What way is "Gaia/Gaea" going to be spelt tomorrow? Guya? Gia? Giaw? Gieia?
@Francis I’ll let you know after I take a uey at the next intersection.
What a weird puzzle. The theme was very easy to get, and I found most of the clueing to be extremely direct. However, then there was the triple natick of the salsa singer, the writer and the Chicago exchange - my only way out of that was with lookups. I didn't get the clue for EST, either, so there was a fourth unknown. Also, the NE corner was incomparably more difficult for me that the rest of the grid. I managed to resolve it without lookups, but it was a close call. Initially I only had FOCI and the -IANCE of the themed entry there. As I was about to begin revealing entries, PROFS dawned on me. Then I somehow remembered PAIUTE. That gave me enough crosses for DRUM KIT and OINK. Crosses gave me REAMS. It confused me - I don't really understand the clue or how it relates to the entry. AEIOU... Have any of you typed that in just from its clue, without multiple crosses? Honest question. I first heard of AEIOU in the context of these puzzles, and spotting it does not come intuitively to me (also, in Polish, y is always a vowel). SUET as food for woodpeckers was revealed by crosses, only. I had no idea those birds eat anything else than bugs and worms. Apparently people feed them seeds and suet (słonina) in winter Poland, too, but I'm not a bird person so I didn't know it. I admit your pledge of allegiance has always freaked me out. Over here people were made to publicly recite such things only under totalitarianism. The theocratic mention of God is disturbing in itself.
@Andrzej In the original (1892) there was no mention of any god. That phrase was added in 1954.
@Andrzej That theocratic mention was only added years after I completed elementary school. We never said it during the WWII years. Quick search shows it was added by an act of Congress on July 14, 1954 at the height of the Red Scare hysteria over "godless Communism". Two years later "In God we trust" was declared the official motto and added to stamps and currency.
@Andrzej school districts can omit “under God”. Mine did. I always feel peculiar when one nation, indivisible is broken up.
@Andrzej creepy pledges aside for a sec, thank you for this post! For some reason I put LOCI in there early on and didn't think to question it later...
@Andrzej When one's boss starts yelling at you about something you did not do correctly or severely messed up with, it's called getting "reamed out".
@Andrzej I’ve always loathed mandatory recitation of the pledge. Back in high school days, I used to quietly recite as much of Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky as I could instead of the actual words.
@Andrzej I've always hated the pledge of allegiance. As a teacher, I had a real problem with it. It would come over the PA system every day during homeroom period, and we were supposed to place our right hands over our hearts as we said the pledge. I made every student stand, but didn't force anyone to say it or do the heart thing, because I didn't either! Somehow I managed to evade getting in trouble for that one.
@Andrzej you found “drumkit” and “oink” to be more difficult than “Paiute” ???
@Andrzej For the record no I didn’t get AEIOU without most of the crosses, although I may have if it had been one word like “facetious” Curious l, there was a famous Polish baseball player named Carl Yaszstremski whose name was always pronounced with a hard Y. Is this not standard Polish, or would his name there have been pronounced as EE-as…?
@Andrzej I stopped reciting it in 6th grade. Also when I quit the cub/boyscouts because tge uniforms were too military. 1970...
@Andrzej fully agree with everything you said about that miserable northeast corner. Especially the AEIOU.
The last couple of years have been rife with various health issues, not the least of which is the severe, unexplainable, systemic nerve pain I started experiencing out of the blue... it led to a bit more than a handful of nasty FALLs, SLIPs, and TRIPs (nothing broken), which did nothing to help the situation, as I'm sure you can imagine. So this puzzle could have been a very unpleasant experience for me. Instead, it made me (again) feel so grateful that I seem to have turned a corner—without falling, no less, har—over these last four or so months. Apparently, the nerve issue is not reversible, but we're working on it being manageable. And... if it hadn't made me feel grateful, I'd have most likely laughed about it with dark humor! One of my favorite things during the extreme pain episodes, was my husband saying that he is amazed that I keep such good humor (even when a bit dark) throughout this horrid ordeal. Well, laugh or cry, right?!.... or why choose?! There's a time and place for each, but mostly I prefer the laughing. So thank you to Ms. Singer for a puzzle that made me smile despite my actual STUMBLINGBLOCKS! I do love a good rebus puzzle, and this one was definitely a good one, I thought! Fun, revealing revealer, and not too challenging, hopefully, for newer solvers. Cheers all! P.S. We've watched all of Vera, so my first answer for 46A "Term of endearment in the U.K.) was pet, instead of LUV. ☺️
@HeathieJ Glad you seem to be on the mend!
