Someone
St Louis
The constructor wrote in his notes “I was desperate to make those two phrases work.” For me, this should have been a sign that perhaps you were trying too hard. Things done from a state of desperation tend not to work out well.
@Jonathan For many of us, consistency in Thursday puzzles would ruin all the fun. It’s figuring out the unexpected that makes this day of the week shine above the rest ✨
@Paul I totally agree. Normally, I’m a big fan of tricky puzzles, but this is 2-3 steps too far. Your suggestion that perhaps some entries could be highlighted is a good one. Also, I only ever work the xword on my iPhone, not having any other option. That has definitely contributed to my frustration. If the puzzle can’t easily be worked on mobile devices supported by the NYT Games app, then maybe the “tricky” factor should be toned down a bit.
@Andrew I’ve lived in St. Louis on and off for well over 50 years. Referring to it as “The Lou” is definitely a thing. However, that moniker is newer, like the last decade or so. What really stings is being called the second largest city in Missouri. While technically true, it’s only true because of how city/county lines were drawn so many years ago. Having also lived in Kansas City MO, I can attest that St. Louis functions as a larger city.
@B Without looking at the puzzle title, you could assume the existence of the introductory clause due to the ellipsis at the beginning of each subsequent theme clue.
Cute puzzle! So happy to have this election-free theme. Also glad to see the Eads Bridge get some recognition, as this year marks the 150th anniversary of its opening. The foundations were built over 100’ below the water level, setting a record. The workers suffered from decompression sickness, then called caisson disease. The physician in charge developed the disease himself and coined the term “the bends.”
@Fluffy Drunk Koala Putting in a rebus warning would really ruin the experience for those of us who love this type of puzzle. It’s the realization that a rebus is in the works that truly makes the solve pleasurable
@DawnW Isn’t this the Tuesday puzzle?
@Wayne Harrison I came here to say exactly that!
@Andrzej Deb wrote about this clue in the Wordplay column. The misdirection centers on the word number. In this puzzle, the word is not a mathematical digit, but rather something that causes numbness. Hope this helps!
@Patrick It’s a type of shot in the game of billiards. <a href="https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XHxXypNWI" target="_blank">https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p2XHxXypNWI</a>
@Evan Kalish Yes, your memory serves you well. Per Wikipedia, the new engineering principles developed for the Eads Bridge were used for later projects, including the Brooklyn Bridge which began construction in 1870. Thanks for touching base, Evan.
@Ms. Billie M. Spaight I doubt they’ve been dropped. From time to time, the constructor doesn’t supply comments for the column.
@Steve I believe the point of the original poster is that the column has “AAVERAGE” as the answer, which is incorrect.
@ad absurdum Well-played! I actually laughed out loud. That’s a good thing, since I’m iced/snowed in here in a frozen flyover state. Thank you!
@Joe The axolotl is the theme animal for this year’s GS cookie sales. There will be lots of girls across the country excited when they earn their axolotl incentives for attaining their goals. Shameless plug to support the largest girl-led business. Buy some cookies today!
@Teresa I must give my friend five dollars. I owe to my friend five dollars. OR I owe five dollars to my friend. Works for me!
@Eric Hougland Thank you! Appreciate the tip! I’ve never used a browser to access games, so this is a new adventure. Fingers crossed!!
The iOS NYT Games app had a recent upgrade. I used to be able to easily find any puzzles in the archive that were started but incomplete. Is that functionality still available?
All 19 comments loaded