w|t a fun Thursday puzzle! I |d fun solving it!
I|d a great time with this puzzle. I just thought I'd s|re t|t.
HA HA. (April Fool 2?)
@Barry Ancona April Fools 2: Rebus Boogaloo.
Happy Passover to all who celebrate! I enjoyed this. Yes, it could have been a Wednesday but at least I think the level of clueing today was a cut above what I’ve seen lately, and it took me long enough to get the theme and I had an a-HA moment when I did. Had a lot of fond memories from some of these clues. I went to school in Boston within view of the iconic CITGO sign. I still say NEATO and am a consummate KAZOO player. My daughter in law is from Arizona and my ringtone for her is “Get your kicks on Route 66”. Mozart’s prolific output reminded me of the late Tom Lehrer’s classic line: “it’s a sobering thought that when Mozart was my age…he had been dead for three years”. Anyway I got a lot of laughs from this puzzle, thanks Joe!
@SP Can’t wait to use the Mozart line! But in my case he will have been dead longer.
@SP As part of our Seder tradition, we end the meal with a "necrology" in which we honor the musicians who have died in the past year by singing one of their songs. This year we will be honoring Tom Lehrer (among others), who died last July at the age of 97. It was a pleasure to review his catalogue of songs. So many wonderful memories! My final choice: Vatican Rag. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvhYqeGp_Do</a> I especially like the intro to this version, in which Mr. Lehrer points out that by making the eating of meat optional on Friday the Church solves the problem of having it be "alright for a soldier to kill a man on Friday, but...a sin to eat him."
High props for originality here. I don’t ever remember seeing this gimmick before (and please correct me, someone, if I’m wrong) – these thick black vertical lines, which act as rebuses. You know those rebuses that work one direction but not the other, and cause confusion simply because they only work one way? Today’s thick black rebus lines can ONLY work across. I bow down to Joe, coming up with something new in Crosslandia. Bravo, sir. I also love the theme answers – all colorful, worthy, and all NYT answer debuts. When they turned out to be so beautiful, it added to my appreciation. Speaking of beauty: INKLING! ATISINAL! JOYRIDE! KAZOO! One more thing. I often report on my attempts to guess the revealer after filling in the theme answers, which are mostly failures. But today, my friends, I popped it right in without a single cross. If you tell me that task was easy today, I will not hear you, as I am cocooned in my joy. So tHAt HAppened. A lovely cap to a lovely outing. Thank you Joe!
@Lewis Wow, we really need spell-check. ATISINAL would set off alarms. I almost commited a SIN myself.
This felt like a worthy Thursday. Nice! And in our travels, I just noticed the lovely comments on my looooong post yesterday about my son’s voice on my Waze app. Thanks for reading the whole thing guys. You rock. Wow…
@CCNY I would read that post again and again. My kids are still at home (14 & 12) & I am not prepared for them to be in this world on their own - I know it's coming faster than I can fathom. I hope they still find fantastic ways like this to stay connected when they're all grown up.
Did anyone else have MINI for 64A, and spend 10 minutes looking for errors while glossing over the apparently believable incorrect crosses of PORG(I) and L(M)E? ...no? just me? cool cool cool
@Brooks holy cow, I’ve spent the past 15 minutes trying to figure out what was wrong with my puzzle (not an exaggeration) and finally came here out of desperation - adding rebuses didn’t help, but I thought there must be SOME trick I was overlooking…….. thank goodness for your comment, I finally succeeded 😅😅
@Brooks Yes, but umm...it was a friend of mine. It wasn't me. And only 1 minute.
@Brooks thank you thank you!
@Brooks Yes!!! Thank you; this is my exact problem!!!
Our constructor notes: I created this puzzle thinking it could run on a Wednesday, so I was surprised that they accepted it for a Thursday. Joe, You and me both. Thanks for the fine Wednesday.
@Barry Ancona Wednesday is even pushing it. How long are we going to have to put up with this trend of dumbing down the puzzle?
@Barry Ancona You know I'm one of those who wants puzzles that challenge, but today's puzzle felt (im)perfectly Thursday-ish to me. No reason to complain, IMHO.
It finally happened! Got the trick while solving the puzzle and used that new found knowledge to complete the solve. I may quit Thursday puzzles while I am ahead.
