SusanEM

I can see how the puzzle without the Ts pre-filled would have been harder. For example, with circles where the Ts go - i would have enjoyed that. Instead, this was kind of a Tuesday level for me. I simply ignored the filled boxes. I’m impressed by the two words in the theme entries and impressed that there are NO other Ts in the puzzle. A constructing tour de force. And I always enjoy some animation at the end.

Considering all the hate for GOODOH —having grown up in England, I didn’t find this answer strange at all. So add one positive vote to balance out the naysayers. Super puzzle, starting from 1A, where I thought it had to be denim before I bumped into BRAID.

Welcome back Will Shortz. I hope the new year brings you health and happiness. And all of us too!

I came here to say how much i enjoyed today’s puzzle. Cute misdirects and a cute theme. To weigh in on the photo, i assumed it referred to the battle over climate change and ending fossil fuels. Nice to see Nora Ephron, who died much too young. Keep her memory alive! And on a more somber note, my dad and my step dad both died during COVID, of non COVID causes. Neither told dad jokes or gave much fatherly advice, but they were sweet in their own ways. Now Father’s Day is a day of remembrance instead of a day of presents and lunch.

I had three (3!!!) aha moments, a record. First was the black squares which I thought concealed a lie. CIA operatives have to be able to lie without anyone detecting them, I thought. Then I figured out the rebus. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST was the one that clicked. Oho, two kinds of hidden lies, i concluded. But then, with the SPIKE POLYGRAPH entries, I realised the two lies were connected. Whoa! This puzzle that blew me away! It’s early and I can’t think of a cute LIE pun to say it, but that was a great theme and lovely puzzle. Great way to start your NYT puzzle career

So so many names. On a Tuesday. I eventually got them all with no look ups but the naticks were tough.

I had to come here to say how much I liked ‘shear terror’ (BAAS). But ROCKET SCIENCE and BRAIN SURGERY were pretty cute too.

Dear Will, if i may call you that, sending you my very best wishes for a speedy recovery. I’m sure you know that thousands of us are rooting for you. And while i am at it, also sending you big thanks for so much happy puzzling. 🌸❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 Susan Mango

I hope this puzzle would be animated with a spinning dreidel. But it was not to be. Fun to focus on another holiday beyond Christmas. Happy New Year everyone

I see a lot of comments complaining the puzzle was too easy. But I came here to say I enjoyed the theme and thought it was very cute.

TIL that CRISPY BACON has the same number of letters as STRIPS OF HAM. Aye, there’s the RUB.

I loved this puzzle!!! The grapes and the grapevine clues helped fill the grid considerably. And the rumour puns made me laugh. HATERADE, POEM, FRAME, REEL, ARSE, BEES etc. so many great misdirects. Whoop-de-DOO!! GROOMERS, SAGE TEA and a CAT SPA, so it was also very relaxing. Happy Sunday everyone!

I came here to say 74D was the best clue ever. I filled it in and stared at it for quite a while until it clicked. And then had to show it to my husband it was so good. Wow just wow. Closet x come out was clever. I’m embarrassed to say I did not get the theme until I came here. Doh!

Pure genius! I had to read the article to get the finer points, and man o man, they are impressive. I’m sure the names celebrities will be glad to be in this puzzle- I’m looking at you marc marron. Count me in for puzzle of the year. Loved it

One ripening agent is ethylene. If you bring home unripe fruit, stick them next to some bananas and they will ripen beautifully. I do this with peaches all the time. Bananas produce ethylene. Needless to say, I was stomped for a moment how to put ethylene in four squares in the clue….

Phew, I found this pretty tough for a Tuesday. But I got a kick out of the theme and I loved seeing TOAD HALL. It’s been a long time since I read The Wind In The Willows. A charming funny story about friends, no evil geniuses or saving the world involved (as seems to be the case in most of today’s movies for kids)

Wow hah! Wow That was a great puzzle. As they say: sit on a potato pan, otis Loved the theme once it clicked.

I always enjoy hearing from the constructors-what’s easy, what’s hard about building a puzzle. Thanks for a fun Tuesday (definitely not a Monday). And thanks Sam for the Princess Bride clip. A great way to start the day.

This is an astonishing puzzle. The movie title, hero and actor, yes, but then ANDY is IN his cell (read the letters upward) and breaks out with a Y (arms uplifted). Then he moves through the TUNNEL CHUTE PASSAGE etc with the letters of his name (circled) in order and finally emerges OUT. I got held up on BUSTS, UPN and other trivia but i stuck with it because i was in awe of the theme. Bravo

Darn. When I solved the rebus, my mind automatically assumed it must be Thursday. “Almost the end of the week”, I thought happily. Pavlovian response to rebuses (rebi ?)

