ALBeverly Johnson

@N I for one only read this column after i have finished the puzzle..

@Heidi I had to put my dog down earlier in the year. The fireworks reminded me of what you went through ( I had the same experience for the time we were together). I bet they had NO FIREWORKS rule in Dog Heaven.

@Bruce Whoa! No he did not!!!!

@john ezra It never stops amazing me when people HATE on the puzzle because they find it difficult! Perhaps they should cancel NYTimes subscription and ....find a Readers Digest???

@Throckmorton Have you read the Bobbsey Twins… Nan and Bert are the older twins. They solved mysteries like stolen bicycles, and other childhood dilemmas . The younger twins were Freddie and Flossie

@Danny Have to disagree with what is harder to say…I have two new mom friends who send me videos of trying (in vain) to get baby to say MAMA. Baby will scream back DADA! As if to say NO, that is not a word. Its DADA!!!

@Barry Ancona Agree. Been there. Had that. ..epi prior to delivery of baby….who eventually came by csection anyway. The EPI referred to spinal anesthesia to lessen the pain . Was standard lingo at least in 1986….. Patient ( who was also a doctor)

@The X-Phile Huh?? Crib is definitely still in the vernacular. Depends on your part of the world I suppose

@Suzanne Number refers to something that makes you numb, such as an anesthetic or the ether which was the answer for this clue.

@Mike YOU ARE NUMBER ONE!

@Helen Wright He is also lucky NOT to have Merkel Cell ca—brought by the sun and #1 in mortality . Jimmy Buffett is most famous victim. Much deadlier than melanoma Derm in MD

@Dave You said it best. I also will add…..working on the puzzle longer than usual has the added bonus of taking my mind off the news of what t Rump has been up to…. I try not to tune in to that station and i just try very hard because I am not going to loose my mind over my country’s decision to elect him

@Andrzej !!!! Well said!

@MRR Have to disagree…dermatologists use the word lase as it refers to using the laser ( many treatments involve this tool.

@Gill I put up in all the circles. When i was finished, it changed to up/down without my help

@Emlyn We might say you are FLUENT in english :))))

@Francis Same here. Almost. But got in on the fourth line. Whew . I knew the word but have never used it in a sentence

@Barbara That happened to me also!

@Wggwg Not so. Signed, Dermatologist in US

@Ms. Billie M. Spaight I learned it from my husband who was a retired policeman.

@Nancy UNIX

@Matt O T =Occupational Therapist

@Barry Ancona I have a Ruby in my life…She is the daughter of my med school professors. I

@ad absurdum Cruise, no?

@Niall In US a popular brand of plastic cups sold in bulk are SOLO cups.. and they come in Red or Blue.

@Matthew In medical and anatomical usage, derma or dermis is the inner layer of the skin lying beneath the epidermis.