Fun! First time I didn't look anything up. #StartSmall
@LSM May this be the first of many no-lookups!👏 About half of Mondays I can now do without lookups. It took a long time for me to get to this plateau, but the view is pretty nice.😊 11:24 time on my phone. No doubt would be faster with a keyboard — fewer if any typos.
Rena’s puzzle has elements that lift it above Monday-ordinary. • Originality. While it’s a common theme type (“What do the starts of the theme answers have in common”), it’s a new iteration, I believe. Terrific idea! • Pop. Three of the theme answers are NYT debuts and the fourth (BABYLONIAN) is a once-before. • Elegance. The theme is very tight. There aren’t many synonyms for small, and far fewer that can be hidden at the beginning of words. • Skill. Those “small” synonyms are very well hidden in the words that encase them. • Entertainment. There are two theme riddles that can be cracked, to great satisfaction. First, spotting the “small” beginnings, and second, guessing the revealer, which often is very hard to do, but today it’s within reach. • Junk-be-gone. The only glue in the grid is GLUE (Hi, @Bill!). Your puzzle, Rena, as all your grids, had a sweet feel to it, but the added notes of competence and talent made it high quality as well. Thank you for a splendid outing!
My five favorite original clues from last week (in order of appearance): 1. Strains to hear? (5) 2. Here goes nothing! (6)(3) 3. They're concerned with feeding kits (6) 4. Trigger hair (4) 5. Don't start with me! (6)(8) SONGS VACANT LOT VIXENS MANE SECOND STRINGER
My favorite encore clues from last week: [Races against the clock] (4)(6) [Give a hand?] (5) TIME TRIALS SHAKE
@Lewis Ohhh! I don't think I understood [Trigger hair] = MANE until seeing it again just now. In my defense, I've been traveling for the past week and trying to keep up with the puzzle, so less ruminating and lovely lingering than I am usually afforded. I've got my saddle on my horse He's called (T-t-t-t-t-trigger!) of course. <a href="https://youtu.be/WtbqbQawo-A?si=bL_QJ1UULuyO6OST" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/WtbqbQawo-A?si=bL_QJ1UULuyO6OST</a> (Yeah, I'm not a Gen-Xer for nuthin!) Great list, and thanks for that!!
@Lewis Very glad to see you back to your daily commentary and weekly clue summary. You are the gem of this forum and an example of how to always strive to be positive. Thanks for all you do on a daily basis. But, how does a yoga instructor end up with back surgery? This doesn’t seem fair!
I didn't think I've ever learned a new word on a Monday before, but I'm not going MOUE about it.
@Kevin One of many words that I know is acceptable in Scrabble but whose meaning I didn’t know (until today)!
@Kevin Stay tuned. Next lyrical children's song by Raffi- " a moue, moue here ..............
This puzzle made me philosophical, remembering the Tao Te Ching's words about starting small: "Lay plans for the accomplishment of the difficult before it becomes difficult. Make something big by starting with it when small. Difficult things in the world ... have their beginning in the easy; big things have their beginnings in the small." Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, Chapter 63; D. C. Lau translation. By the month of May, many people who had New Year's resolutions have already abandoned course. Usually it's because of too much too soon, too many things all at once, and too drastic a change. If only they had started small... Every day is the beginning of a new year. Every day, a new chance to START SMALL. Thank you for the reminder, Ms. Cohen. And for a great Monday puzzle as well!
@sotto voce "Every day is the beginning of a new year." What a lovely sentiment! I am up with the sun today, unusual for me, and there was a cacophony of birdsong accompanying me when I arose. So industrious! They, and you (or at least your words), and all the Spring blooming around me certainly make the day feel like the cusp of something brand new. Thanks for that!
@sotto voce Any comment that references the Old Master is all right in my little book!
@sotto voce Nice thought. Here are some other versions of the same idea. A stitch in time saves nine. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Don't put the cart before the horse. Don't lock the barn door after the horse has gone away. Gather ye rosebuds while ye may. Perseverance furthers. Maybe?
Here we go dissing cats again. Cats are very social creatures by nature; most of them are unpleasant only to people who don't like cats.
@NanuNanu I appreciated that they said "stereotypically"! One of my two cats is rather antisocial. Like human kids, he didn't fare very well with all the isolation when he was a wee one during the height of the pandemic. The other one — same age, unrelated — adores meeting new people. Go figure!
@NanuNanu Apparently if you're a quadruped and you're not fawning or servile then you are antisocial.
