28A. Sadly, to call the EPA a pollution-fighting organization is no longer accurate.
@Queenie Land of the free... From democracy.
@Queenie - You speak the truth. There is a similar problem with OSHA, although I suppose one can "watch" a plant without having any concern for its safety practices.
I agree with the request that puzzle constructors stop using the clue “pollution-fighting org.” for the EPA. It’s been just the opposite for almost a year.
@RandallP Perhaps it should be renamed to the EDA - Environmental Destruction Agency.
@RandallP @Christine @Jon Onstot @SBK So where are the folks who complain about political comments, today?
No, no, no, no, no. A thousand times no. I will not tolerate yet *another* constructor who could quite easily be my grandchild, or great grandchild. It just isn't right that such a terrific puzzle is produced by someone who is decades younger than my crowns. I won't stand for it any more.
@Francis pull up a chair beside me and just siddown, old man. easier to bear once youre off your feet.
@Francis Aa long as they don't take away my eye glasses . . .
@Francis Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. This is the future and a brighter view than I would have hoped for. How wonderful to see the next generation pull up a chair at the Xlandia table. You are entirely welcome, young man. Bring a friend or two next time. Forgive us if we murmur at you now and then. It is only our pleasure at seeing the crossword trail stretching into the future.
@Francis But Zach is OK. this puzzle was not full of pop stars, tv shows and sports trivia!
Fun puzzle! [Editor prior to Will Shortz] EUGENEMAL(E)SKA
@Anita When the puzzle was truly a puzzle, and not just endless word games. I do love Will - and wish him nothing but the best - but, I do miss the good ol' days of head-scratching clues! tc
I thought last night was difficult when I decided it was time to put the duvet cover back on the queen sized comforter and warm things up. Whoever designed duvet covers must be a close relative to the genius who made the unfoldable fitted bottom bed sheet. I am 5 ft 4 in. tall now and I weigh 129 lbs., and at 91, flinging myself around the room with these two meant-to-be-together oceans of cloth and cursing the sadist who made them rectangles instead of squares, because when the comforter goes into the cover, they had better be headed in the same direction or I will have to start over wasn't easy. I crawled inside the thing and pushed, poked, and jabbed the lumpy comforter into the corners, crawled out and gave it all a vicious shaking, and it worked. We were warm and cozy last night. I'm happy for everyone who aced this puzzle and found it an easy, fun thing to do. I didn't find it so easy, and worst of all, I have an error that I cannot find. I'll find it, but I have to say, I'm beginning to feel my age, and I see that the rest of this really is going to be a challenge.
@dutchiris It's a KING sized comforter. (See what I mean?)
@dutchiris I saw this hack years ago and I’ve used it ever since! You turn the cover inside out, then lay the duvet on top of it. Starting at the closed end, roll them together toward the open end. Flip it right side out and unroll. It should now be right side out and in place! Here is a video link demonstrating the technique <a href="https://youtu.be/7toJyo7Knvs?si=2PyjC2yRe_UWYeX9" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/7toJyo7Knvs?si=2PyjC2yRe_UWYeX9</a>
@dutchiris "...cursing the sadist who made them rectangles instead of squares..." 😂😂😂 That's why I just sleep in my clothes on the couch.
@dutchiris On the bright side, all that flinging poking pushing and jabbing is actually pretty good exercise!
@dutchiris It’s like chopping wood. It warms you twice!
@dutchiris Good morning! Lay out the cover inside out, buttons at the bottom, on the bed, then lay the duvet out flat on top. Tie the strings, if available, then roll the duvet with the top half of the cover all the way to the top. Grab the corners from the inside at the top, flip and shake out. Voila!
@dutchiris I am sorry that I laughed and laughed and laughed at the sight of you crawling into the duvet cover OmiGod! I do have a solution to suggest to you (now that it's too late, at least for this year...) Q U I L T S. Amazingly warm. Already put together. Pretty. Tonight it's supposed to go down to 21 degrees; I may put the quilt with the wool batt on the bed, but it's a toss-up; they're all cozy.
