sotto voce

Bravo, a million times Bravo! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I'm on such a high from solving and figuring out this puzzle. What a masterpiece. I loved every minute of it, even despite the mess I made in the NE corner by putting "donkey" in for [Party animal?] before straightening it out. Thank you, Mr. Goodman, extensive to Sam Ezersky and Christina Iverson, for this brilliantly challenging Thursday. Respect.

August 26, 2026 - Will Shortz's birthday! Thank you, Mr. Shortz, for day after day, year after year, being the captain of this outstanding ship that takes us on a daily voyage of entertainment and education, never knowing what we'll encounter. A very Happy Birthday to you, and a wonderful year ahead, with much health to enjoy it! Please know that not only do you matter, but you, sir, are a legend. Thank you again. Salud!

It felt to me like years went by while I sat and stared at MADA SHELL. Maybe a shell from Madagascar? And so I (actually) Googled MADA SHELL. Ah, a shell so rare and exquisite that even Google hasn't tracked it down. Thank you, Mr. Schoenholz. I shall always treasure this duh moment of mine thanks to your puzzle. You see, it didn't make me MAD AS HELL. It just reaffirmed that I don't need a DOOBIE to trip out! After a million face palms and laughter galore, I think it's time for me to call it a night.

Work of art! The beauty of the blinkers flashing at the end, revealing the perfect placement of Rs to the right and Ls to the left...wow! (No, I did not latch on to that while solving; I was a little busy feeling cross-eyed with reading the across themers first this way, then that way, then this way again.) The fill was smooth, the construction was superb, and I had nothing but fun solving this gem. I also appreciated the crossing of IN YOU GO (with a push) and STAY OUT (maybe also with a push?) It made me laugh. Thank you, Mr. Wagner for the magical workings of your mind! P.S. FADE reminds me of an old Levi's jeans ad: "Levi's jeans never die. They just fade away." It also reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Radiohead, a band that didn't yet exist when I had all my music in LP's or ON TAPE. (Apologies if I've already previously posted it.) – <a href="https://youtu.be/2y6kop0VTXY?si=vPRx_anLgF7MN7_7" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/2y6kop0VTXY?si=vPRx_anLgF7MN7_7</a>

Mr. Johnson, I'd like to start out by saying that your ode to Alexandra was a beautiful thing to read. From your words, and your modesty in giving up your space to write about her, I can tell that the light you see in her is the same that is in you. That light - and lightness - was also in your puzzle. I was taken aback by how an initially very scary-looking empty grid flowed so gently once I started. Every spanner was gettable, and every misdirect, a delight. So today there were two gifts - your words and your puzzle. Thank you.

What a stroke of genius! The themers and revealer, yes, but also the intelligent clues, as well as the smart misdirects peppered throughout. I don't remember exactly when the penny dropped for me since my solving m.o. is to always float around the grid, criss-crossing as I go. But when it did, I took myself straight to the revealer, where I had the ORD in place, and excitedly filled in the rest, W-OR-D CHOICE, astonished and gleeful. I can't even imagine what a bear this must have been to construct, Mr. Boroughs, but please know that your gift to us has been received with awe and gratitude.

Nothing about this puzzle bum-med me, nor made me SAD, nor made me MOPE. It was glorious! I noticed off the bat that the "T" was missing for (T)AILS, and the rest was delightful history, figuring out which other entries would have letters outside the grid. Thank you for a terrific Thursday, Mr. Caprera, with a grateful shout-out as well to the graphics team for the ICING on the cake. Altogether, a work of art!

This puzzle has given me an out- of-body experience. I'm sitting down and seemingly calm, but my soul is jumping up and down, in a frenzy, yelling "Bravo! Bravo!" and I can't make it stop. The solve itself was breezy, with no look-ups. Only when I was done did the awesomeness of the puzzle begin, as I unraveled the Schrödinger-ness of it. My jaw dropped. My joy went through the roof. You see, I don't just find satisfaction in a successful solving experience; I derive immense joy from a constructor's genius and creativity. I can't explain it, but I simply love the feeling of being awed by another human being. And awed I was by you, Mr. Grinberg. Thank you for the joy with which you and your puzzle have filled me! (And for a little extra joy, a bit of music, of course... <a href="https://youtu.be/xuZA6qiJVfU?si=S67iVur2OnAGJTZ5" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/xuZA6qiJVfU?si=S67iVur2OnAGJTZ5</a>)