@HeathieJ Sorry for your misfortunes in health! I hope someone gifts you a flamingo dressed as a doctor for your white elephant gift!
@HeathieJ Sending you positive vibes and blessings!
@HeathieJ Manageable is good. No stumbles or falls is better. No pain is ideal. Here's wishing you all of it, the good, the better, and the ideal, LUV! 💖
@HeathieJ What an awful condition to have to live with. You've got a world class diagnostic medical site close by—I hope you've been able to see them. You're brave to have found a way to fight back with laughter, as you so eloquently demonstrate with your reaction to this puzzle. When you say you've turned a corner, I hope it means you aren't hurting so much. For the past year, I've been plagued by dysphagia, caused by a mystery disease (possibly lymphoma, more tests next week), but at least so far it isn't painful. I'm glad you told us about this. It makes your delightful comments even more of a triumph. We will all be thinking about you and sending floods of good wishes.
@HeathieJ Wishing you the best! I always enjoy your comments.
@HeathieJ People are always so snooty about 'symptom relief.' Well, after years of close observation, I can tell you that people with symptoms are mighty glad to get relief and not at all disdainful. /Of course/ they'd prefer a cure but, until one is found for whatever ails you, symptom relief can let you live more of your life; no small gift. Get well soon, Ms Heathie.
@HeathieJ I’m so sorry you’re going through such a painful ordeal. What a testament to your character that you focus on positivity and laughter. I’m not too surprised to learn you’re quite the warrior, but I do hope the battle continues to ease.
@HeathieJ Glad you are getting better, and hope that it continues to improve. I suffer from the same kind of pain, so I surely can sympathize. Unfortunately, mine isn't destined to get any better, just worse every day.
@HeathieJ, So glad to hear that you’re doing better. I think about how you’ve been living with mystery pain whenever I see your name here. Your comments are always spot-on and upbeat and positive, in spite of what you’ve been living with. I hope you continue to improve. Thanks for keeping us all informed! 🖖 😘
@HeathieJ I think you’ve found the trick: when life hands you lemons… find the people who got the vodka and the triple sec, and throw a fabulous party. I’m so glad that you’ve managed to keep your sense of humor through all of that. When I think of all the times you’ve radiated positivity and cheer here, even though you may have felt less than optimal, I’m also more than a little impressed. Cheers to you and your hip-hips, for always being ready to har-rumba!
@HeathieJ Adding to the chorus of sending good vibes your way! Glad you enjoyed the puzzle.
@HeathieJ Good for you. Your witty comment reminded me of an office colleague who was extremely competent, and always, conspicuously, generously cheerful. I made wildly incorrect assumptions about her “great” circumstances, and was even more admiring when I learned about her challenging reality. What a gift to the world, this choice you have made to present joy. Thank you.
@HeathieJ so glad you’re finding some relief. Some additional tools to consider: If you have access to a pool, investigate Flailing: essentially, treading water. Use reverse breathing—or use a flotation belt—so you float vertically, head out of water, and can move all your limbs with no impact more than pushing against water. Also, Pulsing red light & heat therapy band goes around my knees and feels good when I watch tv, even seems to help ankles after a long drive.
@HeathieJ I love Vera. Until I turned on closed captions, I thought, "Why do her coworkers call her 'Mom'?" Ma'am!
@HeathieJ This was best compliment I’ve received on any of my puzzles. So glad I could brighten your day.
For the first time since I started doing these a few months ago, I got all the rebuses without looking at any hints.
@Andrew Congratulations! You see, rebuses aren't that scary after all!
@Andrew Nice work! Way to keep at it 💪
@Andrew Same here! I am proud of myself for solving this one!
not a bad puzzle, but 16A. is the worst clue and answer i’ve ever seen.
The only Thursday-level clue in the puzzle.
@sloan Why was it plural, "features"? It should have been singular as it is a feature of the phrase. Whatever. I got it from the down crosses.
Took me embarrassingly long to figure out PROFS when that's my own job ::facepalm:: Maybe my subconscious just didn't want to remember the grading pile waiting for me...
