Asher B.
Santa Cruz, CA
That was the hardest thing I have ever accomplished on a Tuesday.
I hated it. I accept that other people liked it. Opinions differ. I won't try to talk you out of yours if you offer the same courtesy. I already know that Thursdays often feature the rebus gimmick. Would that it were not so. When I learn that E stands for I or vice versa or some other who-cares gimmick, I am left annoyed, not entertained. There is no a-ha! feeling for me. It's more a feeling of everyone else knows something I don't; yet when I do find out, I don't feel rewarded, I feel annoyed. A crossword is a word puzzle that I find entertaining. It's a fun game. I don't wish to play another hidden game at the same time. When I am playing tennis, if you offer me a chance to play chess at the same time, it's not more fun. It's annoying and distracting. Now, in my view, some gimmicks such as a clever Sunday idea can be quite fun. The difference is that they offer some kind of logic as to why they exist. Put another way, a joke has to have two meanings, not one. A good Sunday puzzle has three, a third way of combining what is said. A rebus like this is just a hassle. There's no clever reason for the gimmick. Violating the rules of crosswords should be done for a purpose. Why are we spelling "Diet" in two ways? I don't know. Why? By the way I'm having a nice day and would appreciate not being ad hominem attacked as a grump. Maybe, just maybe, I have an opinion worth considering. I appreciate the editors taking this into consideration.
That was the fastest I've ever solved a Saturday puzzle. I know that my personal accomplishments are incredibly important to you, so I won't go on at length about the wildly clever strategies I employed in solving the puzzle. I know that you can't afford delay as you rush off to inform your friends and pets about the miracle that has been visited upon you all on this day. I do understand that you'll want to laud and praise me at great length, so I am leaving room for comments below. But please note that I cannot respond personally to every comment. I receive a great deal of correspondence and while yours has great merit, someone else will get the job. You know how that goes.
At the nexus of 41 we find "Forest" and "fire," bringing to mind the terror in Los Angeles. I imagine that many solvers are like me, using the crossword in part as a place to get away from the world's harsh realities. Certainly the editors steer away from controversy and calamity, and that seems right to me. But the real world is real, and will make itself known. Let us note its unintended appearance here, turn a kind thought toward others in need, and perhaps send some aid, and finish solving the puzzles. All the puzzles.
One of my all-time favorite puzzles. Is it possible that I have, now and again, been that person who pencils in a few halfway right answers in an in-flight magazine, and then loses interest in order to gaze longingly at the snack cart? No. I've never done that, not at at all. You're thinking of someone else.
It's not that the gimmick is too hard. It's that it doesn't match my expectations. A basketball defender does not expect the player with the ball to shove them out of bounds as hard as possible, even though that would gain advantage and is quite legal in sumo. The gimmick was too hard relative to expectations. It's a Wednesday. I'm in pajamas. Gimme some idea that something fishy is going on. Usually there's an across supporting hint.
I do almost nothing but watch NBA basketball. No one ever describes a point guard (or anyone else) using a hop step. Here are some terms I'd choose for a point guard's crafty maneuver before that, although admittedly many are not seven letters: CROSSOVER, STEPBACK, BEHINDTHEBACKPASS, EUROSTEP, EURO, GOINGTHROUGHTHEFIVEHOLE, PASSFAKE, WRONGFOOT (verb), BOUNCEPASS, HESI, and I'll think of some more once I've recovered from my fainting at this terrible clue.
Fans of my solving -- and they are legion -- will be delighted to learn that I finished this puzzle faster than I have ever finished any Thursday puzzle. I'm down to a record fourteen seconds personal best for Thursdays. Obviously the Monday times are quicker, six seconds is my PB; but there were some hitches today with the rebi and all. I think that it's time to start an admiration society of me. I wouldn't be the one to suggest it, I'm too modest for that, but I'm putting it out there in case someone with organizational skills and nothing but time on their hands wants to take up the challenge. It isn't easy. You'll have to manage the many thousands who want access to interviews or just time spent with me. Be strong. It puts me in a reflective mood: for a long time I wasn't really sure what the purpose of the internet is, at least for me -- or what the purpose of a comment section in general or this NYT crossword comment section might be. Now I know that the point of the whole thing is for others to boost my fragile ego on flimsy grounds, with no evidence to support my dubious claims. That's right, isn't it? Have I misunderstood?