@NanuNanu Again, it really depends on the cat. There are some cats that are lovey, and some cats that just HATE people. Most cats, in my experience, range from indifferent to skittish. Maybe you have known different cats than I have? I grew up out in the country, so I'm used to farm cats that are highly independent. I think their indifference makes them charming. A dog will shower you with affection, but a cat is as likely to ignore you as to give you snuggles. The difference is clear when I walk down the street: every dog I see smiles at me; every cat ignores me.
@NanuNanu …and extremely friendly to the allergic!
Remembering with embarrassment when I, arms flapping erratically, galumphed into the Ministry of Magic, having meant to go next door to the Ministry of Silly Walks. Took me a spell to realize my mistake.
@ad absurdum having dabbled in stage magic and consequently been around magicians' institutions, silly extravagant gestures will make you fit in just fine. After hours spent rehearsing illusion choreography it's hard to turn it off.
@ad absurdum I think you are mixing up your Monty Python sketches. And if you don’t agree with me, arguments is down the hall
A Monday puzzle that didn't try to do too much, and as a result, was a pretty good Monday puzzle. 63A!
@Steve L Well, it had a pretty neat theme. It did that! Please emu. Allow me to submit this! B
Whizzed through this, so unlike yesterday’s tussle, but then, it is Monday. A delightful puzzle, nothing WEE about the theme, which was simple but elegant. Re: CHARD, hmm, it’s not sold as a salad veg here, definitely needs cooking à la pak choi, older spinach etc. I wonder if we use the same name for a different type of leafy veg? The wonders of two countries split by a common language continues. Any grid that can hold a ROO, a koala and Harry Potter gets my vote. Throw in an Alpaca and I’m a happy bunny. Unlike my Alpacas, who not only have had the trauma of TB testing (still awaiting results) but suffered the indignity of shearing on Saturday. The poor dears look like malformed camels now; all leg and no hump.
@Helen Wright No, I'm pretty sure we're talking the same vegetable here. My friend Fred would put chard in his salads, but he would chop it, and all other ingredients, quite fine--"chiffonade," to use the culinary term. He makes great salads. And "baby chard" shows up in those pre-packaged "spring mix" salad mixes. I t end to pick the leaves out, and put them on sandwiches, as I like them the best.
@Helen Wright For salads, CHARD needs to be picked young. When it gets older and larger, I use it like older spinach. It actually freezes well (after blanching) and can be prepared like creamed spinach.
@Helen Wright across the pond, folks call it bok choy.
A week on from giving up my long streaks and badge-hunting, it's really nice and recommendable. Just finished the printed version of yesterday's crossword - that was an enjoyable monster! If there's anything in your life nagging at you, no matter how small, cut it out!
One can tell Rena Cohen is an expert at these things--here we have a Monday-level puzzle with remarkably little GLUE--sure, we have a couple of unusually names celebrities (AVA, ISSA), a texting abbreviation (CYA), and half a brand name (KAT), but all the rest are perfectly good, *real* words that get used in everyday conversation--well, at least among pouty UCLA professors of Latin and biology, that is. And although I picked up on 'BABY" and "TOY," I missed "MINI" and "WEE" until I filled in the revealer. Would like to have seen 20A clued as [____ is____is ____].
@Bill CYA means something completely different to me.
I wonder if there has ever been a weekday puzzle with more (non-thematic) entries starting with A? AGAR, AVIS, AROSE, AREA, AXE, AIOLI, ALOE, ASTRO, AMIGO, ANNUAL, AVA, ADIEU, ACE Probably, but that's quite ALLOT.
[What one can do to make one's cat less antisocial] PET IT EVERYDAY
@Bill Well, yes, right up until the moment it decides not to be petted any more and scratches your hand. That would be my sister's cat.
Francis, I just knew you could do it.
Easy Monday, except for MOUE, but I didn’t MOPE, I just OUSTed the offending P.
Hi all! Great to be back with an easy Monday puzzle! Hope all of you are happy and well! xoxoxo B
@Bonnie What @sotto voce said! Nice to "see" you again. It's been a while. :)
Two Monday gold stars. Hoorah!
My excuse for this is: I only had one sip of coffee. I sat here trying to figure out how WEED fit in with the other terms for SMALL. Plus I woke up at 4:45 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep after Wordle and Spelling Bee because of the CAT, who saw the sky growing brighter in the EAST. (How come MY kitty isn't antisocial, aloof, independent, and self-sufficient?....) Happy Monday, everyone!
@Mean Old Lady My cat loves to snuggle up with me in the crook of my arm. Antisocial? Never.
Cute theme. And there was a Roo. My kind of Monday.
