Patrick

That southeast quadrant was a killer!

Had there ever been a more vivid example of clunky crossword-ese than URNING?

Didn’t care much for this one. Very challenging, but in a frustrating rather than a rewarding way. KISSY ?? No. Just, no. Also, I think most would consider UH-OH to be two words. 42D, however, was brilliant. Get well soon, Will!

Great puzzle, with hardly any of those clunky words that seem to exist only in crossword-land. Loved “Bare bones outfit” for SKELETON COSTUME, hah! Well done!

Seems like we’re all agreed . . ANDY for the Crossword Hall of Fame?

Oh my goodness, 30A . . Had “episode” then “Emmy Won” then “Emmy Win” then “Emmy Nom” then (finally!) EMMY NOD. That, combined with having “Haute Couture” for 27A, made the NW corner an absolute shipwreck for me. Great Friday puzzle, Mr. Snyder!

Really good puzzle, but really, does anyone REFER to spam as “EMAIL SPAM”?

Had “Inductee” instead of INITIATE for 48A, which fit perfectly with “Udon” (rather than MISO) for 45D, which made solving the SE quadrant . . challenging. Good, challenging Friday puzzle.

LANED ?? Really?

Terrific puzzle, but I actually found yesterday more challenging. “Your mileage may vary” 🙂

DECOCT ?? Donne moi a break.

I had the exact same experience as Caitlin . . cold sweat “I don’t know any of these” feeling, followed by a long, challenging solve with enough “a-ha moments” to not feel @ all like a slog. Great puzzle! p.s. “Hadestown” is an EXCELLENT show; go see it if you have the chance!

Very clever theme, brilliantly executed. Still can’t decide which clue/answer was my favorite. Thanks, Mr. Kugelman!

Nice, crunchy Saturday puzzle; elegant & satisfying. TBH, yesterday seemed a bit more difficult to me, but as always, “your mileage may vary “!

ACNED ?? srsly?

In my 53+ years on Earth, I have never once heard anyone say “DASHED LINE”; nor have I ever read such a phrase. It’s a dotted line. That is all.

This is what a Saturday puzzle should be . . super challenging but not frustratingly so.

Really, really tough & really, really fun! Perfect Saturday puzzle.

Impressive puzzle & a great (challenging) start to my solving weekend. Like Deb, I was also unfamiliar with SHINE ON. Is this perhaps a regional and/or generational thing?

Tough one! Actually thought I might not be able to finish, which hasn’t happened in a while. One of these days, I’ll stop falling for the “Lab” redirect!

Fantastic Saturday puzzle! Very challenging but also ultimately doable. Also, almost an A to Z puzzle? (unless I’m missing a W somewhere?)

Really fun Sunday puzzle! Clever theme, well executed? Was SWAGE new to anyone else? I didn’t exactly excel @ Industrial Arts in high school 🙂

Terrific cluing all around, but 17A made me laugh out load. Great Friday puzzle.

ACER & RAN AT both feel like “crossword-ese” to me

Also, kudos to the constructor for coming up with a new way to clue ONO! (would’ve sworn we’ve seen ‘em all @ this point) 🙂

Absolutely sparkling. Lots of clever clues and “aha” moments, and very little “crossword-ese.” More from Mr, Cotham, please.

I am old enough to remember when a successful solve depended on one’s knowledge of obscure trivia & factoids. Now, it seems like familiarity with internet idioms & cutesy catchphrases will put you in much better stead. Not necessarily a criticism, just an observation.

Way too many cutesy question mark clues for my taste.

Fun puzzle. Loved THEMS THE FACTS and the clue for 52D.

Great Friday puzzle; loved the longer entries (& their clues) in particular. Congrats, Mr. Matz!

For those who’ve not seen it, I recommend GATTACA; it’s a classic of the genre (imo). Thanks for a fun & challenging start to my solving weekend, Ms. Hawkins!

Really tough, challenging puzzle . . but IN A GOOD WAY.

Had “trott” instead of GAIT for 48A and “steam plate instead of STEAM TABLE for 53A, which made solving that SW section . . painful. Great piuzzle, Ms. Weintraub!

People who eat their Buffalo wings with ranch dressing should be expelled from polite society.

Loved this one! Plenty of PUNCHY clues and virtually no crossword-ese. Loved the WHIRLPOOL-shaped grid, too.

WAAAY too many cutesy “question mark” clues for my taste

Great puzzle. Not as tough as some other Saturdays I’ve seen, but still challenging enough to be fun.

My least favorite puzzle in a while. Managed to finish, but this one brought me no joy.

Ok, so I have an advanced degree and (I think?) a pretty decent vocabulary, and I have literally never heard or read the word SLUE in my life. Had to double check on the e-version to make sure it was correct. A classic “Today I Learned”

I liked this one! Challenging but doable start to our solving weekend.

OATIER ?!?

Definitely lighter on trivia & heavier on idioms (as Deb pointed out), but I personally loved it, especially WE ARE SO DEAD, hah!

Phew, tough one! Kinda impressed with myself for finishing it with no look-ups 🙂

Is there a better example of crossword-ese than SKIES?

What a brilliant & satisfying puzzle! Count me among those who “reverse engineered” the final solve, but I couldn’t be mad about it . . only truly, deeply impressed! Applause.

Just feel like pointing out that nowhere in the Book of Jonah is the creature that swallows him identified as a whale. Enjoyable puzzle today.

Anyone else have “Tattoo Artist” before EROTIC ARTIST? Funnier, imho 🙂