And so we arrive at the Monday puzzle, where CHIC is really CHIC and not OHIO. Albeit a respite from Sunday's amazing layered complexity, this is in no way a lesser puzzle. It is, in fact, a beautiful Monday one. Just look at those two spanners. And the whole alphabet in one grid! (A pangram puzzle, as pointed out by the astute @SP.) Adding to the party, a creative playfulness with OH, DEAR and its homophone. I thought this was a top-notch puzzle and enjoyed the solve. Thank you, Mr. Woodford!

Can I just say, I'm still smiling and I finished the puzzle ten minutes ago. This is the kind of puzzle that keeps me addicted to crosswords, and fascinated by constructors' creativity and skill. A real feat of construction! And that's, erm, putting it mildly. I don't play golf, and whatever I know, I learned here. And so, when I saw the CUP (which I didn't even know went by that name), I thought uh-oh. But pretty soon, I was wanting to know what it was all about, and, inch by inch and word by word, was rewarded for peeling the layers. It turned out to be an immensely satisfying solve, and the animation added even more joy to it. Kudos to Mr. Newton, Joel Fagliano, and the editorial and graphics team. (Still smiling.) Thank you, Mr. Newton, and congratulations on your first Monday xword. ITSDOPE!

At ROLLER COASTER, I looked over the whole design of the puzzle and thought, "This is amazing! It must have been a beast to construct!" What astounded me even more was that it can't be an easy feat to let the puzzle itself take center-stage and not be overshadowed by an in-your-face construction marvel. But a marvel it is. And it speaks to Rebecca's and Will's undeniable expertise. I'm sure many will find this "an easy Sunday" but I, for one, love me a tranquil flow in such a large grid. In my opinion, this is yet another testament to the expertise behind it, the uncluttered fill that makes everything seem easy. I loved that there were plenty of clever misdirects sprinkled about a variety of fill, and that the challenges weren't hair-pulling ones and totally inferable. And of course there was the laughter, what with CHEST HAIR being the right answer for what I thought I was just being goofy about. No, they didn't...oh yes they did! Hah! Thank you so much, Rebecca and Will. You're truly powerhouse constructors!

Yes, the puzzle was easy-breezy for a Thursday, but I was engaged all the way through, enjoying every bit of it. Many thanks to Mr. Martinovic for a very clever Pi Day tribute, and to the editing team for choosing to run it on the appropriate date despite the lack of trickiness. Further, I loved learning the interesting fact about Einstein and Hawkins, and it wowed me that such great minds were connected to 3.14 as a date of the birth of one and passing of the other. Cue the Twilight Zone music. I don't celebrate Pi Day, but it always puts a smile on my face. Maybe it's because I love numbers and math, and Pi has astounded me since the first encounter. Or maybe it's because every 3/14, I call my dad and wish him a Happy Pi Day since "father" in Portuguese is "pai," and pronounced exactly the same, he he. Last but not least, thank you to Joel Fagliano -- we couldn't have asked for a better sub while Will Shortz heals. But to Will Shortz I say: please know that with every puzzle, every day, best thoughts and wishes are being sent your way. That's every. single. day.

Congratulations on your debut, Mr. Horton, and a fine one it is. A round of applause to you for persisting through 19 rejections just to bring us some glorious entertainment. And another round of applause for this very worthy and delightful puzzle. Thank you!

What an excellent puzzle. Astounding creativity and on point execution. It was great fun to figure out the themers, and the fill was so engaging as to never feel like a slog. Thank you much, Mr. Eaton-Salners!

Yes, I'm honored to have a handle that has gotten me in the NYT puzzle already twice. As they say, if you're in the NYT crossword, you've finally arrived. 😂 But the reason I'm dropping in is to say how impressed I am by this puzzle. It's not just Ms. Lowden's creativity; it's all those K's she braved for crosses, daring to go where no one has dared to go before. The fill tripped me up a bit, here and there, so I can't say I breezed through like your usual Tuesday, but still it was a fresh grid that I very much enjoyed. Thank you, Ms. Lowden! P.S. Gosh, I love me some Mark Twain witticisms!

