Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Near as I can tell, the prank was that the theme is utter nonsense and you just fill in the phrases from the crossing letters.

“The New York Times crossword puzzles will no longer feature wordplay,” said Games crossword spokesperson Aria DiOreo. “It has grown out of date, worn, and will be phased out.” The reaction was swift: “We’re in treble,” said a chorus teacher. “It’s about tine,” said a resident of Grand Forks. “Don’t shout it, please,” said someone, “but I’d like some confirmention.” “I am in great dis-tress,” said someone else who just shaved their head in protest. “Don’t know what to think of this,” said a see-saw. “They never get it right,” snorted Mr. Ed. “Too busy working my NFL football muscles climbing rungs,” said a ladder-day Saint. “Poppycock!” said a chick hatchling seeing its daddy for the first time. (It’s good to start out April foolish…)

What to say? I hate to burst the bubble of these two constructors who put a lot of time, thought and heart into this. This would have been a fine Monday puzzle on an average day. I suppose it was put on Wednesday because the editors thought it was April Foolsworthy. But it just really wasn’t. Cute idea, yes, gave you a second of pause when you had to figure out why the quip wasn’t a quip, but just a second. Oh and let’s circle the letters just in case there was a remote chance that we might actually fool someone, we wouldn’t want that. And in the meantime how many brilliant April Fools tricks have we seen through the years— is there nothing trickier that had been submitted? (Even if it were a little trickier than the average Wednesday?) And maybe a misleading or tricky clue somewhere in the grid? Anywhere? I think by any estimation both Monday and Tuesday were more engaging and Wednesday worthy than today. I’m sorry in the spirit of kindness I really debated posting this, I don’t want to hurt the constructors or any poster who really liked it. But I think I can at least be honest, and if I had created and submitted this and it had been posted with those clues on an April Fools Wednesday I would be very disappointed and would not be hurt by someone saying so.

Driving 1,207 miles to get my youngest settled in to his first med school apartment, I got three straight days of hanging out with by boy. He’s magic, btw. We used Waze for most of it, and somewhere in the final 100 miles he noticed he could customize the voice to his own. As I drove, I listened to one of my favorite voices on earth record the phrases into my phone- “…in half a mile…” “…turn right at the next light…” And instead of saying that I’d “arrived at my destination”, he said, “Now get your smelly feet out of the car.” There’s an audible chuckle as he says it. He still lives in Florida. Now a resident. He’s not moving back. But for five years his mamma has used Waze to drive to the grocery store, tool around town… just to hear his voice. And to his silly voice tell me to get my smelly feet out of the car.

What a bizarre combination of boringly direct, Monday clues and obscure pseudo-theme... If ever a puzzle deserved a 1/10 review, this was it.

Puzzled by the non-quip nature of the theme I had to read Wordplay to learn that there was actually a (very strained) logic to the whole thing. I like a challenging puzzle, but a theme this esoteric that is basically irrelevant to the solve doesn’t move me. I did like the clue for DOGTOY and the mention of Phil OCHS, perhaps the most earnest of the 60’s folk/protest singers, who sadly isn’t marching anymore, having died at the tender age of 36.

I was going to come here to express my disappointment, but so many have beaten me to the punch on this, that I decided to keep it to myself. I hate to pile on. I know that the constructors (and editors?) are working hard to provide us with amusement. And I was going to leave without commenting, when I figured out why I was disappointed. So I had to share my thoughts. The four themers are essentially unclued. You'd need to know the gimmick in advance in order to have some clue, but knowing the gimmick in advance would ruin the gimmick. And because the themers are unclued, the crosses have to be Monday-level easy. But that's not fun on a Wednesday. And then we're supposed to get some satisfaction from realizing that the themers are actually cryptic-style clues to tell you which letter is being highlighted. But we already have the circles; we know which letter is being highlighted. So the cryptic clues feel superfluous. If they were really good, we wouldn't need the circles, but then we'd need some sort of revealer to tell us to look at the themers as cryptic clues. So, the result: kinda disappointing. And had the constructors and editors found a way to deal with all this? It still wouldn't have been April Fools' level tricksy. [Sigh]

Mildly infuriating indeed. Is this just an anti-joke?

"Was that a really important quotation?" "No, it was just a quip on the radar." ("Well, I, 4/1, enjoyed it.")

You know, I pretty much like all the puzzles. Including this one. (“Ohhh, part one of “QUIP”, I get it!”) But I’m sad to have been deprived of a depraved April Fool trick. We’ve had some doozies over the years. Oh well, maybe someone will play a trick on me tomorrow. Here’s hoping!

Even after reading the wordplay I still feel like I’m missing something here… hmm?

The puzzle was so easy and the theme so obscure! Even with a explanation of the consfructors' intent, I did not find the idea or the result "brilliant."