@dutchiris - NEVER buying the torture device called a duvet.
@dutchiris Thanks to everyone for the suggestions on how to attack it in the future. My own "method" has been to lay the comforter out flat and carefully fold the the sides in until the are a long stack the width of the opening, then slide the comforter through the opening into the cover and unfold it inside the cover. Unfortunately, there are always glitches when the comforter gets creative and unfolds itself in unexpected ways. That's when I must plunge into the depths and sort it out. I'll check out the videos next time (next year). As for exercise, I get plenty of that, but I forget that I'm not what I once was and have to be careful not to launch into projects that will be risky—e.g., somehow I wrecked my knee as I was crawling around on the floor setting up our new TV soundbar a couple of weeks ago. (Much better now, thank god.) @Mean Old Lady - There's already a quilt on top of the comforter. Old folks tend to run cold and need all the help they can get.
What a fabulous collaboration! Congratulations to Zachary on this amazing achievement and to his erstwhile collaborator. I enjoyed this one immensely.
Zachary: congrats on the fantastic debut! And for the gracious Constructor's Note John: Awesome work as a mentor Teens with curiosity, wit, initiative, and humility? Experts willing to share their time and expertise with the next generation? There's hope for us all yet!
... Ah, Sunday. Rest easy in the saddle, 'cause there ain't nothing Out West but blue skies and tall grass . . . I was fillin' my puzzle on a dusty Way Out West-a road, When along came a duo with a long and circle-dotted load. "If you're goin' to win a star, Nell, with us you can ride." IWANTIN with John and Zack so I settled down inside. They asked me if I'd seen a grid with both OHlM and MAR S LAND. I said, "I've been in ALTEREDSTATES before, I ain't no PADAWAN!" I've solved every way, man. MISPLACED and I still play, man. Cussed at grids all day, man. OHIMSOSCARED (No way, man!) Gold stars? I just don't care, man. I've solved every way. I've solved with Whoknows?, Counterflow, Facts? NO!, Missed the quota, Bluff and go, Dang oreo, Wishiknow, Solvedit-sorta, Winme? Ha!, Tight craw, Ooh and awa, No diploma, TAPA?, Pained paws, Need Java, I'minnacoma, Bluster, Fillnomore, Shut the door, I aint yeller! Took apilla, Grindmymaxilla, HotTortilla! Imgonna filler! I've solved everything, man. Should have a gold prize ring, man. Crossed these puzzle squares, man. I SNARLSAT Thursday fare, man. Dang clues I've SCOPED my share, man. I've solved everything!
@Whoa Nellie Yee-haw! Keep going, Nellie.
@Whoa Nellie Where's the emu?
@Whoa Nellie You are amazing! Always excellent, always a highlight in the comments.
I wish this had been a lousy puzzle so I could write "One of the constructors is how old?! No wonder! The editors should CAN TEENS!" Sadly it wasn't lousy. Maybe tomorrow. Ever the optimist. I agree that the EPA clue is, at best, out of touch. What they've done to the agency is a (biohazardous)stain on Nixon's legacy.
@ad absurdum Just to be clear, Nixon didn’t create the EPA out of any concern for the environment. He did it due to overwhelming public pressure. You can read about it in the Bill Ruckleshaus interview here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/william-d-ruckelshaus-oral-history-interview.html" target="_blank">https://www.epa.gov/archive/epa/aboutepa/william-d-ruckelshaus-oral-history-interview.html</a> In fact, Nixon tried to water down the original Clean Air Act, but Muskie won out. And Nixon vetoed the original Clean Water Act.
@Steve I will not take down my Nixon posters!!!!
yet another precocious setter to shoo off my lawn. just kidding. mostly. very good sunday. please do more.
First off: Happy 100th birthday Dick Van Dyke! Maybe we will get a Van Dyke themed puzzle. I learned last night that he played two parts in Mary Poppins: Bert and Mr Dawes Sr. My one comment on today’s puzzle: shocked that it took me so long to get DENVERMINT. Given I live 22 minutes away from it.
