The X-Phile

Today's puzzle involving flower names reminded me of an incident from long ago, and a related one from just a little while ago. I went to a liberal arts college that had a required science component. For my last science class, knowing that I wasn't interested in being a science major, I took Plant Tax[onomy]. Its required lab was taking walks in the Woods that abutted our beautiful campus. How great is that! Now, almost 50 years later, whenever I go for a walk in the woods, I remember something that I learned in that class, the name of a flower or a tree or a weed, its tell-tale features. ("Look! A spring beauty! [Claytonia virginica] It only has two sepals.") Just a few years ago, I was able to track down the professor who taught that class and thank him for the way his teaching had enriched my life. I was lucky to have contacted him. He was in his late 80s; and he died shortly thereafter. A colleague of his reached out to me after his death to tell me how much my letter meant to him and to ask if he could use passages from my letter in his obituary. A lesson to us all. Gratitude is important. Give thanks while you still can.

This is my idea of a near-perfect Saturday solving experience. By that I mean a puzzle that when you first look at it, you say, "I don't know *any* of this. This is impossible!" And then you get one answer in, and then maybe another (that you're not all that confident in). But that gives you another.... "Oh, that can't be right....but maybe...." And all of a sudden, you've made more progress than you thought you could! But then there's that corner that will not yield. "Am I going to have to Google that country singer." "Don't give up (or give in) yet. You can do it, X!" Ah, WHALE SONG! Yes!!! And the puzzle is yours! That's what I call a fun way to start a Saturday! Thanks, Adrian Johnson! [First attempt eaten by emus. Sorry if this is a duplicate.]

So many things to like about this puzzle! First (and foremost), it felt like a "real" Friday puzzle, challenging, but not bang-your-head-against-the-wall hard. If you've got to put DOO into a puzzle, is there a better way to clue it than was done here?  I think not. Things to learn:  Splooting!  I've seen this behavior before, but who knew that there was a word for it?  And a word that's so fun to say!  I hope I see some splooting soon, so I can add this word into heavy rotation and make it a permanent part of my vocabulary. I play Wordle regularly (not that I care about streaks or anything), but I've never heard anyone use golf terminology for their daily score.  But it makes perfect sense!  Shoot for a birdie-3 every day, be satisfied with a par-4, sad about a bogey-5.  An eagle?  Nice if it happens, but don't count on it.  Hole in one?  The stuff of legends.  If someone claims to have more than one in a lifetime, they're probably a "storyteller."  Double bogey or worse?  It's bad luck to even talk about it. And REGNANT: a rare postpositive adjective in English.  That is, an adjective that comes after the noun, as in "Heir apparent" or "Attorney General".  Please use the phrase "Queen REGNANT" whenever you can.  You'll feel so smart and elegant. Thanks, Fritz Juhnke, for a very satisfying solve. And @Deb, Queen REGNANT of Crosslandia, Wild Woman of Wordplay, may you live long and prosper.

I was going to come here to express my disappointment, but so many have beaten me to the punch on this, that I decided to keep it to myself. I hate to pile on. I know that the constructors (and editors?) are working hard to provide us with amusement. And I was going to leave without commenting, when I figured out why I was disappointed. So I had to share my thoughts. The four themers are essentially unclued. You'd need to know the gimmick in advance in order to have some clue, but knowing the gimmick in advance would ruin the gimmick. And because the themers are unclued, the crosses have to be Monday-level easy. But that's not fun on a Wednesday. And then we're supposed to get some satisfaction from realizing that the themers are actually cryptic-style clues to tell you which letter is being highlighted. But we already have the circles; we know which letter is being highlighted. So the cryptic clues feel superfluous. If they were really good, we wouldn't need the circles, but then we'd need some sort of revealer to tell us to look at the themers as cryptic clues. So, the result: kinda disappointing. And had the constructors and editors found a way to deal with all this? It still wouldn't have been April Fools' level tricksy. [Sigh]

Is AGRA becoming the OREO of cities?

TIL CRASH BLOSSOM, and the headline that led to that neologism. But as a teacher of informal logic, I have long known the informal fallacy known as "amphiboly", which amounts to much the same thing. And so I have a lot of amusing examples of this fallacy. Here are some of my favorites: PROSTITUTES APPEAL TO POPE COURT TO TRY SHOOTING DEFENDANT FARMER BILL DIES IN HOUSE IRAQI HEAD SEEKS ARMS PARAMEDICS HELP DOG BITE VICTIM Feel free to add your favorites.