@Erika Also took me forever to get it. (L)OCI instead of FOCI really TRIPped me up.
@Erika An interesting example of TCS (Too Close Syndrome). Usually, it displays as an excess of expertise deployed in nitpicking details
@Erika Sorry, accidental touch on SUBMIT. (CONT'D) ...nitpicking details several levels below the floor of most everyone else's interest or knowledge of the topic, save that of another expert. Still searching for a cure...
This theme has never been done before (I’ve checked), and it’s so perfect – stumbles in blocks – so crossword iconic, you’d think someone would have come up with it before. But no, and high credit to Jill for seeing it first. But then it had to be brought to fruition, and this was done masterfully. It’s a tight theme – there aren’t many good synonyms for “stumble” that are short enough for rebuses. Then you have to find phrases to embed them in, where these three words don’t have their “stumble” meaning. FALL, for instance, doesn’t mean “stumble” in PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Jill not only found them, but they are colorful, and with letter counts that fit grid symmetry. It's uber-tough to make that happen. And here’s the kicker. Those three non-revealer theme answers bring sweet freshness to the box. All of them are Times debut answers! So, wow, Jill. This was a gem of a theme in concept and execution, and its beauty beautified my day. Thank you!
A Monday puzzle with rebuses!
@Barry Ancona would you allow a Tuesday? TALESE CELIA ZAPATA RAVEL and PCP which is a very weird way to spell GP
Acceptable puzzle. While the crosses made it easy to get the gathering clouds answer, I think that nebulous clue would have been just about impossible to figure out.
This was so much fun. I knew there were rebuses, and it was a triumphant aha moment when the third one clicked, and I could go back and fill in the other two. Only a little tidying up after that and the puzzle took a bow. We are so lucky to have entertaining puzzles created by such clever people. They make my day, every day. Thank you, Ms Singer, for your quartet of constructions. I'm looking forward to No.5.
That clouds clue should never have made it to print. Fine puzzle otherwise. Not much of a Thursday though.
The gathering clouds clue is not that great. This is not really why I want to do crosswords...
“Feature of gathering clouds” is such a stupid clue. Otherwise good puzzle.
@Bennett agreed, it would be appropriate for a cryptic, but not in a regular crossword
@Bennett I didn’t understand the clue at all, got it on crosses only 🤷♂️. can someone explain? I’m terrible at cryptics if that’s what this was.
@Bennett I really hated this clue. I had everything but the “A” and I just stared at it. I could not make any sense of it whatsoever. I read the “Tricky Clues” section of the Wordplay column and I understand it, but I still have no idea how I would have got that on my own. I did, however, like the STUMBLING BLOCKS theme. I just wish they would have clued this differently.
@Bennett It was actually "features" (plural) which I am sure one can make a case for it being OK, but to me "feature" would have been better, and "featured in gathering clouds" more straight forward. Not that straight forwardness is a goal for a Thursday puzzle.
I can't tell if the feedback re: gathering clouds is just people speaking facetiously or half-seriously
Another fairly straightforward day of clues. Even the rebuses weren’t that tricky by NYT Thursday standards. Not that I’m complaining. It was enjoyable.
Not a fan usually of rebuses, but this was pleasant and nicely clued. Thanks!
Well, I'm a newbie and this is my first Thursday without any lookups, gold star. Yea! I could use some ABBA or CELIA Cruz to celebrate! Thank you for the music! <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dcbw4IEY5w" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dcbw4IEY5w</a>
@lucky13 Hey, and another no lookups, gold star for today's bonus puzzle, "The Answer, My Friend" and, of course, more music! <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/bonus/2026/10" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/bonus/2026/10</a>
I'm always happy to see a rebus, but I wouldn't have minded less direct cluing.