@Megan Maybe puns with bad cockney accents, along the lines of the Sean Connery puzzle earlier in the year
@Megan I got it right away only because it came up in the comments very recently discussing the US Mint
@Megan Yesterday, I commented to my wife that Dick Van Dyke now looks exactly like Mr. Dawes Sr. No makeup required!
Got to the party a little late due to a dinner engagement, but thought it was quite an interesting theme, and certainly appeared to be a challenge to construct. Nevertheless, at the end I expected the circled letters to be capalbe of rearranging themselves into other spots to create the correct state names. I was disabused of that idea when there wasn't an O to make a complete Ohio. I realize it would have been difficult or even impossible to accomplish this, but it seemed like the puzzle was asking for that final touch.
@Steve L Sometimes, I'm reminded here of a great joke that I first heard on MASH about someone auditioning for the circus. Conveniently, someone else has posted a clip here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1489091385340929" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/reel/1489091385340929</a>/ As you can see, this takes you into the FB junk heap. Beware! But the clip is delightful.
@Steve L at least the circled letters spelled “misplaced”, so it had that going for it 👍🏼
@Steve L After reading the puzzle title, I thought the letters would be swapped, too. Instead they chose a different final touch, because the letters spell misplaced. I think that was equally difficult.
@Steve L My thought, too. I was waiting for a more wow-able theme. What a letdown that it only spelled out MISPLACED.
I'm interrupting my usual crossword commentary (Thanks for a nice Sunday workout, Z and J!) to pass along a bit of Xmas trivia. Last night, friends and I watched "The Man Who Invented Christmas"...a delightful movie about Charles Dickens and the writing of "A Christmas Carol." It inspired me to read about Dicken's life. There I discovered that when he wrote the novel "Barnaby Rudge", he included a talking raven, Grip, named after his own talking pet raven Grip. Edgar Allen Poe read the novel and it inspired him to write "The Raven." I thought this crowd would enjoy the seasonal literary connection.
Great debut Zachary and a Sunday too! I was originally a bit lukewarm on this theme but I wish I had looked at the changed letters—that really ups the ante in my opinion, because my main objection was that the changed letters could have been anything. That makes an Ok theme into an elite one in my opinion. The theme entries were all smoothly done. I confess I jumped to the revealer when I was stumped by the theme early, and that made it much more fun actually (surprised you knew the movie it’s well before your time). I thought the top was pretty easy but I got hung up later on, my own problems. RAVE before FAVE, RHÔNE before RHINE, HBO before ABC, RUTH before OUTS, IRONWEED before IRONWOOD, PRESS before PROSE, NOBAR before NOTIP, I just got bamboozled all over the place. But I like that. I really loved the clue for OOHIMSOCARED, and “soldiers with long arms” especially with POLEAX elsewhere in the grid. I look forward to seeing more from you, Zachary. (I shouldn’t leave you out John but this is old hat for you, and I sense a young spirit in most of this puzzle).
SP, Zachary suggests you shouldn't leave John out... "John was brilliant in generating thousands of possible theme entries, which we were able to whittle down to nine and a revealer. The meta answer, which I think might be my favorite part of the puzzle, was all John."
First of all, a big congratulations to you, Zachary, on an excellent debut. John Kugelman is one of my favorite constructors, and you are a more than worthy collaborator. [False alarm announcement] for OOH I'M SO SCARED, and [Turns back the clock, maybe?] for REWINDS were two favorites, but the entire puzzle sparkled. I'm not sure who clued SPEARMEN with [Soldiers with long arms], but that was priceless. I originally had Hah for [Like hell!] and laughed when I had to change it to HOT. Lots of unknowns for me today, but all gettable with crosses.
HOLY CATS! A high-school JUNIOR. What an amazing puzzle!
At some point soon we’re going to need new clues for 28-Across and 67-Across, no?