It was nice to see Mort SAHL make an appearance in the puzzle. It gives me the opportunity to tell my favorite Mort SAHL joke (which he claimed wasn't a joke, but merely the retelling of an actual event). It's a simple interchange between an eager student supporter and Adlai Stevenson, who was running for President against Dwight Eisenhower. EAGER STUDENT SUPPORTER: "On election day, Mr. Ambassador, every thinking American will be voting for you." ADLAI STEVENSON: "That's fine, but I need a majority." Still pertinent for the times we live in? You be the judge.

I didn't think I would be able to finish today's puzzle without a lookup, but I did, and I'm so proud of myself! WHO'S A GOOD BOY? I am! This afternoon, I leave for a weekend retreat at the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Thomas Merton made his home. In the spirit of spiritual contemplation, I won't be bringing my electronic devices with me,... I know that I'll be able to do the puzzles I missed when I return, but.... I will lose my streak! I think that this is a good thing. Isn't it good to be reminded that there are more important things in life than our silly, precious streaks? Thinking about my streak, I sometimes fantasize about seeing a tombstone in a graveyard inscribed, "TODAY HE ENDED HIS 1,563 DAY STREAK. Silly, no? And yet it hurts a bit. So, I'm compensating for that loss with this bit of virtue-signaling. WHO'S A GOOD BOY??? I am! I am!

There's something amazing about a theme that fools... everyone!?! I'm sure I'm one of the vast majority of solvers who finished the puzzle and asked themselves, "Where are those darn SPOONERISMs???" And then.... "Ah, now I see them! If only I read my clues more carefully." (Hopefully, but not necessarily, this "a-ha moment" happens without Deb's assistance. [And does she sometimes call herself "Deb Envelope"?? Is there a hidden SPOONERISM there?]) But, for me at least, there's something (mildly) annoying about a theme that only reveals itself after your done. Sort of like Tuesday's Big A, but not as satisfying. My rating: a strange mixture of amazing and disappointing? Color me ambivalent.

TIL that Jonathan Swift invented the name Vanessa. According to the Internets, here's the story: "The writer Jonathan Swift invented the name Vanessa as a pseudonym for his friend Esther Vanhomrigh. He created the name by combining the first part of her surname, "Van," with an affectionate diminutive of her first name, "Essa". The name first appeared in his 1726 poem, "Cadenus and Vanessa," which chronicled their relationship."

Today's walk down memory lane: the PUPU platter! The very mention of the word takes me back to visits to Chinese restaurants in the '60s. Any family trip to a restaurant was a rare treat, and Chinese restaurants were the best! But there were always restrictions, usually monetary about what we could order, and the PUPU platter was always off-limits! We would look on with envy at the other tables who ordered this magnificent appetizer: an enticing assortment of tasty tidbits, most often with a seductive Sterno flame in the center to re-heat the items, and a sea of sauces for dipping. It always looked so good, but it was declared to be too expensive by the parental units. When I finally had the resources to order a PUPU platter for myself (and my guest), it was, of course, anti-climactic. All flash and show, mediocre substance: "shrimp toast" with little evidence of shrimp, semi-soggy slices of eggroll,... Such are the lessons of so-called "adulthood".

@Deb Amlen suggests that the triangle and the circle represent two differently shaped chips, but I think that the triangles are the tortilla CHIPS and the circles are the bowl of SALSA.

OK, I want to see a show of hands. How many of you, when you saw the clue "rhyming name game", were thinking about a rhyme that involved names? Like "Eeny, meeny..." or more likely: Shirley, Shirley Bo-ber-ley Bo-na-na fanna Fo-fer-ley Fee-fi-mo-mer-ley Shirley! If there's someone here that doesn't have their hand up, I'll be surprised. For any of you who I've confused: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7izuF4oN4c" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7izuF4oN4c</a>

The strange clue about "frog sticks" took me back to the time when politicians wanted us to call French fries "Freedom fries". Way back to 2003. All because France had the wisdom not to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Memories of jokes past: A man is visiting Boston and asks his driver, "Do you know where I can get scrod?" The driver pauses and says, "I do, but I've never heard it asked in the future pluperfect subjunctive before."

In my culinary experience, the only use of KARO corn syrup is to make pecan pie (for Thanksgiving). In general, one buys a half-bottle than one needs, and that sticky bottle lives in one's kitchen cupboard for years thereafter. You feel me?

An absolutely brilliant puzzle: fun solve, loved the double-rebuses! Not the most challenging of puzzles, but full of wonderful discoveries. Both a pleasure to solve and an extremely impressive construction! I'm in awe of the skill required to come up with recognizable words and phrases that have KIT and KAT in them -- and then to make them intersect in the appropriate squares! Genius! All of the themers are brilliant, but my personal favorite is the intersection of TON[KAT]SU and WREC[K IT] RALPH. Wonderful! And a clever revealer with the addition of MINI! More than a hat tip, I bow deeply before the skills of Adrianne Baik! I look forward to seeing more from you!

