Darcey O’D
Sandy Hook, CT
@HT Whenever anyone says “no offense” you can bet there will follow something that could likely be considered offensive. If you are truly concerned about hurting someone’s feelings, perhaps avoid comments such as “pretty bad puzzle” and references to “old people” clues. “I struggled with this puzzle, and was unfamiliar with some clues that might have been gimmes for ones of a different generation,” seems a lot less rude, while conveying the same essential message, without reflecting poorly on yourself. I admit to being an “old fogey”, and was not personally offended, perhaps because I was able to solve the puzzle with no look-ups in considerably below average time.
Although I got the idea of this almost immediately, and was able to fill it in correctly without resorting to hints, or look-ups— which I would consider a fail on my part— the solve took me an inordinately long time. (Over 3x my PB!) And I confess to not entirely grasping the significance of the placement of the LIEs until reading the column. I did appreciate that extra level of cleverness! Was disheartened to read a couple of exceptionally nasty comments here; I flagged both, which was a first for me. One doesn’t have to enjoy every puzzle, but there is no excuse for being insulting to the constructor, especially to a first-timer. I can appreciate critical comments, even if I disagree, but not outright, snarky disrespect.
My daughter worked with KOKO at the Gorilla Center some years ago, and my favorite story was when Fred Rogers came to visit. (This was not during my daughter’s time there, but she heard about it.) Koko was a fan of his show, and when she met him, she immediately went to untie his shoes. Those who remember the beginning of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood will understand! Other visitors Koko greeted fondly were Betty White and Robin Williams. According to my daughter, the gorilla could be quite sassy at times, though!
@Tristan I understand that not everyone has the same knowledge base, but to characterize a theme citing what are arguably five of the most iconic paintings in all art history as “art trivia”? Dude! (AIR GUITAR.)
@Harri Green eggs and ham? Green eggs and ham? Into my mouth I would not cram! 🤢 I would not eat them on a date, I would not like them on my plate. I DO NOT LIKE THEM!! (No one does!) But I will take them in this puzz! (Apologies to the good doctor! 😉)
Somehow I managed to gold-star this one without any look-ups or hints (which for myself I would consider cheats)— but I sat seemingly forever trying to unlock that NE corner with little hope of success. Only my stubbornness prevented me from throwing in the towel; I think I might have spent 3x what I spent on the entire rest of the grid getting nowhere there. In retrospect, I recognize that I got in my own way, but still: it did seem needlessly natick-y! I had no hope of getting an NFL player from ten years ago without serious help from the crosses, especially when I was thinking of only a last name rather than two initials. And even acknowledging early on that the “knight” might have a lower-case “k”, I managed to take a ridiculously long time to twig to JEDI. 🙄 LISA Ling should have come easily, but paradoxically she was TOO familiar: I had convinced myself that this was a newer name that I didn’t know and would have to guess at. D’oh! (I still don’t understand the Shelley quote, which I had never heard before. Wouldn’t Hope expect finite woes? 🤔) Even owning my ignorance & obtuseness, I think most of the objections posed by other commenters here have validity. Over one third of the entries were proper nouns— which seems excessive. Most were well-known to me—but I pity the non-American solvers! Also, I would love to see a citation for ICE RAIN. “Freezing rain”, “sleet”, or “icy rain”— okay, but ICE RAIN? This one, IMO, has some serious issues.
@Heidi I, too, thought this puzzle was a tour-de-force! When reading these comments, I found myself becoming increasingly cranky at the number of whiners. This puzzle, after all, had a revealer which literally explained the trick! There are times, certainly, when I may not be especially quick-on-the-uptake, due to attempting a solve when I’m overly tired or otherwise stressed, but I try to simply slap my forehead and acknowledge a “D’oh!” moment (or moments!). The strategy you delineated in your comment is one I also employ. I hope some of those who were genuinely struggling will read your suggestions and find them helpful in the future. Of course, not everyone will enjoy every puzzle equally, but it seems sad to me that so many are so quick to dismiss a clever, artfully constructed puzzle because they are unwilling to think outside the box.