@Kevin D Please don't quit. It keeps getting better. And demand more puzzles like this one.
I enjoyed this puzzle. The clues were pretty straightforward -- [Followers of articles] made me smile -- and there were enough for both the older crowd (like me) and younger solvers. I agree with Joe Marquez that it could have been published on either a Wednesday or a Thursday. To me, it felt somewhere in between. That said, I am truly surprised by the number of people who seem not just annoyed but offended by the laugh lines gimmick. Holy laugh lines, Batman! This is supposed to be a puzzle, not a paint-by-numbers canvas or a fill-in-the-blanks quiz. Part of the fun is trying to figure out what devious strategies the creator has used to make it a challenge, especially toward the end of the week. If today's puzzle didn't work for you, well .... there's always tomorrow.
@StevenR Well, Steven, speaking of Winona: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q131ZJ6YkG0" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q131ZJ6YkG0</a>
@StevenR "there's always tomorrow" Yeah, but it's guaranteed to be more difficult. though missing Thursday tricks.
Jim, That guarantee hasn't been offered recently.
@StevenR That always happens when the Thursday puzzles are actually tricky or interesting. Some people really struggle with lateral thinking and get *very* grouchy about it.
Gosh. That was a good solve. Seeing that I’m solving it on 4/1, I appreciate the joke. A solemn Holy Week and Blessed Passover to all. May we remember and honor the two greatest commandments this weekend and throughout the next year.
Earworm for the day ... IF I |D A |MMER
@Anita I got mine in 5:12 in NJ, Anita Cara Mia
First, welcome to Crosslandia, Sean McGowan. The two things I look for in a good Wordplay columnist is a love of crosswords and a sense of humor. It looks like you have both. I wish you every success in your new position. Second, thanks to Joe Marquez and the puzzle editors for a nice Thursday-worthy puzzle. Thursdays have conventionally(?) been my favorite day to do NYTimes crosswords. I thrill at the excitement of what new trick the constructors will have for us. Lately I've worried that perhaps those days were gone and that there were no new tricks to be found. Were the constructors running out of ideas, or had I just been solving for too long? But today my faith in Thursday is being restored. Good theme, good level of difficulty, good revealer, and, best of all, good gimmick! HA HA! I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you! T|NKS again, Joe Marquez!
Q. W|TWAST|T? A. A fun puzzle.
A lovely theme answer, combining the double-rebus HA, and its suggestion of laughter, would be: - - - - - - - - - C/rlie C/plin
@Lewis-- Nice!! Silent laughter, suitable for a silent film!
@Lewis Nice one! I had a similar thought, that the laugh lines would also be punch lines: T/t's w/t she said. (I'm a little freaked out that my themer had a red squiggly underline until I put in the apostrophe. Nice catch, A.I. overlords!)
What a fun puzzle! I really enjoyed it!! Probably for a first time ever, I got the revealer without any crossings, or at least for the first time ever I was right.... I'm pretty sure there have been a time or two when I put something without crosses in, but was wrong. I did initially think of using the rebus box, but I've learned to be patient and just wait for the puzzle to reveal to me how I should enter. It's like using the force, Luke, but completely different in every single way. Well, save for one way... I mean, I am kind of a hero. If you don't believe me, just ask me. Anyhow, quick for me, but very fun! Kind of wish it could have been a big Sunday puzzle so I could have gotten more LAUGHLINES. And speaking of LAUGHLINES, welcome, Sean!!
@HeathieJ Well, now I have to know in what sense you are a hero.
@HeathieJ I read so many of you folks' that solve on computer, and I don't have the patiemce for it. I like to print it out in the newspaper edition, the way I think crosswrds should b e solved, though I now longer have access to NYT even in delayed editions. Solving on paper I have somed of the same struggles that those who have the rebus function. Have to create that in my own mind. But once I saw where it was going when I figured out the answer was Whale Shark. Even though Batman's cowl; was the last thing I got in filling out the full solution.l
Agree with Mr. Marquez that this felt Wednesday. Decent theme: among all lines (queue lines, gas lines, thin blue lines), laugh lines are the best. It's also nice that each of the themers can be said with an ironic ha ha chuckle: Heh heh heh ... what have we here? Heh heh [kinda creepy] Whale ha ha ha sharks the size of schoolbuses??!! Ha! THAT ship has sailed! Ha. ha. ha. Thanks but no thanks! Just want to say, I appreciate the variety and willingness of all the guest columnists on Wordplay to give it a shot. They've all been high quality spots, some terrific. I do feel like we are seeing that liminal time akin to when Trebek left Jeopardy and we had all those guest hosts, who gradually thinned down to a few contenders. Or will this continue into the distant future just like this? (A question I've been asking a lot these days.)
