Nan C.
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I finished the puzzle though I had absolutely no idea how the theme clues related to their answers.After reading Wordplay, I still don't see how those clues read backwards lead to the correct answers. It's almost as if you're supposed to figure out the answers from the crossings and then try to figure out how the answers relate to the clues, and even backwards, they don't! The author had a very specific mindset that did not translate well to a crossword theme, in my opinion.
It's rare that I come to the column before I finish the puzzle but my frustration level was so high I looked in here well before I finished. Having read the comments, and the many, many "recommends" on the comments I agree with, I am officially not going to even try to finish this one.
@Charles Nelson Reilly Agreed. @NYT Antifa is NOT a political group. Anti-fascism is an ideology. There is no ANTIFA organization. To suggest there is plays into this administration's attempts to brand it as such so they can prosecute against individuals "in the group". Stop that!
It would have been a fun puzzle if I didn't need both the answer key and then these comments to figure out why it wouldn't finish. Since the picture didn't change when I put the letter T in 17A, I assumed they should remain as pictures. It wasn't until I checked myself twice, then twice again against the answer key, THEN read comments here that I went back and tried again. The pictures still did not change when I put the letters in, but once I at least tried the correct letter on all three squares it finally finished (although the pictures never changed). Very annoying and a waste of my time trying to find my "error".
I really hate that No No means YES. I understand what it's getting at here, but in my woke, feminist world, No never means Yes. Especially if you say it more than once. It could have said "Not a No". It was the last answer I entered because I kept hoping it could turn out differently.
Is it a "good theme" if so many of the solvers commenting here finished the puzzle without ever understanding the theme, like me? As I filled my last square I was thinking "Well, let's see what happens" and was pleased but still confused when I got the musical ending.
I always cringe when the clue includes "gamer-speak" or "in modern lingo" or "modern slang".
I loved this puzzle (mainly because I got the rebus quickly) but I do not love the earworm that came with!
It's odd - I never entered the full word "APPLE" as a rebus. I entered just the "A", figuring THE BIG A was a nickname for NY and that SNA was a common abbreviation for Snapple. the puzzle accepted the A and I got the bow and arrow animation and I never would have known about the rebus until I read this column! I'll take it though!
I was pleased to decipher the theme at the first instance. The title was a big clue for me. I haven't scrolled through all these comments but I wonder who ever said there would be no math?
This was a very clever theme that, for once. fit my strong points well! Loved it! I skipped the theme clues after calculating the total number of inches in 1A and got the revealer first. The XL is smaller than L give it to me quickly, and after that, it was an easy finish. Thank you!
I thought this was a great puzzle! Something all new with a terrific theme. I knew answers weren't fitting so I sought out the hint and it all fell into place, The rest was easy, and fun!
Agreeing with all who found this puzzle to be sheer fun! I thought I'd see some "It's too easy for a Sunday" comments (like last week) because it WAS easy for me as I caught the multi-faceted theme early on. (Easy for me means far too easy for the cruciverbalists who post here.) Two great Sundays in a row for this wannabe!
@Amy I was thinking along those lines myself!
For those asking "Why Utah?", I kept thinking, "Well, why not Utah?" Then I realized it's likely Utah because it's a state with perfectly straight borders so it fits the grid but it's not just a plain old box. THEN I read the constructor notes. So that's "why Utah" (read the notes) .
The little piece of paper containing the LSD that you set onto your tongue is the tab, or it was when I was a kid anyway.
I've learned to look at the revealer clue early on when there are starred clues. While I haven't seen the play or the movie, and I don't have kids, I got the revealer and the circled letters right away because how could anyone miss these two answers that were shown 100s of times during the promotions for this movie? It was everywhere! Got the trick at Krona and it was smooth sailing from there.
@Charles Peterson I think mine has always been orange for the current square, which I find helpful. What is new for me is the wavering blue line that runs the length of the grid row for the square am in. I first noticed it on the Scrabble-themed puzzle and though it might be part of the theme. But it's still happening and I don't understand what the purpose is.
@Sean McGowan Folks go to "the track" all the time to watch the horses and/or dogs race. it's quite an event! I wanted it to be "relay" at first but it takes more than 4 legs to run a track-event-sized relay race (8 legs, usually?).
Sorry but the theme answers, while easy enough to suss out, were just so wrong that it hurt.
I had to check the calendar to make sure it was Thursday because it seemed too easy for me on a Thursday (I've previously complained in this forum about Thursdays lol) This AP Bio student was pleased with the ATP and AP Bio answers to start the day. I filled in all but one of the Jeopardy themed clues without needing crossings.However, the stats don't lie and it wasn't even my best time!
@Jim I had a list of at least 8 clues that were either a very big stretch or downright inaccurate. Grrrr Here's the comment I typed but didn't send for that parer answer ""Apple product" for parer: Apple the company makes Apple products; apples can be used to make apple products, but the parer can be used to prepare many fruits and vegetables and is in no way an "apple product".
Apologies in advance to the men reading here but I initially thought a man wrote this comment because who else would find diapers and breast-feeding unappetizing, distasteful, and offensive? Maybe the odor part is unappetizing but still a stretch IMO.
Thrilled to say I recognized the pattern of the circles as soon as soon as I filled in a few planets :-)
@BenHead Mine are also correct and it's very clear (Firefox on a PC)
Is there an error in Sam's article? The article says 17A is "MUSICAL NOTE" but I completed my puzzle with "MUSIC NOTES". Musical Note doesn't even fit.
@Christie You're not wrong. I listed at least eight that made me wonder of the editors were asleep at the wheel.
I came to the comments to see how many were complaining about "too easy". Those comments annoy me on several levels. To me, while most of the clues were easily discerned, the puzzle was still fun. At least I learned the NYT philosophy behind the clue level for Sunday puzzles.
@Michael I learned about the first letter rebus solve last week with the Big Apple puzzle when I commented here on the same thing - the A instead of "apple" in the rebus solved it. Who knew?
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