Nice to see Maurice Ravel represented in this puzzle. If you have 13 minutes to spare, I recommend listening to this recording of “La Valse,” conducted by Leonard Bernstein. It’s quite an experience - gorgeous, elegant, magical, and dark all at once. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg2i2NB-i3o" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fg2i2NB-i3o</a>
@A college student Also check out George Balanchine’s ballet danced to it
Ravel also wrote two piano transcriptions of "La Valse" - one for two pianos, and one for solo piano. Of the solo piano arrangement, the Wikipedia page for "La Valse" says: "It is infrequently performed due to its difficulty." Here's an audio-only clip of the fabulous Korean pianist Seong-Jin Cho in a performance: - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghY2ak8YoBM" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghY2ak8YoBM</a>
A sad coincidence. Today's NYT has a story about a German city voting to stop the installation of 'stumbling stones' as memorials in front of the homes of Jews and others murdered by the Nazis. I had heard of this practice but was unfamiliar with the name for the stones. Read all about it here, even without an NYT subscription: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/world/europe/germany-stumbling-stones-holocaust-memorial-ban.html?unlocked_article_code=1.FVE.Wjro.cFLW4O8Og3si&smid=url-share" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/world/europe/germany-stumbling-stones-holocaust-memorial-ban.html?unlocked_article_code=1.FVE.Wjro.cFLW4O8Og3si&smid=url-share</a>
@SBK in TO I hadn’t heard of the practice. Thanks for bringing it to our attention, and it’s sad that this community has chosen to discontinue it.
@SBK in TO I have no idea why I was emued but
@SBK in TO I adore the 'stumbling stones' (Stolperstein) project, ever since I learned of it about 10 years ago. Such an elegant and resonant way to bring awareness into the present day. I love that you made that connection to the puzzle! It hadn't occurred to me. Unfortunately, I am unsurprised at the news you shared. The markers have had some controversy* right from their inception in 1992, and German popular sentiment being what it is at the moment, these are an easy target. *Some of the controversy arose from not understanding their intention; sadly at other times, the arguments were much more in keeping with the situation today that you noted. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolperstein" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolperstein</a>
@SBK in TO I've know about the stolpersteine for years, and when I got to the revealer, that's all I could think about. I had read about the vote a few days ago. The first one I came across was in Berlin, not far from Checkpoint Charlie. As the name translates, I literally stumbled over it. This in not a project that is universally applauded by Jews, which I find sad.
[You won't get dirty growing plants this way] HY(DROP)ONICS
Have to admit I fell for this one. I love a good rebus or three.
The correct answer for [Woodpecker food] should be EAVE, according to my Partner, given the way they attack our cottage Up North. I could quote some of his more colorful comments about woodpeckers, but the comments would not post, as the emus would side with the woodpeckers.
@Bill Is it possible that you have a problem with carpenter bees? The woodpeckers go after the larva and do quite a bit of damage. We had bees in the trim on one side of our house and tried to get rid of them for three years. Then the woodpeckers came and made swiss cheese out of the trim. We gave in and replaced it with a pvc product. Once painted, it looks just like the rest of the house.
@Bi🐥ll Does this mean 🐥Big Bird🐥 controls the Cro🐥ssWorld? 🐥🐥🐥 🐥 🐥 🐥
What I most enjoyed, after completing the puzzle, was seeing the double set of staircases in the grid, with the L-shape below "Fall" tumbling down the stairs and lying in a bent, supine position at the bottom, buττ up against "Legumes," which the poor fellow might end up being after a fall like that, a vegetable, and not of the vegan kind either! OK, after that flight (down the stairs) of fancy, I thought this was fun, had a great revealer, and a couple decent clues. Some of the clues/answers were so old hat, like the "ET TU" one, that I kept thinking, especially in the SW, that this was a section of the board I'd want to zhuzh up a bit. Like it would have been more clever to clue it as [Gay writer] than [Writer Gay]. That kind of thing. I know, don't tell me: like I could do any better. I can't. I'm just letting perfection be the enemy of the really good.
@john ezra Today I found out that TALESE and “Roxane” have the same number of letters, so there’s that.
I continue my crusade against unmarked rebuses. This was a fun one, and clever without being cute about it or straying into the obtuse, and a very well-constructed puzzle! However, I still think that there should at least be an option for folks to toggle a setting that outlines rebus squares and explains what they are at the beginning of a puzzle where they are present, at the cost of a streak in the same way a checked square or word does now. A feature that explains the most opaque crossword convention to the uninitiated while being totally optional and preserving the integrity of a streak would strike a good middle ground, and would not be particularly difficult to write into the existing codebase. The result? Better solvers across the board, and more fun for everybody!
@Jordan Marked rebuses are the pits. Marking one negates the challenge of having the rebus in the first place. Why have an interesting feature and spoil it by gimme circles? It took me a year to get used to rebuses but now they are one of my favorite aspects of crosswords.
Jordan, These are supposed to be puzzles...
