Darren

I hated this puzzle. Can we please have just one gimmick in a puzzle instead of two (that don’t work together) Okay, so you want to do a rebus? But you want to be really clever and add a double rebus? Well make them work. How does New Mexico (NM) and Oregon (OR) fit together in one rebus? They don’t. Neither do any of the others. This is how you get a sloppy puzzle. A constructor that wanted to create a creative, tricky puzzle without making any sense. Garbage. Please don’t use this kind of trash. Sincerely, Everyone.

Not sure who this was published for?… Wow! Talking about obscure, trivial word usage. I am far from the best Crossword enthusiast, nor the smartest but I have been doing the NYT for 10 years or so and this was the most difficult puzzle I have encountered. As a side note… on really challenging puzzle days it always funny to read the comments: “Rather easy puzzle today….” Those people need their ego stroked as much as today’s constructor… Rating: 0/10

The theme for this puzzle should have been SCREWTHAT! What a heaping pile💩 I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many one or two word clues that led to answers that were sometimes made up by the constructor. This was not clever, wasn’t interesting, it was extremely challenging, but that doesn’t make it a good puzzle.

This was not fun at all. Vague clues to nonsensical answers. It’s ok to have a few of those things if the crosses are doable but when the whole puzzle is filled with those clues it is infuriating. This is another constructor that is too busy trying to make an unsolvable puzzle to try and prove their intelligence. You want to show intelligence? Make a clever puzzle with answers that people actually have heard of…

Terrible puzzle for a Wednesday. Way too many obscure answers. And in some places with equally obscure crosses, this was not enjoyable nor clever. There seems to be a pattern playing out with the creators: see who can create a puzzle that works while using clues and answers that no one has ever heard of so that everyone can revel in their genius.

All the hate is warranted. The absolute worst puzzle in ages… When the Word play column starts out with: “I don’t think I’ll ever understand what went on in his brain to get us here. Is it silly or brilliant?” You know you are not alone in scratching your head.. Theme is trash. That is on the constructor. So many obscure word usages. ATLOWEBB? LDOPA? ADOLFO? This is on the editors. This puzzle should be on a Thursday-Saturday. ESPECIALLY with such a sloppy theme…

Solved it, probably my longest time ever. I hated this puzzle. Creators like this are trying to prove they are above the other creators or they are scouring the web for the most obscure words possible… Waaaaaaaay too many obscure clues intersecting making it nearly impossible to luckily get the word with crosses. As another person wrote:: Pewit, Uppish, Catsear, Arum, Arikara - and I am American Indian living in Minnesota - never heard of this tribe. If creating an impossible puzzle was your plan, you failed. You just made a frustrating puzzle that no one enjoyed.

Very inconsistent with very questionable obscure answers and/or made up phrases to fill the grid. This whole week has been sloppy puzzles.

I hated this puzzle with all of my being… like so many others have commented, way too many obscure words, made up words, or just very rarely used versions. I was able to slide through it and complete the puzzle, but this is one of those puzzles that are made by a constructor that wants to show the world how smart they are… Rating: 2/10

SW was nearly impossible. Way too obscure answers and the crosses didn’t help either.

That SE corner! Whoa

Was really thrown off by GELID. Never heard that before. Odd since I live in a frozen state 8 months of the year…

I echo many other comments. This was ridiculously arcane and perhaps unfair. Some clues were not just vague thoughts in the constructors head but just plain loosely subjective. Though = GOON? That being said I understand Saturdays are always more difficult I thought this was a little over the top..

I hated 50D USWNT… but that is just me Rating: 4/10

I hated this puzzle. I found it more annoying than challenging. But that is me. I see a lot of people enjoyed it. Different strokes for different folks.. Rating: 7/10

Like so many others have said, one of the worst (if not the worst) puzzles ever. Come on Times staff. Do better. So many one or two clues, clues using phrases no one uses- ever: Drug Den? And I don’t know about you but when I walk in buildings I often noticed that they are ducted. And let’s not forget the fire boats! We hear about them as often as we hear about a good radio set …. Good god… Did anyone review this puzzle? Answer: WELLSORTA

I question the rationale for publishing this puzzle. I get it. A very select few love challenges like this so they can come on the forum and say “rather breezy puzzle… completed it 12 minutes…” while 95% absolutely abhor the puzzle…. Is it really worth appeasing the few to annoy the masses? Rating: -5/10

Terrible puzzle for a Tuesday. A Spanish girlfriend is NOVIA. Dumb.