@Eric Carlile Yeah, I'm starting to flinch when I see the suggestion that those agencies are still carrying out their intended missions. :-( Sad times...
I love all the learning opportunities these puzzles provide. For example, today I learned that if you change one letter in a state's name to another, the altered name is gibberish! Who knew?
@Andrzej i might have been emu'ed. or not. in case the same gist appears twice i will use your workaround... your cur mυdgεoη ly remark is MISPLACED here.
@Matt It was heartfelt though 🤷🏽 The gibberish state names notwithstanding, it wasn't a terrible puzzle, in general, especially for one with John Kugelman's input, but I don't get why it's getting as much praise as it is. "Curmudgeon" never gets quashed by emus.
@Andrzej And I love the opportunity provided by this comments section for being exposed to intelligent, thoughtful humor. Today’s theme worked on a couple different levels, but not as thoroughly as one might have hoped/imagined. Ha ha ha ha!
@Andrzej Usually. Not for IOWE. "_____you a dollar"
[One split down the middle, at times] MAGIC( )ANSASSISTANT
Lewis, I that the seed for your next puzzle?
I appreciate the callback to the recent-ish Ebert puzzle. Sneaky little clue that I never would have gotten otherwise, but quite funny! Kudos to the constructors - as a high schooler I tried and failed to compose Times crosswords, and I’m always impressed by those with the gift.
There have been state-based themes before, but I don’t ever remember seeing this clever one. Props to Zachary, who came up with it, according to the constructor notes. I love how the process of figuring out the states – from the length of the gray squares and from crosses – helped get the full theme answer it is embedded in. There was more pleasure in this than just figuring out the theme answer from simply crosses and clue. I also love how in some areas this puzzle fought me, checked my INERTIA. Sometimes it was from tricky cluing, other times from no-knows. I prefer a Sunday with rub, one that engages, rather than simply a time filler. Thus, a tip-top outing, entertaining and absorbing. A lovely activity while GALES are blowing outside. Thank you both!
PPP (post-puzzle puzzle): The 66-down answer FACE ID has two circles, one around the C and the other around the D. Can you think of another answer or answers that can be made with both of these letters changed? I’ve found two, which I’ll post after 3:00, so they don’t act as spoilers before then.
Tough one for me - a really long workout and must confess that I wasn't catching on to the theme at all while I was solving. Had to stop and review after I was finished. No big deal. And... puzzle find today. A Thursday from October 20, 2016 by Alan Arbesfeld. Theme clues and answers: "Supposedly, some Australian birds can participate in the America's Cup," palindromically : EMUSSAILIASSUME "Peter the Great, Mother Teresa and Bob Marley, palindromically" ATSARANUNARASTA "My concealment of that footwear was so unfortunate," palindromically" TOOBADIHIDABOOT "That tropical entry could not have captured first place in the fruit competition, palindromically" NOWAYAPAPAYAWON Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/20/2016&g=47&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/20/2016&g=47&d=A</a> ....
What a wonderful puzzle. Would love to see this collaborative combo again.
