S. Brett

@Matt I agree with you up to a point; but the recent pile-on of comments about the (perceived) shift in puzzle difficulty level (e.g., “This Friday puzzle felt more like a Monday, I completed it in 1:17”) have been taking on a humblebrag quality that can start to feel condescending to mere mortal solvers. I think that has contributed to the growing vibe of negativity in the comments section. I don’t disagree that there may be a shift in difficulty going on, but I’d also like us all to keep in mind a couple of things: (1) Change is inevitable from time to time. I’m sure many solvers were aghast at the fresh sensibility Will Shortz brought to the puzzle back in the 1990s (has it really been that long?). Maybe this caused some solvers to bemoan the state of affairs, but I’m sure others felt seen and the world kept turning. (2) Making the late week puzzles a bit more accessible (If that is indeed an intentional strategy) is not necessarily a tragedy. While I, too, would like it to be tempered, I would prefer to see the solver base grow and the puzzle thrive rather than, say, watch the crossword go the way of the old NYT chess column. Many thanks to the constructors and editors who provide us daily with these excellent, entertaining puzzles.