Alan

On Wednesday night our house got hit hard by a tornado. We and our pets are safe and uninjured, but it’s been a scary and shocking ordeal. Today’s puzzle has allowed me an escape. I want to thank the creator and editors, not just for today but also for all of your hard work everyday. Take care of yourselves, family, friends, pets and other loved ones. They are irreplaceable. Peace.

I set a new personal record today: 8:08 minutes without looking up a single hint/answer! I'm now two years into this new hobby/obsession and I am working Monday-Wednesday with aplomb, mostly because I wanted to use "aplomb" in a sentence today; I recommend you do the same.

Thank you to the author for mentioning the Artemis Program. I work on this at NASA in Huntsville, and it is an amazing effort. We are returning to the Moon to build a permanent settlement on its South Pole, where liquid water has been discovered. Via electrolysis, the water can be split into hydrogen and oxygen for rocket fuel. We are also in the process of developing and deploying a space station for the Moon. These are exciting times for deep space exploration.

Puzzles like this one, where you have to guess the author’s wordplay and puns, are simply not satisfying. I’ve been playing the NYT crossword for about two years now and, coincidentally, so have several folks at a local pub. We are all highly educated in the liberal arts and engineering. The consensus among all of us is that we're disappointed that these puzzles do not test our knowledge. A good example of testing our knowledge is the clue that led to TORA BORA. However, clues that lead to answers like BIG UPSET and ZOMBIE MOVIES are "meh" at best, at least among my crowd. You simply have to get lucky, and that’s no fun. I realize that my criticism is going to compel you to accept *more* puzzles of this ilk.

Is today Thursday? Holy bat, cowman, that was *hard*! In fact, it was hard enough that I may speed up the process of transmogrifying myself into an elephant. Be excellent to each other.

I had to use the article for help, but this is the first time I've finished a Saturday puzzle. Took 45 minutes after using the answers in the writeup. This month marks my third year playing the NYT games. The crosswords and the newest game, Strands, are my favorites.

Around 1980 my parents, concerned about my mental health, talked me into dropped D&D for three months and trying bridge instead. I've never been so bored in all my life. Luckily, my grandfather came to my rescue and taught me poker. And then I resumed D&D and never looked back. Awesome freakin hobby. That's a *really* long-winded way of saying that I had not heard of the bridge expert/columnist. Today took me 29:59. New record for me for a Wednesday. Peace.

I thought I was going to break my personal record (7:38) for a Monday, but a spider lowered itself on my laptop and rocked my world. So today was between 9:00 and 10:00 minutes, depending on whether getting Shelob out of the house counts toward my solve time. If you want to translate RAKES IT IN into Gen-Z (my kids' age group), you will want to say MAKES BANK. If you were raised by the Greatest Generation, as I was, you will have heard SNAKE EYES quite a bit, along with many other references to gambling games. Being a Gen-X guy, I use D&D references Make sure to tell your friends and family that you love them, and give yourself several beats before you hit reply on social media... is antagonizing a stranger really necessary? Peace be with you

I started playing the NYT Crossword two years ago today. It’s been an amazing ride and has become a great hobby. I've learned an amazing amount. It’s helping my memory. In fact, I may be transmogrifying into an elephant. I don’t know how my progress compares to other newcomers, but I can now finish Mondays and Tuesdays without looking anything up. Mostly. Also: I like to write sentences that only contain adverbs. My record for Mondays is 7:56. I can usually knock out a Wednesday puzzle inside an hour. Thursdays are fun but success is very hit or miss. I’ve never solved a Friday (other than Easy Mode), or a Saturday or Sunday. So it goes. One thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t always pick up on some of the wordplay. That seems weird since I like plays on words or, as they say in English-speaking countries, puns. The gimmicks often confuse me. I’m not sure if it’s just the way my mind works, or if it’s because I prefer small shiny objects. It’s been a fun ride that’s not over. Peace.

I’m Gen-X and yet I could not figure out GENXER to save my life. Luckily my life was not in danger but completion of the SW corner most definitely was. MEGACON threw me for a loop because all my geek friends, whom I love, are always going to Dragon Con or Comic Con, and "comic" fit. But I knew something was amiss because the crossing word had to be AÇAÍ, the superfood counterpart of Oreo :)

I went through the puzzle and did not know a single answer until Cousin ITT, and that's only because I'm part of the syndication generation (Gen-X). But I feel that sitting for hours on end memorizing lines from "The Addams Family" and "Gilligan's Island" has served me well in life. Even easy mode took me 15 minutes. But it was fun, just hard. Kudos to the author on writing quite a challenge! Be sure to tell your family and friends that you love them. And remember to be groovy. Peace

Here is an idea: Don't have rebuses on Sundays.

Today marked 100 Mondays in a row, and I also set a new personal record of 8:42 minutes!

Wonderful puzzle! You guys should create a special themed puzzle of famous newspaper headlines. It would be fun and educational. Now more than ever, knowing history is vital

For the first time I completed a Monday puzzle in under 10 minutes without needing a single hint! If that's not the bee's knees I don't know what is!

