LStott

Garbling Robert Frost's poem, which is darker and deeper than it first appears to be, did not make for an enjoyable solve. the theme didn't even involve the kind of clever wordplay that would have made it a worthy pastiche of the original. .

Challenging and gimmick-free. In my mind, this was a "pure" crossword. Some commenters have said this felt more like a Saturday puzzle, but if you make your way through the archives, you'll find that Fridays have often been as challenging, if not more so, than some Saturdays, and typically featured very long answers. Also, I loved the reference to Phyllis Wheatley, who should not be forgotten.

This did not have to be filled in with rebus entries. I just used a F and received congratulations at the end. I really liked the joke.

A worthy Thursday challenge that morphed from frustrating to enjoyable once I cottoned to the trick. That's the usual Thursday trajectory for me, and I like that I have to practice patience (not my strong suit) before I can figure out how it works.

Why should we drink a well-made martitini? For the shake of it! What an entertaining, cleverly constructed puzzle! Thank you.

Terrific puzzle. Smart and clever with no gimmicks.

Beautiful grid and a satisfyingly challenging puzzle. It was great perusing the comments and finding no complaints about its being too easy.

Very tricky and fun. Thursday is always a treat and I then look forward to the Friday and Saturday challenges. Keep the bar high! And thanks!

Great Friday challenge. Tricky in a brain-teasing way but not gimmicky. Thank you!

I thought the theme today was too esoteric. The starred entries had nothing in common except a structural quirk involving single letters, not entire words. It solved easily, but the reveal about the starred entries (in the column) fell flat. The grid clearly had lateral symmetry, but to have to parse each starred entry into its individual letters to ascertain the theme was a bridge too far(-fetched).

Brilliantly constructed and fun. Even when I caught on to the theme, I loved filling the pockets.

Really enjoyed this Friday chellenge, and especially resished 'sunk cost fallacy." Congratulations on an impressive debut!

Though "bada bing bada boom" is associated with the Sopranos, the expression dates from the 1960s and was first used by the comedian Pat Cooper but popularized by the character of Sonny (the great James Caan) in The Godfather. Its use in The Sopranos could be seen as a homage to the now-classic films.

For me, this was a perfect Friday challenge. Demanding but fair, with a number of answers that made me smile. I had to use the old bean, but I didn't have to say the magic word—"Reveal."

Fun, clever puzzle with satisfying finish. Tricky in just the right amount for a Wednesday.

Loved the puzzle and the theme. A joyful noise.

Mount Katahdin (Penobscot) "Katahdin" means "great mountain."

Great Saturday puzzle. Loved the long answers. It is hard to craft a challenging puzzle with mostly straightforward clues and answers and no gimmicks. Impressive. Thank you!

41D crossing 49A? Not fair!

Great puzzle. Fun theme and some challenging and clever cluing. Perfect for a Thursday outing.

Loved the puzzle, excecpt for "YOINK."

Fantastic puzzle. Favorite clue: After burner

Loved the puzzle (despite "ridgy") once I read the revealer correctly and stopped trying to add in a missing "ab" to the answers, Lovely Thursday.

Sorry about previous post. I was thinking of Spelling Bee, not Wordle.

Clever, enjoyable puzzle for a wintry Sunday in New England.

Deb, what a wonderful intro to this fun puzzle. Such moments -- the knowing smile moments-- are part of the reason I keep doing them.

Loved the puzzle! Just the right challenge for Friday and some creative clues that made me smile. Thank you, Amanda!

Great puzzle

Great puzzle. A welcome challenge after a fun but easy Friday, and a grid design reminiscent of the Friday grids of yore, which tended to feature triple-decker grid spanners.

Loved the puzzle. For a while, though, I thought Gift cop was a pun on Shift cop and couldn't understand why there was a "G" instead of a "C" in the "SH"substitution. Duh....

Very fun Thursday, with just the right amount of challenge and a clever theme. I laughed out loud at the reveal, even though I had figured out the switch before reaching it. Thank you!

I thought the puzzle was fun, but a Wednesday-level outing, since the cute drawings didn't pose any Thursday-level challenges. [But I didn't appreciate the natick at 12D/26A.]

Could someone explain 9D? I'm puzzled. Thanks!

A fun theme but too easy for a Thursday, when we expect more of a brain teaser.

Could someone explain 40 across?

"Well sorta" ??? Excellent puzzle but for this amswer, which didn't really match the clue.

Can someone explain the meaning of the theme? I kept trying to find "your boat" somewhere in the puzzle.

I enjoyed this puzzle. But I agree with a poster below that a charcuterie platter holds a variety of cured meats. When you add brie, it becomes a charcuterie-cheese platter. If you shop at a charcuterie in France, you won't find brie.

The puzzle was enjoyable for me, except for what I experienced as a "Natick" at 16A and 14D. It was frustrating to make my way smoothly through the rest of the puzzle, only to be stymied by one rogue square. I'll have to bone up on my Looney Tunes characters and NASA monikers....