After I replaced IN OT at 1-Across with TIED, I filled in the NE pretty quickly -- not unusual for a Monday -- and tackled the first themer with BABY- in the grid. I spent a few seconds wondering how the "Code of Hammurabi" could have anything to do with BABies, before the penny dropped. That second, however, gave me a good head-start on understanding the theme before I got to the revealer, and helped me put in MINI-STRY, since I'm not a Harry Potter fan. Even so, when I put in WEED WHACKER, I paused for a moment, thinking that this one didn't fit in with the others. Oh, I thought, now I see it! This is my way of saying that the theme, although Monday simple and straightforward, did a good job of hiding its SMALL parts well. Thanks for a good start to the week, Rena Cohen.
@The X-Phile LOL....my Sister! It's nice to have company.
@The X-Phile Yep, plunked in IN OT for 1A, almost reflexively. Maybe not on a Monday?
@The X-Phile Penalty kicks as a means of breaking a tie in soccer or hockey can come after an OT period, or instead of one. But a penalty shoot-out is not an overtime period. I thought "IN OT" for a fraction of a second before realizing it couldn't be the answer.
An unreturned serve is not necessarily an ace. An ace is a serve that the receiver is unable to touch at all with their racket. Unreturned means unable to hit the ball in play. A serve that is hit, but not put into play by the receiver, is not an ace.
Andrew, The clue did not specify a racket sport.
N.B. In volleyball, a serve that is "hit but not put into play by the receiver" *is* considered an ace.
@Andrew Not all unreturned serves are aces, but all aces are unreturned serves. It fits.
@Andrew If we're really picking nits, many serves that are unreturned and untouched in tennis are *not* ACES. That is, when the serve is a fault or a let.
@Andrew Your comment is correct but if it's a "not necessarily true" situation then there is no problem. You will get an argument to the death if you claim otherwise.
Feels like I’ve been doing these forever but my best time for Monday is still 11:42. BABY steps led to WEE better times but to get a 5 minute solve I need to head to the MINI. Have a great solving week y’all! 😉
@Oasis, I do use the timer, but I don't care what the result is! To me, the only victory I need is the gold-star solve!
Fun Monday puzzle. Fairly smooth solve with working the crosses, and... the reveal was one of the last things I filled in and when I got it I had to go back and review the other theme answers until it finally dawned on me. That's always a nice touch. And I'll put my puzzle find today in a reply. ...
@Rich in Atlanta As threatened - a Thursday from August 26, 2021 by Ashish Vengsarkar. Don't recall another one quite like this. Some examples: Down answer-- MAL(I) crossing SUR(I)NAME both of those clued as MAL and SURNAME and.. NO(R)WAY crossing (R)WANDA And both of those clued as NOWAY and WANDA. One other example: TONG(A) crossing PANAM(A) Both of those clued of course as TONG and PANAM And then the reveal: "One way to run... or a hint to four geographical intersections in this grid." CROSSCOUNTRY Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=8/26/2021&g=40&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=8/26/2021&g=40&d=A</a> ...
Yesterday's constructor, Derrick Neiderman, posted in yesterday's comment, which some may be interested in reading. It's about 10 or 12 posts down presently, reading from newest to oldest.
@Vaer Here's the link! <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4g5rdu?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/shared/comment/4g5rdu?rsrc=cshare&smid=url-share</a>
For those on iPhones who find that after completing the Crossword, Midi or Mini that they are stuck on the Congratulations screen with an inoperable “X” in upper right corner of screen this might help your situation: As far as I can determine this has to do with the iPhone Display Zoom setting being set to “Larger Text”. If you go to your Settings app, then “Display & Brightness”, scroll down to “Display Zoom” and toggle it to “Default”. Then click the Blue Check. You then get a pop-up that says ‘Changing Display Zoom will Restart iPhone’, click ‘Standard’. Screen will go dark for a few seconds as display resets (it doesn’t ‘restart’ your phone btw). You now will be able to dismiss the crossword completion screen by clicking the X in upper right corner, as the game was designed to do. Only downside is you lose the ‘Larger Text’ effect on the iPhone until you toggle it back. I tried creating a Shortcuts automation that would be able to do the aforementioned falderal with a click or two but no luck. Alas …. (Hoping the next NYTimes Games app has a fix 🤞)
What a perfect and engaging Monday grid! I had a bit of a tough time with “Weed Whacker,” though, but found the theme to be lovely and easily identifiable. Great job!