@Jordan FYI, it seems the people behind the app may be getting more lenient. I did not have the proper rebus in for the first theme answer (I had "F" instead of "FALL") and still finished the puzzle. Details: I entered PLEDGEOF and then when I got the the NE corner I got ELIGIANCE. I figured I'd come back to it to figure out where and what the rebus was (which I personally think is part of the fun), but when I finished the rest, I got the victory jingle. Having "F" in the rebus square was enough.
@Jordan, As much as I love rebus puzzles, I agree with the solution that you’ve come up with. It lets solvers who want to know that a dreaded rebus is present, but the hint is completely optional and comes at the cost of breaking one’s streak (rightfully so). Seems like a win-win to me. I like it.
@Jordan That horse is way out of the barn, with its crusader astride. Bye, noble steed.
Put me down for 350+ comments today. Rebus.
@NYC Traveler Not even close. I'd put the over/under at 280.
@NYC Traveler Well, I'm out. We're over 280. Now let's see if the commentariat gets to your mark. (I've already done my bit. This is my 13th post.)
I had a colleague in high-school who wouldn't miss a beat if someone stumbled in front of her. "See you after the Fall" or "Have a nice trip" she would say in her very wry and polite British way. Even if I was the one who stumbled, I couldn't help but laugh. It's very nice to have this puzzle remind me of her. Also very nice to see Gay TALESE yet again in a puzzle – like Norman Mailer, a journalism powerhouse. Here he is in a great interview from this past August, looking dapper at 94 – <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/tales-from-gay-talese" target="_blank">https://www.cbsnews.com/video/tales-from-gay-talese</a>/ Elsewhere in the grid, I smiled when I saw AT SEA. Just yesterday I used it in speaking to someone over the phone as I pointed out that one month had elapsed and I still hadn't yet the answer I needed. "I'm AT SEA here," I said as I wondered if the person on the other end of the line was also a NYT xword solver. Maybe she was. She knew exactly what I meant. She even apologized for my being AT SEA! This was a very pleasant puzzle to solve and the rebuses made it that much better. Its accessibility might even possibly get beginners to fall in love with twists and turns and wouldn't that be something! Thank you, Ms. Singer, for a mighty fine solving trip!
@sotto voce I liked the musical DAMES AT SEA for years before understanding the wordplay in the title.
A Gathering of Clouds was an ENIGMA to me, especially since I was not familiar with that spelling of the Indian tribe. Oh, well. The rest of the puzzle was quite enjoyable, though i think younger people and newer solvers may have trouble with some of the names. By coincidence, my cousins went to see Mozart's Cosi fan TUTTe at the Metropolitan Opera this evening compliments of the NYC/Met Opera ticket giveaway. Here's the overture, in which our old crossword friend, the oboe, and the other woodwinds are highlighted. <a href="https://youtu.be/AEramVQ3_Xw?si=rBmZSzClWmAF_RGe" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/AEramVQ3_Xw?si=rBmZSzClWmAF_RGe</a>
@Vaer Oh wow that opening Oboe solo was gorgeous. Thank you!
Good puzzle for Latinists, with EST, FOCI (look on any used car lot, and your bound to find several Ford Focī), and TOGA: Fun fact--those little loops in the drapery were known as "sinuses" ("sinūs" in Latin), and were convenient for carrying spare denariī, love letters to one's mistress (written in elegiac couplets, natch), and, of course, tyrannicidal daggers--"ET TU?" Speaking of tyrants and kings, I suppose, we can add T. REX, and even the eye-scratching OPUSES: although musicians will causally use it, the correct plural is "operas," which comes up in scholarly editions of collected works, as in *The Opera Omnia of Maurice Ravel," which includes his obscure "Concerto for Drum-Kit and Orchestra"--the tutti section mm. 1-65 contains some of Ravel's most brilliant writing! The Earth Goddess has returned from her [TRIP] to Italy, and resumed her preferred spelling.
@Bill I thought it was one op, several opus? Or no, opodes? One opera, several operati? Oops (or "Ope" as we say 'round here)!
@Bill Whoopp.! My typo--the correct plural of "opus" is "opera"--no "s."
@Bill Nice Latin connections - though I must pedantically point out the Latin plural of the (neuter) opus is opera, which is confusing because there is a different (feminine) Latin word whose singular is "opera" and whose plural is "operae," and it's from this one that we derive our "opera/operas."