@Steve L @Steve L All credit to the mega-talented Kris Kristofferson, who wrote those memorable words. Still, I think it is undeniable that Janis made that song her own. It seems unutterably sad that she never saw her rendition become a #1 hit, as it was not released until after her death. May both these legends RIP!
@Edward Rice It seems to me that reasoning is exactly what is required to solve what might be called “gimmicky” puzzles. Mere knowledge of trivia isn’t gonna do it! Lateral thinking is called upon… which quite a few folks apparently object to.
@Joya That would be TELEX/PHLOX! We had a lot of that phlower in my childhood garden, and as a kid I always assumed it was spelled “flocks”— not sure when I phirst saw it spelled out, but I remember my surprise. It is also always a surprise when something so phamiliar (phrom a very young age) is unknown to other solvers, as I imagine the speciphics of my knowledge gaps would amaze others! Phound this puzzle a delightphul tour-de-phorce! Absolutely astounded that the constructor could phit eight themers into a 15x15 grid… and so smoothly! Not to mention the other lovely touches cited by John Ezra below. Cheph’s kiss!😘 (Boy, did I ever have to phight with spellcheck on this post! 🤣)
@Hungry Piggie There are plenty of manifestations of a patriarchal society in today’s world that one might— and should— take umbrage at. I don’t think the clue/answer combination cited is one of them. I would like to see the day when people of any sex, gender identification, nation, or race can all see themselves, first and foremost, as equal members of the “Family of Man”… without feeling denigrated by that terminology! When a young girl, I was taught that “man” was an all-inclusive term that embraced all Homo sapiens. That never made me, as a female, feel “less than”. I think that if we, as a species, are to earn that designation of “wise” we need to eschew silly niggles over what ought to be seen as non-offensive terminology, and address the many serious injustices that still exist. I SORTA like the clue “Socking it to the ___” , though!
@Mike I think your comment would be more internally consistent, and IMHO, more fair, if you added the words “to me” to your final sentence. One need not personally enjoy every puzzle, and you acknowledge that some of us do love the twisty ones— I am one of those who do— but your “…this is not at all enjoyable” seems critical of the construction, in a judgmental way which discredits the maker/editors. As to your suggestion of an additional notation, one should have a reasonable expectation that Thursday and Sunday puzzles may well have rebuses or other tricks.
@Francis I don’t mind when puzzlers post opinions—“too hard” or “too easy”—as I always find it fascinating to note how other commentators’ perceptions may agree with or differ from mine. What I do find irksome, however, are the speed solvers who feel compelled to post their (to me) absurdly fast solve times. I have always been a slow–and–steady type solver, and have reconciled myself to the realization that I could never complete a puzzle in those times. But while I certainly am impressed that some folks can, and accept that it is fine if that is what gives them pleasure, posting those numbers in what is not specifically a competitive venue strikes me as unnecessary and unbecoming braggadocio. I got quite a bit of pushback the last time I posted these sentiments, so let me be clear: I can respect tournament–type solvers… but in these daily puzzles, the only prize offered is one’s own satisfaction. That may result, for some, from a super–speedy solve; but for others, it might mean completing a grid without any hints or look-ups, or learning some new facts, or enjoying reading others’ feedback. I’m sure some neophytes are inspired by seeing the ultra-low solve times—yet I suspect even more may issue a sigh of discouragement. So my suggestion is to refrain from over-specific gloating in this forum. Save it for your annoying family members! 😉
I constructed an acrostic puzzle when I was your age, Owen, which I was quite proud of at the time… but had no idea what to do with it; nobody I knew was interested in even attempting to solve it! So I am very grateful that you have gained an audience for your delightful puzzle, both for our sake and yours. And just as its construction helped you through tough times, you have helped many of us, I’m sure, who are experiencing personal challenges. Thank you, and best wishes.