I solved without lookups but did not like it particularly. I feel themes like this is cheating. I get the ODDMANOUT; so by removing the name the answer makes sense: cubing need = SkInDives (SID removed) makes KNIVES. But what is SKINDIVES or STARMAP, etc? That requires getting the crosses and when they used crosses like AVRIL, MĀORI and BITINGWIT it makes for a slog. This constructor is not the first or (unfortunately) the last to do this. I will say A well constructed puzzle will trace the clue make sense with both the complete set of letters AND the trick. 3 out of 10

This was awful. Way too many “alternative” usages (that no one really uses) and the theme was sloppy. I honestly don’t think I have ever hated a Tuesday puzzle so much. Rating: 1/10

The longest answer should be the theme on the Times crossword staff:SOMEONE IS GETTING FIRED (or all of them. One of the most dreadful weeks I can recall. I have no idea how this slip was published. I accept that there will be weeks where there is a poorly constructed puzzle or a puzzle that is so difficult (to me) that I have to look up an answer but this week had three garbage days. That is unacceptable for me as a paying subscriber. Do better. This is slop.

A very challenging crossword for a Tuesday. A lot of obscure answers clustered together with poor cluing makes for a frustrating solve. 1A Puccini heroine who “lived for art, lived for love” 2A Like the base-8 number system 3D Animal with chestnut-and-white fur There is a good possibility many people have never heard of the answers and this makes a horrid solve.

Another sloppy puzzle to complete the weekend. Why do the editors accept this type of slop. If the constructor cannot complete the fill with real words and real (actually spoken) phrases it should not be acceptable. LOOIE? I was in the Army (maybe different for other branches) at many different locations never heard that in reference to LT. There weee others I had issue with but I am not wasting any more time on this slop. 4 out of 10 🚮

Not a fan. Been playing the NYT crossword for 5 years and still hate the use of spoonerisms and ESPECIALLY when there is no reasonable way one would detect that they are being used. Add to this some crosses that were questionable and the solve becomes miserable. CRABS? I don’t think people eat CRABS. They eat crab. No “s” There were others as well but I am done with this puzzle.

I personally loved this puzzle but I also can understand the frustration if you didn’t get the T theme… I have said this often, but for me, I love a tricky puzzle where the theme (although tricky to discover) ACTUALLY helps you solve themed clues and essentially the whole puzzle.. This theme answer(s) were tricky though as the crosses were brutal. Perfect Thursday puzzle! Rating: 10/10

Late to the party today but had to post after completing the puzzle…. At first pass (and maybe a second) I was thinking this would be a Wednesday with headaches and lookups.. Even after getting the theme entry, I was still VEXED in several areas. But then after doing A DOUBLE TAKE, I slowly figured out the shaded entries which of course helped me fill the grid. In the end, I LOVED this puzzle.. My most common comments on this forum is how much I love it when the theme helps you solve the puzzle. To me, any my modest crossword skills, this solve would not have been possible without the theme. But once you got it, the rest fills in (even the more obscure words). Bravo! Rating: 10/10

I spent way too much time on solving this puzzle (without breaking down and looking up a clue or two). I honestly hate single use Rebus puzzles.. to me, when there are a few answers that don’t fit, but it’s the only thing that could work. You automatically think rebus.. BUT when it is only one spot you figure you must be doing something wrong… Other than that, I loved the puzzle. Just enough trickery to make it tough and I loved the theme. I love it when the theme entry helps you fill out the themed entries… Rating: 8/10

When constructors fail it looks like this. When editors fail we see it… Theme makes very little sense and clues were suspect. This is a Thursday - Saturday type puzzle…

I REALLY enjoyed this puzzle. Just the right amount of trickery (with the rebus) and the rebus was part of the theme. So often the theme doesn’t really add up.. Some may think it was too easy for a Thursday but I really enjoyed it…

Hey New York: Thanks for lending us the Boss today in Minneapolis! Springsteen soothes the soul….

I think I would need a thesaurus to thoroughly describe how much I hated this puzzle. First of all, there are blatant errors (or intentional errors to make the fill). Seems like once a month we get a puzzle like this. Created by a constructor that just has to show the world how clever they are by creating a nearly impossible puzzle (without lookups). My only joy from today’s puzzle was looking up a few answers because the obscurity and random nature of this puzzle is astounding. And of course the theme is absolutely useless until you complete the puzzle. Rating: 0/10

Breezy Sunday. I LOVED the theme!!! Rating: 9/10

Wow! Ok… I get that the constructor wanted to make a hard to solve puzzle, but doing it by using terrible clues and using nonsensical answers is just plain sloppy and this puzzle should have been rejected. For example, 4D Warning next to a suspicious link, perhaps = NSFW? Not Safe For Work? That is an acronym used by people that the attachment is not HR appropriate not something from a suspicious sender.. BARCAR, MANGOSTEEN? No idea how these fit… I really, REALLY hate it when constructors end their clue with , perhaps. Basically, they are saying this answer may not be valid, but perhaps to someone in the MultiVerse it is, so perhaps…. Rating: 1/10 Editors: major fail.

