Madangmom

@CCed I turned off the timer last year and haven’t looked back. As you noted, the presence of the clock diminishes my enjoyment of the puzzle. This was especially true on my petite iPhone SE screen. Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s great to have a non-timing buddy 😉

@Megan I’m sorry to hear of your breakup. Sending warm thoughts and peaceful vibes for this transition in your life. {{{hugs}}}

@CCed This was a delightful Friday puzzle. I mostly solved the bottom half first, then looked up a couple to break through to the north. (I’ve never watched Frazier and don’t really know rock bands, but always happy to learn new things!) As a lifetime Girl Scout, 3-Down was a gimme with a heaping helping of nostalgia. Back in the day, we had ANTS ON A LOG at nearly every hike or camping trip. In today’s world, of course, you have to sub out the peanut butter to protect those with allergies. We also made “walking salads” by scooping out the inside of an apple and filling it with a Waldorf-style mixture. Nothing to take home; the napkin & brown bag went in the campfire :) Normally, we had water in our canteens, but occasionally got Tang the morning we broke camp. Such a thrill to “drink like the astronauts” while they were walking on the moon. That was nearly as long ago as the last appearance of BRUSH ASIDE! Great grid layout & nice mix of clues. Thanks, Brandon, for the puzzle & the trip down memory lane!

@Zukey Exalted in the heavens?

@David Connell Thanks for this very interesting info. At one point in life, I spent several years working with an international linguistic organization. Today’s tidbits from you help me to build on that foundation. I always appreciate when you comment. I’ve learned much from you over the years through this forum. Don’t be a stranger.

@Daniel Lemke Congrats! (Or should I say GOOD OH?)

@BT GORP = Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts

@Cyndie Regarding your completion rate, it’s possible there is one puzzle that is incomplete. There used to be a way to find incomplete puzzles, in a previous app version. You may want to send an email to nytgames. They’ve always been super helpful for issues like this.

@RamblingRose I tried two ways to access the Spelling Bee comments, both to no avail. The hive will surely be in a frenzy!

@Eric Hougland Eric, you are usually quite kind. This type of flippant response about food prices (while you are off skiing, no less) comes off as quite privileged. Some of us are on tight food budgets, simply trying to find protein at a reasonable price. And we’re working the NYT xword via free access through the local library. Please think before you post.

@Mean Old Lady Thank you. The price of eggs here is also $6/doz, per my weekly shopping yesterday. Times are tough with at least 4 people near me out of their federal government job. My own situation hasn’t changed, but I am more sensitive as the current administration’s actions are affecting family and friends. Not everyone who voted blue has the wherewithal to weather this storm. And to Eric, I didn’t intend to be so frank. I do understand you were joshing. Enjoy your (I’m sure well-deserved) holiday!

@Lewis For those who may have missed some of Paolo’s episodes due to “breaking news” over the past week, they can be seen on Peacock. This season is the first time Jeopardy has recent episodes streaming. Each episode can be watched for a full week, so Paolo’s initial show is available until about midnight tonight. Enjoy!

@Andrzej Amen! I agree wholeheartedly!

@Steve L As someone fluent in Tok Pisin and an amateur linguist, I appreciate you raising this information. Knowing that you like to have the details correct, I must add that Tok Pisin is spoken only in the country of Papua New Guinea. The term New Guinea applies to the entire island, which is shared with Indonesia.

@Torey Adler I agree. Please write to <a href="mailto:NYTGames@nytimes.com">NYTGames@nytimes.com</a> so they can consider your comments. The more people who send the suggestion, the better chance of implementation.

@Eric Hougland It’s because music is written in various keys. The key of C major has no sharps or flats, but most other keys have at least one sharp or flat. The key signature is identified on the left of each line of the staff. The key of D major, as in Pachelbel’s Canon in D, has an F sharp and a C sharp. In order to stay in the right key, the musician must play every D and C as sharp. Thus, when the music needs an adjustment to a note, called an accidental, you might use a sharp, flat, or natural sign, depending n the note and the key the piece was written in. If I recall correctly, these accidental signs only impact the note they appear next to. Hope this helps. It’s been years since I read music. I’m sure that David Connell could do a much better job explaining this. By the way, great write up over at Crossword Fiend!

@Eric Hougland Oops! Yes, you’re correct! Thank you for catching my typo.