@Bill Double Whoopp.! I missed ENIGMA (pl. "enigmata"), which is technically Greek (αἴνιγμα), but came to us by way of Latin, through a glass, darkly.
@Bill Thanks for the omnium-gatherum, and in particular for referring to the TOGA's sinuses. It reminded me of the relation to 'sinuous' and even further back to the sine wave. Ah, language!
I liked that in 17A and 27A, the rebus solution spanned two words: "oFALLegiance" and "paySLIP." It made it more challenging to solve. I wish the same rebus trick had been used for 44A, where the rebus was just a single word: STRIPE. Loved the puzzle, though.
@Francis DeBernardo You're not alone in that — it's generally preferred for "hidden word" themes to span two words, regardless if it's a rebus. Sometimes it's unavoidable though. For what it's worth, pinpointing the rebus in MAGNETIC STRIPE did take me some extra beats, because I thought it was called a strip, not a stripe (though it looks like both are used).
I liked this one, although I agree with the "triple Natick" comment re: crossing a salsa artist, a writer. and a Chicago exchange. That was my last area to fall when "Is long ago?" finally clicked. But it was all educated guessing for the proper nouns. I also hit a roadblock at the crossings of Italian music term, a director, British slang, and French composer. Still managed a clean solve! Chewy enough for me, and if all the answers were in my wheelhouse, it just wouldn't be any fun. Fun theme too, I got the rebus immediately but was expecting seasons, not spills. Nicely done!
Ian, So they weren't Naticks after all. Way to go!
@Ian I hate when a bunch of proper nouns cross. Except ... When I know them. ;) Then I get to be smug and feel worldly for a few seconds. Suffering the stumpers is part of the fun.
Remember when credit cards had raised numbers, and the cashier had to run that clacker thingy over it to create a physical receipt? Remember when you looked at a credit card and realized that the raised numbers were no longer a thing? I certainly do.
@Grant Sure, i remember. Are we “old” ??
@Grant Yes I was working at Walgreens as a clerk and remember what a pain it was. And how mad I was when people used their credit card for small purchases. Ha! Those were the days.
@Grant And the clerk had to leaf through a booklet to make sure your card hadn’t been reported stolen.
I hope those who dislike rebuses will use this as a good introduction. Should be very straightforward with the clues provided and a solid revealer and fill. Not too many STUMBLINGBLOCKS but pleasant enough. Thanks Jill! My latest Crosshare puzzle just got posted. Fair Warning: this is the most intricate and jam-packed theme I ever attempted, and probably a tough solve. I didn't hold back on the clues although I hope they are fair. Also, one of the themed entries has an obvious inconsistency; I decided it was necessary to pull it all together. Also, I fixed a somewhat confusing clue thanks to Peaty & Oaty’s suggestiion—thanks! Was it all worth it? Only you can say. Good luck, you may need it! <a href="https://crosshare.org/crosswords/aZocM5ah4602fW8EkF5Y/guys-n-dolls" target="_blank">https://crosshare.org/crosswords/aZocM5ah4602fW8EkF5Y/guys-n-dolls</a>
@SP Still working on your puzzle - it is a tough one, but fun!
@SP Pretty clever. It took me about twice as long as today's NYT.
@SP Ye gods!!! I did it!!! I solved an unedited, @SP puzzle!!! And without lookups or reveals, either!!! That was a good one. The theme was very cool. I haven't heard of the second revealer, but once crosses gave it to me, I was finally able to appreciate the whole theme. As for the fill, for once I knew some of the trivia, which helped a lot. I enjoyed the misdirection - I wish we had more of it in NYT grid. And while there were quite a few unknowns, guesses allowed me to deal with them. I thank @Steve L for his tireless explanations of baseball: they allowed me to arrive at the solution to one of the clues - I was able to infer an actual baseball term from what Steve L has told me in the past. I'm so phi-ing proud it's unreal 🤣 The solve took 26m30s, which is my Friday average at the NYT. I spent the longest staring at the NE corner.
@SP I dislike rebus and this one was no exception. Some bad clueing and i didn’t get the theme.
This is one of my favorite rebus puzzles we have had. Still had some trouble in the west, really learned a couple of new words. Well done! Thank you! Add this to the list of OPUSES. or should if be opi?
