Becky
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Minneapolis rightly deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
❤️ cryptics ❤️ nyt thursdays ❤️ this debut puzzle! Please make many more! The trickier and math-ier the better.
Great debut puzzle! I affectionately call these sorts of crosswords where the answers move in nonlinear lines “snakes” and this one was a HOOT! I started doing the Times in 2023, my goal was to learn how to solve each day of the week. Deb, your column was a massive help when I needed a hint, or help understanding a theme. I’ve come a ways, racking up over 3000 NYT puzzles (I play extensively in the archives), and feel confident solving every day of the week. I’ve branched out into cryptics (love wordplay), other crosswords (NYT will always be my first love), and logic puzzles. I’m so grateful to the entire NYT Games team, all the constructors, and the games community for creating this wonderful puzzle which sustains and enriches so many of us. Thank you, Deb, and best of luck on your next adventures! I’m beyond excited for Puzzle Mania (preordered my copy and also treated myself to Joel Fagliano’s Puzzle Mania book too!) I’m celebrating Shortzmas. Cool jazz, hot tea, holiday sweets, and Will Shortz puzzles.
Dayum. Seems like you’re doing the puzzles (and life) wrong if they’re angering you. Sending you some chill ❄️
@Ed I thought of the statue in Rio before baseball.
Never heard of the kea before. After a quick google I learned they are the only alpine parrot. They look like dragons. They are intelligent, scrappy, and mischievous (many funny antics including throwing rocks at people). New favorite animal unlocked! The list is long. 007 theme was jolly good. I tip my hat to the constructor.
Brilliant! Best Tuesday of 2026! 🪐
I would watch DANCING WITH THE TSARS for the outfits alone.
Broadway (and American sports) are my Achilles heel re crosswords. That being so, I enjoyed this puzzle immensely. EINSTEIN, MOBIUS STRIP, and PROLETARIAT were standouts in the creative themed entries. Terrifically fun last Sunday of the year and a lovely tribute to Mr. Eaton-Salners’ mother. Peace to all in 2026.
I have a real pip of a cat, named Pip! She often sits with me while I do crosswords and I enjoy telling her “Pip! You’re adorable! You made the Times puzzle again!”
I gotta say… I only like crosswords that contain the word EEL. EEL = A MORAY No EEL, no love from me. Today’s puzzle had no EEL. I was bereft. So I changed 41A from ANNE to EELS. Dearest puzzle editors, I shouldn’t need to add the EELS to the puzzles myself! Thank you for your attention to this shocking matter.
The STICKER SHOCK is so real these days.
Circe may have been onto something.
turnt - drunk+high turnt up - go wild turnt down - brush/floss+go to bed early u turnt - highly erratic driving maneuvers
I’m finding the world exceedingly cold right now so a reminder that spring will come is a balm. Also I like birds so much more than people.
@Andrzej 🤣 nah, puzzles are for everyone, no one, some guy Bob. Think if artists pandered to the viewer only. Gotta let the constructors have their elaborate set pieces.
I had “held nerve” instead of HELD SERVE as I know nothing about tennis and was thinking, darkly, of a hostage scenario or some sort of situation when one might break. Liked the crossing of FERRETS and WEASELED. Happy weekend to all~
Halloween came early with this puzzle, but no capes dahling!
I’m glad the Martín Espada and Marsha P. Johnson clues made the puzzle. Personally, I want the puzzle to go political. Everything is political. If you don’t stand apart from evil, you are part of evil. As ever - go Gunners! ❤️🤍
We now have the mini, the midi, the (mici) crossword. I propose an additional puzzle - the mega. A deviously difficult daily grid for advanced solvers. Alas, one can dream.
@Matt World peace, climate, ____, Matt, ____, Tottenham LOST CAUSES 🫳🏻 🎤
NEGRONI? Yes please! I’ll take two (II), it’s my favourite. As for the movie selections, give me the MEL Brooks. And the Monty Python. “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” was stuck in my head recently, absolute banger!
