that. My solve times increased initially, but by forcing myself not to look things up, I eventually got better (e.g. doing a Saturday puzzle on a plane with no WiFi). Keep at it!
I (like many others, I imagine) read Wordplay and the comments as part of my morning ritual. I've been doing this for the last two years, and I've grown to be really fond of this quirky little community -- the cheerleaders, the punsters, the grumps, the curmudgeons. This isn't my puzzle.* But I have been fortunate enough to have a couple puzzles published in the Times, and for me, each one is an inherent act of vulnerability. It's me saying, "I thought this was funny / cute / clever, I hope you like it too." I know that not everyone will like each puzzle I make. That would be a crazy expectation. And for those that don't like a puzzle, they're entitled to grump, to gripe, to criticize, to complain, and to be themselves. They're human beings, after all, and we human beings have feelings, which are wonderfully variable. And also -- there are a bunch of human beings behind this puzzle. The constructor is a human being. The editing team is all human beings (well, maybe with the exception of Sam, who just might comes from a different word planet). And these human beings also have feelings, and they are also wonderfully variable. It's easy to forget that sometimes. Happy birthday, Kev! * But the constructor is my spouse. And so I feel a bit riled up on his behalf. He is wiser than I am and so actually doesn't care at all. Isn't it funny how that goes? p.s. This puzzle * was * originally slated for a Wednesday.
@zhousephine Understood, and sorry the editors let him down. Monday would have been the only rational slotting for this work.
@zhousephine Enjoyed your comment and just wanted to let you know that I've really enjoyed your puzzles too, every one of them with a rather original trick. Duck, duck, goose. Looking forward to your next one. ....
@zhousephine I give you and your spouse about a 1000 kudos for commenting in the forum!! It's always good to hear from the creators. You avoided Wicked and 'nene', so that gets an automatic 90 grade just for participation. Cheers and thank you for your efforts.
@zhousephine I learned recently that "editor" was originally the title for the fellow who decided which gladiators would fight each other, in order to provide the best spectacle for the the spectators...and the bookmakers. Today we watched Maximus matched up with a tiro,* and it was over far too quickly. So no shade on the constructor at all. In fact, the consensus seems to be that the puzzle was quite good, just not right for a Thursday. * I have grumped about the term "tiro" appearing in the puzzle, but I also learned that it refers specifically to a rookie gladiator, so I withdraw any and all grumps. (Yes, I've been watching NatGeo.)
@zhousephine Wed. would have been the proper placement, or maybe a hard-ish Tuesday. Those who claim Monday are exaggerating a bit. (Statistics bear this out; not just an opinion.) But the puzzle was fine. Thursdays, though, demand a different kind of trickery. Remember that everyone comments in a vacuum. They generally don't bother to look what others have already said, so it comes out like piling up. One only hopes the editors are reading the comments and won't mess up this way again.
zhousephine, Regarding your: p.s. This puzzle * was * originally slated for a Wednesday. Shades of your story (on wxordinfo.com) about your last published puzzle; editors changing their minds!
@zhousephine Well said.
@zhousephine I think it was a terrific puzzle and since most of these commenters can’t be challenged to be creators themselves, I can see why your hubby doesn’t care. Like you, I am offended on his behalf though.
@zhousephine, Thank you giving us this background information today. We all need to be reminded from time to time that there are many people behind each and every puzzle, and they have feelings, too! And Happy Birthday to Kevin!
I IMAGINE I’m a puzzle constructor. I spend weeks, maybe months on a puzzle, working out the details and polishing the clues until I think I have something special. I achieve my DREAM of publication, and then… All anyone can talk about is that it ran on the wrong day. I can’t disagree, but I have no control over that. I PICTURE people liking it as a Tuesday puzzle, but then I THINK about appreciation being tied to publication date, and how weird that is. I decide to ignore all the negativity and feel proud of creating what was, after all, a pretty good puzzle. Then I start plotting the most devilishly inscrutable Thursday crossword that anyone has ever seen. (Happy birthday, Kevin. Make us eat our words.)
@Heidi I hope Kevin comes back and just CRUSHES us.
@Heidi We can all talk about only that because we were let down by the editors. We wanted a Thursday challenge, but we got an early week relaxing massage in stead. Why should we *not* comment on that, on a comment board? One hopes, against hope probably, that the editors take this to heart.