Altered States -- classic puzzle in so many ways. And classic movie, too. It's nice this puzzle contains SENSORS, since sensory deprivation is a key element in the movie. And quite a feat, the circled letters in proper order spelling MISPLACED. And for the trifecta coming up with all those unusually flavorful theme answers. Some might find the plethora of proper names a little burdensome, but they're all gettable with the crosses. It holds up. If soldiers with long arms attack a major coin producer, would they SPEAR MINT? Or would they use a pole axe to FLIP A HOUSE over? I wonder how many Ohioans have married Oahuans and had children who were thus Oahioans. Questions like this keep me up at night! On to the GRIDDIES, 2025... As with my previous posts, please REPLY to this with any nominations for favorite puzzles of 2025 below this message. Name of puzzlemaker(s) and date of puzzle required, short description of puzzle encouraged but optional. So please go back through the archives, refresh your memory of good solves and clever themes, and get back to me! This year the puzzle is being run by Eric Hougland Me Marshall Walthew
@john ezra OK here are my Sunday noms. I narrowed it down to my top 5 but added 4 more honorable mentions that I thought were also worthy. 5/25 Dylan Schiff “Travel Bug” I’m sure some solvers were annoyed by this theme (WORMHOLES) and don’t like having to jump around the grid, but it is so multilayered (words associated with “worm”, rebuses, long entries starting in one part of the grid and continuing to another) and was so impeccably constructed, astonishing, and fun it’s impossible not to include it. High on my list. 7/6 Zhou Zhang and Kevin Curry “Escape Room” A polarizing puzzle, for sure, but, in my opinion, a BREAKOUT performance by two of my favorite constructors. Very unique and full of Easter eggs. Reminds me of the lyric from [title of show]: “I’d rather be nine people’s favorite thing than 100 people’s ninth favorite thing.” This is one of my favorite things. 8/3 Jeremy Newton “Heavenly Voices” This “Star Trek” themed puzzle was a crowd pleaser and probably a top contender. I can’t argue it was out of this world with an astonishing number of themed elements that were entertaining for everyone in one way or another. 9/14 Daniel Grinberg “Bird’s Eye View” Arguments on the true transliteration of the Roadrunner’s warning aside, this was a fresh, eye-catching, loving tribute that can’t be ignored. Brought a smile to everyone’s face.
@john ezra (Continued…) 11/23 Trenton Charlston “Second in Command” I said at the time this was a POY contender and I stand by that. Not the flashiest theme (some punny entries where the first and second letters were transposed) but the themes were long and elegant, fresh, and the puzzle was also noteworthy for tremendous accessory fill and clever clues. As a constructor it impressed me tremendously. Honorable mention 3/2 Adam Wagner “Rainbow Connection” Colorful theme (in more ways than one), fun to figure out and solve, with a high level of difficulty but smooth fill. 3/23 Alan Colin Kirk “Where’d You Go?” I’m always a sucker for punny themes and revealers. This one (ITSNOTYOUITSME with the letter U replaced by ME) was fresh, funny, and exciting, with some amazing themed entries. 9/28 Rich Katz “Central Perk” This tribute to “Friends” owed a lot to the Crossword gods for its symmetry and perfect title, but give Rich Katz his due for its conception and elegant construction. Even non-viewers of “Friends” enjoyed it. 11/2 Raphael Musa “Open Faced” Ok, not going to win any awards just because so many people abhor themeless Sundays, but constructing the Sunday grid with the lowest word count in history has got to be at least worth an honorable mention. Personally I had a blast with it.
@john ezra Yesterday, Lewis nominated [7/1 – (Saturday) Katie Hoody] and I thought, Hmm, I nominated two of her other Saturday puzzles, I should revisit this one... it's 7/12, not 7/1 (Perhaps Katie should be Saturday constructor of the year?) And, after reading Lewis's review of yesterday's puzzle, I second his nomination of it
@john ezra For @andrzej and @SBK I just saw your response from yesterday. No I actually don’t keep notes through the year, I am literally going back through the archives and refreshing my mind. Maybe next year I will keep notes, although there was something refreshing about looking through puzzles with fresh eyes
@john ezra I want to do this but I'm away from home and busy (relatively) until Monday. Will Monday or Tuesday be too late? (Sorry, if you mentioned a deadline, I missed it.)
Fun puzzle! Congratulations to Zachary and John on their first partnership, hopefully the first of many.
When the first clue of a puzzle is a Marvel character, followed closely by *anything* from Game of Thrones, my mood sours. Fortunately the bulk of the remainder was enjoyable, the theme easily sussed, and the clueing good. 16 years old. Ugh.
Wowsa -- congratulations, Zachary on an extraordinary debut at the ripe old age of 16!! Constructing, let alone completing, a Sunday puzzle is no small feat -- I hope we see many more from you! I especially enjoyed your constructor notes. Kudos to you for reaching out to John and, additional kudos to you, John, for spotting such talent and agreeing to collaborate! Happy Sunday, everyone!