Well, that's 44 hours I'll never get back.
It is simply the case that some of us like crossword puzzles where the idea is to find the words that meet the definitions; and some also like some gimmick that sacrifices the integrity of the noble grid for the benefit of some wordplay or pun. I like to think of myself as in the latter group, but the gimmicks have to be both clever and reasonably understandable from the clues. In my view there is simply no reason for me to think that "steal a kiss" means "the referenced words have an X that shouldn't be there but put it there anyway." It's not as though there is some existing cultural reference point. To steal a kiss is indeed a thing, and an X as a signoff kiss is indeed a thing, but putting the two together is like saying that dogs have fleas and schoolchildren like to flee after school, so ... I don't know, maybe the dogs should scratch the kids. I am therefore with heavy heart tendering my resignation from all crossword solving with the New York Times. Having given this decision a great deal of thought, it is final and I will not yield to any coercion or inducement. That is my final word, a personal ban on doing the crossword for the entire rest of the day. I'll see y'all tomorrow. XOXO
Impressive. If you told me to make a 15x15 puzzle that includes THATTRACKS, NEZPERCE, STREETTACO, THESEUS, BUCKETLIST, INHOTWATER, and BABYBOOMER, I'd say that with that level of optimism in my skills, you're about eight speeds shy of a ten-speed.
OK. I solved the whole puzzle. I read the article. I read some of the comments. I have only the vaguest idea of what this was all about. However, the sun is shining and my dog needs a walk. Hoping for future crosswords that aren't so clever that I am forced to conclude that I'm not.
Look I made a hat???? I get that someone out there or perhaps many someones know the reference, and many more once learning of it find it somehow instructive or inspirational. I find it one of the all time great let downs. I didn't exactly labor my utmost to solve this puzzle, but I was hoping for some sort of payoff I could relate to. You made a hat. How tedious. Now, I know the online world. If you say something you find true and express your positive regard for it, you get love back. But if you express something true and express a negative view of it, you get ad hominem attacks and calumny. I am resigned to this fate, fire away.
Choose ONE of the following response. Mark your response clearly on the answer sheet. 1. The crossword puzzle today was _________ A. Clever B. Something I solved without help C. Something I needed help with. D. Not clever even after learning its purpose E. A waste of time. I. A and B II. A, B, and E III. A, C, and a circled letter of some sort IV A, B, C, D, and E. V. Ambient music pioneer Brian
I suppose I'm the only one who, when clued "Like leatherette" four letters, instantly puts in "warm." Or maybe I'm not. If you know, you know.
@Josh No one in the history of basketball has said "hop step." I just made a list above of some possible terms but this ain't one of them. Tell me the last time you heard Mike Breen say "And Kyrie with the hop step!"
I've been trying my hand at puzzle construction for some time now. I have to admit that Ms. Ziegler is faring better than I, for now. However, I'm a much better dancer.
There is a convention in crossword solving that has long irked me and today you have the pleasure of learning of my irk. I'm speaking of a clue such as: -- What's heard exactly twice in a lifetime? -- This is outright cheating. Any educated adult, nay, teen, knows that "lifetime" or "a lifetime" ought to be in quotes. The idea that I am meant to look for letters of the alphabet rather than things heard in an actual lifetime is simply a bridge too far to carry, to mix a metaphor for all who wish to buy a bridge. Of course, it would be rather easy to solve if the clue were: -- What's heard exactly twice in "A lifetime." What to do? 1. Live with my irk. I am no fan of this solution. 2. Change the convention. Big fan. 3. Don't clue "LONGI" lest you risk my wrath.
@Phil I don't know if it "should" frustrate you, but if it does, you are well within your rights. As others have pointed out, the past puzzles can be found. However, you're not alone in having some challenge in finding them. It's not the best interface. I never accept being bawled out as a user for poor design on the part of the people writing the software.