Canny commenters commend Callahan’s clever crossword: “Cheers!”
Deb, I have to add my voice to the many others who have expressed their appreciation for your contributions over the years. If this is “the nicest place on the internet”, it is largely because you have made it so! Your humor and especially your kindness will be very much missed. Sincere wishes for much joy in your future endeavors. Enjoyed this puzzle’s collaboration. How many had ObAMa before ADAMS? (My hand is up!)
No exoneration needed for these delightfully dad joke-y anagrams—whatever generation you may be! They all hit just the right balance between silly and stretchy. It seems creating these must have been a daunting endeavor, indeed. In college, as a NEWB at chess, I had occasion to play a game with a German gent who I think styled himself a CHECKMATING CHICK MAGNET. Due to my ignorance of the standard openings and gambits, my moves were thoroughly idiosyncratic, and served to flummox my more knowledgeable opponent, who slunk away in ignominy. A most satisfying victory for me, who was not feeling the magnetism! 😉 Thanks for the puzzle, Mr. Kugelman!
@NobodyThree What exactly is your objection? It seemed the perfect answer to me!
@Steve L I got the name fairly easily from the crosses; it seemed sorta familiar, but I certainly wasn’t familiar with her work. So when I read the column after solving the puzzle, I watched the clip— and she seemed like such a charming and articulate young woman that I investigated further. Was interested to discover that she was a fan of Joni Mitchell, one of my long-time faves… and I think I could hear the influence! At any rate, I was delighted to make her acquaintance! I cannot understand why some whine about the inclusion of unfamiliar (to them) people/cultural phenomena, when such a chance introduction can be so enjoyable and enriching! “Pop culture” should not be considered a term of denigration.
The clue for 25A was genius! 😆 Quick but enjoyable solve. Wondering if some folks will be up-in-arms over LESBIAN BAR, because… well, actually there’s no reason at all— but that hasn’t stopped some past commenters!
@me in nj That “H” at 39A was my last letter to fill in the grid, as I too was not sure of either person— but it was my first guess. I think it would be fair to dub this a Natick, but to call it impossible is quite a stretch; really, what other letter is likely? And country music is so far from my genre that I would hesitate to deem any country singer “obscure” on the basis of my lack of familiarity! I found this puzzle enjoyable, and a very quick Saturday for me. I did raise an eyebrow at YUCA; I’ve had yucca fries, and found them tasty, but have only seen a two “c” spelling.
@Kimiko Well, I never served in the military, and I certainly couldn’t recite offhand the entire NATO alphabet— though I am somewhat familiar with it (and not from police dramas, which I rarely watch.) But why would that ignorance be any hindrance to solving the puzzle? We are not required to come up with the words used in that alphabet; they are all in the clues! While I can relate to several of the quibbles others have cited, the theme seems to me one of the pluses today.
@Psychonaut Hmm… I would’ve said more of a Nile green, but…
I almost gave up on this one— but persisted, and ended up solving in considerably below my average time. That is always extremely satisfying! Not sure why it seemed so daunting at first stab… after my initial run through, the grid was mostly empty, and I was not all too confident about what I did have entered. This is why I encourage folks who are inclined to look up answers to hold off for a bit; once the crosses start falling, those “impossible” entries begin to fill themselves in!
As I’ve often acknowledged, I am not, and never will be, a speed solver, so it was nice for once to have a Thursday solve closer to a SWEET SIXTEEN than in the AREA of FIFTY ONE! It’s been awhile since I’ve had a PB time, so I am enjoying it, rather than wondering why this one was so easy! PJS was a gimme for me, at this time of year, and seems to be a rather recent phenomenon; when I still had kiddos at home I might have gone the route of matching Christmas Eve jammies, but when they were young it wasn’t really a thing. I chuckled to think that tradition might seem creepy to some— I would have said corny was more apt!