@Red Carpet The correct plural is OPERA, almost never used in modern English for obvious reasons. Faute de mieux, OPUSES – repellent though it is – is the most common English plural, I believe.
@Red Carpet Don’t be silly. Opi are nail polishes.
@Red Carpet Opi was Sherrif Taylor's kid, I thought.
Maybe there’s some excuse for having the same goddess twice in a week and spelling the name differently but it’s still stupid.
@Heg The "excuse" is simple: the name, which is a transliteration from ancient Greek, can be spelled either way, and how it's spelled in the puzzle depends on what is needed for the cross. Since "kem" isn't a thing, "I" it is today. It's merely coincidental that the two puzzles in which the name was spelled two different ways came one after the other.
Oh, goody -- a rebus!!! In fact, I didn't get this at PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/BEFALL, though both answers befuddled me and I certainly should have. I got it at PAYS LIP SERVICE TO/SLIP-ONS -- at which point I was able to see the FALL in PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE in my head, without looking at the grid. And it was so nice to have BEFALL -- which is the answer I had wanted all along for "happen to." Couldn't guess the revealer in advance -- though I did try to think of one. I expected the credit card answer to be MAGNETIC STRIP instead of MAGNETIC STRIPE. Look, I just insert them and then they do their thing, whatever it is. I don't need to know the inner workings of the credit card as long as it's giving me credit. The only CRUZes I know are Ted and Penelope. Did I actually meet Gay TALESE once or did I just see him sitting in a chair in an editor's office I entered? Did I say anything to him? Don't remember -- I just know he was quite attractive. I did have frequent phone contact with his wife Nan who was editor at Random House. (Don't remember why, though.) It's hard to think of TREX as a "king" rather than a mere beast, but we do now have a wannabe king who shares many of TREX's less-attractive qualities. Give me a rebus and I'm happy. Even with the clue for AEIOU and the animated series KIM Possible. Nice embedding of three different forms of STUMBLING
@Nancy well the rex part of trex does indeed mean king, even if he is quite a beast Did enjoy seeing a rebus too, feels like they're all too rather rare of late
@Nancy Rex is Latin fir king. Funny how that never occurred to mr before today, probably fixated on the "terrible lizard" part of the taxonomy.
...and 'Tyranno-' also refers to kingitude. Hence, I deduce, the doubly royal clue used here. The Latin binomial nomenclature for animal species comprises a noun (genus) and an adjective ('specific epithet'). So Tyrannosaurus rex is something like the 'Kingly King-lizard'. Latinists can probably fine-tune it.
The three themers had a quaint old-timey feel for me. I have hardly used a plastic credit card in at least 3 years. And PAYSLIPSERVICE feels like its something my dad would have said. I am not sure my thirtyish son even knows what it means. Oh, and who can forget back when it was the *flag* one was required to PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE to and not...ah never mind.
i hate the rebus, I skip any puzzles with one
@Amber I agree, it's lazy design. "Couldn't make the word fit, ah it's OK I'll just cram multiple letters in one box"
@Amber & @Luke I've never understood the argument that the constructors opf rebus-puzzles are "being lazy." After all, you have to find not one but two phrases which contain those letters, in order, to "cram in one box." Seems like it would be harder, to me, not easier. (I know, some rebuses work differently in the two directions, but the logic is till the same.)
@Amber I understand but I totally love rebuses, to me they are fun. I’m glad they aren’t in every puzzle, but when they pop up, some enjoy them. And it would be a spoiler if they warned us.
“This is a rebus crossword, in which…” Closes app. Next.
@D Just skip Thursdays if you’re not a fan thinking outside the box. No need to leave this comment every week.
@D It seems as if rebuses are the anchovies of the NYT Crossworld. Either you adore 'em or abhor 'em; there is no middle ground. But at least you read the Wordplay column. There are /non-rebus/ Thursdays. A minority, to be sure, and always a disappointment for the rebusards here but still there they sit. So a wholesale Thursday ban would mean missing a bunch of high quality grids.
Suet! Whatever made you stumble, trip, or fall. Call 1800LAWYERUP. Or less litigiously: kind of a Lego-themed puzzle today, eh parents of toddlers?
I have to agree with those who found this disappointing for a Thursday. Rather simplistic clueing with way too obvious answers that resulted in a puzzle that lacked the usual Thursday challenge.
This one was actually really fun! There were definitely some I had to look up but I feel like I finally understand rebuses and I got those on my own which feels nice.