@john ezra I also am asking how long this is going to continue. Love your sly style
@john ezra A couple of later comments welcomed Sean McGowan to his new job as Wordplay columnist, and decried the fact that no one had welcomed him yet. So I went back to Wordplay and read his second sentence, then later his writing seems to confirm this. Looks like he may very well be the newest columnist.
@John Ezra Isn't Sam Corbin the Ken Jennings of Wordplay?
Yep. A very Wednesday-ish puzzle. The revealer wasn’t too tough, and once you had that in hand, the themers fell pretty quickly, along with the rest of the grid. Fun puzzle nonetheless! Speaking of ships that have sailed, good luck to the Artemis II CREW on their JOY RIDE to the moon!
@Striker I was waiting for Artemis II to say “April fool’s! We’re going to Mars!”
Took me a bit, but I got there. Slowly learning and getting better. I feel I’ll get a clean Thursday solve sometime soon. Enjoyable theme and revealer.
@Ben The clean Thursday solve still eludes me, but I believe we'll both get there!
I love a Thursday puzzle with an innovative theme that makes you think (but not too hard!!!) — just like this one. (When I have to think too hard to get the theme right, a puzzle can start to feel like adding up a long column of numbers.)
Well, as I expected at least one welcome message to our new columnist but didn’t read any, I will end my silence and take the lead to do so. Welcome, Sean. And good luck! The Onion is a piece of cake next to what you will get to taste here. 🧅 🍰
46A/47D was a Natick for an Aussie. Both require a depth of US-knowledge that can only be built up by doing these crosswords, which is what I enjoy. Two new facts learned today!
Dave, I've never heard of the "Holy War" rivalry in college football, much less know which teams are involved, but even if I hadn't been in Mississippi or lived in Alabama or if I forgot U.S. geography, I'm quite sure with EA_T in place I would have come up with EAST. (Natick is in Massachusetts.)
@Dave A more ockerfied clue for 46A could've been "Tradies vehicles".
@Dave Also add in 47D to that section that was difficult for Aussies.
@Dave Ditto for me. I could have run the alphabet but I googled ‘Wipeout’ instead.
@Dave This was almost a gimme for me -- but I easily typed in UTah, and had to fix it to UTES when crosses demanded. I went to Brigham Young University, which is about 40 miles south of University of Utah. BYU is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whereas UofU is a state school. While many students at the U are LDS, there is always a 'church vs. state' tilt to the rivalry that goes back 100 years.
@Dave I finally remembered 68A without having to look it up yet again. So fun fact at last learned here. Maybe.
This was such a fun Thursday puzzle! Thank you!
"Knock, knock. It’s your newest Wordplay columnist, Sean McGowan." If indeed Sean McGowan is the (or a?) new Wordplay columnist rather than the latest guest columnist, I would have expected somebody higher up on (what used to be called) the masthead to introduce him. But I'm an old fog(e)y who started newspapering with typewriters and hot metal.
@Barry Ancona It's like the first day of the new schoolyear at Hogwarts. "I'll be your Defence Against the Dark Arts professor." "Wait, what happened to the old DAtDAP? Has she been consigned to Azkaban?!?"
@Barry Ancona If you click on his byline in the column, it takes you to his (auto-)bio, which states, "You can find me demystifying The Times’s late-week crosswords in the daily Wordplay column or contributing to the weekly Gameplay newsletter." Sounds like he's more than a guest columnist.
The X-Phile, That amplifies my point about expectations.
Clutch Cargo, Not quite. Did you miss that Deb Amlen had retired?
@Barry A -- I've heard you claim you started newspapering with a chisel and stone tablet. I think you should get your stories straight, shrdntlu?
