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I'm a purist I guess. Not a fan of gimmicks, rebuses and the like. Using "-" is cheating in my opinion, now if those were actual clues that fit the theme then that would be a gimmick worthy of the effort and a serious flex by the creator. Even after solving it felt like being involuntarily subjected to someone else's gratuitous crossword fantasy. I'm sure it took a lot of work to concoct that contraption but it certainly gave me no pleasure. Sorry.
I am going to buck the general trend and admit that I disliked this puzzle and agree with another poster that there were too many regionalisms including from across the pond where I have lived and traveled extensively. Also, multiple long answers where more than one appropriate answers may fit greatly detract from the enjoyment of solving the puzzle imho. It astounds me that every puzzle gets rave reviews when the law of averages (and reality) is that they cannot all be winners. I don't want to deny or diminish the thought and effort that goes into creating a puzzle but I am sure there are more people out there of a similar opinion but who don't want to comment or are concerned about being 'crosswordsplained' if they do. Some of the posters are clearly expert crossworders and try to be encouraging but some can be dismissive to any criticism of the puzzle and attribute it to ignorance or lack of intelligence rather than just accepting that there are other valid opinions and that some puzzles are just not that great for a significant minority (possibly a silent majority) of people. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest. [Stepping off my soapbox and resuming my crossword journey.]
Another slog not worth my time to finish. Awkward construction, as others mentioned, arcane trivia that serves no practical purpose other than to solve the puzzle and obtuse clues takes any joy away from doing such a puzzle for me. This has little to do with experience contrary to what the crossword illuminati espouse. When the most recommended comments are of similar ilk that says more about the puzzle than the commenter. We all pay for this subscription and when the majority that care to comment (or recommend that comment) are critical it cannot be taken as just newbies complaining. I take nothing away from the constructor's efforts and put this all on the editorial staff who seem to forget what their job entails. Not all puzzles can be winners and the editors would do well to listen to the readership as a whole.
Definitely not on the same wavelength as the constructors. The theme was kind of fun but for me some of the clue/answers were a bit clunky. I've worked in many labs and never heard of SMOCK being used, only lab coat. A SMOCK for me is an art studio attire. YAPSAT is a much weaker synonym for harangues imho. One of a kind did not register ACE, there is more than one in a deck of cards and while top notch experts may be rare there's usually more than one. Finally, a walking bass line is very strongly associated with jazz and the blues but I have never heard it mentioned in the same breath as SKA. Again I appreciate the constructors efforts and I thought the theme was fun, the awkwardness was a real detraction for me.
Stevie Nicks "Edge of Seventeen": "Just like a white-winged dove Sings a song, sounds like she's singin'" Heard: "Just like a one-winged dove . . ." I was always puzzled by what happened to that bird. Lol
While not as horrendous as other Fridays this was still a drudge for me. Very disheartening when you know a decent amount of the clues and still can't solve without looking up a long list of esoteric trivia whose only real world application is to solve a crossword puzzle. I don't mind looking up and learning but a crossword for me is supposed to be engaging entertainment not a slog.
🤦♂️ I don't know why I keep blocking on this. I know this not the first puzzle to use this. Maybe this will lock it in now. Thanks!
This is the second puzzle I have seen this in. C'mon it's either Baa (see "Babe") or Moo (see "Old MacDonald . . ."). Unless the barnyard is in another country perhaps?🤔🤭
I appreciate the effort put in by the puzzle maker and I did like a couple clever clues but I agree with others that this was not praiseworthy, let alone enjoyable. Confusing clues with alternate name spellings, numerous obscure proper name clues and awkward syntax. I again put this on the Editors, not the maker. Where was the editing? This should not have made it to publication in this form. With some minor tweaking I think this would have been a really enjoyable challenge of a puzzle if only . . .
The NYT redeemed themselves today after yesterday's arcane slog. Kudos to the creator as well for putting it together. As others mentioned, this puzzle was challenging for all the right reasons. For me a perfect combination of some difficult trivia, wordplay and potentially useful information that with a reasonable amount of time, patience and maybe a look up or two kept one engaged and felt satisfying upon solving. Thank you again.
Another Saturday of gratuitous drudgery plied by the NYT. Awkward clueing as pointed out by others and borderline accurate answers along with pretty obscure trivia with naticks offering no relief. I have no problem with difficulty or even having to look up answers but this was another soulless offering with no real joy. Not the worst but near the bottom for sure for me. I think the editors could've done better.
