Sachi

This puzzle was absolutely delightful - I literally cackled aloud at DIDNT MISS A BEAT, MADE A RASH DECISION and SAW RIGHT THROUGH ME. I originally guessed LOST MY NERVE - but that would happen at the neurologist, right? Thank you for lighting up this dreary Sunday.

I just really really loved this puzzle, it was a lovely walk through a garden of thoughts. I literally giggled when I realized the HOLDS WATER (my first theme). My last clue Do people need braces to fix their GUMS? no, their GAMS? Nope, it's their GAPS (and now I learned what a HASP is). Thanks so much for this delightful start to my day.

Omg I shattered my Friday PB by 30%! It feels great to feel like I’m finally “getting” crosswords. I always love repeated clues, and INSTA/KILO and SCI/ROM. Between PEACEMAKERS, UNIONREP, SPEECH THERAPIST and TEAMSTER, I really liked the vibes of this one. And now I have a personal note to find out who Nina RICCI is. Thanks for the fun lunch break!

Lots of fun clues in this one, I just wanted to say how much I loved the cluing "Berth place". Instant smile on my face! Thank you so much, Brad!

Really hard and really fair! I started off with my nerd roots in LOTR, TOR, and PLATELETS, and RACISM, and ended up with a POM I think having grown up in the US is the only way I could do this.

A tricky one today! I am a relative newcomer, but I have to ask: am I the only one who feels a little ... disappointed when conjoined clues differ by only one letter? The JAKE/JAPE thing is the last part I solved, so its fair to chalk it up to my sour grapes. I still don't understand how PIN is an "Exemplar of neatness", and I have never heard this sense of JAKE before, nor that sense of YEN[S].

Stuck forever with "PAWS"/"WONT YOU SEE", whereas I learned "Colleen" as Irish slang today. Fun and fast solve! I think I updated my PB.

I had a very difficult time with this one! Even "leave it alone and come back" only took me so far. Well, I suppose it is supposed to be the hardest of the week. Things I liked: * LARGE BILLS (originally I guess PRESIDENTS) * CIS and BROS - shout out to my lgbt friendos * PLAINT - I had so much back and forth because I couldn't believe it was real * STOLE A PEEK (i tried STOLE A LOOK but remembered the rule) * STRIP STEAK (I started with THEATRICAL, assuming "ambassador" was some kind of normal word for movie release) * AUDIOBOOKS - just a fun pun * that GENO SMITH came with the anagram clue; given it was crossed with some other proper names like BEALE and OMSK Things I didn't like: * ABBAS x BAI - I don't imagine I will ever enjoy proper name crosses (is this a called a NATICK?) * ADKINS - my last answer (I guessed an AD KISS was acute name for the music in an ad?) Things I still don't understand: * what an ALTA has to do with snowboarding * what an ADKINS trace is * ALL THAT? i thought it meant like "good" and "cool", like "she's all that", im not sure about legitimacy?

I was surprised by both the speed at which I was able to crush this Thursday, as well as the frustration of trying to mangle the puzzle into the shape the gimmick wanted. I solve on a combination of my web browser at home and my iPhone when I am on-the-go. Technical issues aside, it was cute - between yesterday and today I am enjoying the vegetal vibes this week (Golden Week, here in Japan!)