Superb puzzle, topped only by the constructors' notes. Bravo! Thank you, Nicole and Brad!

Brilliant and fun – I wish it had been Sunday-sized! Thank you so much, Mr. Bergman, and congrats on a worthy first solo!

WOW. I said out loud when I saw the four-way "back." And I kept saying it, over and over again. WOW. Having my favorite Amy Winehouse song would have made my day on its own. But wow. This was next level. What a debut! I'm rolling out the red carpet for Mr. Faiella. Welcome to the NYT crossworld, with a standing ovation! And thank you! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

(This comment refers to Tuesday's puzzle. I posted it late in the day, so per Steve L's suggestion, I am reposting.) First off, thank you, Messieurs Callahan and Schorkopf, for an artful puzzle! It took me by surprise to encounter my handle in it, and I think my heart fluttered a bit – which brings me to another very special thank you, one that goes out to @Striker along with all those who recommended his post and all those who replied in the thread. Your kindness means the world to me. As for your appreciation of my contributions, I'd like to turn it on its head to my appreciation of you – you who welcomed me into your fold, you who allow this introvert the comfort to participate. Your knowledge, culture, wit, humor, and civility are a daily balm I cherish and look forward to. And so, being on the receiving end of your lovely words has left me flustered, since all I ever feel is that it's an honor to be part of this forum, where I get to linger among all of you, cruciverbalism's truly great. Thank you again for showering me with your kindness. [*quietly* exits stage left.]

Reading the comments, I can now see where there was a divide between those of us who assumed the rotations would be done in our heads to get to the secret word, and those who were led to believe the letters needed to actually be turned around to reveal the secret word. This seems to be a case of a very unfortunate glitch in the instructions which betrayed a lack of absolute clarity. This is truly unfortunate since the puzzle itself, and the constructor's conceit and execution, are sheer genius. Mistakes will happen, of course, as they did with the instructions. Still, I'm very sorry for Dr. Schlossberg that his creation suffered for this, and my heart goes out to those who did the switcheroo manually only to have to undo it. As a side note, a shout-out to the tech team for the brilliant final display. It would have delighted everyone, had it been allowed its pow without any prior frustration. As for those who've resorted to expressing gripes using anger and attacks, I marvel at a puzzle taking center stage in your emotional life, and concurrently cringe at the poison you spew. I wish you peace and perspective, for your sake and for the sake of this forum as well.

I've read all the comments and now I feel like there's something wrong with me and how my mind works when playing *any* NYT game. To me, in the back of my mind, there's *always* a search for what the constructor was thinking and how they think. I see whichever game as a constructor's unique creative expression that I'm being invited to dwell upon and decipher, as if I were being invited into their minds. As such, the fact that I knew Frost's poem didn't alter for me the process of unveiling Mr. O'Neill's mysterious reimagining of it. I had no idea if it would be serious, snarky, or jokey. And that, yes, made it hard, but perhaps not any harder than for someone who didn't know the poem. I still had to rely on crosses. The only difference, in my possibly wrong opinion, is that those who didn't know the poem were deprived of the ensueing laughter. And so, I'm rather taken aback by the comments that deride the puzzle because the poem was unknown, and a few that imply "how am I supposed to know how it was reimagined?" Which takes me back to thinking there's something wrong with me. "How am I supposed to know what the constructor intended?" is exactly what attracts me to a puzzle or any other game. I'm drawn in *to find out*! Sometimes I succeed, and sometimes I don't. To me it's just a matter of how much I was able to attune to the creator's mind.

We interrupt this program to send Will Shortz loving thoughts on his birthday today. We raise our glasses to you, sir, wishing you a year ahead blessed with Happiness and Health Health Health! Please know that there is a worldwide cruciverbalist community, built and nurtured by you, that every day thanks you and, on this special day, celebrates you. Mr. Shortz, here's to you and a life that's made a positive difference in the lives of countless many. Salud and Happy Birthday!