Well, made this a lot harder on myself than need be--I got the general idea with DENVER M(I)NT, but figured there was some kind of two-directional rebus going on, one with the real state name, and one with the changed one; so I left all the circles blank until the end, then started filling them in with the [A/D] format until I realized -- D'uh! Also figured the circles would spell something out, then forgot to see what that something was. However, the real fun began when, prompted by @MOL's comment, I started investigating "do-rag" vs. "durag." Green's Dictionary of slang lists them both, as well as "doo-rag," and, frosty Elyria, Ohio, "dew rag." <a href="https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/4bg54fq" target="_blank">https://greensdictofslang.com/entry/4bg54fq</a> But which was used more commonly? Well, according to Ngram Viewer, "durag" was by far the more common form from about 1800*-early 2000's, when "do-rag" spiked and surpassed it, then settled down, so that in 2025 the two forms are used about equally. *That is not a typo!: <a href="https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=do-rag" target="_blank">https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=do-rag</a>%2C+durag&year_start=1800&year_end=2022&corpus=en&smoothing=3 And do they do!
@Bill "[A]nyone who has ever worn a durag spells it durag." <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/style/durag-solange-met-gala.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k8.f88p.Zk_zL9MwLexE&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/style/durag-solange-met-gala.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8k8.f88p.Zk_zL9MwLexE&smid=url-share</a>
I enjoyed todays puzzle. It took me a bit because the first theme clue I thought I had with FLIP HOUSES instead of FLIP A HOUSE. But once I saw I OWE YOU ONE I figured out the state theme and the rest of them fell into place. Lots of well worded clues today, only a few nichey proper nouns and all of them with reasonable crossing clues.
Delightful puzzle! Thanks. Lots of total unknowns to me… 23A, 29A, 39A, 40A, 42A, 42D, 51D, 87D. I got really lucky on 63D, as I used to work with lignum vitae. But I’ve learned from a year of these comments and the wordplay column to just keep filling and the crosses and deducible answers eventually permit figuring the total unknowns.
@sonnel I use the mechanism on the computer that allows me to put in things I don't know. It eliminates the puzzle from a streak, but I get it done.
@sonnel Isn't it remarkable how well that works? It's the best method for improving your skills as a solver.
@sonnel - If I want to get the puzzle done, I use Google on fact questions.
Because I had WRAPSUP instead of WRAPUPS, I fell into a 20-min time vortex 😔
Excellent work, especiallyfor such a young constructor. I tend to mix up European rivers and therefore spent way too long wondering what a FORETRAP could be. Oops.
I actually forgot to look for the theme after completing the puzzle, which was tougher than usual, given that actors, movies, TV series, sports slang, etc. , are Not In My Wheelhouse. I definitely admire Zachary and honor John's contribution and collaboration. The inevitable But: Then there was DURAG (which I was forced to alter/enter against my will) because it's DO, as in HairDO. The other painful entry was OAHUAN....which is just awful, no matter what certain argumentative folk might say. When we lived there, it was clear that ehtnic/cultural identity mattered; island of origin did NOT. (We Haoles were in the minority, which was interestingly instructive.) Okay, I'm still behind on Christmas missives, which I will then submit to the tender mercies of the USPS. (Last year we got one card, postmarked Dec 11, in February...) Good day and good luck!
@Mean Old Lady DURAG bothered me too. Our Christmas card got to my step daughter in Los Angeles in 3 days. It’s a Christmas miracle.
I got the theme early with DEN [VER M(I)NT], but it didn't help (much) with the subsequent solve. This usually "irks" me, but didn't today, because the hidden states were done so cleverly. It's amazing to think how many words and phrases can be ALTERED by just changing one letter. I think ALTERED STATES or MIS-PLACED would have made a better title for this puzzle than "Change Locations". Does that count as a nit? So, I judge, "Well done, indeed". I don't think it's necessary to comment on the constructors' ages. A puzzle is good, or it isn't.