Lost a couple minutes for misspelling artisInal, and lImp didn’t stand out as a mistake. Great puzzle!
Should have allowed you to put the "HA" in literally as a rebus, in my opinion. I spent far too long with the puzzle correctly sussed, but not acknowledged.
@Lou Scheffer But then the “laugh lines” wouldn’t represent “ha.”
@Lou Scheffer What Lin said, plus then the group of letters would have to work with the downs, which they clearly don't.
@Lou Scheffer Nope. Totally different puzzle and theme then.
This puzzle made me chortle when all was filled and done. Some cluing, like in the northeast corner, initially seemed disappointingly basic but turned out to be anything but given the surfeit of possibilities before any toeholds. For 12D, for example I started with DROVE, switched to IRATE (which worked with OMAR) and only settled on IRKED when it became clear that 18A's "Jerk" was not looking for an insult. Similar instances throughout. And while it's true that I would give her a kidney if she were to need and ask for one - and maybe even if she just wanted one for kicks, so slavishly am I devoted to her mind - and that I look for her influence everywhere, I defy anyone to tell me that 9D and 31A were not well and truly Weintraubianly clued. On the other hand, the recent spate of late-week gimmes gave us 28A "Bungee jumping requirement" = CORD (that was a stretch!) and 14A "Team behind the cameras" = CREW (Monday wants its ball back), so there's some simple clueing which actually was just that. And my next and oft-trotted-out quibble, shared by many among you, is the word-salad products of the gimmick. Real live vocables between the end zones always make for wor(l)ds more elegant fields of play. In the end, I think, altogether more of a JOYRIDE Thursday grid than many have been of late. So, thanks setitors and pardon my portmanteau.
Not much of a c/llenge, but it did make me laugh.
If you click onSean McGowan’s byline, this is his description: “I’m a writer for The New York Times’s Games team. I contribute to the Wordplay column and the Gameplay newsletter. What I Cover I write about games in all forms, though I specialize in crosswords and other language puzzles. You can find me demystifying The Times’s late-week crosswords in the daily Wordplay column or contributing to the weekly Gameplay newsletter. My Background I’m a comedy and games writer who joined The Times in 2026. I’ve contributed headlines and jokes to satirical news outlets like The Onion and ClickHole, and penned humor pieces for The New Yorker’s Shouts and Murmurs. In addition to covering games, I’ve written a few myself. I’ve served on editorial teams for video game developers, board game companies and online chess apps. I also construct my own crosswords and variety puzzles. For me, there’s nothing more satisfying than popping open the hood of a puzzle, joke or game to discover its mechanics. I suspect that curiosity is what led me to earn a B.S. in electrical engineering from Penn State, though I’ve since swapped wires for words. They’re generally safer.”
I've been known to complain about a Thursday puzzle now and then, but no complaints today. I liked it.
What a fun puzzle! Once I got the revealer, it was smooth sailing. So much fun, fresh fill, too. I personally enjoyed INKLING, which brought to mind Tolkien and Lewis’s literary group, the Inklings.
27D made me smile. When I was a small child and didn’t know all the rules, I liked going to the 0223 gas station.
This Thursday puzzle was the epitome of what seems to be becoming the new normal. It was clever and fun, but ultimately not particularly challenging. I enjoyed solving it, but I long for more.
@Marshall Walthew Even the constructor thought it was Wednesday level...
Was I having fun yet? Quite the opposite. So I skipped down to the revealer clue, which was no help at all. The only answer I could come up with was CREASES and that solved exactly nothing. I would have to soldier on and get the actual answer, wouldn't I? It was sort of clear what each theme answer was meant to be -- but it was not at all clear how to get there. At least not to me. But when LAUGH LINES finally came in, it was a relief. At first I tried to insert the word LAUGH. Silly girl! But as soon as I thought of HAHA, the scales dropped from my eyes. It all worked!! It all made sense!! For me, this was a puzzle that was an annoying and perplexing slog before I understood the gimmick and became quite enjoyable once I did. The gibberish-y nature of the grid fill-ins was sort of unpleasant, actually. The Aha Moment was really nice, though. I never know exactly HOW I feel about puzzles like this. They're a mixed bag for me.
@Nancy The transition from confusion to a-HA. Some call it "epiphany". I suggest you learn to love it.