Mr. Marquez, congratulations on your leap from two Mondays straight to a Thursday, and with a rebus to boot! A veritable accomplishment. To me, this was a very worthy puzzle. Though the rebuses were all the same, I still had to figure out the entries before I could place them correctly, and therein lies the fun. I would agree with others who thought this not very challenging, but it wasn't a too easy puzzle either. More importantly, it was very satisfying, which is the feeling I always seek when solving. And so, thank you very much for what to me was a great ESCape and wonderful respite from the daily cares and news cycle. I look forward to more from you!

Mr. Charlton, you're too phunny! That's what I thought as I substituted the PH's with F's, never once occurring to me that this was a good ol' rebus puzzle. What with Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's all wrapped into one, I guess my brain's taken a hit. I'm also completely lost in time and space. In fact, just now I'm getting around to welcoming back Will Shortz. What a wonderful holiday gift you've given us, knowing that you're now well enough to once again steer the ship. It's simply fantastic. That said, heartfelt appreciation goes to Joel Fagliano for seamlessly and skillfully navigating from the editor's seat. Well done, sir. Along with Will and Joel, I wish a Happy and Healthy New Year to the Games team, Deb, Caitlin, Sam, the constructors, and this very special commentariat. You all are what keeps me coming back day after day. Thank you! May you and your near and dear have a beautiful year! 🌟

ILOVEDTHIS TONS! Before all else, I took a moment to admire and be mystified by the grid design. And then I had a rollin' good time with the solve, very smooth and satisfying. Congrats on and thank you for a beautiful debut, Ms. Bale! One of my two brothers had a knack for saving money and then spending it on hefty acquisitions that he intended to learn to use but never did (a surfboard, a drum kit, a CB radio...) Well, the CB radio we did use. Once. I was fourteen, he was fifteen, and here we were interrupting the truckers' banter, saying hi. They could tell from our voices that we were young, and they were super careful with their language, refraining from jargon and coarseness and going out of their way to be welcoming and nice. Here's a shout-out to all truckers on their day. It can't be easy being on the road with so many bad drivers who never learned that you don't cut in front of a truck. My heart goes out to all of you. :-)

Face palm after reading the column!! I started at the bottom of the grid and, exactly like Catlin, got EPCOT CENTER and EVERGLADES. Naturally, I filled in THE SOUTHEAST for the revealer. I meandered all over the grid, and as I filled in the other themers, my rationale was that all of them were *really* in the Southeast because location can be relative. Mr. Seigel had not specified Southeast of what. Gosh, I feel like such a dork. And, to be honest. I'm a bit sad that I missed out on the awed feeling during the solve. But awed, I am. Even after the fact. It's a tour de force of astounding brilliance. Mr. Seigel, you said you're thrilled to have this off your back after all these years. Thank you for putting it on ours. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

This is the kind of Monday puzzle that makes me PASSionate about crosswords. The progression of the themers was delightful, but there was something else about the puzzle that was very satisfying to me – the rich fill, with a little bit of this, a litte bit of that: Art - DEGAS Literature - Murder on the ORIENT Express Music - lovely RITA / ALTO Philosophy/Religion - DHARMA Geography - Lake ERIE Sports - Arthur ASHE Cooking - ONION /SPUD Politics - SENATE / OATH It's really amazing that a Monday grid would cover so much terrain. Thank you, ACME and Kevin Christian. You've provided a really great start to the month!

I thought this was a super clever puzzle, and I loved it! Though it was breezy for a Thursday, it did have a fun (and funny) trick, and the vertical spanners to boot. Oh, and nothing triggering; just smiles all around. Thank you, Mr. Pandey!

I loved this puzzle! It was different, with a creative theme, and interesting, with a variety of fill. The twice in a lifetime clue had me holding my breath as I solved the crosses, waiting for some kind of deep and mind-blowing revelation, something that someone had thought of and that no one else ever had and that now I, too, would be privy to. — LONG I? Come again? Oh well. Fire wasn't discovered anew and my brain didn't rattle and shake, but I sure got at least a smile out of it. Thank you so much, Mr Collins. I truly enjoyed solving your puzzle!