@Francis It was interesting to see “Steve” at my 50th reunion: not what one might have expected, remembering those youthful crushes!
ODDS are some WELL-INTENTIONED ONE will PICK something to knock about today’s puzzle, but I thought it was a TEN!
@Andrzej I think it might be argued that “The Big Lebowski” is rather an homage to engaging in shallow pursuits. The Dude abides! 😁
@TMD “A mischievous miss from Woods Hole, Had a notion exceedingly droll, At a masquerade ball She wore nothing at all And backed in as a Parker House roll.” I first heard this limerick at the age of about fourteen, and found it, indeed, exceedingly droll. (Fortunately for my virgin ears, this was the most risqué limerick I learned at the time.)
The crossword was just fine, and gotta say I’ve been enjoying the Crosslandia “mix tape”! 😁
@Francis “I do not think it [that word] means what you think it means.” I’d be interested in seeing what your reaction to “The Princess Bride” would be, Andrzej. It might be worth seeking out! (I think it is well-loved for good reason—YMMV.)
@Tom S. If you don’t enjoy or find value in Star Trek, it makes sense that you would seek other ways to spend your time. Fine! That is no reason to be so dismissive of the many who have taken pleasure in these series. Several folks here have poignantly explained the very non-trivial ways watching has enriched their lives. Just being “frank”? I think “rude” is the word that fits here.
@Nick D. OH PLEASE! 🙄
@Lauren Huh: all the clue/answer combos made sense to me! I also might have said this one “had it all”— but in a much more positive sense! I thought the range of fill was just right. I was not aware of ANY naticks, much less multiple ones, though.
@Anita I’m glad HEAD OF STATE, clever as it is, was not used as a revealer. Not only would it have made the puzzle too easy, IMHO, but there were already too many reminders of that creature of unbridled EGOISM, our current holder of that title— who seems to be vying for the position of the country’s second king. It would be nice if someday we could again have a statesman-like leader of a United States. I did enjoy this puzzle and the fact that a bit of head-scratching preceded the “Aha!” moment.
@Darcey O’D Btw, cryptic clues should be expected on a Friday!
@Al in Pittsburgh and Francis Me too! Loved Click and Clack! And I worry about NPR….
I never fail to find it fascinating how different one’s experiences of these crosswords can be! I sailed through this one, until, like Caitlin, I got stalled in the SE; nevertheless, while not a PB, I finished well below my average time. While yesterday’s, which most seemed to find a breeze, took quite a bit more time than today’s, although, surprisingly, it did also come in below my Friday average. That was one of those satisfying solves which at first seemed to me impossible, but which, bit by bit, I managed to bulldog my way through— only to find others deemed it easy! So imagine my surprise to discover a Saturday I found relatively easy was a stumper for others! Ya never know….
I’m more of a Thursday-through-Sunday fan, but this was a Monday enjoyable in its own RIGHT— not just as a speed-test! Probably my favorite Monday ever…
@Andrzej Sarah explains it, but I found the clue a bit iffy: while I have heard “dish”, meaning “gossip”, used as both a noun and a verb, one would never use “dishes” as a plural noun in this sense. “Serving dish” would be much more idiomatic, IMHO.
This was the enjoyable culmination of a week of what for me were unexpectedly easy, but fun, solves. Even this one, which required several run-throughs before I spotted an errant letter, ended up significantly below my average time. (No PB’s, although I expected Thursday’s would be one. There must have been an easy-peasy past Thursday that I don’t remember!) Unlike Caitlin, I was impressed by how sensible these palindromes seemed. The Seuss one, in particular, could have been an actual headline! (Jeff and I were following the same story, apparently.) Okay, maybe the injunction to the uptight German was a bit out there— but even that was surprisingly apt! In any case, I thought this was a tour-de-force, albeit the conceit made solving the themers a piece of cake. Sorry that I am late with this, but I regret if I gave the impression yesterday, when criticizing the “serving dishes?” clue, that I was dissing the entire puzzle, which in fact I enjoyed as a whole. Great job, Eli! That inaccurate plural noun rankled, but in fact I did enjoy the attempted wordplay… and I don’t even know who was responsible for that particular clue— constructor or editor(s). I have enormous respect for the constructors in general, but I also respect the fact-checkers, and can appreciate the occasional nitpick. When responsibly voiced, these are what make these comments interesting! Habitual haters: y’all can take a hike!