@Heidi I get you, but this puzzle being way, way too easy for the day is what pops at all of us. It simply cannot be ignored. Against the constructor's wishes (I presume), the puzzle's difficulty became its foremost characteristic because of what day the editors ran it on. Comments happen for a reason 🤷
@Heidi As a constructor I had a puzzle run on Thursday that should have been Wednesday; and that was the major topic of discussion. It didn’t bother me, people had other nice things to say about it, and they were absolutely correct. If we didn’t comment on this I’m not sure what else there would be to comment on because that’s the salient feature of that stands out about this puzzle.
Might I request we lighten up on the "too easy" hyperbole? I mean, this is a creation by a human being, who undoubtedly spend a lot of time one it, who is almost certainly reading the comments. Sorry, Kevin, for the reception you're getting here from some. I am actually embarrassed for the forum.
@Francis Oh c'mon. This was way too easy for Thursday! I'm not even a native English speaker, I'm not terribly bright, and I'm unfamiliar with US trivia, yet I did this slightly more slowly than a typical Tuesday puzzle. However, the editors are to blame - they pick the day the puzzle will run on, and they also tweak the clues, making them harder or easier. They failed us today. Also, I will never get why some commenters, like you here, expect us all to mollycoddle constructors. They want their work published so they must expect feedback, including flak.
I must disagree. New Thursday PB speaks for itself. Easy.
@Francis cant agree with you here. this would have been a decent tuesday. not the constructors fault at all.
@Francis At this point in time I see maybe three very early posts that criticize the contents of the puzzle. The rest of the posters are merely critical that the puzzle was too easy for the day it was slotted, which is not a knock on the constructor, but rather on the editors.
@Francis If I'm understanding you, you don't think it's fair to comment that you think the puzzle is too easy for the day, but it's okay to complain about its construction.
@Francis I hear where you're coming from, but people aren't upset about the construction or clues from Kevin. This was fine and enjoyable as a puzzle, just not for a Thursday. Solvers are looking for a specific challenge on Thursday, and multiple weeks in a row, NYT did not deliver. This is not Kevin's fault. NYT editors should have placed it earlier in the week. I would imagine that Kev has the emotional fortitude to see that the comments are about the day of the week and not the puzzle itself out of context, which was perfectly enjoyable.
@Francis I agree wholeheartedly! The sense of entitlement among some here is incredible. As if they're owed a puzzle which perfectly meets their expectations every single day. And those expectations often conflict. 'Too hard! Too easy! Too much trivia! Too much Americana! Too gimmicky! There was a natick!! There was a rebus!!' From my perspective, I appreciate the hard work and energy put in by the constructors, and end up enjoying every day. I can't imagine the mindset of someone who casually tosses out a 'meh'. Imagine a constructor working hard, getting the puzzle accepted, waiting for the day it's in print, only to find a page of entitled graffiti. Last I checked, this is the NYT crossword puzzle forum, not X.
@Andrzej Nope. It's comments like yours that are flimsy, lacking any merit whatsoever.
@Francis if everyone is saying the same thing…seems like valid feedback. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with giving feedback. Puzzle constructor is human, so are we. We can have feelings…like being cheated out of a nice tough Thursday to work out.
@Francis Disagree with you, for the most part, and you know I try to be as positive as I can. But if there’s any chance of reversing the trend of lowering the bar on these crosswords (which I sincerely believe is happening) it’s through commenting. I think I was fairly kind in giving the constructor his due while pointing out the lackluster nature of this as a Thursday puzzle; and most others were also not insulting. I think it’s fair game and needs to be said.
I kinda wish we had two comment sections. One about the construction, theme, clever clues… (Nice one Kevin! And happy birthday!) And a *separate* one for the droning cacophonies of “What day is it?” “27 seconds. Pb.” “Babies could do this…” I, for one, would skip the latter altogether. Not offended by it, just don’t find it interesting. Happy Thursday all. The Friday of Fridays.
@CCNY I'm often guilty of complaining that the puzzles have gotten too easy, but I'm going to *try* to stop doing that. I'm beginning to bore myself, and those comments don't seem to be changing anything. It seems that a decision has been made as to what direction to take the puzzles, and complaining here isn't going to make a difference. I'll write to the editors, and hope others do too, and if nothing changes, I'll focus on other venues for a challenge and come here for an apéritif. I agree that it would be nice to be able to read comments about clever construction, themes, etc. and not have to wade through a ton of complaints about a puzzle being too hard or too easy, but I don't see that changing. I don't even know if I can alter my own behavior, but I'll work on it.