Constructors never cease to amaze me and today was your turn, Andrew and Garrett, to leave me RAPT and AWED. You took a Monday puzzle to the next level, not only with the astounding finds of "palindromes minus the first and last letters" (six of them!), but also with all the varied and clever cluing and fill. I laughed at "Their are too in this clue" and, of course, cringed at the thought that, unfortunately, nowadays they're (their/there) not always mere TYPOS. Thank you for a fantastic puzzle!

I loved this puzzle! Sure, solving on the phone required some patience and zooming in due to the colors interfering with the highlighting, but it was absolutely worth it. I meandered around the puzzle, as I usually do until I know what's going on, but (Blue) BAYOU gave me the big aha, and I was suddenly energized to fill in all the rings. Aside from the rings, all the fill packed a nice punch and came together beautifully. Thank you, Paolo, for a brilliant puzzle! And now, I'll be on my way to other things, because TIME AND TIDE wait for no one. But I leave you with Freddie Mercury: <a href="https://youtu.be/D0MH00SNlSU?feature=shared" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/D0MH00SNlSU?feature=shared</a>

Before I can write anything else, I need a moment to regroup after reading the constructors' notes. I'm heart-warmed and a bit teary-eyed. I know how great it must be to get published, but there's not much that's greater than that love right there. Thank you, brothers Matz, for those notes, and for a puzzle worthy of kudos. It was a joy to solve, and gave me the aha I so look forward to in a crossword. It also gave me a flashback to when I moved to Austin. My brother had a band that played every Sunday at the same club. If I wasn't dancing, I was sitting in the back with the sound engineer, a lovely and funny original 60's hippie. At CLOSING TIME, he would announce: "If you're not with the band or sleeping with someone in the band, it's time to go home." Three Sundays later, when I finally felt more at ease with everyone who worked in the club, including him, I tapped him on the shoulder right before two a.m. and reminded him that I didn't fall into any of those two categories but was allowed to hang around. Without missing a beat, he spoke into the mic: "If you're not in the band, sleeping with someone in the band, or are the sister of someone in the band, it's time to go home." Thereafter, like clockwork, every Sunday at 2 a.m., you could see me smugly smiling.

A Wednesday rebus, and now Thursday graphics, and I'm in puzzle heaven! What a mind you have, Mr. Deeney! You've given us a memorable grid to sink our teeth into. The themers were creativity at its best, and the fill was crunchy, clever, and delightful. I wish I were just starting the solve, so I could enjoy it all over again. Alas, it's come to an end, but at least the smile remains. Thank you so much!

"Sara(h), you're the poet in (our) heart(s), never change and don't you ever stop" bringing us your wonderful crossword puzzles (with apologies to Stevie Nicks for taking liberty with the lyrics.) I always appreciate a grid wherein the unknowns are inferable, needing only a few or even just one letter to break through. It also delights me when the fill is varied and interesting such as in this one. Many thanks for this puzzle, Sarah, and to the barbershop quartet for a stupendous Valentine's Day greeting (with honorable mention for the crossword garment!) A Happy Valentine's wish to all in Crosslandia - editors, constructors, columnists, and my dear commenters - with all my love, and many thanks for the joy you bring.

I thought I had figured out the gimmick when I nailed the expressions, and thought that was that. Having once again forgotten to read the title of the puzzle, and not taking the time to delve deeper into the revealer, I was far from having it all figured out, as you know. When that dial turned at the end of the solve, I was completely wowed – so maybe it wasn't so bad that I didn't latch on to that part during the solve; I got to be amazed at the end. But wait, there's more to the puzzle. Are you kidding me? Yet another layer that I missed – the amazing shorthand for high-school courses. Wow. <a href="https://youtu.be/T0bU9llGUic?si=k69mXCQ371pqeRKr" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/T0bU9llGUic?si=k69mXCQ371pqeRKr</a> And so, I give myself a "C" and Mr. Ayas an "A+++!!" This was an ingenious construction, and yet another one that makes me wonder how constructors' brains can possibly tick that way. Bravo, Mr. Ayas! Thank you for your brilliant mind.