I believe Steve L defined "Too Close Syndrome" as complaining about a crossword clue/answer because you're too well versed in the topic and see the answer as invalid from a technical perspective, as opposed to a lay understanding of the topic. I'd like to define a concept called overeducated=overthinking. It's when you're too well-versed in a topic that you miss the most obvious answer since you're looking for a more niche response. That was me with 40A My first thought was Wizengamot, but I couldn't remember now to spell it and was too short. My second thought was magicalcongress, which is the American equivalent, heavily featured in the newer Fantastic Beast movies. It just so happened to be the right number of letters. The one most heavily featured in the books, movies, and theme parks didn't even odor occur to me until I had a bunch of crossings.
I love Swiss chard but have never eaten it in a salad. 🤷🏻♀️
@L It's not as tasty as arugula or the leaf lettuces, but in a pinch it works all right. I prefer fresh (raw) greens to those that are cooked. I pick CHARD when it's young.
I bet the Code of Hammurabi had laws against using a weed whacker in the hanging gardens. (I guess some people do call a lawn a garden.) [Advice to those who think it’s easy to make a Monday crossword?] ITSYOURTURN
@JohnWM Ah, for a simpler time, when all the laws of the land fit on a single stele. Now you need a whole library, thanks to our pernicious legislative budybodies. Dunno about weedwhackers, but there was a ban on using leaf blowers before 9AM.
When I worked at Amazon, I once packed out a case of RAMEN, with a cookbook containing 100 recipes for preparing same. I knew instinctively that it was headed for a dorm room somewhere. Funny, I had some for lunch yesterday.
@Grant ramen hadn’t been invented yet when I went to college (early 17th censh), but we sure ate a lot of Nerds candy.
I'm afraid I have a slight beef with 12-down. Au revoir means, literally, "Until we see each other again." It implies confidence that you will meet the person again in the near future. Adieu comes from the Old French "à Dieu vous commant," meaning "I entrust you to God." It is used to say farewell to someone; i.e., for what you know will be a long time, and possibly forever.
The distinction is noted -- and, I suspect, known by many -- but where's the beef? Crossword clues are hints; they need not be and usually are not synonyms.
@Michael Yes, you are correct, and I too balked at it, but... What Barry said.
@Michael À bientôt À tout à l'heure À demain Hasta la vista, baby.
@Michael So, if you're not ill, I shouldn't greet you with 'Salut!'?
As usual on Monday, I tried to do this puzzle using only the Downs. I was quickly thwarted, and I wonder if the constructor deliberately made the down clues hard. Generally, a great Monday puzzle with a nice theme and a broad spectrum of clues to please all solvers.
Fun easy puzzle. I thought I might have a shot at a Monday PR but had “Something’s amiss” on MOUE. No idea what that is.
This is what that is: <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moue" target="_blank">https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moue</a>
@Chris Just watch any Audrey Hepburn movie…
@Chris You should be able to look up moue and see the funny pursed lips! hehehe B
Nice one, Rena! Short and sweet, with a couple of minor challenges to make it interesting. Thanks!
Great Monday puzzle, thank you!
For those in need of a Robyn Weintraub fix, here's today's New Yorker: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2026/05/18" target="_blank">https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2026/05/18</a>
@Steve L ? I did it earlier and it said Elizabeth C. Gorski.
Steve, I enjoyed Elizabeth Gorski's Monday puzzle. I also enjoyed Robyn's puzzle last Wednesday: <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2026/05/13" target="_blank">https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/crossword/2026/05/13</a>
One more puzzle. Can't imagine having much a chance at this one. A Sunday from December 25, 1994 by Randolph Ross with the title "Joy to the world." The theme answers in this one were all "Season's greetings" in different languages. Some answers: KALACHRISTOUGENNA MELEKALIKIMAKA CHOOKSUNGTAN JOYEUXNOEL BUONNATALE GLEDELIGJUL NOLLAIGSHONADHUIT and MERRYCHRISTMAS Whew. Here's that link: <a href="https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/25/1994&g=100&d=A" target="_blank">https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=12/25/1994&g=100&d=A</a> ....
Clever reveal which I did not see coming. Nicely done.
Short snd sweet. MOUE threw me. That's a new one for me. My mind went to MOPE.
@Sean I learned it from the crossword, as I did ETUI. put it in your pocket, as it's likely to reappear.
Been about 25 years since I last used DOPE as slang for cool, surprised it immediately popped up in my mind. This felt like a run of the mill Monday puzzle.
Daniel, Interesting. You just described having an experience with this puzzle that was hardly run of the mill.