@CCNY I'm not interested in hearing about times or personal bests or streaks. But I'm also not interested in "I loved it. Give us more." (Or "This puzzle sucked.") The interesting part is when someone gives reasons (or an anecdote). But I'm not the admin, and I wouldn't want to be. And I'm in favor of free "speech". So, when I don't like a comment, I just keep scrolling.
@CCNY Seems like a lot of people agree, so it’s surprising that enough people “like” those negative thoughtless comments that they end up in the top half of the “reader picks. If enough people ignore those comments then the separation would occur naturally. I thought this was a great theme and some sparkly original clues!
This was an enjoyable, well constructed puzzle. That said, I don't think it should've been a Thursday. Pan in the butt? was a fantastic clue.
@Rory I agree with you completely. Sure, it was a little easy for a Thursday, but this was a fantastically constructed and clued puzzle, and I absolutely loved it. “Pan in the butt” had me literally laugh out loud when I got it, and it might be my favorite clue of all time. Top 5 for sure!
Kind of a Tuesday. More themed than tricky. XKCD ref was nice. Homer quotes gives me an idea for a puzzle theme which is a mix of Homer quotes and Homer quotes. Admittedly I'd only recognize one of the two.
@M Let me not then die ingloriously and without a struggle, but let me first do some great thing that shall be told among men hereafter. Like drink a dozen Duff beers in a minute.
@M Not enough spaces for WINEDARKSEA, so it had to be the other one.
This one just didn’t do it for me. The puzzle was easy, the clues were flat, and the trick wasn’t particularly tricky. I look forward to Thursday’s for a thought provoking challenge and this was Monday easy.
@Marshall Walthew Must agree. Often it's more feathers than chicken 'round these parts on a Thursday. That being noted, I respect the craft and the constructor. They'll be another one tomorrow!
@Marshall Walthew Completely agree. I just posted much the same thought, if it makes it past the array of emus. What a waste of a perfectly good Thursday slot.
Geez, people, it's just a puzzle. It's not as if the Supreme Court just gave someone the right to ban clues beginning with the letter D. Sorry. Didn't mean to give them any ideas.
This is a very nice puzzle. Thank you, Kevin. And I did like your 47D clue. I assume this puzzle is running on a Thursday so we can be puzzled that an unpuzzling puzzle is running on a Thursday. Or did it only seem unpuzzling to me?
@Barry Ancona Apparently it was unpuzzling to everyone here save myself.
This had the skill level of a Tuesday and the novelty factor of a Monday. What are we doing NYT? Are we doing baby mode for December and I missed the memo? The readers crave an intellectual challenge for the holidays, not gentle wordplay placation.
@Tiffany Voss "baby mode"....jeez
Oh, what a quirky and lovely concept for a theme. This is a one-of-a-kind that fits no theme genre, IMO. Bravo, Kevin, for coming up with it. I especially like the three theme answers where the first word in the well-known phrase is not a verb – like the adjective THINK of THINK TANKS – but in the repurposed phrase it’s transformed into a verb. It’s a tight set, too. These theme answers are hard to come by (though my nerdy brain had a blast trying). Amazingly, Kevn also found theme answers that fit symmetry. And [Pan in the butt?] for GOAT? Mwah! Spectacular! I also liked seeing the PuzzPair© of EMCEE and a backward TOOL, which evoked MC Hammer. So, I had a great time with this, Kevin. Thank you!
@Lewis I thought it was a typo for 'Pain in the butt'. What am I missing?
@Lewis You always have such insightful comments!!
Happy birthday, Kevin! XKCD is a favorite of mine, nerd humor. <a href="https://xkcd.com" target="_blank">https://xkcd.com</a>/ My all time favorite, which sums up the difference between scientists and everyone else: <a href="https://xkcd.com/242" target="_blank">https://xkcd.com/242</a>/ The phrase OH LA LA (not ooh) is used quite commonly in France. The oh is pronounced like owe money. The number of las following reflect the intensity of the situation, and are always in pairs, like two las, four las, or six las for something that's really quite quite. GOAT for 47D was genius!