Really liked the theme on this one, fun! WHALE SHARKS especially. I thought, oh cool, PODS is next to WHALE but then remembered a group of SHARKS is a shiver. ELS is close enough to EELS. And INKLING is fab fill that evokes OCTOPI.
@Becky INKLING sounds like something you could call someone with tattoos, or maybe just a tiny tattoo. Octopi evokes pulpo gallego which I just might have for lunch tomorrow! You however might like the calamares en su tinta if INK is your thing.
Nice one! Once I HAd the HAng of it, it fell into place.
Decent puzzle; the theme was fairly easy to figure out. My personal pet peeve though is when there's two crossing American-focused clues that can't really be deduced, like UTES and TBS. The T was the last square I filled out which I only did by trying every letter on the keyboard
What do we hope to gain by writing some words about the daily crossword? For me, it's sometimes an impulse to provide feedback on aspects of puzzles that I find objectionable, in the no doubt vain hope that someone at NYT will listen; or that at least someone else will say "yes, I share that objection." Whenever I have posted such a critique, I face now-predictable responses: "if you don't like it, you're incompetent." "You are too gloomy." "Only positive comments are welcome." "You don't *get* it." "You are in the minority and therefore not worth hearing from." Disheartening. Like being in a family, saying that you don't like the meatloaf, and being told that don't have the wit to understand meatloaf, so go live somewhere else. (The dish, not the musical artist) Today, I am hoping for better. Any respondents: please consider that disagreeing with my position does not mean I deserve a lecture in the history of crosswords or the nature of Thursdays. My objection is, once again, that the NYT has moved in the past decade to gimmicks that cost too much in terms of puzzle integrity. A completed puzzle with "WTVEWEHERE" "WLESERKS" looks utterly absurd, as though the emperor is wearing no clothing and we're not allowed to say so -- because this is all justified by the "laugh lines" key. It just isn't, for me. There are lines, I'm supposed to substitute "ha"when I see one. Got it. It's still absurd. The integrity of the crossword is being sacrificed to an unfunny gimmick.
@Asher B. Goodness. Tomorrow is another day.
@Asher B. - I have literally never, not once, in many years here, seen most of the comments you claim to have seen posted here (for example, "only positive comments are welcome"). If you truly have a valid point, how about posting truthfully, rather than making up straw-man arguments about comments that have never been made? On the other hand, I have seen many, many ridiculous comments saying things like "nobody ever says that" (about a crossword entry that I and other have used and heard many times) or "that is not a word" (about a term that is in all dictionaries) or "Do better" (from someone who should take their own advice). You seem to believe that YOU are allowed to voice your criticisms, however ridiculous and invalid, but nobody is allowed to rebut your criticisms. Sorry, that is not how life works. FYI, many of us have also criticized the puzzles recently -- most because they're being dumbed down to the point where they are often completely unchallenging to all but the most novice of solvers. THAT is something worth complaining about.
@Asher B. I don't think I have ever seen anyone make such comments as "if you don't like it, you're incompetent." "You are too gloomy." [maybe, but only to Andrzej. ;) ] "Only positive comments are welcome." "You are in the minority and therefore not worth hearing from." Frankly if I saw those comments I'd probably flag them. I have heard "You don't *get* it" although it's usually more like "I think you're missing the point". You got it, you just didn't like it. You're allowed. I agree with those who feel the puzzle is being dumbed down, often easier than I'd like. I don't agree that the tricks (what you call gimmicks) are affecting puzzle integrity. We can agree to disagree. See you tomorrow.
@Asher B. As you are moved to comment on puzzles you don't like, I am moved to comment on commenters I disagree with. What I disagree with most in your comment is your desire to pre-empt criticisms of your criticism. What I disagree with next is the tension, if not contradiction, between your desire to have an influence on future puzzles with your (apparent) disregard for the opinions of your fellow puzzle solvers. I criticize puzzles often; indeed, I criticized yesterday's puzzle, and many others here are famous for their difficulty in being pleased by the day's puzzle. But I don't tell anyone how they should respond to my criticism. In conclusion, I disagree with your conclusions. I found the gimmick fun and original. You have every right to say that this puzzle is not for you. It is absurd, however, to go on to say that the "integrity" of the puzzle is being "sacrificed", especially in light of the number of comments which disagree with your conclusion. I'm sorry if this interferes with your hope for a better reception.