@The X-Phile A nit? More like a twinkle in a louse's eye.
@The X-Phile -- When I uncovered DENVER MINT after seeing the title (Change Locations), for a bit I thought all the theme answers were going to be places where money was produced!
Much to my chagrin both ABEL/BASES and CAIN/ACIDS fit at 38-down and 41-across with no other letters filled in and I wasn’t sure of either pair! What a brilliant piece of construction if intended or a very fun coincidence if by accident
@Calypso I knew that Cain was the killer (think 'mark of Cain') and thus the speaker quoted, which meant that ABEL was the brother referred to in the quote. So, BASES and ABEL, not 'acids' and 'Cain'. You're right; it was a lovely interleaving of dilemmas.
@SBK Plus the Springsteen song, Adam Raised A Cain
Nice work Zachary and John! Enjoyed the puzzle (and your Constructor Comments) a lot!!
Was fun guessing the US states and their encompassing answers with a minimum of crosses. However, a MISPLACED effort at the end to TRY to make sense of OOYDAUSAV. Good fun all around. Thanks.
My misspelling of Spearmen as Speermen added about 15 minutes to my time until I found it :). Great puzzle, though!
@Ashley Wharff I made the exact same error. Lots of unfamiliar names for me today, and I went with MIKe on this one. Took a long time to locate that SPEeR misspell.
The moment I saw "Lurk" was the moment I knew we had a teen author. What a great clue
Really? I knew that meaning of LURK at least a decade before the teen co-constructor was born.
I've done about half of this crossword and, for the first time, I don't think I'll be able to finish. I didn't get near a theme. Nothing to do with the construction - just for me, there are so many words I just don't know. Almost none of the proper names, except the river and the composer, and there are a few. It's quite difficult to guess names like PADAWAN, MIKA, NEWELL and YENTE. I looked up a few, like Shaquille (supermodel? rapper?) and I could look them all up, but although I understand about learning new things, but I don't know the names of British TV presenters (not interested) so don't think I'll learn the US ones! Yesterday was a breeze - but not today. Back tomorrow.
@Jane Wheelaghan I sympathize with the dislike of proper names or trivia, but I had the converse experience with which were difficult.* I share the sense that they trip up the experience, though. I suspect some number of these answers must be permitted lest constructing the puzzles become impossible. Could an extension to the Tricky Clues section pick up more of the slack here, perhaps? Perhaps a Tricky Answers list, no extra explanation or commentary needed; just an additional list of the proper nouns, obscure jargon, or crossword-ese that appears in the puzzle, without even noting which clues they answer? *(I got MIKA, PADAWAN, and part of NEWELL. Newell and Mika regularly show up in certain verticals - technology and political media, respectively. Oddly, I apparently recognize Gabe by first name and not full last name. PADAWAN is a title (albeit fictional) and not a name, so it gets a fresh injection into culture with every new Star Wars media release. YENTE has come up before as crossword-ese.)
@Jane Wheelaghan 2 years into solving, guessing the names has become part of the fun for me. On particularly difficult puzzles they become the cheat code in - look up the names first. Plus the inevitable dive down lots of wikipedia rabbit holes. All fun.
@Jane Wheelaghan I am amused at the thought of Shaquille O'Neal as a super model. :)
@Jane Wheelaghan I very frequently do not know names of popular culture or sports figures, but I do know they are names. I filled in MIKE after getting M and K on crosses and knowing it to be a name. But when 10D wasn't working, I guessed someone named Brzezinski might be a MIKA instead. Same with NEAL and NEWELL - I know neither of these people, but happened to know someone named Neal Newell in my younger days, so I put these in as a (lucky) guess.
This puzzle? A true OR(I)G(I)NAL! Et tu, emu.
@Lewis Try some OREG(A)NO.
I found this puzzle at times too easy, at other times just plain annoying.
After you solve 32 down and discover the word that Roger Ebert used 32 times in his review of “North”, I highly recommend seeking it out on Metacritic and giving it a read. So passionate and entertaining. Miss that guy.