Oof. PAN before MAR. DUKE long, long before ELON. the western flank was super hard for me. I wondered if the missing letters from the wall had been put in some of the clues because how else could BEDE have six letters? Doh! TIL about whales and polliwogs. CTA and IMGUR. RADON is a noble gas and noble gases are not reactive because they have their electron shell filled. But radon is radioactive, which is different. The clue misdirected me for awhile. Ditto REGIME where I was hoping that ‘those in charge’ referred to ions (get it? 😊). The theme was cute. I particularly liked seeing BEETHOVEN.

Hey NYT. With the new games format, if i want to look at a completed puzzle, it takes three clicks. And the music replays so i had to turn it off. Could that be fixed so it’s only one click and no music? Just a suggestion.

I came here to say that was terrific. A really fresh idea, and i enjoyed thinking of the homophones/ not homophones.

Witty puzzle. LOTS OF FUN. I got the theme at VIVIEN LEIGH and CRIER. ONE EIGHTIES took a long time as the EEI letters were confusing, but that was pure genius. Ditto EDITORS, that made me smile.

This was tough, but slowly, slowly the clues began to fall. I had OOPS for far too long instead of UHOH. And THE MALL instead of POLISCI (that was a great misdirect). The first to fall was AUDIO BOOKS and THUNBERG. But generally a lot of empty space on the first pass … and the second, and the third…. But it ended up being a fun ride with great clueing, especially the south east. Thanks Sam.

CHEWS before SHEDS. AIRATE before AIRDRY. TREE before SMOG. and I wanted SKI SLOPE before SEE SAW. I know I know doesn’t fit. Top tier was cute. I loved the theme. Amazing construction and the clues worked once I got the gimmick. I had a big smile solving. But I could not for the life of me remember the Russian name for the DOLLS. Thanks Sam Brody!!

At first this seemed impossibly hard but somehow it fell into place word by word. A few gimmes like AMORE and PANE helped. I had victim before CORPSE and considered elf HAT vs TOP HAT. but even the easier entries had great clues like EPEE and FAUCI. Thanks Dena, that hit the SPOT!! Some of you mentioned Robyn Weintraub and there’s a charming interview with her as part of the BBC ‘in the studio’ series from 2023. I can’t share a link but if you search for those terms it’ll come right up. The BBC spends a week with her while she constructs a puzzle for the NYT.

Fun puzzle with a few bumps. PART before PAVE. many states before NEVADA. and can someone explain Top Seed Perks BYES? Thanks. Loved the clue for TIPS. AND THE THEMES WERE GREAT (once I figured out I didn’t have to know the chemical formula). TIL GARI, DARI and MAZDA. THANKS constructor, whose name I’ve forgotten. 😊😊

Award for the most interesting clue for BRA. I put in CHOCULA and hoped it was right. It made me smile. But a lot of this puzzle was hard hard hard. Jay before TOM. Crime before PRINT. Byte before TYPE. and so few gimmes. FROM EAR TO EAT was one, S AND M was another. HYBRID and CAMERA but I didn’t know what they were paired with. I felt like a dummy!!

I’m not up to skill level of the early birds here. At first I had nothing. Just blank, and thought the puzzle impossible. But then SHAKSHUKA and THAT’S ON ME got me a toe hold in the east. Lots of misdirects or perhaps just misses. Like wanting Last Round instead of LOSER PAYS. Muck before MESS. And on the tip of my tongue for OSAGE and REIKI. Gratifying to fill the last square (SPITS GAME) and get the happy music.

I knew it had to be DEATH AND TAXES and I had the DEA filled, but at first I looked for the rest of the answer to go up— straight up or diagonally up, like teased hair. Until all of a sudden it clicked. Took me a while however. GREAT THEME. I’m always in awe of what the constructors dream up — high seas would also have been clever. All in all, a great puzzle. Nice to see the BEAGLE. Confusing to see Swiss ms. as a clue, as I think of FRAU as Mrs. TIL about LADY BUG🐞

I found this hard hard hard. So many misdirects and I’m terrible at anagrams. But it was fun with lots of aha moments. It makes me wonder if my brain is ossifying in old age. 🙄

I enjoyed all the trivia, both in the theme answers (WHAT’S UP, WHAT’S THE TEA) and the others (YEW). More of a Wednesday puzzle in difficulty but that’s ok. I’m tired anyway.

I enjoy reading the comments each day as much as solving the puzzle. Thanks everyone! Today’s puzzle brought a smile to my face. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen those cartoons (always felt sorry for the coyote). TIL FAST AND FURRYOUS which made me laugh. And the BEEP MEEP debacle. I will have to go and check for myself now….

Just to say: CATS are quite sociable. They like to be near one or on one and they cuddle up with each other. The mini clue will incite the ire of cat lovers. On the other hand, the midi was clever and cute.

Best Monday ever! And cute animation to boot.

OMG that was hard. Some clues fell right into place and made me smile, LIP READER, NBA. But oh so many had me stumped for ages. tYnE before LYME. TOUCH TONE, the list goes on and on. Happy to learn about France’s oldest city.