@Asher B. Hey! You’ve definitely ruffled some feathers here, but as the saying goes: “a hit dog will holler.” Unfortunately this space is not a place for discussion or critique, and many regulars here will be quick to correct any Wrong Think they detect. It’s sad, but these are NYT devotees who spend every day on these forums, so to push back and criticize something they hold so dear means an attack directly on them. Sorry that you’ve hit the hornet’s nest and they’ve now come swarming. I too think that the puzzles sometimes rely too much on gimmicks and gags over strong cluing and interesting fill, and I said as much in my own response to today’s puzzle earlier. While I appreciated today’s gimmick, I don’t think the leftovers should be nonsense words. Feel free to keep commenting and voicing your opinions, and take the inevitable admonishments like water off a duck’s back. People here can be real bullies.
@Asher B. Can you please give us the link to any comment ever made here that in any way says "Only positive comments are welcome"? Or any of the other quotes you quote? I've never seen anything like that in over two years of perusing this forum. Of course people here will object to being mis-categorized and slandered. If you have an accusation, bring the receipts.
@Asher B. Crosswords are puzzles. They don't have "integrity". They have solutions. This puzzle's solution was coherent and consistent. Too many people here equate "I didn't get it" with "that was a bad puzzle". No improvements are needed. What's needed is perspective.
@Asher B. You are absolutely right: the grids often do look absurd. But look at the outside world are around you. I'm fair certain Ionesco/u, Beckett and Pinter are spinning in their respective graves. The joyful absurdity of the solved puzzles' appearance is innocuous by comparison, but I can see where context could make that difficult. Will just suggest you opt for light over darkness wherever you can, and nil desperandum.
Good fun and clever theme. Discovering it was truly an a-HA moment.
Loved the clever theme. Thanks for a fun Thursday
Welcome to Sean McGowan, a refreshing Wordplay columnist in the mode of Deb Amlen! I am looking forward to reading your lively columns in the days to come.
Can't wait for next year -- April 1 will be a Thursday.
@BC Oh, dear. [Makes note on calendar of whom to blame....]
About 30 years ago, my husband and I walked into a record store (remember those?) in search of a CD of PORGY and Bess as a gift for my mother-in-law. The young employee asked if that was a release from a new indie band.
@Michelle Botwinick Ha ha! I recommend the Miles Davis / Gil Evans version.
@Charles Listening to that CD now. So good.
Such fun. Took a while to get the gimmick but slowly worked out we were missing HA. Had smileLINES before LAUGH. Happy Easter to those who celebrate. We stick to the Pagan rituals of blessing the fruit trees (similar to the Wassail in January), then stuffing our faces with huge chocolate eggs. Yum.
@Helen Wright You remind me of a Pagan ritual we attempted on a May Day once. I can tell that tale on May 1 if I have time. Let's just say it went wrong.
@Helen Wright Indeed, I posted about Ostara several days ago, and why we have eggs and bunnies in our Christian celebration of rebirth and renewal. And spring cleaning.
Nothing more disappointing than filling in your puzzle and getting the "Not quite!" pop up. Couldn't make the connection on the theme and I gave up at that point and checked the puzzle answers, then I didn't understand the theme until I read the column. Bummer! I think if I'd let it sit for a while I could have cracked it...gotta learn some patience.
I absolutely loved this puzzle. I caught the theme easily on the first themed clue, but had to suss out exactly how to execute it. The clues were clever, the fill lively, and the theme was fun. Great start to my long weekend!
A great reminder that the rebus does not always require the rebus key. I found the revealer to make very clear that the lines were the laughs! Loved this one! I tried botox once a couple years ago. Not for laugh lines, but for my forehead wrinkles. Before, I noticed how nice and smooth people’s foreheads looked. So I got it and my forehead was entirely frozen. And all I could notice was how expressive and beautiful people’s faces were! I’m grateful for the experience. It made me very excited to embrace my hard-earned laugh lines and expression for years to come. (And I still think the still and smooth face are beautiful too, you do you <3 …. Maybe I will try a smaller amount of units in the future, who knows)