Cindy
Indianapolis
Just popping in to say how much I loved the comments on Wednesday's puzzle. 164 when I opened it, and I could count on one hand the number of criticisms that weren't accompanied by praise for the enjoyment in solving, construction, creativity, memories, fun associations, learning opportunities, etc. I've been doing NYT Crosswords across several media for thirtyodd years (Electronic Handheld Game, anyone?) but didn't discover this community until about a year ago. You have taught me new ways to appreciate (and critique) all that these puzzles have to offer, and for that I'm truly grateful. (But still not ready for pre-Shortz Sunday Omnibuses.) Looking forward to tomorrow's lunchtime routine of puzzle, Wordplay, and comments!
WOOHOO, indeed! My first 1000 day streak! I've broken several long ones on days I was having too much fun to get to the puzzle, but since learning here that I just needed to continue consecutively*, I've been able to have my DOSAS and eat them too. (One thousand days ago, I was in Denver for a four night Phish run over Labor Day. ⭕🕺😁) *On the app, anyway. The website shows my current streak is 6 because, you guessed it, I was at my favorite music festival this past weekend and missed Saturday. I remembered to crank it out on Sunday, and was happy to have two puzzles to assist with reentry Monday. (A wormhole to my back porch would have been nice.) Thank you, comments community, for sharing your insight, knowledge, and stories. This has been pretty fun, too!
Is there a TM for misreading a clue for way too long? Count me among those who read 44A as "tilted windows". Transoms fit, but I'm glad I left it blank until I started on the Downs. It ended up being one of my last fills, and I still thought it was "Tilted widows" until I read the comments. Perhaps I CLUBFEDed it.
@Heidi I loved it both times. 😉
Great Saturday! I entered PRECODEERA first with fingers crossed and slowly made my way around the rest of the puzzle. Before streaming, I vegged away many a cold weekend watching Turner Classic Movies, and still appreciate their curation and history lessons. Strands #230 “Turn it up a notch” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵🔵 Fun! (Especially after blowing it on Wordle.)
I enjoyed a little chuckle remembering the "things you don't want shouted at you on the street" comments from Wednesday after my first two fills were TRAMP and EAT ME.
We're going on 24 hours after the column and between people asking about SENT for [Thrilled], so I'm going to refer again to the amazing Sam Cooke. (I wanted this to be my wedding song, but "For Sentimental Reasons" was my aunt's favorite song and my sister talked me into the "I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you" song.) They're not dissimilar musically, but why mess with perfection. Darling, you send me I know you send me Darling, you send me Honest you do, honest you do Honest you do You thrill me I know you, you, you, you send me Darling, you, you, you, you thrill me Honest you do <a href="https://youtu.be/fz2-1G2lkeQ?si=1tztjm48wjF4FkKr" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/fz2-1G2lkeQ?si=1tztjm48wjF4FkKr</a>
I solved this while eating Oreos after a blood donation (they're not just for crosswords anymore!), but since it took me an extra 5 minutes and a pen and paper to realize how CHER and TONE worked, I had already overstayed the recommended canteen time and didn't get to the 400+ comments until about 3 hours ago. Count me among those who are gobsmacked that this is Mr. Gaetz's first puzzle (AND/or aren't completely sold on the clue for OMAHA). Hear hear for OUTSTandING!
After ARMCANDY and TOEBEANS, I saw the connection and slowed down to see if I could predict the rest with minimal crosses. Super fun solve with my kind of humor! I love that Sam referenced To Serve Man, but my GenX brain had gone right to the Treehouse of Horror parody: <a href="https://youtu.be/o0QcdgeI5Rs?si=V7WSUzAXKv0IQfmv" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/o0QcdgeI5Rs?si=V7WSUzAXKv0IQfmv</a>
I suspected PANGS, but PADDIDLE was my last fill. I grew up on Long Island and played a SLEW of road trip games visiting family in the Midwest. (Looking at you, slugbug and alphabet.) My younger sister started saying "PERdiddle" after we moved to IN, and my husband just confirmed that his grandmother would shout "perdiddle" and touch the ceiling when the occasion arose. (I appreciate the validation almost as much as watching him squirm when I told him some of your alternate rules.) Super great Saturday! Thanks, Jess!
@Becca That would be awesome. I know you suggested excluding them, but what if there were a way to cross NATICK with NATICK?
Adding BEE DANCE to "aglet" as puzzle answers I know from watching Phineas and Ferb. <a href="https://youtu.be/_lqNlE3ywQs?feature=shared" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/_lqNlE3ywQs?feature=shared</a>
@B Before Guitar Hero, my experience with video games was a garage sale Pong and a refurbished Colecovision. (Looking at you, Crazy Eddie!). Q*Bert was way more fun than Zaxxon, despite the despair of watching our hero plummet into oblivion due to an errant toggle.