I love the CELESTA. It is perfectly suited to experimental genres, art pop, and post rock. All classical iterations of it are beautiful, from the hauntingly dark timbres of Shostakovich to the soaring, celestial melodies of Holst. However, the brightness of it loves up the Stones’ “She’s a Rainbow” so perfectly, it’s celesta gold. BOA clue was fab! Giraffe baby and mum so sweet! 🧡 As ever, go Gunners! 🏆🏆
Excited for Mike from Munster’s pun today, hopefully regarding the locksmith and STEAMY IRONY.
The gold medal goes to REID for the gay hockey romance novels. 🏳️🌈🇨🇦 Go Canada!
It’s T-time in the Times, therefore time for tea. Terrific Thursday!
Ask me if you need help on 107 across. 😃
@Ken I’ve only recently started to read the comments section of wordplay, and I’m disappointed. It’s sad that we can’t create a space of joy to discuss the puzzles we all enjoy so much. Social media - bah! I would think it might scare off possible submissions of puzzles, hard to see something you’re excited about nitpicked to pieces. I’ll probably skip the comments and go back to puzzling in peace.
Pip, you’re in the crossword again! When I saw the title I was worried the theme would be way out of my ken. Not so! Breezy solve and themers were cute. Didn’t know The Great Escape was a novel. Go Gunners! I still believe! Let’s LICK Tottenham!
I liked it! 🧡🤎 I would happily take a whole year of Sunday animal-themed puzzles!
POLLIWOGS!!!!!!!! Loved the clue, made me smile! Go Gunners!
Can someone explain CLASH at 28A? I thought colors opposite each other on the color wheel were complimentary?
Fun puzzle to end the day with. I liked NO CAP next to PERIOD. What even is sparkling water ESSENCE!? Hope the constructors enjoy their celebrations! ✌️
Fun and fresh puzzle! Loved the ⚽️ fill, appropriate as the Premier League just kicked off. Go Arsenal!
FILMED ARTSY VIDS RAW STARTBUTTON SLIP CAME PEAKED OHENRY OPENS S€XSHOP PRINTRUN TONS LIVINGLARGE
@Dave K. That is a quality dating app bio right there.
Cheers to all the Arsenal supporters who do the NYT crossword!!!! 🏆We won the Premier League! Let’s do it again…next season! 🍾🥂🍻🎉
I loved this puzzle! Cheering for 🏴! And many others! I see you 🏴! Any national team with a flash kit, an Arsenal player or two, and dancing. 🇧🇷 Any national team with Virgil. 🇳🇱 🇸🇳 🇳🇿 🇪🇨 🇭🇷
I am definitely a fan of Schrödinger puzzles!
Memories eh. I was at an earthy tea shop once, buzzed on good Darjeeling. Surrounded by a riot of colourful pillows. I had just been in a fancy scents shop, and spritzed this most wondrous spicy amber perfume on my wrists. It really evolved, that scent, I regret never going back to buy it. But I really feel it was special because I only experienced it once. I had such a peculiar feeling of being okay with everything that day. Not in a blunted, apathetic way. I struggle to describe it, but I felt so open and free. Wisps of a pleasant memory from the BEFORE TIMES. Thanks to this thread for reminding me of that moment. I enjoyed reading yours.
@Mike Put these puns out to pasture.
@Jeff Nope. I’ve dabbled here enough to know Barry Ancona is a class act. Gracious. Fair. Font of puzzle knowledge.
@Mike That’s what Lady Grey said.
@Lpr Same thing happened to me with cereal. I think shrinker shock is great coinage!
@SBK can confirm. I don’t use the timer ever. It feels stressy. And I do puzzles to feel unstressy.
@NYC Traveler Impressive! 🎉 Reaching the point where every puzzle is doable, whether it’s a K2 or a happy little hillside, is very zen. Enjoy the climbs!