I started learning guitar last year... and dropped it. In my case it was because I got discouraged by not being able to sing and strum at the same time. I really wanted to play and sing "A Horse with No Name". But that brief foray into music taught me enough musical notes that I was able to get the answers to the music clues! You should be proud of me!

This is a superb Saturday puzzle... you learn a lot, which is the purpose of crossword puzzles... and it is logical and fun at the same time. It also does not rely on gimmicks, thank God.

This was my 6th Wednesday in a row, which is a new personal record, at least on paper (as it were). But, I had to take a peek at the answer key. I typically stumble (pretty badly) on celebrities' and athletes' names; I wish I didn't; I wish I had more time to keep up with entertainment. I bet you wish I would use one more semicolon. Despite my having to cheat a bit, I actually felt like today's puzzle was easier than yesterday's. Plus, I learned a lot about mallards and their kin, of which I am ducking ignorant. I'll show myself out.

In addition to Apollo, there is another Greek deity going to the Moon: Artemis. The Artemis I mission in 2023 was a smashing success. Artemis II will take astronauts around the Moon, and Artemis III will be a landing on the South Pole, where there is liquid water. This is far, far more than "flags and feet" missions. NASA is establishing a lunar base and future colony.

This was so cool. I had to read your article to understand the themed clues and I thought BEEFEATER was particularly clever. After getting those down pat the northwest, northeast and southeast quadrants were a fun yet challenging puzzle. The southwest corner just didn't click for me, though, and I finally had to go to the answer key... but that's okay. The point is, I had fun! Peace and hair grease from the most dysfunctional state in the union. Not all of us are psychotic.

This was the hardest Tuesday puzzle since the day I accidentally cut my finger on the edge of an "I Voted" sticker. The U-turn thing probably needs to just go away, doncha think? I like the frequent mention of emus down thead. I also wish I'd seen yesterday's arguments about homo sapiens. Tis a shame... I wanted popcorn.

I loved this puzzle but man, the NE corner was like going to the dentist. But, just like my dentist appointments, I ultimately won. "Slaughterhouse Five" is an amazing novel and hilarious novel... everyone should read it! Billy Pilgrim is my favorite time-hopper! Make sure to tell your family and friends that you love them. Peace be with you.

I did the top half in about 4 minutes and I so I thought to myself, "Self, I'll set a new personal record." Then the bottom half took an additional 17 minutes. The one I feel silliest about, though, is that I couldn't figure out WARNING HIGH TIDE. You would think, being in Alabama, that that would've come naturally. Or maybe the fact that I couldn't think of it is an omen now that Nick Saban has retired. So it goes. The upside is that I now have 50 Mondays in a row! Peace

Many of us look forward to Sunday puzzles all week. They're relaxing and challenging. But rebuses, especially ones like this, are a bridge too far. The rebus squares are so small that it's painful, literally, to input them. I will count this as part of my streak, even though I had to use the answer key to fill in the rebus squares. Is that cheating? Not in my opinion, because the creator and editors were not fair to us.

Yesterday I was able to finish a crossword in under 10 minutes without a single hint! New milestone for me. . Today is quite different but has been equally rewarding in its own way. When clues and answers are obscure for me, I take the time to research the topic. So I was excited to learn about NOLITA and I am adding it to my to-do list for my first-ever NYC trip in 2025. . Also, Earth is blocking my view of Venus.

The braiding was incredibly cool! It took me a long time to get it, and I had to use your article for help, but once I caught on it was fun. In fact, I wish it had been possible to have had more of them. There were a handful of others that completely stumped me. For example, I had no idea who Bruce Wayne is. But I'm also the only person in America who doesn't really enjoy the Marvel movies (of course, their being 17 hours long doesn't help). I actually knew the one about Picasso because not one but *two* of my sisters-in-law are art historians! How cool is that? Anyway, peace be with you guys.

I thought that today's crossword was a bit challenging for a Monday. It took me 15 minutes and I had to look up a couple of them. Sadly, I've lost touch with culture a bit, so I didn't know about The WIZ or who SOO Phillipa is. Having two kids in liberal arts colleges causes you to lose touch with a lot of things. Speaking of culture, giga-kudos to the authors for including a Looney Tunes reference. We need more Chuck Jones in our lives!

I'm getting experienced enough now that Fridays are no longer intimidating. I still had to use your article for help, and learn about SANAA, but it was worth it. A bigger help, though, has been my doing crosswalks of Easy Mode with the actual Friday puzzle each week. I've learned how to correlate harder clues with the actual answers. Today was fun. Today was made joyous because the puzzle is not a rebus, which is not a crossword.

See how fun crosswords are when there are no rebuses or other gimmicks? The last 4 or 5 puzzles have been delightful.

