Dave Rosenbaum

TAJIK crossing TAIGA on a Tuesday doesn’t seem fair.

I thought that was just about perfect. Easy, yes, but no bad fill, and even the crosswordese was well-clued.

Basically, you figure out the gimmick, which wasn’t hard, and it becomes a Monday or Tuesday puzzle, slowed by having to read the clues backward. I’m sure constructing this was a feat, but I don’t think it was worth it,

Nice puzzle but not for a Friday. I’m sure I’m like many who look forward to Fridays and Saturdays, when I can settle in, enjoy the challenge and take it slow. I look forward to, first, that moment after the first pass through when I’m staring at empty squares and think I have no chance of solving the puzzle and, then, that moment when things start to click. This puzzle provided neither of those moments, as nice as it is. I don’t want my Friday solve to be over in 15 minutes.

Relatively easy Saturday except that PLUOT TOADETTE cross killed me.

Nothing in this puzzle is nearly as funny as the moth joke.

With the four segmented corners, this was four unpleasant puzzles in one.

Time out! Isn’t PURGATORY, by definition and its clue, neither HELL or a thing with HIGH WATER?

Got everything then stared hopelessly at the first square. For me, the definition of a Natick.

I couldn’t stop staring at 18 across and DNF’d, although I’m sure some preferred 54 across.

This was Wednesday easy. No pushback at all. Please up the weekend difficulty.

Another poor Sunday. I don’t even know why I bother with Sunday puzzles. They’re consistently the worst of any week. Bad puns. Tortured themes, like this one. I wonder if, considering the low quality of these jumbo grids, the Times should just have regular-sized puzzles on Sunday, or at least not make size the primary requirement. They’re such a letdown after the usually enjoyable Fridays and Saturdays.

GERALD DAVIS, whoever he is, for HAROLD RAMIS and MALT for MASH were the killers for me. It would have helped if I had known how to spell RONALDINHO’s name (I think I still got it wrong}. Definitely a challenge. I’ll take more of these.

Very tough, especially the northwest, but a nice challenge with some very good featured entries. Nice to have Friday fall on Friday and Saturday on Saturday for a change. Surprising. I would have lost a bet if you had told me this would turn out so good after filling in the non-phrase LOSEABET.

Pretty good puzzle with some lively answers and appropriately hard cluing, but perhaps too much traction/gimmes for a Friday.

It was as easy as a typical Monday as long as you solved on the app, which told you you were done.

A constructing feat that results in a boring puzzle and “Who cares?” Just dreadful.