Mark

I'm risking all the eye rolls to say that porter is a style of, not an alternative to, ale. That is all.

Next month will be four years since I seriously committed to solving the crossword every day. My average times have stabilized over time, which is to be expected. A very slow or very fast time has less effect, the larger the data set. What surprises me though is how often my daily time is within a few seconds, high or low, of my average. This has to be a testament to the edtiors' skill at slotting a puzzle into the correct day and tweaking and tuning the clues for that day. From here, it looks like a challenging job done extremely well.

I loved this puzzle! Fun play from start to finish.

What impressed me most was the consistent level of difficulty throughout. The clues solved themselves with a bit of effort, the revealer was just enough to allow a small aha moment. No corner was a lot tougher than the others. The result was a not-too-tough but highly satisfying Thursday.

After Saturday, I really wanted a breezier solve. This puzzle stepped the difficulty down just enough, yet managed to stay fun and clever. In other words, it did NOT get my goat.

The theme is wonderful, and a welcome antidote to all the polarizing forces tugging at us.

I did not hate this at all. It seems like one where you need to just roll with it. Or as I was often told when I was younger, "Just be cool, man!" Ah, if I'd only taken that advice! 😬

I found this a tough one to break into. One pass through, and all I had were two or three maybes. But working from the bottom to the top, I chipped away at it. It never seemed like I had it cracked, only that it slowly revealed itself. In a way that felt more satisfying than the puzzles with big AHA moments.

Let's just say this puzzle didn't play to my strengths! I very much admire the clever cluing, all the same.

Didn't we do this same puzzle yesterday?

I erased a chunk of the center because MHOS was obviously incorrect. D'ohm.

The crossing of 38A and 32D just about sums it up for me. I stalled out in the NW corner, and the whole left side was tough. Tough but fair describes this one. Finishing feels like an accomplishment.

What debate? It's pronounced puhKAHN 😊

The solitary rebus Bugs me a little but having read the Daffy constructor notes, I'm all smiles. That's all folks! (shame I can't insert a gif here)

One of the most enjoyable aspects of solving crosswords (and particularly the Thursday puzzle) is imagining the "aha" moment when the constructor reads or hears a phrase in a new way. Like this one: "flip the bird ... FLIP THE BIRD!" followed by a vigorous forehead slap and maybe a little dance. That's how I'm seeing it,anyway.

Kudos to the constructors of this unique and imaginative puzzle! And such a fun challenge to solve. It reminded me of driving in Ireland, hitting a roundabout at 80 KpH, in the left-hand lane. Only this time, I didn't think I was going to die every time I approached one. Which is nice.

I liked this puzzle without the busywork that didn't seem to add anything to the experience. I was wary from the get-go, though. That the eds. found it necessary to explain what to fill in the rebus was telling. But it was enjoyable all the same.

My first comment must've offended the algo, but I did want to say that this puzzle, without comparing to any other puzzle, was a fun, breezy solve that I enjoyed very much. For the record, I enjoyed the OTHER puzzle, too, just differently.

If I were a cartoon character you could see me working through this puzzle, while above my head is a thought bubble filled with ?s and !s. Now, I'm a face palm emoji, courtesy of my nine-year-old self.

"So-so, in modern slang" was not MEH 😕. It's "OK", or whatever the kids are calling it these days. Fun puzzle all the same.

This was a strress-free start to the new year. May it continue that way for us all.

Appreciated the crossing of 55A and 45D. It made me think the theme should have been SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS.

I blame my upbringing, of course.

A stellar start, Mr. Rooney, splendid work. (I thought about playing off the theme but managed to show some restraint and reshisht the urge.)

Ingenious puzzle, mind boggling execution. The only tiny blemishes in my solving experience were that the cluing for EPIC seemed off, and the spelling of SANSCRIT. I was so confident that SANSKRIT was correct that I ignored the crosser. Totally on me.

It appears I'm not allowed to say "It's a satisfying puzzle when _ _ _ ends in _ _ _ _ _ _".

Whew, ten minutes slower than average! This was a tough one.