I wanted "Present-day attire?" to be Birthday SUIT. Yes, I know it doesn't fit, but I still like my answer better than the correct one.

Those of us who come back to the "Comments" at the end of the day to see where we stand in the "Reader Picks" list, I guess we're CLOUT CHASING? Guilty as charged. At least now I have a name for the phenomenon. C'mon, friends, give me those "Recommends".

I spent too much time looking at the picture accompanying today's Wordplay column, trying to figure out how this image of six women (and two dogs) taking time out from working on a farm in 1918 had anything to do with today's puzzle. And then I looked at the title of the column "Overall Impact". Well, what sort of "impact" are these women making? Think again, X. All of the women are wearing Overalls! How impactful! Thanks for the additional brain teaser, Sam!

37-Across should be DOMI, the plural of DOMUS, since the clue gives "stadia" in Latin. For those of you who can't see me through your screens, my tongue is firmly planted in my cheek. ;-)

As seems to happen about half the time on Thursdays and Sundays, the comments seem to be split between those who accept that the NYTimes puzzle is a place of innovation and novelty and those who think that a crossword puzzle has to follow certain rules and to play with those rule is a violation of trust. Of course, everyone is entitled to their preferences and their feelings. But, in the final analysis, try to remember: It's just a puzzle!

A Thursday puzzle on a Wednesday? Yes, please! Thursdays are my favorite day of the (puzzle) week. I'd take one every day. I especially enjoyed the feeling that "Something's wrong here: Why does this word begin with a double-T? How come DADDY [LONG] LEGS isn't fitting with the crosses?" When the penny finally drops, it's all the more satisfying.

I didn't dislike this puzzle. In fact, I didn't dislike it very much! "NO NO!" I shout, "Let's not have less of puzzles like this one!" Thanks for the mental exercise, Simeon Seigel!

Two reasons why I was underwhelmed by this puzzle: 1. The theme is somewhat amusing, but shows more the cleverness of the constructors than provides enjoyment for the solver (at least for this solver). 2. Way too much common 3- and 4-letter crossword fill (especially for a Wednesday). A partial list: STS, LID, ETE, PGA , OTC, EDU, INC, EPEE, IOTA, OPIE, GNAR, SERA, ARAB, ATRIA. Feel free to add others if you wish. (From my perspective, any puzzle that has both ETE and EPEE in it (let alone next to one another) is suspect.)

I'm convinced (with little evidence) that the original clue for 8-Down was "___ digress", but was changed to "___ disagree" to make it more difficult. BUT I digress. Do you disagree?

I think good Monday puzzles are very hard to write. They need to be accessible to those who are just starting out, but interesting to those who have been solving for a while. This one hits the sweet spot. I found it easy, breezy, but the clues and the solutions were fresh and held my interest. And the theme was original and amusing, but not too tricky for the newbie. Hmm, "newbie"? Could that have found its way into today's puzzle? Thanks, Lynn Lempel, for a lovely way to start the week.

Mondays are easy for us solvers, but hard for constructors. How to make it doable for beginners, but interesting for the experienced? Today's puzzle is about as good as it gets. Pretty easy (IMHO), but with a theme that slowly reveals itself, until you get that pleasant "A-ha" moment. And timely as the lo-o-ong baseball season moves into its final month. Nice job, Matthew Stock and Michael Lieberman! Go, Yanks!

The title of today's Wordplay column, together with its wonderful photograph, reminds me of the joke: A Buddhist monk walks up to a hot dog stand and says, "Make me one with everything."

@Deb Amlen I learned the Latin word "sapere" from the phrase "Sapere aude!" -- "Dare to know!" -- which the philosopher Immanuel Kant said was the motto of the Enlightenment. Could the same word mean both "to know" and "to taste"??? Indeed it can! I'd love to hear an intelligent philologist expound on the connection between these two meanings!

Not too long ago, we pondered SAPPHO's evocation of eros: It is this that rouses a tumult in my breast. At mere sight of you my voice falters, my tongue is broken. Straightway, a delicate fire runs in my limbs; my eyes are blinded and my ears thunder. Sweat pours out: a trembling hunts me down. I grow paler than grass and lack little of dying. Today, we get the immortal Jerry Lee Lewis's take on the same phenomenon: You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain. Too much love drives a man insane. You broke my will, but what a thrill GOODNESS GRACIOUS! GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!!! I can't decide which I prefer.

I was ready to storm into the Comments, demanding that this puzzle needed a revealer, only to learn from reading the column that it was staring me in the face in each themed clue. [Administering dope slap to self, e.g.] Nice puzzle, Adam Aaronson. Thanks for the help, Natan Last.