@Nora I feel like there was a discussion about ohlala being the French phrase not too long ago, but of course I don't remember the specifics of where or when. So i was a bit surprised to see OOH today. But then, the clue today doesn't really indicate that the French phrase is what's wanted. I find today's clue rather odd, actually, though there have been similar clues in the past. Anyways, I'm just going on a bit about this so I have an excuse to post a link to the Everly Brothers singing Wake Up Little Susie. Ooh la la. <a href="https://youtu.be/iTseFBze0NM?si=iCD4DMKjOt39qKjW" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/iTseFBze0NM?si=iCD4DMKjOt39qKjW</a>
@Eric Hougland Well, the song is from the fifties. And I always liked that the narrator was singing that they would both be in trouble not just Susie. :)
“Something’s Amiss,” said the notification when I dropped the last letter into the grid. I started scanning the puzzle and everything looked reasonable to me. But it turns out that Ray Charles’ first #1 R&B single wasn’t “I Got A Do, Man” ✂️ but “I Got A Woman” 👩🏾🩵 hahahahahaaa Whoops! 😅
@KRB I had a couple crosses, and wondered whether it was "I, Potato-Man."
Some days this forum leaves me exhilarated. Some days this forum leaves me exhausted. Some days I feel completely uninspired. Some days I get caught up in a viewpoint, and can't let it go. Some days I write things I wish I hadn't written. Some days I have a sheepish pride about what I've written. Some days I think I went too far, and can't figure out why. Some days I feel like I made friends. Some days I regret having made enemies. But every day I'm glad I found this forum. And every day I appreciate what all of you bring to it, Even if I bite your head off for doing so. Mr. Curry, I hope this has been a good experience for you, having accomplished something I couldn't do in a million years.
“Pan in the butt” is straight up brilliant.
Deb - I really look forward to your end of week columns, and I'm savoring the last few. I'll miss your humor, and lively descriptions of clue meanings. Happy Retirement!
The clue "Pan in the butt" is a real contender for GOAT... Also, "huggers" for arm?? Happy sigh.... Loved this puzzle, still chortling - thank you!
A worthy Thursday from Kevin Curry, albeit one of those puzzles that could be solved easily enough on the crossings without understanding the theme (as the first few comments show.) I liked the theme just fine! Each of the common two-word pairs in the theme answers could be split into two parts: a verb (DREAM, THINK, IMAGINE) and a noun (synonymous with the words in the clue. So the theme answers had a double meaning, exhorting us to visualize the thing which was clued. I'm sure the Wordplay column explains it better than I did! 😅
I got into NYT crosswords a few months ago - and this one was the first Thursday puzzle I finished without any assistance! It might not be much but it feels like a great achievement for someone who doesn't speak English as their first language. Yay! Happy solving everyone! :)
@MooseOnTheLoose Very impressive! I think the Americans here are genuinely impressed by the thought of solving a NYT puzzle in a second language. I know I am.
This was an enjoyable, well constructed puzzle, and I loved 47D. I don't think this should've been a Thursday, but that's no fault of the constructor. Happy belated birthday to Mr. Curry!
I found this puzzle very easy, somewhere between Tuesday and Wednesday in difficulty - and that even though I only partly understood the theme. I needed the column to get how I was supposed to get the first word in the themed entries. Well, ok... It wasn't my favorite Thursday theme. I miss rebuses! The only thing I had wrong in the fill was ErIc for ENID, but the crosses made me realize I had erred in my guess. It might have helped I recently watched the 2nd season of "Wednesday," with Enid as one of the protagonists. Luckily I'm familiar with XKCD, which must have been a stumper for many solvers. Lucek the puppy (who LICKs us very rarely, unlike Jorge the Lab used to) was at the groomer's yesterday. Since it's Christmas season, they gave him a festive bow tie 😃. I walked back home with him, he all elegant and be-bowtied, me in tracksuit pants and leather jacket 🤣. We made quite the pair. <a href="https://imgur.com/a/Xethdi9" target="_blank">https://imgur.com/a/Xethdi9</a>
@Andrzej So debonair is your pup. Wouldn't expect you to know ENID. I never heard of XKCD, but it was gettable from the crosses. At the risk of being calling an elitist snob, that was the only entry I'd never heard of.