A minuscule puzzle! The mini-est puzzle ever – what a cutie! – like a cherry on top of a sundae/Sunday. Kudos to this father and son duo for this gem. To have found eight themers that all have double meanings, and then all with four-letter entries for the second meaning... wow! And the rest of the puzzle? A delicious ZEN solve. —Can I say I was in MONK MODE or does that only apply to a lifestyle? Because, really, I was in MONK MODE, no distractions, completely enraptured. Bravi, gents, and thank you!

I'm very impressed, Jackson. At sixteen, you've already had a Friday puzzle accepted by the NYT! Kudos to you for that, as well as for knowing how to make time for your varied activities. Such is the stuff that smart self-investment is made of. The puzzle was challenging and clever but completely doable, which is how I like them. I loved the clue for LESS, "what some consume on a diet." Very witty! Many thanks for this gem, and congratulations on your precocious debut. I hope this is only the first of many more to come.

This is a beauty of a puzzle that was a complete joy to solve. More on that later. Someone in yesterday's comments mentioned Casey Kasem (thinking of him instead of Ryan Seacrest) and that's the only reason I knew it. It pays to read Wordplay! I don't remember who it was, but thank you. I had to get CINC from the crosses because I only know POTUS to be Commander in Chief. The sad part is that I then stared at CINC thinking it was some americanized version of the French "cinq" and, of course, I could make no sense of it. I shrugged my shoulders and carried on. It was only after seeing the letters again in the column that it hit me, and then a huge head slap hit me as well. Doh! It made me smile to see MEAN for "intend" since that was my entry yesterday, before "hope." It's really interesting how "hope" or MEAN can stand in for "intend" but in slightly different ways. English is a phenomenal language, with all its twists and turns. As I started out by saying, I enjoyed this beautiful puzzle to the max. At each Double Duty entry, I stopped to take it in, in awe of the mind that created it. The whole solve was a joy, from start to finish. Thank you, Ms. Gray, for this veritable gem!

What a feat of construction! I'm in awe. I'm also on CLOUD 3×3. Words + math = joy joy joy Thank you, Chandi and Mathew for this stellar puzzle!

Congratulations on your NYT debut, Sunny, and at only 19 years of age! I hope this is only the first puzzle of many more to come. For someone still so young, you crafted a very mature and excellent puzzle. The wall of greens is an elegant concept, and the fill was varied and interesting (MARTINI, SAPIENS, ABOLISH, and the fabulous Judi DENCH come to mind.) Thank you so much! In honor of all things green, here are Al GREEN with "Let's Stay Together" <a href="https://youtu.be/8T1HlGjO_XM?is=8Fjng2MMKK0HHw2S" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/8T1HlGjO_XM?is=8Fjng2MMKK0HHw2S</a> and Green Day with "Wake Me Up When September Ends" <a href="https://youtu.be/22dvKCjsIkY?is=mL-oziORM6I2E8Pz" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/22dvKCjsIkY?is=mL-oziORM6I2E8Pz</a>

This puzzle was lovely, dark and deep An ode to a classic poem that, Though short, For some will still be "Too long, didn't read." Just perfect reimagining for our modern Nescafé-instant times, Mr. O'Neill. Loved it! Your modern version made me smile, and I know it's instilled in me s-miles to go before I sleep. Congratulations on your debut, and thank you so much for a great Thursday romp!

This was at first terrifying, but as the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place, it turned out to be terrific. What a magic carpet ride! –from an uh-oh near-empty grid to proud ahas, figuring out the magnificent clueing. It was hard, but it got done, and the sense of satisfaction is worth its weight in gold. Thank you, Mr. Bratton! My brain is fried, but my heart and mind are fulfilled. :-)

This Independence Day finds me in a bit of a somber mood, deeply aware of what the founding fathers envisioned versus the current state of affairs. This would probably explain why I took one look at [get in a corpse pose] and, despite knowing yoga terms, non-chalantly plucked in "die." At least it gave me a hearty laugh when I saw the error of my ways. I needed that. I enjoyed the puzzle very much and figured out the theme just in time, which left me hugely satisfied. Before I got it, I stared and stared, and decided that, goshdarnit, I was going to wrangle with it until I got it, even if I had to sleep on it. I'm so glad that won't be necessary. Thank you, Mr. Vincent, for an engaging puzzle, and a Happy Fourth to all!