I have to assume the puzzle was submitted with no expectation of circled letters, because with them it becomes… redundant? Or maybe that’s the joke. “You wanted an April Fool’s prank? How about a puzzle you don’t have to solve because we did it for you! And then circled the answers! Hahahaha!” I don’t get it.

I gotta say… I only like crosswords that contain the word EEL. EEL = A MORAY No EEL, no love from me. Today’s puzzle had no EEL. I was bereft. So I changed 41A from ANNE to EELS. Dearest puzzle editors, I shouldn’t need to add the EELS to the puzzles myself! Thank you for your attention to this shocking matter.

And now I can't get this out of my head: "Quick start? Young at heart. Second in line? Pay up front!" I'm looking forward to throwing that into a conversation with a smile and a wink. It sure sounds like it should mean something!

Well, okay then. Here's that Monday puzzle many people were crying for on Monday. And it comes with a theme that you not only don't need to fill in the grid, but you may not want to have known when you discover it. I guess that's fair for an April Fool's Day puzzle. Thanks for your efforts, Jess and Amie.

Well, now I have a 100,000,000 day streak... . . . ...in binary

Dear fellow NYT crossword fans: 1: Today is April 1st, also known as April Fools Day 2: Quoting the Cambridge Dictionary, April 1 is 'when people play tricks on each other and try to make people believe things that are not true.” 3: This puzzle seems to have successfully made us all believe that we were solving for a witty 4-line quip. After filling in Parts 1 and 2, many of us probably expected it to rhyme. (I did!) 4: In the end, we were had! It's a prank! There is no witty quip, just circled letters spelling out 'quip'. 5: Be honest: did you sit there, trying to figure out why this seemingly random set of phrases was a quip? I did! 6: We fell for the prank. April Fools Day in the US is not meant to be a day for funny jokes or stories or even witty quips. It's a day to trick people, and this puzzle seems to have achieved this to an amazing degree. Happy April Fools Day!

I finished the puzzle quickly but even after reading the explanation, don't understand the joke.

I solved this in half my average time for a Wednesday, but until I read the column and well over half the comments, I didn’t get it. Let me see if I understand: the quip was not really a quip in order to make fun of puzzles that use quips? And that’s the “joke”? Sadly, if the joke requires an explanation … well, you know. I feel bad for the constructors though. It sucks when a joke falls flat. Still, kudos for 22A [Bone that squeaks, maybe]. I love that! 🦴

I didn't realize until reading this column that this was an April Fool's Day puzzle. And a nice one it was! A gentle poke at crossword convention that was just right for the day.

As a kid,on April 1st I’d put paper in toe of my dad’s shoes. He always acted surprised. He was a great dad.

In the spirit of most April fools, underwhelming

I don't comment much, but the crossword itself was fine. The theme is a complete dud. I had to read the column once, then the comments, then go back to the column again to get what the "theme" is. Just make a crossword lol

Ho hum. I was looking forward to being fooled, and finding out that’s the joke - no fooling - is a bummer.

Okay, I get it now but I feel like the explanation makes it sound harder than it is. We were just meant to spell out QUIP and every answer was a clue for where all four “parts” of the word were located. I think it was a fun April Fools prank because probably very few people got it but once you come here it makes sense.

I just solved the puzzle, ignoring that there was supposed be a theme or something, and it went quickly for a Wednesday, which was okay by me because I'm feeling too ragged to deal with cleverness unless it's necessary for a solve, and it wasn't. An inside joke? Maybe they should have let it out a little more. Anyway, thanks for your time and trouble, Jess and Amie. It was probably fun to construct, so it had some good to it after all.

The nomenclature of baked fruit desserts is confusing, and often contradictory or inconsistent. Here's a brief rundown: Crisps--fruit below, crumbs on top Cobblers--fruit below, sweet biscuit dough on top Buckles--biscuit or dense cake batter below, fruit on top, may crumbs on top of that. Brown Betties--crumbs below and on top, fruit in middle. Pandowdy--(per *Joy of Cooking*) fruit below and on top, pastry dough in middle(?) although perhaps @BA could clarify. There are also Slumps and Grunts, not to mention all those European interlopers: Clafoutis (fruit in pancake-y batter), various types of Galettes and Crostate, and, of course, the Queen of all, Tarte des Demoiselles Tatin!

I too did not get the significance of the placement of the circled letters relative to the answers until reading the commentary. And I’m still looking for a quip. Thematically, this one is a fail for me, and that’s a rarity.

Props to Jess and Amie for sticking with this for two years to get it right. The rebel in me likes how it parodies quip puzzles because the theme answers don’t form a cogent saying or punchline. I especially liked SECOND IN LINE. The other theme answers directly tell where the circled letter is in that answer, but SECOND IN LINE is more subtle. You gotta think a little harder to figure it out, as it’s not the second letter in that answer. I liked seeing the sing-song BOGIE / DOWDY / INDIE / ASHY / VEGGIE – try saying that five times fast. I loved [Bone that squeaks, maybe], which had me cataloging human bones (and I think I actually have one that squeaks) – lovely misdirect. Also, after filling in CASH for [Alternative to check or card], lovely to see VISA as the next answer. CRYPT, ROUST, and TACIT are words I love. So, much to like for me. This puzzle had a sweet feel, and that’s a lovely way to start the day. Thank you, Jess and Amie!