For me this Sunday puzzle solved like an excellent themeless puzzle. There were enough tough clues — mixed with many extremely straightforward ones — that I had two seas of white space to fill in towards the end. I tried to grok the theme on the fly but it was just easier to keep solving more clues, having had no clue about the ALTERED STATES while solving. After finishing, I wanted to understand the shaded and circled squares. What I am left scratching my head about is this: Where did the "misplaced" letters go? And is there some pattern to OOYDAUSAV that I'm missing?
@Dan the circled letters spell MISPLACED.
Dan, (1) The "misplaced" letters did not CHANGE LOCATIONS, they were simply misplaced. (2) There was a very funny explanation of OOYDAUSAV earlier in the comments. Look for it.
@Caitlin You were perplexed by the clue for the only prior appearance of SPEARMEN -- 'opera extras'. You would have found many more references by hunting for SPEAR carriers -- a traditional idiom for minor actors kitted out with spears and used to fill out the stage. The idiom appears in online versions of Merriam Webster (with a clearly wrong date of first use), Cambridge (which cites Hansard), and Collins Dictionaries.
@SBK PS The repellently named website below appears to offer a complete explanation and history. I've got no information about the site itself, though, so exercise caution. <a href="https://everything.explained.today/Spear_carrier" target="_blank">https://everything.explained.today/Spear_carrier</a>/
What a stellar debut, Zachary. And John, fantastic mentoring/constructing on your end. You two make a great team. This was really pleasing to solve. Lots of misdirection followed by sweet ahas. I really liked DRUMLINES. If you’ve never seen a drumline competition, it’s truly amazing to watch. There was a movie about it in the early 2000’s starring Nick Cannon <a href="https://youtu.be/2-7Jdip2Pfw?si=eN6F52RCxF2iajhJ" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/2-7Jdip2Pfw?si=eN6F52RCxF2iajhJ</a> Even more impressive is actual schools competing <a href="https://youtu.be/lMRrjliY4z8?si=UI1boTzZ0UpapqDn" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/lMRrjliY4z8?si=UI1boTzZ0UpapqDn</a> My final thought is that CURSIVE is becoming a lost art. My oldest son who is now 31 learned it in school. My middle son who is almost 20 was learning it in third grade in Texas, but we moved back to California mid school year and there was no further focus on it that year on. My youngest daughter who is 15 was only taught her signature and is unable to even read cursive. It may as well be a foreign language to her. I have to “translate” the cards she receives for her birthday and holidays 😆 My goal is to teach her before she graduates from high school 🤓
@Jacqui J I have been shocked at the inability of the general run of kids who can't read CURSIVE; it's not THAT different from printing. (The adults I know who learned in parochial schools have a different "final t" that took a little getting used to when I began encountering it, but even that was not difficult to interpret, it seems to me.) Our son, on the other hand, with dyspraxia that was not identified early, was a whole 'nother hand-writing story. This was so long ago that I had to "invent" a program to teach him 'keyboarding' (I called it 'typing'--so quaint.) The teacher could not get her head around what 'dyspraxia' entailed; she insisted he 'did not know the 100 basic addition/subtraction facts' because he could not complete the test in the allotted time. (He couldn't write/draw 100 of ANYthing that fast...but she refused to test him orally.)
@Jacqui J I'd never heard of drum line - amazing on your video clips. A whole new world! My grandsons, aged 6 and 9, are definitely learning to read and write cursive. We usually start age 6-7.
Terrific puzzle from a creative team. Hope to see more from both of you!
Notwithstanding the impressive debut and excellent collaboration that generated this puzzle and accepting that I’ll forever be on the solver side of the equation, no one is OAHUAN. Once ALTEREDSTATES was in (from crosses) seeking state names that fit accelerated the solving. Had the same feeling as others that MISPLACED could’ve done more work but indeed that would be a trick too far. Well done to the creators and thanks.
OOHIMSOSCARED and its clue are just Best In Class! Good job you guys 👍