Lauren Ford

@Michael respectfully disagree. I think you can rewrite this comment from a more subjective place and a touch less mean-spiritedness

@Mike always thankful for your punny takes in the comments, Mike. What a warm sentiment you’ve shared for this holiday. Wishing you and yours the best this season.

@Marcia my friend! Gaming is part of the culture. It is important to people. It builds community. It is ok not to like it for yourself. But the collective we does not rise and fall on your limited viewpoints.

@Classic Hip-Hop Fan early on in the puzzle I was planning my TIL comment about the city being named for stinging jellyfish

@Peter hang in there, Peter! You got this!

@Seth didn’t know this technicality. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. May still refer to bmw cars as beamers in my day to day.

@Jacob I love that the emus have no clue what the 7734 is going on today

@Torey Adler hmmm - I live in dark mode and can see the circles. Maybe an app update needed? I do have to up my brightness so that I can see them well when I’m a bit bleary-eyed but they are there. Said with kindness. I come in peace. ✌🏾

@Andrzej cookie is referring to the tricky clues section of today’s column where we get an explanation of the clue and the answer.

@Paul Turner this comment made me smile and giggle

@IZ AR is actually Arkansas - Arizona is AZ ☺️

@Kristopher recent episode of Abbott Elementary deals with this topic. Common in public school systems where standardized test scores are currency for resources.

@Debbie think more of the human chicken than the avian one

@Liz B haystack also set me up for the rest! 😊

@Sarah double my Tuesday time and half my Wednesday time so I have to agree.

@Divs love when that happens

@Lea I’ve been doing the puzzle consistently for about 3 years now. I like the extra challenge most days. But really I’m here for the comments. lol

@Lori there is often some trickery associated with the Thursday puzzle. The cluing as the straightforward word was the trick in this case as opposed to calling out that there is some funny business with the first two letters of each theme clue. It is part of the fun!

@Steve L thank you! That’s really all that I can say. You’re always such a valuable part of my day every day.

@Phil better warn them about Thursdays too while we’re here

@Kanye for the mini, right? Right?!

@Jim @Derek Both of EWER 😆

@Nick Roumel love it when that happens

@Danielle did you already read the column? The answer to the clue makes it so that the “YOU” sound is the problem in the otherwise standard phrase The Settlers of Catan. Hope that helps.

@Janine I’m with you! I made it to the fb group I’m part of to kick off their spoiler thread telling everyone that I got a pr and to hush about it being “easy”. Just let me have this! Dang! 😆

@Pogo Crafty probably can email this to the times. Doubt the Connections product team reads the comments of the crossword puzzle.

@Mickey I agree but also had a breezy Saturday the weekend before last. Got a PR and everything. Would have bested myself this week had it not been for misspelling AFICIONADO - and in turn trying to fill in the blanks of _A__SaTA to no avail.

@HeathieJ good luck on your event! Thanks for teaching us about enchiladas 😊

@Frankie B check out the column for more info

@Lpr ohhh! I just got the other way lol. Thanks

@Shimmer I’ve had someone LEND me or impart some advice

@Dave Maybe Lewis’s post a few above will change your mind? The construction feat is something to marvel at TBH

@Nancy J. Saw somewhere that you can turn off overlays in settings if you’re solving in app

@CROSSWORD MAN I read this and lol’d imagining you with a REVILING

and now I learn how to _italicize_ in the comments?! What a day.

@Michael G you might just be getting better at Fridays.

@Joya love that you put Eddie before Kathy

@Eric Hougland we had a betta at my old job. We named him Wanda. We learned it was a him bc similar to birds and many other creatures, males are the more colorful of the sexes.