Pretty fun fairly easy Wednesday puzzle. I'm still confused by the theme, even with the 'April Fools' explanation it seems like a reach. I liked the approach to clues in general, to me the best clues are the ones that are a little misleading but make sense when you look at them in a different way. Like "DOG TOY" as the bone that squeaks. I've never heard of a DOWDY to the point when I had 'Something's amiss' I had to google it to make sure it was a real thing. (Turned out I had ROUSE instead of ROUST).

Boy, this was a rough one. Setting aside the theme, this has some of the worst fill I have seen in a long time. A particular lowlight are the ugly plurals: tams, ETAs, RTEs, Ikeas, OTs, and so on (Ikeas in particular) There's also a lot of just generally lazy, supremely trite fill overall: Ashe (and ashy), Otoe, ores, Anti/Ante, and ahas. I'm surprised Aer and Oreo didn't make an appearance. But by far the worst offense is an answer clued "how __ you?" Anyway, I guess I got pranked by spending my time doing a terrible puzzle.

Monday easy. Yesterday’s puzzle should have been today’s.

This puzzle was bad. Very bad. The theme was bad. Why was this published?

Today's puzzle seemed more like a Monday. Monday seemed more like a Tuesday. Tuesday seemed more like a Wednesday. I don't know what this world coming to. Maybe a week-long April Fool's joke?

Weak theme and not all that clever. Solved in one of the fastest Wednesdays I’ve ever done. Really NYT?

I'm disappointed in this one after past April Fools' puzzles. Of course, it's hard to live up to the expectations you've set year after year. I just didn't find this one all that funny.

Finished the grid without really getting the gimmick. The "Quote" just aint funny. or much or anything. Anticlimatic I guess. Best part of the puzzle was the shout out to Phil Ochs, who died too young and would have had a lot to say (and sing) about our modern day political situation

Today's Midi had a better April Fool's theme. I'm really enjoying the Midis!

I was kinda hoping every answer in today's puzzle would be OREO, but that's probably just me. Nary an Oreo in sight!

Worst puzzle in years. Inclusion of Q, U, I, and P is boring, not a trick.

Wut

(G)OOD one! T(O)o cleaver by half! BU(T) finally, WE(M)ET in the middle. TH(E) end.

Oh brother 🙄

I enjoyed today’s puzzle, from BOGIE thru ATTN. A few groaners but hey that is part of the fun! And I learned the difference between apple pan Betty and apple pan DOWDY. That alone puts the puzzle up in the 95th percentile. And add the terrific photo Sam Corbin found, also Francis quip about the 10 types of people. The rest of the news in this world is a fresh he** daily, and our internet has become a predatory wasteland. But the NYT crossword remains a haven of jaunty goofy amusement. Thanks for that!

Somewhere Merl Reagle is chuckling.

A bit disappointed and hopes deflated for an April Fool's day trick in the puzzle. The puzzle itself was enjoyable, but that was about it. Just hoping that the Artemis II launch will not turn into an April Fool's trick, and that the weather will be clear enough that I can see it from the sidewalk in back of my apartment building. The launch site is 64 miles ENE from my location, but we can usually see the rocket flames ascending from Cape Canaveral when there's a launch.

I was just a little disappointed that GEEZ was clued GGGG and WISE came from YYYY ... But ARSE didn't get the same treatment? Commit to the bit.

I liked the puzzle. I needed the blog to get the wordplay for each letter of QUIP, but that didn't affect my enjoyment. I detest April Fool's gags, but this didn't read like one. Then again, based on the other comments, I seem to approach these puzzles very differently. Paragraphs just to say...you didn't like it. Wild.

Didn't get the theme at all until I read the column :') Loved this one. In my bouldering gym, route difficulty is indicated using a color-coded circuit grading system. A route with a yellow tag could be anywhere from a V1 to a V4 (that's about a Monday to Wednesday/Thursday difficulty range in the average gym). I love this system in part because certain routes can vary in difficulty from person to person. For example, a tall climber who loves dynamic movements will climb differently than a climber with small hands who prefers slow, controlled movement. Each will have their own assessment of route difficulty based on their personal strengths. When I do a puzzle, especially on a holiday, I usually approach it under the assumption that its perceived difficulty may fall within a day or two of today's expected difficulty. Some Mondays kill me (the Latin from last week or so?? woof.) and sometimes I fly through a Friday. Idk. I really enjoyed this one, even if I did finish it pretty early for a Wednesday. I like when the theme is a thinker bc it trains me to think about clues differently in the future. I also really liked all the references to other clues in the puzzle. Yaay Wednesday <3