@Andrzej, Wow!! Looking sharp, Lucek!
@Andrzej In that picture, Lucek looks like a 1960's game show host. Very dapper.
@Andrzej The "are they done touching me now" face. Poor guy needs a break. :) Excruciatingly well groomed and dapper lad.
@Andrzej Keep those beautiful dog pics coming! Given the choice, I prefer a shaggy dog, even though it's probably in the pooch's best interests to keep him well groomed.
Happy Birthday, Kevin! Loved your comments and the shout out to your mother. I love a puzzle with a sweet theme that reveals itself slowly to me in a very satisfying way. (Just ignore all those complainers … seems like a lot of the world is getting up in the wrong side of the bed these days 🤷♀️)
I’m amazed to find that the Popemobile goes back to 1929-1930. I had assumed it was a more modern invention that had probably caused a furore when introduced. Indeed, the old-style palanquin, the “sedia gestatoria”, was used until 1978. However, the term “Popemobile” is indeed a little bit newer than the vehicle itself, on the Pope’s visit to the good ol’ US of A. Wikipedia tells us: “The term "popemobile" was first used in English-language media to refer to a custom-built Lincoln Continental used by Pope Paul VI during a pastoral visit to New York City in 1965. After the visit, the car was sold to Fort Dodge, Iowa eye doctor Eric Swanson, who promoted it as the "Pope-Mobile" and loaned it for other uses, including ticker-tape parades for the Apollo astronauts.” It’s a pity Pontiac didn’t get in on the act. They could have made the Pontiffac!
@Petro I was slightly confused by the entry. In Polish the car is called "papamobile," from the Italian "papa." Our word for pope is "papież." I had assumed "papamobile" was universally used all of the world. It was interesting to learn that it's not.
My solving pattern (using no hints of course) Mondays--Always Tuesdays--Almost Always Wednesdays--Frequently Thursdays--Sometimes (Always grateful for the occasional do-able puzzle like today's!) Fridays--Infrequently (With the occasional success) Saturdays--Almost never Sundays--Often
@Phil, my solving pattern is identical to yours! I suspect it's similar to many solvers, but it was nice to see it actually written out. Thanks!
What is going on this week? This was the easiest puzzle of the week, by far. But much worse, the gimmick was trivial and uninteresting. This is Thursday and the puzzle is supposed to be clever. This one one was not. Honestly the theme clues felt as if they had been constructed by a child. I'm sad about this. Thursdays are supposed to delight. Something weird is afoot.
@B The theme was fun, breezy, and delighted me. Don't be a grinch and enjoy an easy crossword every once in a while.
@B Things are back to normal. Yesterday you thought the puzzle was tough and I thought it was fairly easy. Today you thought it was childishly (bit of a knock on the constructor there, don't you think?) easy, and I thought it was fairly tough. I didn't know Edith Blyton. I've seen XKCD but could not remember the series of letters, because as far as I know they're meaningless. There are lots of four letter things dogs do to their owners. And the usage for "OOHLALA" for "luxurious" was new one for me. I've only heard it used as an old fashioned "sexy". I still don't get GOAT for [Pan in the butt]. So I would not have called it easy. But it appears I'm pretty much a loner on this one. I'm surprised everyone found it so simple.
@B Maybe there's a way you can get your 17 cents back.
Super easy. My new personal best for a Thursday, and faster than my Monday average. I agree with others, this should probably have been a Monday or Tuesday puzzle.
@Dave K. I predict there would have been even more complaints if this puzzle had run on a Monday.
@Dave K. Here are the xwstats.com stats: 🌎 Global Stats Difficulty Very Easy Median Solve Time 8:09 Median Solver 49% faster ⚡98% of users solved faster than their Thursday average. 93% solved much faster (>20%) than their Thursday average. 🐢2% of users solved slower than their Thursday average. 1% solved much slower (>20%) than their Thursday average.
First, let's just accept we are all too obsessed with crossword day placement. Since the Weds was swapped with Thursday (see yesterday's Wordplay) and that was based on the testing group, it does make you wonder how representative that group is of the general NYT solving population. But it would be totally normal for there to be a few times a year where even a representative group is just off from the broader group of solvers.
@Mike Yup. 400+ comments, mostly because "it was too easy".