How did I blow this? Let me count the ways,...Wow, I made one goof after another. Figured there was a Rebus, but put it ALLE after OF, then proceded to spell ALLEGIANCE wrong! Coupled with DRUMSET (instead of DRUMKIT), whch led to reaching for the answer to 11D as OOOS; a lot of "EIEIOs" my tired brain suggested. Did not know SHAD, TUTTI or SUET (hope the gray matter can file those away!) and I don't know what the ATS for 26A is. But I did get ACIDTRIPS/MAGNETICTRIPE correct. Go figure. After all that, I do have to give props to the constructor upon reading Wordplay.
@97Bravo ATS is for at signs or @s. It doesn't take anyone in this forum, even though when you reply it shows up, but in other forms like on Facebook or LinkedIn, you can actually tag someone using that symbol and their name and they'll get a notification and others will see it too unless they have their privacy settings as such.
@nash.mark …and suet, if you have some in a feeder…especially when filled with bugs.
@nash.mark I see a Hairy eating suet outside my window right now.
An odd mix of straightforward (rebus theme) and a few tricky crosses (31D/39A, 58D/65A) had me chewing the metaphorical pencil end. I’ve read TALISE Gay, but struggled to remember the correct spelling. I confidently entered Loci and Ants at 12/13D. While the Greater Speckled Woodpecker here eats SUET from our Winter bird tables, the more Common Green exclusively dines on the above mentioned bugs from the lawn (other insects I’m sure are available). I’ve never seen a Green on the feeders, so discounted that as a possible answer. That’s me told. Again, with the bravado of misplaced confidence I put Bizet for RAVEL, giving me L-Z for the British endearment. Dear gods, you can’t mean LIZ?? The disastrous, thankfully very short lived tenure of Ms Truss as PM?? Phew. Was happy to amend my error. I know it’s been mentioned by others (non US types) here, but yes, I also find the custom of reciting a daily PLEDGE very odd and distinctly unsettling. It feels very 1984 to this European. I’m sure there are plenty of things we do that seem odd to a non Brit, so I’m not trying to take any moral high ground here, just that particular custom feels a tad uncanny valley. Off to check the Alpacas while the visiting Lab is out for a walk. They don’t seem too traumatised by yesterday’s dog invasion/vet visit. Need to keep an eye on them for a couple of days though, as the Bluetongue vaccine isn’t technically registered for Camelids, but it’s the only one out there.
@Helen Wright FOCI are central points. LOCI are just points. I think the author you've read was Gay TALESE. An unfortunate nickname for Gaetano, assuming you're heterosexual, but he's 94 years old.
Shockingly easy Thursday. C’mon NYT, give us a challenge.
@Andrew I finished in 32% less time, but I was not shocked. Seems like for the last couple of years or so, I more often than not beat my average time.
@Andrew agree! Personal best for a Thursday for me!
Today’s poem made from words in today’s puzzle a/ the clouds the clouds it is the clouds! kings of the earth! kings of the world! (sensitive of hearing) gathering in the gathering of d/ cups and saucers — the legion of words that come before the lightning bolt—crack! that a/ stabbed at stabbed at stabbed sta b bed s t a b b e d
Regarding the “Features of gathering clouds” clue, like most I wasn’t thrilled by it, but this sort of clue does pop up occasionally, so I give it a pass. What bothered me more about this clue though is that I feel like “features” should have been singular. I know that AEIOU consists of multiple letters, but the appearance of them in order in a word or phrase is a singular feature. I know that’s a tiny nit and I’m not saying the clue was wrong, I just think it would have been better in the singular. Is it just me?
Jeb, It might have been an easier clue with a singular "feature," but as the only truly Thursday-level clue in today's puzzle, I'm glad it was presented as plural, which you know is also correct (the letters are the features).
Another Thursday puzzle like having some potato chips. Just plain potato chips. No good French onion dip. A little bit of fun before bed.
@Jake G Apt metaphor – though perhaps potato chips are a little sharper, and crispier, than this puzzle... I'd say more like really good mashed potatoes: smooth, easily digestible, but not distasteful. I have enjoyed Jill Singer's previous puzzles a lot. This one felt spoon-fed in the cluing department! Like the authors were being extra, extra careful to have solvers "get" it, especially around the themers. I'd be very curious what percentage of clues were original to the constructor!