I imagine this may have been said, if so I apologize, please don't make me scroll an additional 12 minutes: Wouldn't Moriarty have taught "maths" rather than "math?" I admit I haven't read Sherlock Holmes lately. I find mysteries tedious. Except this one. What did he teach, when spelt in the original?
Set my all time fastest Monday time. I don't know why anyone would care, but such is life in a social context. We want others to see our lives, or approve of them. But I do suppose I could manage without letting you know. Food for thought.
I tried to see what would happen if I fed ChatGPT crossword clues. I gave it the clue and the number of letters. Here are a few of its first tries. After 288 easy hours of solving, I completed the task. Curious and masochistic, I decided to see if ChatGPT would do better. In each case I gave it the clue and number of letters. The first results: Look to give nothing away: UNHINTING European city on the Bay of Angels: NICE Film genre exemplified by “The Thing” or “The Fly”: BODY HORROR Like some fixations: ORAL It gets folded and pressed: NEWSLETTER Split in two: RENT Posts on Insta: ADS This proves something, but I don't know what. That's why I'm asking all of you.
@Fancy Whale Take whatever people claim and triple it, is my advice. If they say they took ten minutes, think 30. If they say they had no problem with a certain section, that means they agonized. While this may or may not lead to a more accurate description of what occurred, it will bring great satisfaction as you comfort yourself that the whole point of the puzzle is to be challenging and anyone claiming otherwise is probably exaggerating just a wee bit.
@Barry Ancona You've lost me. "I chose to respond only to your comments on this puzzle because you gave specifics about it." I used an individual puzzle as an *example*. Burrowing into the details of the example seems to have little relevance. Further, what evidence do you have that "For most people this puzzle's theme did work?" Aren't you merely counting some comments in the letters section? Isn't it possible that many are the disgruntled who did not write in? In general, I don't know what your point is. I am not saying that today's puzzle is the only puzzle. I am not saying that all solvers agree with me. I'm offering an opinion, which is that the puzzles have been trending worse. That is called an opinion. Offering a head count of others who seem to not share it does not mean that the opinion is not valid. Do YOU agree? Do you have an opinion? I don't really understand your role here. Are you ombudsman of the letters page, or do you have an opinion to offer?
@sotto voce The assertion is true for either Ms. Ziegler: I challenge either one to a dance-off. I should state for the record, as a warning of sorts, that I served as Sia's muse and onstage personna for a brief period, well before Ms. Ziegler did, and before Ms. Sia and I fell upon what she called "artistic differences" and I called "Her being cheap." Either way, it happened, we severed the agreement. I don't in any way regret the 45 minutes I spent in that role. I am the better man for the experience.
I feel like I woke up a bit late and the culture changed while I was dozing. "plop art?" "lifestyle creep?" "bean butter/ butter bean?" I have apparently been living under a rock. But in good news, I was able to compose an amusing riddle in my head to which the answer is: "Lifestyle creep." The problem is, I can't tell you the prompting question in a family newspaper. You'll have to derive your own from the news.
I dunno -- is that theme really of suffficient cleverosity to merit a Sunday puzzle? Take books and -- get this -- put them where books would go. Replacing the space where books of the Bible go with books from not the Bible. Coulda at least done movies or song titles or wisdom gleaned from Bazooka Joe comic strips. I give the theme cleverness a 4 out of 11 and the execution a 15 out of 17. For more information on the scoring system, send an SASE to Will Shortz.
The rules are that the clues lead to answers, using common English. If they don’t, that’s breaking the rules. Sometimes it’s worth it sometimes not. If my clue is “canine house pet” and I tell you the answer is “DOGGGGGG” then I have broken the rules. The debate would be whether my reason was worth it
I can't accept PET as a family member. I have a dog. Nice doggie. Loyal, friendly and true. I have a family. Not always that nice, friendly or true, alas. But that doesn't mean a dog is a family member. I wouldn't really wish that on her, anyway. My dog has a family. I am not in it.
