FWHD

@Leon some of the fill was really tough, but I enjoyed the theme, and I’m not a yank!

@Cherry they meant Oz as in “in Australia an entree is a starter”. Same in the UK, and in French entrée literally means appetizer, so this always confuses me too!

@Deb Amlen Thanks and a virtual chocolate from a lurker who’s been really enjoying your columns since I’ve started doing the crossword daily for the last year! You’ll be missed, but all the best for the great next step.

@Prose I also finally got the update that shifted the order of puzzles. I don’t do the Wordle anymore, got bored of it, and I really don’t care to see it top of the list. Crossword should be front and center, especially considering its different variations. At least give us the option to customise it, at this point, please.

@Selective Walrus hear hear, one of those where at the end of a quick first pass I had quite little, and then answers started coming and things took shape. Fun one in the end.

@Steve L do you remember the last time it appeared? I’ve only done the last three years of crosswords and can’t recall when its appeared in that time.

@JP Jansky Do you mean in the mini? If so, 1-across should help explain it.

@Helen Wright When I saw the MEWS clue and didn’t immediately get the answer, I just thought “oh, they had this recently, and I remember grumbling at the answer then”. Still grumbled a bit. HOGANS/ANNA was my sticking point at the end, had ANNe first and HOGeNS seemed plausible enough.