ALFRE and MARESNEST is a nasty cross for a Monday… Thankfully the rest was relatively easy to make that the only option.. Last week had a streak of 4 terrible puzzles. Hoping this isn’t a sign that it is going to continue into this week. 😬 Rating: 7/10

I am 51. I have a 23 year old and 13 year old. Never seen Brah. Bruh on other hand all the time. Maybe that’s a midwestern thing?

A rather VENOMOUS Tuesday. Although it was a clever puzzle it definitely belongs later in the week. Jeez if this is a Tuesday crossword I can hardly wait until Friday or Saturday.

Another puzzle where the editors allow a constructor to make up words to fill the grid. I still don’t get the theme even after solving. I refuse to read the article as I wasted enough time on this dumpster fire. Seepy Bell lap Lae All in one area on a Wednesday… 🤦🏻‍♂️

I agree with others. Tougher than normal Monday puzzle. A lot of obscure words that are either obsolete or little known bits of trivia.. Thankfully they seemed to all have doable crosses that completed the difficult entries… (But if this is a Monday what does the rest of the week have in store for us) yikes 😬

Don’t hate the puzzle but I hate it on a Wednesday. The clueing and some of the obscure answers make this a Saturday puzzle.

I FRICKING loved this puzzle!!!! Mainly, because for me, the difficulty was there, and early on in the puzzle to me, this seemed like it was going to be unsolvable (without lookups) until the theme clicked. Then, I was able to get the three (themed) down answers which helped me fill the rest. These are themes I like. Themes, that while being difficult; actually help you solve the puzzle. Not just some obscure, arbitrary thought in a constructor’s head, that has no bearing on the rest of the puzzle… Bravo!!! My favorite puzzle of the year so far.

Took a while to figure out the theme and even longer to see the connection to Raising Capital… 😂 Very clever puzzle. Took me way longer than usual but it was worth it! Rating: 8/10

Anyone else wonder at first if the puzzle was perhaps created by Yoda? Wow! Talking about a Roller Coaster of emotions! Like almost everyone, as I made my first run through the across’ I was wondering if I had ever went all the way through without getting a single clue. Then when I read the last across 66A: Website gift custom I immediately thought ETSY (since it fit). I could practically hear Yoda saying the clue… But I was feeling a little frustrated until I made pass through the Down’s.. Wow! I ended up loving this puzzle, even though I agree with a few on the questionable wording on some clues but I think that is fair in a puzzle later in the week. Very well done! Rating: 9/10

Really bad puzzle for a Monday and just plain questionable to begin with. As a Minnesotan who DOES go ice fishing I wonder where (or if it is ever) ICESAW is said… LOEWE bag? I asked my wife about this who is obsessed with purses and she had never heard that name (granted they are $6k) but she still is pretty aware of handbags… CHICKCOREA? With crosses like MENSCH, KIM and ODESSA? Terrible puzzle and even worse by the editors 🤦🏻‍♂️ Rating: 0/10

What a rewarding puzzle! As others have mentioned, for me, this was a chewy puzzle. It has me saying more than DARN IT… And it took me a few minutes longer than my Friday average, but I solved it without lookups piece by piece.. The NW corner really had me stuck as I really wanted 15A to be SIMMER.. Great puzzle! Rating: 10/10

Horrible selection for a Tuesday puzzle. The theme was difficult even after getting the music hint. Techsavvy from E# of three of the crosses were not very difficult. This was meant for a Thursday or Friday.

Really clever theme. Challenging but solvable. I would not have been able to solve this without getting the theme

Like others have said, I don’t think I ever heard La-Di-Da spelled Lah-Di-Dah but thankfully the crosses made it pretty obvious. There were a few other questionable word uses especially for a Monday. If this any indication of how the week will play out for crosswords it should be interesting…

Wow, pretty Saturdayish for a Tuesday… truthfully, I don’t know if there’s ever been a puzzle with so many words I have either never heard of or very seldom heard used. This is one of those puzzles by a new constructor that wants to show the world how clever they are by inserting words that no one uses with poor clues.