Joshua Parker
Redwood City, CA
This is a really, really nice puzzle.
I love Deb’s neverending encouragement to get people to try Fridays!
For people who don’t like rebuses: why don’t you just skip Thursday?
Good one! Lotta misdirection. I didn’t think I’d solve it!
Shout out to Deb for plugging the ‘walk away’ strategy. I’d love to know how and why it works but a lot of times it just does.
Weirdly hard. Nice one!
This one felt like a perfect Wednesday level. Some fun clues and I especially liked 16A. Nice job!
This is just a great puzzle. Difficult and enjoyable so that it felt like a perfect Friday.
@Derek Honest question: if the reveal happens too early, doesn’t that make it too easy?
@Adin Way to own it!
I just read Deb’s column and I’m blown away by the revealed. Tremendous work!
That was worth the pain and I mean that in the best way.
It felt tough for a Wed but I’m ok with that :) Great puzzle!
That was wacky and great!
Great puzzle!
@Judith Fairview Deb rules!
Great, great puzzle. I loved the * clues. So simple but tough.
As a lover of Scrabble and crosswords (I’m sure I’m the only one) I loved this puzzle! My only nitpick is that you should’ve had 7 words with the trick in it, like the 7 tiles in Scrabble.
Solid Hal Jordan and also my favorite Spice Girls song. It’s sweet.
@SShah Id say it’s because it’s one of those spontaneous things that just happens. You couldn’t have predicted it and you can’t recreate it.
Really nice puzzle.
@Janine I’m totally with you. Kind of easy but pleasant challenges.
I really liked this puzzle!
@Steven M. And Leon’s getting laaaarger…
Brilliant theme!
Tuuuuuffffff puzzle! But I liked it.
Regarding the relative ease of this one here is my take: 1. It’s a great puzzle. Nice job! 2. The easiest clues are on the level of a Monday or Tuesday. 3. If I imagine the harder clues in a Mon or Tue that seems too hard. I’d even say they’re almost too hard for a Wed. 4. That leaves Thu, so maybe it’ 1 day off in terms of level.
That was hard!
Honest question for Deb: Do you ever not like a puzzle? I love, love, LOVE your positivity and share a lot of your columns with friends in hopes of encouraging them to try puzzles later in the week.l. I also notice that the vast majority of your columns seem to point out how great a constructor has done.
It’s funny that of the 65 (so far) comments, 54 of them are Recommended.
The ELF/ELK crosser felt intentionally tricky from a visual/trickery standpoint as opposed to a crossword-solving standpoint. I’m open to alternate viewpoints but I’m not down with it.
@Gary B It also could have been nothing.
Brilliant theme!
@UCCF Agreed. That feels like nonsense.
Did anyone else notice the upper left also could have been blank?
@Eric Hougland Totally fair.
@Daniel Aaron Absutely
I was stuck so hit the solve button and it didn’t show that I had any errors. Anyone else?
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