When composing a comMENt such as this one, I don't RANdomly insert words that straightAWAY don't fit, and I preFER if THE puzzle didn't HILLSeither.
It's probably been said but I don't feel like scrolling: isn't "Human" Australia's largest carnivore? Bigger than a dingo I'll say that much.
@SP So you didn't even tell the extended family? Or they weren't excited? Either way, I'm very disappointed.
@Francis It is indeed a privilege. And privileges, as we know, may be revoked. Keep the praise coming is my advice to you.
Yeah, I don't really need to see that gag again. I'm set.
@Francis I've been rethinking my original post in light of having reviewed some of Ms. Ziegler's videos. It turns out that I somewhat exaggerated the talent imbalance in my favor. She also has some moves, it turns out. Can she do my legendary "Clunky Hokey Pokey" move? I can't say, haven't seen evidence of it. But I'll grant: she has some moves.
Never heard of Minesweeper, lost interest, hated the puzzle can't wait for the next the one. Oh, and please don't tell me that my criticism is unwarranted, or that I should cheer up. Maybe I should, maybe I shouldn't. It's entirely person I lead a happy life full of rainbows and this is just a puzzle I didn't like. More to the point: I am hopeful of a day when the internet can be secure enough in itself to accept a critique with grace, without having to refute it in a big huff.
@Barry Ancona Well, if you want to nitpick, so are dingoes.
@Ken Actually, that's her cover of The Normal, the original and better. But I like her version as well.
@JohnWM Of course! Access to ALL archived comments is completely open and free to all Platinum members.
@Anonymous Thanks for your note. Exiting my lampoon ingpersona: I wouldn't take my comments as being reflective of some thorough read of the NYT crossword comments section. I only visit sporadically, I don't know new-timers from old-timers, and I have no set views on the level of difficulty of puzzles, or about comments regarding that subject. To answer your implied question, what I am musing about (certainly in lampoon fashion, but it's a musing), is the general internet and perhaps even societal trend toward increased bragging. As a sports fan I see a lot of commentary that looks like "My team is better than yours, this proves that I am right and you are wrong, I am good and you are loathsome." And of course we see this sort of attitude in much more consequential domains of human experience -- my people are better, my country is so yours is loathsome, and so on. I find the crossword comments section so benign an example of all this that the lampoon is all the more tempting, because in my view, only a fool gets all het up about a crossword puzzle. I hope that this is a section peopled with folks armed with sufficient critical thinking to identify a lampoon. If not here, i don't know where to look. My purpose in posting, if a morning jest can be said to have anything so noble as a purpose, was to amuse, and perhaps to remind us all not to take ourselves too seriously.
@Ragland That's a fine and kind outlook; but it also serves to diminish and perhaps censor honest critique. If I find a puzzle or a clue problematic and say so, I don't think that makes me an ingrate. It's a puzzle discussion column. Must we only sing hosannas to remain decent human beings? Are only sunrises acceptable and never twilight? Seems a rather limiting, not to say obsequious puzzle worldview.
@Chet That answer has me so angry I'm seeing rehctdd. I think that's how it's spelled.
@Eric Hougland yes I know how puzzles work.
I did not like yesterday's, but I could not compare it to today's puzzle meaningfully. One was like reading the Iliad and the Odyssey in Greek, for those who don't speak it. The other was like solving one of those children's puzzles for very young children, with four pieces, each with a handle set in the center, as well as the same picture as the space it is meant to fit in. I'll leave you to determine which is which.
@Mr Dave Thanks! I appreciate the reply. I think that when a theme doesn't knock one's socks off, it should be sent back to the lab. Having composed some puzzles, the theme is certainly the hardest part. To say that the number of squares being odd somehow puts the whole thing together is just a s t r e t c h
@Bee Winberg I hate cats.
TFAL? Did you just say tfal? Never heard of it. I have however been to many a surfshop, where one can find surfboards, wetsuits, but never seen any seaglass jewelry. I'm not just a grump, though. Clever idea for a puzzle.
@Michaelira I already knew it, yes, but I'm not sure if that is a positive or negative remark about my character.