This is the first Friday puzzle (other than Easy Mode) that I have ever finished! I needed a little help from Google, but when I do, I do so in order to learn something new. For example, I now know the capital of Punjab and I know a few things about it. Fascinating. By the way, if you're constructing a crossword and need "dad jokes", visit a local Scouts meeting. They're rife with them. Funny thing, as it were: I don't actually find dad jokes funny despite the fact that I love word play. I find if curious what stimulates our funny bone and what doesn't. Oh, and now I want an ICEE Make sure your friends and family know you love them. Life is too damn short not to. Peace be with you.

I majored in physics and minored in history, with special emphasis on the World Wars for the latter (and perhaps the former in a way). And so, when I saw 44-across, I knew the answer had to be PETROGRAD. The First World War, and Russia in particular, have become a particular fascination of mine of late. I would love to see St. Petersburg/Petrograd/Leningrad one day. It's wild how a single city can have such a profound effect on the history of virtually every nation on Earth. Peace

This one was hard for me. It took me over 30 minutes, which is way off my average. My stumbling blocks were the celebrity names. For "one paying a flat fee", I had "renter" as the answer, so that really derailed my NE corner. DIES is a great answer. People should play D&D or other RPGs. They are awesome!

Gimmicks like this take away a chunk of the puzzle. That's okay, I guess. I can always go play from the archives, but still it's disappointing for me. I prefer crosswords that test my knowledge, not my ability to do logic. I wouldn't make a good Vulcan. Your mileage my vary.

This was rather fun. Will you do this type of puzzle instead of rebuses from now on? By the way, SETI is an organization and a project. The hint gives the impression that it's a field of study.

I don't generally like gimmicks but the hyphens and the split word clues/answers was actually fun and here's why: It is not a rebus. By the way, rebuses are not crossword puzzles. They should be banned. Peace and hair grease.

I love the Greek myths. My wife and I both went to a liberal arts college where I studied physics and history, and she studied chemistry and Greece. We bonded over poking each other's eye out and running away on the bottom of a sheep.

I love puzzles that test knowledge. These are so much more fun for me than trying to decipher puns. Today was simply excellent. For those asking, and I’m sure it’s been answered somewhere in the thread, BOOM ROASTED probably came into prominence after an episode of "The Office" where Michael Scott finally overcomes a bit of his thin-skinned tendencies.

I had to use your article for the answers to themed clues, but after that it was fairly easy for me. I don't have a good feel for celebrities and pop culture, but I'm getting better. The biggest obstacle for me was CPAS. I just couldn't figure it out. Of course, I'm a right-brain person, so accounting makes me... sorry, I drifted off. Have a good day. Tell your family and friends you love them, even your in-laws.

I can usually solve a Monday puzzle in about 12 minutes, but this one took 24 minutes. I had (it turns out) only one square amiss but it took me 4 minutes to find it. It was Amy Poehler's last name. My eyes don't focus as well as they used to. I also just ended a sentence with a preposition. My record for a Monday is 7:00 minutes, but I have a feeling that record is going to stand for quite a while. Are Monday puzzles getting harder? It seems like I've had an easier time on Tuesdays lately.

This was so much fun! The graphic is truly delightful. There's something about golf that has a universal appeal, even if you don't play. The only one I had trouble with was the SHOT part of HOLE IN ONE. I don't usually hear "Hole in one shot," but instead simply "Hole in one." No biggie. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you love them. Life can be fleeting. Peace be with you.

The answer SPACE CADET made me think of the Boeing Starliner launch, which has been scrubbed for the day. We need as many space vehicles as we can get, and I want Boeing (and other space companies) to succeed. But, safety first, always! The top left corner was the most challenging for me. Peace

I'm trying to think of something positive to say about today's puzzle (it's not a crossword). Here goes: Mr. Hasegawa had the decency to circle the parts of the puzzle where he cheated.

Since I used to play golf, I would like to add that both ONE IRON and EVEN PAR are a bit shaky. Of course, part of it might simply be the way I was taught.... I was taught that the woods were lower than the irons, so I was left trying to figure out how to get one wood/driver in there. And while "even" is frequently used, I cannot ever remember saying "even par". Maybe it's just me. Fun, easy crossword, though, made even better by its not being a rebus. Peace.

I *love* today's puzzle! I love "fill in the blank" puzzles and word searches; the NYT's Strands is a great game if you haven't tried it. While I still don't understand PEE, this whole grid was fun and its wordplay made sense to my often addled brain. Sometimes the elaborate puns and dad jokes in the Times' puzzles just don't work for me, but today's answers and clues were simply delightful!

In school, we always referred to gym as P.E. It always throws me when people say GYM CLASS A fun puzzle. I love anything to do with literature (although I do not put ATLAS SHRUGGED in that category). I agree with others that BADKITTY does not work. Overall, though, it was a fun puzzle... much better than being kicked in the head by a horse on a stormy night.

Another ridiculous rebus to ruin a Sunday.

It was a bad Monday for me. It took 15 minutes and I had to look up three or four answers, but at least it's not a rebus. I don't use JUMP IN THE SHOWER to mean a quick get-ready. My family always said "rag down", which my mother thought was vulgar! Also, which is correct if you translate directly from Russian, CZAR or Tsar? I suppose I should Google that. Peace and hair grease.