Nandor
Madison, WI
Kudos to Jackson Matz! Very enjoyable solve. Tough. Baffling. Perplexing. But slooowly, my brain caught up to Jackson's. Catchy clues. Clever language. Memorable debut. I raise my coffee cup to our young puzzler. More please!
Congrats to the Chalfin/Kingsley duo. You have created a memorable Monday crossword: an unusual and slightly askew take on palindromes (what process brought you the entries for this theme?), clean and interesting language (PERSEIDS, PAPAYA, OPART), all within the day-appropriate outlines of Monday. More, please.
Big day for Wordplay. First, kudos to Kyle Perkins for a puzzle that had me loopy for awhile until the magic "aha" lightbulb appeared. Clever idea and great clues as well. I'm especially proud to see that we share a hometown. I hope to see your name on many future puzzles. And Deb, I smile whenever I see your byline. Your columns are filled with puzzle-solving wisdom but also offer a unique, slightly skewed (in the best way) view of the world. Incisive, witty, encouraging and generous. I applaud your decision to see what else you can see and do, but I will miss your voice, your smarts and your gentle humanity. How do you manage to put all that into a puzzle column? Congrats to you and thank you.
I have dreaded this day since you made your initial announcement about your leaving. Your wit, humor and kindness in your column have gently nudged, urged and encouraged me to try Thursday puzzles. Then Friday. And, ohmygod! Saturdays too. Now the each day begins with a new puzzle. Thank you for opening a new dimension of the world to me. I will miss your playfulness and smarts in your column. Your writing will not be matched in this space. On the other hand, retirement will open up new dimensions for you. And I hope you engage with and enjoy every opportunity that comes your way. Thank you for sharing your talents and yourself with us these years. Please drop in as a guest columnist or a puzzle creator! Here's to you, Deb and all that lies ahead!
Kudos to Bryan!! Quite a feat. Challenging. Creative. Head-scratching. Annoying. Sparkling. Fun. Instructive. (TIL ecarte) Arcane. Brain-stretching. More please.....
@Lewis There is always some push-me/pull-you between the cluing and answers. Challenging solvers with clever clues or testing knowledge for answers can be a delicate dance. You've described the steps beautifully. When a constructor combines Sid Vicious, NEANDERTHALs, INCUBI, GENIEs and Thomas Jefferson with a classic BASSLINE, I'm in. Great debut, Nick Maritz
@snufkin Julian Fellowes wrote the screenplay to GOSFORD PARK. To my knowledge, he has never directed any movie or TV show. The great Robert Altman directed it.
@Liz H Depends on your age... For several decades the bottle was clear so we could see the pearl drop into the"luxurious" green shampoo. Decades later, the bottle became green and the pearl disappeared. I assume the shampoo is still green?
Repeating the theme in the Groundhog Day puzzle was clever. Repeating the concept within the same month is redundant.
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