@Alexandra I concur! I also think that expecting readers of an American newspaper to know an obscure German chocolate brand that also happens to have spelling close to a well known American chocolate brand is absurd imho. I have lived and traveled extensively in Europe and have not ever seen or heard of this brand among many other more common German brands with wider distribution.
@Barry Ancona I agree with John's comment. I am fan of Roxy Music and have seen Bryan Ferry live and I I would not classify it as rock and roll if I am correct in assuming that is what "rocker" was referring to.
@momonjava I agree with you and other commenters. As an MD for over 30 years I have never heard AORTAL used. While not horrible this puzzle was very clunky.
@Phil I am an MD and I agree but to be fair a little license like this is more than acceptable for the sake of puzzle construction imho.
Meh. Unlike most I didn't find this puzzle satisfying or interesting. A little too gimmicky for me and some awkward clue phrasing and horrible puns. This is coming from someone who enjoys both Dad jokes and eye rolling puns. To each their own I suppose. At least it wasn't the dumpster fire from the day before.
@Vaer it is actually the NATO Phonetic Alphabet even though "A" is spelled "alfa" per NATO. <a href="https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/nato-history/history-by-theme/symbols-of-nato/nato-phonetic-alphabet" target="_blank">https://www.nato.int/en/about-us/nato-history/history-by-theme/symbols-of-nato/nato-phonetic-alphabet</a> However, having spent a career in the military including stints with other NATO militaries, in practice I have seen "A" spelled as "alpha" as well. Officially it is "alfa" per NATO though.
While I thank the constructors for both yesterday's and today's puzzles I personally just found them meh. Both solvable in usual time but I found the clueing awkward in some places and the puzzles not that inspiring for me. Most likely a case of different wavelengths but there were a few answers that will only ever going to be useful in solving a crossword and little else but little to no Naticks helped ease the pain.
@Brian Coffey I initially had BOWSAW which has very course teeth as well.
@Tim They also have the ability to climb ladders as attested to by a number of firsthand accounts of friends and family members. My brother-in-law was working on a roof of a home with one and was totally gobsmacked to suddenly find the dog sitting next to him on the roof and the ladder was the only possible way it got there!
Could someone explain to me SRO for "Theater hit's inits." ? I was really at a loss on this one and it was the crux for me in solving the puzzle. Apologies if this was already asked. Thanks
@John What about fanny packs? As an American living in Pompey I was quickly but politely corrected by my flustered co-worker. Never made that mistake again. Lol
@JNLA I absolutely agree that this puzzle had way too much obscure trivia and almost gratuitously difficult solves for clues that still had less common/challenging answers of the same length. I don't mind learning but I don't do the nyt crossword to primarily educate myself, for me it's a form of engaging entertainment. When I find myself needing to look up almost half the clues for information whose practical application is only to solve a crossword puzzle, it becomes a slog; as was today's for me. That said, I absolutely disagree with the puzzle maker being lazy. The act of making any puzzle (crossword or otherwise) requires time, patience and ingenuity. I feel your frustration, I had it too (including STU), but using dismissive words like "lazy" without any real substantive feedback is not fair to the puzzle maker or nyt puzzle editors and just sounds like sour grapes as pointed out by others; and realize this is coming from someone who empathizes with you.
@Steve L I disagree with your sweeping generalizations. Maybe you all are just in the minority with regard to liking this puzzle as attested to by the comments recommended most, which were negative. No doubt this because your's and other's skill levels are probably in the top 5% and so can appreciate cleverness and brilliance where most only find frustration and tedium. This is supposed to be stimulating entertainment but for the majority of people puzzles like these are the equivalent of an amateur club tennis player competing against a top ranked pro who shows no mercy i.e. not fun and downright humiliating. Who wants to pay for that experience? I think most want to be challenged but not demoralized. I would argue that those seeking this level of challenge/difficulty look to other places where they are among peers. This is a publication for the general paying public of all levels and backgrounds and the varying of difficulty should be considered accordingly. While I appreciate the makers efforts, as I know a lot of work goes into these, but there has to be some boundaries. I would argue that they were exceeded for a significant majority of puzzlers today with far too many naticks, awkward cluing and an embedded hint for associated answers that appear to have gone over most of our heads. Not all NYT puzzles can be winners and I think once again the editors missed the mark.
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