Perfect for a Monday. Love the theme, and especially love how all the themers start with words for small but none of them are stand-alone in the word or phrase—that makes it especially interesting and clever, and I thought the themers were interesting entries and clues in their own right. Two sports related nits. Andrew is right, below, an unreturned served is often an ACE but frequently not, so just changing that clue to “Unreturned serve, often” or something like that would fix it. By the same token, a quarterback tackle is only a SACK if it happens behind the line of scrimmage. If the quarterback runs out with the ball on a running play and then gets tackled, it’s not a sack. So, “tackle of the quarterback, usually” would fix that. Not a big deal, both answers are pretty obvious, but why not be more accurate if you can be?
SP, Did you miss my response to Andrew about the ACE?
@SP If the clue were "Tackle of the quarterback, usually" the correct answer (for the last few years) would be: UNNECESSARY ROUGHNESS.
With apologies for my ignorance about all things American and all things related to (American) football, why is SACK the answer to “Tackling of the quarterback”?
@Petrol because that’s the word for tackling a QB. possibly from to sack someone is to fire them. Both slang. L
@Petrol Had to look this up myself, because it is well known to us. Reportedly started in the 1960s by a prominent defensive player and is related to the devastation caused by sacking a city.
@Petrol Actually, a SACK is only when a QB is tackled behind the line of scrimmage; that is, for a loss of yardage on the play. The QB can run with the ball and gain yards, in which case he is usually eventually tackled, and that's not considered a SACK.
@Petrol In the old days, when a quarter back was tackled behind the line of scrimmage, the opposing team was allowed to put a sack over his head and strike him repeatedly. I saw this somewhere on the internet.
@Petrol Here is my (hard-earned) knowledge: When the QB (quarterback) is hit by a member of the opposing team, preventing his passing the football for a "Touchdown" --or a mere "Down"-- he is said to be SACKed. Of course, his GUARDS are supposed to protect him from such assault, but speed and agility in the other team can overcome "The Defense." PhysicsDaughter once told me (witheringly)--"Mom, if you just learn the basics, I am sure you would enjoy football." Hah.
Nice puzzle to start the week with! Could there be a typo in the clueing of 64D ? (On line)
@Edwin (didn’t see a typo on the app version…)
@Edwin Bounding means running with big, powerful strides. So a kangaroos bounds when it runs. (Yes, it also bounces! Or hops.) Years ago I asked my daughter if she wanted to go see a kangaroo exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Confused, she replied, "kangaroos?!" I replied yes, the museum banner says "Exhibition of Hoppers."
@Edwin If you think of the phrase "progressing by leaps and 'bounds'", you'll see the connection. Amusingly (?), progress by leaps and bounds is a pretty good antonym for START SMALL. "Leaps and bounds" is a nice example of the figure of speech called "hendiadys" (literally "one-through-two"), one of my favorite words.
Here in SW VA they call them 'weedeaters'. This has given rise to one of those horrible back-formed verbs: 'to weedeat'. Usually this irks me (you are tending bar! Not 'bartending'! Ugh!). But I wouldn't want my neighbor to request that I 'eat weeds'. Doesn't seem nice. WEEDWHACKER obviates that issue.
@Charles Peterson In the UK, it's a strimmer - a portmanteau of string trimmer. I do love a portmanteau.
Charles Peterson, Are you on TDY in SW VA?
I'm always extremely disappointed when crosswords reference Harry Potter. It's not okay. I don't care if it was your childhood, move on to something that doesn't signal support for bigotry.
@Stephen I hear you, and I couldn't even begin to defend Rowling, even if I wanted to, but we'll have to exclude a whole lot of other authors from the puzzle if we want to exclude all those with extremely bigoted views who produced books we love. Not to mention all kinds of other artists. Guess it comes down to whether or not we believe we can separate the art from the artist.
@Stephen Yes, and let’s get rid of Shakespeare because we don’t want antisemitism, but probably exclude any Jewish and Israeli writers as well because that isn’t PC anymore, what are we going to do for ELIE now?) Kipling is out of course, and let’s drop any mention of all those presidents who owned slaves (which should keep us from any reference to the Declaration of Independence), Mark Twain used the n-word, probably not so racist but should exclude him just to be safe…perhaps we should also have every crossword constructor vetted for their Facebook page and any op-eds they have written just in case they have opinions we disagree with…or should we just ask you to submit a list of proscribed authors to the editors? Sorry be so snide. I know you are really well-meaning. But that’s where it starts.
@Stephen Piffle. I enjoyed Harry Potter, and I agree with JK Rowling. George Bernard Shaw was a eugenicist, who advocated for the eradication of the "unfit" in the advancement of Socialism. That's a far cry from saying boys shouldn't play in girls' sports.
To make it a bit tougher, didn't look at the down clues. Took about 15 minutes . . .