In the category "Be careful what you wish for," I present this puzzle. More than once I thought the puzzle was going to defeat me. The only thing "certain" after my first pass was LOOP and KOFI (and I thought, "Thank Zeus for proper nouns!") Starting to put in probables, I had BELL (for "Ding thing") and TIC (for "Jerk"). Thanks to PST for correcting the first, but it took too long to remember my high school French and SORTIE. (Thank Mithras, that wasn't a misdirect.) Loved the "white coat" clue; took too long to see the "duties" misdirect. Couldn't understand forever(!) how "Scrumdiddlyumptious" could end in FOR. A tough, tough puzzle... And I loved it! Thanks, Rafael Musa and Geoffrey Schorkopf. And thanks to the Games editors for letting this go through with its tough clues. [See how filled with gratitude we can be?] More, please?

Today I Learned: that the word "SKOSH" originates from the Japanese word sukoshi (少し), which means "a little bit" or "a small amount". It entered the English language through American servicemen stationed in Japan after World War II. I had thought it was a Yiddish word. I used the word regularly when I was growing up on Long Island, but I don't think I've heard it all since I've been living in Kentucky. Is it regional? Are there many solvers who were unfamiliar with this word?

@Deb Amlen Thanks for setting the tone of kindness and consideration in this community. All the love that you see directed at you is a marker of the success you have had here in that regard. The biggest gift that this community can give to you is to try to live up to that high standard that you have given to us. Although this is your bye-line, I know we will continue to see your byline in the future. All the best to you. Enjoy your retirement.

Monday puzzles can be amusing, but I rarely expect to learn anything from them, because the clues and answers are geared to greater simplicity. But, thanks to @Sam Corbin, today I learned that the words "EFFETE" and "FETAL" are etymologically related. The origin of "effete" has to do with being worn out from childbirth, and hence no longer fertile [ex + fetus = no longer childbearing]. From there the word came to mean "no longer capable of effective action" as in "effete aristocracy" or "effete intellectuals". And from there to our "overly refined" or "affected". Interesting stuff! Thanks, Sam!

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY! [...to those who celebrate it, as they say on the social platforms to avoid offending anyone.] On this day, I'm reminded of what a wise woman once said about Mother's Day: We have such a celebration so that we can ignore our Mothers every other day of the year. If we showed our gratitude on a daily basis, there would be no need for such a holiday. May we all continue to strive to make this a better world.

@Sam I agree with you that we commenters should strive to be civil to one another, and especially to our hard-working constructors. But most of the negative comments that have proliferated here in the past year have to do with the "EASIFICATION" [I thought I'd try my hand at creating new words] of the puzzles directed at the puzzle editors and their superiors. And to this (justifiable) complaining, there has been no adequate response.

I've spent a good bit of my life teaching Greek mythology and the three generations of Gods, each with their respective kings: Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus. There is a power and beauty to the stories of Ouranos, the Sky, who mates with Gaia, the Earth, to produce the next generation of Gods, the Titans. And then it all falls apart when the students start giggling about Uranus. What are you going to do? There is a little 12-year-old inside of all of our heads.

Was anyone else taken in by the clever misdirect of the "Vineyard eponym" clue? I spent a long time trying to think of famous wine-makers and vintners. Gallo? Mondavi? Coppola? Moet? MARTHA??? Sorry, I'm not familiar with her wine. Oh! Now I get it! The capital-V!

S+U T+U A+U R+U W+U A+U R+U S+U WOW!!! I hear the STAR WARS theme playing in my head! The FORCE is clearly strong with U, Brandon Koppy!

So many fresh answers. So many delightful clues. "Cyllindrical grain holders"? It got me wondering whether SILI might be an acceptable plural for silo. (No, this isn't an OCTOPI allusion.) IN SUM, WHAT A BLAST! Thanks, Katie Hoody!

How beautiful to see such a complex theme in a Tuesday puzzle. It's clear that the constructor had her work cut out for her to pull off the trick(s) she had in mind. Such a lovely and amusing combination of T/RUTH and Fiction. But often, the constructor's cleverness results in us solvers simply saying, "Yeah, I see what you did. Very nice, but it didn't improve the pleasure of my solve." Not so today. We can enjoy the constructor's cleverness and we can enjoy a lovely solving experience. And on a Tuesday! Hats off to you, Kathy Bloomer!

How strange that we live in a world in which GULF OF MEXICO is regarded as a controversial puzzle entry. I look forward to the puzzle that includes that, as well as GREENLAND PANAMA CANAL CANADA GAZA STRIP The only problem would be the amendments that would need to be done between the writing and publication of the puzzle. Ah, what a world!

I use [[Libby] all the time for EBOOKS and audio books; it's on all my devices. And yet I was sure that [Libby offerings] referred to, you know: When it says Libby, Libby, Libby on the label, label, label,... Please tell me, I'm not the only one.