Like many others, TIL...XKCD. It made me question my other answers before filling in the C and getting my gold star. Keep constructing, Kevin, and happy birthday.
6:11 New pb By far the easiest Thursday I can ever remember
Clever theme. This went faster than yesterday, but I didn’t set any records today. I had leaK before HACK and runS before JOGS which added to my time. I never even noticed XKCD because it was filled from the crosses. For those who commented that they had never heard of IMAGINE DRAGONS, allow me to introduce them to you… <a href="https://youtu.be/7wtfhZwyrcc?si=2_iRN-1SHH2NaKYl" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/7wtfhZwyrcc?si=2_iRN-1SHH2NaKYl</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/fKopy74weus?si=f7tNIxtj-lFjhn81" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/fKopy74weus?si=f7tNIxtj-lFjhn81</a> <a href="https://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU?si=IK_zJbCBXU-Hu94w" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/ktvTqknDobU?si=IK_zJbCBXU-Hu94w</a> Happy birthday, Kevin! 🎉
@Jacqui J I've heard Believer and Radioactive, and don't really care for their sound. Too much percussion and not melodious enough for me. Never heard Thunder before, but came away with the weird thought that it could be retooled as a contemporary country song.
The constructor's comment "(1) the ironic juxtaposition of 28-Down and 29-Down" made me wonder if it has a bumper sticker "If the Popemobile's a-rockin' don't come a-knockin'".
@ad absurdum <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/09/new-york-archdiocese-fundraising-abuse-claims" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/09/new-york-archdiocese-fundraising-abuse-claims</a>
I wasn't going there but it's my own fault.
Clever Thursday puzzle. Somewhat surprised that most everyone else found this unusually easy. Was a typical Thursday workout for me, but just lots of nice moments when the answers finally dawned on me with some crosses. And... a repeat of a puzzle find that I posted late yesterday, in case some of you didn't see it. A Sunday from February 11, 2018 by Matt Ginsberg with the title: "Paronomasia." Some theme clues and answers: "Narrow passages for killer whales?" ORCHESTRATES "Fable about smoked salmon?" LOCKSMITH "Help with the harvest?" PHARMACIST "Cloudophobia?" STRATOSPHERE "What brings the rocket to the pad?" MISTLETOE And there were some others. Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/11/2018&g=35&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/11/2018&g=35&d=A</a> ...
That was a bit tricky for a Monday puzzle. Wait, it’s Thursday? Finished in 7:37. My Tuesday PR is not that fast. Good theme though.
Wow. One of the easiest puzzles ever. No lookups, no waiting for inspiration, not that many crosses needed. Oh well. Tomorrow's ... Friday. Maybe.
A twisty mind-bending puzzle is the joy of my Thursdays. Today there is no joy in puzzleville
Let me add that this is in no way a bad puzzle, not trying to shame the creator, it's just not the right difficulty for the day. This would be a great Tuesday puzzle.
Happy Birthday, Kevin! Happy Birthingday, Jocelyn!
Fun, but too easy for a Thursday. Was over too soon.
This was a fun Monday puzzle. Pan butt, indeed! I get why the crosswords have gotten easier (to help newcomers — new subscribers — engage). Not sure what part this change has played in the Times’s subscription boom, and it’s certainly their right as a business, but there will come a point when I likely will not renew since I’m not getting the brain exercise or joy out of the experience that I once did. Just an observation. Out with the old and in with the new, maybe. No problem. There are other sources for challenging crosswords, etc., and many people must enjoy this level of challenge, so good for them!
That was crazy! 11 minutes for a Thursday??!! @Thanksverymuch
@Thanksverymuch I’ve been playing the puzzles in the 1999 archive, and, yes, they are harder than many of the recent puzzles. Maybe playing the harder puzzles is making me a better player? Not sure, but at least it’s more challenging.
Ray Charles' 1954 R&B hit was "I've Got A Woman". Eleven year later, he re-released it, re-titled "I Got A Woman".
@Jan Was that a result of dumbing down the English language? Like omitting the word "What"? And just saying "The EFF?!"
After a quick scan of the comments . . . [quiet pine forest . . . calm lakefront . . . global harmony] VISUALIZEPEACE Clever theme. Thanks. Oh, and thanks for the shout out to XKCD: Second appearance and not seen since 2017.