@Pandora Hands up 🙋🏻♀️for being temporarily dooked on that one!🤦🏻♀️
@B Granted, before I twigged to this puzzle’s gimmick, I had BaLDFACED— but only BOLDFACED fits with the theme! Of course it was intentional! Language evolves, as indicated in the Merriam- Webster article cited in the column… but that article certainly doesn’t say “bold-faced” is a “mistake”. Did you read it carelessly? I’d hate to think you are feeding us a….
@West Coast Reader Gotta say, I cringed a bit at the lack of the “-al”— to the extent that I wondered if ECONOMIC was even the right answer. I have seen it used this way, I guess— but it sounds so wrong!
Well, I’m not going to complain about a Saturday that was seconds from a PB; I needed the ego boost after Friday’s workout… which took me over twice as long. I enjoyed the humor and originality of the grid-spanners!
@Andrzej As I mentioned in a comment over one-third of the total entries today were proper nouns. As an American, I had trouble with a couple myself. I can only imagine this was incredibly frustrating for anyone not living in the U.S. My condolences!
Huh. It’s always interesting to discover how others rate the puzzle in terms of difficulty. Although many found this one tough for a Monday, for me it was below my average Monday time— and might even have been a PB had it not been for an unusual number of fat finger flubs. When I looked it over, though, I would have expected a Monday to be kinder to the international solvers; seemed like quite a few U.S.-centric entries, which I would have thought would be minimized on a Monday. I think the perception of difficulty might also have been influenced by the fact that this puzzle may have favored female solvers. There were two questions on hairstyles (that referred to mostly feminine styles) and one on makeup, as well as a question about a doll. Absolutely NOT saying males don’t/shouldn’t play with dolls or wear makeup— or be familiar with women’s hairstyles (if there is such a distinction!)— just that fewer men are likely to find these topics in their wheelhouse.
Although I have resigned myself to never being a speed solver, sometimes on Mondays or Tuesdays I will make a conscious effort to see how quickly I can finish. Of course, since I do these puzzles on my phone, this strategy can actually result in a longer time than usual, due to an increased number of typos which need to be corrected. Such was the case today, and I especially regret my attempt, since I totally missed the nice implementation of the theme. Congratulations, Harrison, on the debut… does this make you the youngest ever solo constructor to be published in the NYT? If I continue to procrastinate on attempting puzzle construction & submission, perhaps I will be able to claim the distinction of being the oldest first-time contributor? But then, should I ever succeed in garnering an acceptance, I would run an increased risk of a posthumous publication…. Perhaps the early success of this young constructor will drive me to rev up my efforts… right now I seem to be stuck in neutral!
I enjoyed this puzzle— not surprisingly for one by Simeon Seigel! I found the gimmick clever, if not particularly difficult to deduce. For 52A, I briefly had “Sold…” rather than BUYS…: wondered if anyone else fell into that trap? I found it interesting that my phrase could be read as both synonym or antonym of the correct answer. Tbh, though, I think i’ve only heard “Sold on” rather than “Sold BY”! Still, it made perfect sense to me until EBB made things clear. I had never heard of Pamana Island, and was chagrined to realize how distorted is my view of world geography. I never would have thought that the southernmost point in Asia was in Indonesia, and *only* 750 miles below the equator. When I looked at a map after completion of the puzzle, I saw how skewed was my mental image of how the continents aligned themselves!
@Matt I’m far, far away from being an expert on the Star Wars universe, but that clue struck me as a bit off as well. Your nit was nicely defended!