Responder

The only thing stolen here was my time and enjoyment. Glad that one is over.

If Will Shortz won't be able to edit (wish him the best of health) soon or any longer, please find someone else who can continue in his style. Have been doing the NYT XW since circa 1975 so not new. This cluing was dismal, uninspired and not in keeping with the typical patterns.

Seemed like a Friday to me.

I thought OPENENDER was a slangy stretch. openendeD would be a descriptor.

This is my favorite type of Sunday gimmick puzzle. Just love the animation. A kid at heart.

Instructions did not work for me. Said you could enter PHII/O but only when I changed them all to PHI did it solve. Too gimmicky for me.

You know it's a complicated theme when you solve it but still have to come here to learn what those longer clues even mean.

What kind of scout wears a VEST? Sash, yes, but never saw a vest. What am I missing??

I was stuck on people's names, which gets harder as we age. Too many singers, authors and actresses in the puzzles these days. ANI and WIEST was the final solve. I had had ANA. BELA was easy enough to guess. ASTAIRE and ANNAN are old and well known enough to pass my cognitive filters. Too many obscure names to make it great for me for a Tuesday. (and can we talk about LENAPE?)

I've never heard FOLLOW YOUR BLISS and had follow your heart instead.

Solved it but with huge questions after. Thanks to the today's Gameplay column for explaining that the spoonerisms are in th CLUES, not the answers.

Satisfying solve today. Couldn't help but think that the British crowd must be happier with the clues today. Cheers!

48 D: Parfait topping? Hardly. I know it could be yogurt but still--it is often granola, not one ingredient in granola.