500+ comments?!?! I usually run through them all before deciding whether to post my own, but the 5 1/2 hour men's FRENCH OPEN final wreaked havoc on my schedule. (Don't tell my nephew that I was streaming his high school graduation on my phone while the match was on the big screen.) Good thing the puzzle was less of a test of endurance! It took me a few passes to figure out what was going on, but I ended up having fun with it. Ten Sundays from Mr. Kugelman in two years? That's BANANAS! Alas, another sporting event beckons, so the comments will have to wait. I hope the Pacers need only 48 minutes to win Game 2!
Thank you for a wonderful puzzle, Ms. Davies Lynch, and for your Constructor's Notes. These peeks behind the curtain fascinate me (to) no end, and I look forward to seeing FIFTYLBSOFRICE or THREEDOZENEGGS in a future puzzle. (Perhaps ROTISSERIECHICKEN on a Sunday?) I really wanted PICTURE IT SICILY for 33A, but too many letters, alas. SOTHEREWEWERE was a lovely alternative, made even more so after reading the notes. (My answer does have 15 letters, constructors. Just sayin'. Maybe someday.) Have a great weekend, everyone!
Today's soundtrack brought to you by 3D. I saw Cyndi Lauper last night (amazing!) and among the mesh skirts and neon was a shirt that said "In My Day There Were Nine Planets." The opener was Jake Wesley Rogers, and while I knew a little about him (EXTREMELY engaging performer with a great live show), I didn't know his song "Pluto." It made me wonder if the guy in the shirt was a fan or just nostalgic like the rest of us. <a href="https://youtu.be/OZSIrxZziCM?si=QH13jj85I_6rJWh_" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/OZSIrxZziCM?si=QH13jj85I_6rJWh_</a>
Before this year's playoffs, I hadn't paid much attention to baseball since 2π was good enough, the Marlins were from FLA, Vladimir Sr. was a star, and extra innings started with NOONEON. (I've had Quinn The Eskimo in my head since reading about the Manfred man in earlier comments.) But this postseason has been a hoot. There have been some great stories and I hope the next WS game (🤞🏻) or two is as much fun as the first five. When MLB does something in the off-season to remind me why I stopped watching in the first place, I'll look back at the last two months as the time they almost convinced me to care again. Go Jays!
@Kathy Carter Und is German for "and", so a connecting word at an airport in Germany would be UND. Auf Wiedersehen!
@TLC That occurred to me as well. But because each answer required the color, I think it would have been too hard for a Sunday if there were no indication until the end.
@Mackenzie I might agree any other day of the week, but it's appropos for Saturday. (Same as not adding a comma to [Zest for life: Abbr.], which I didn't understand until I read the comments.) It's been a while since I had to put down a puzzle and let my brain regroup to finish, and I'm grateful for the challenge. Thanks, Ms. Hoody!
@sotto voce I had the rebi(?) figured out but hit a snag trying to make Starry Starry Night fit in the NW corner. TIL it's not the title of the painting. Or the song.
@Marshall Walthew I'm glad ['80s...TV host] was in the clue, because I first knew her from Solid Gold. I thought she was the most beautiful woman on my favorite Saturday night show before I learned she had a previous gig. Thanks to you and the constructors for giving her props. <a href="https://youtu.be/niwt47gHtmM?si=De_Q3U1PyA_cKX_u" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/niwt47gHtmM?si=De_Q3U1PyA_cKX_u</a>
@Xword Junkie A couple of weeks ago, my 4 yo niece told her mom, "Inconceivable!" in a completely appropriate context.
@john ezra 🤯 Super impressed.
@Becca I rarely step away from a crossword, but this definitely applies to Spelling Bee, Connections, and Wordle for me. As well as other non-Games related situations.
@N.E. Body If I recall correctly from my frat party/15 cent beer days, you're safe to continue calling it that.
I got hung up in the SE corner this morning before my blood donation, but was able to finish in the canteen. Apparently being down a pint is exactly what I needed. Or the Cheez-Its. (Or maybe ARMWRESTLE came to mind after it took 2 phlebotomists to find the squirrely sucker.) I pieced together 33D from the crosses, but didn't know who she was until I read the Comments. I loved BoJack Horseman, and could hear Ms. Nancherla's voice as soon as I learned she was Hollyhock (a wonderfully sympathetic, complicated, realistic? teenage horse).
@Mean Old Lady I bet someone could make a fun puzzle of all the governors who have done time. Though I'd probably need the crosses to remember how to spell Blagojevich.
@Momerlyn This is a beautiful tribute. My condolences to you and your family. My grandma did all the puzzles in the St. Paul Pioneer Press and I remember the day we showed her the symmetry of the grids. I think she was 92 and had never noticed. You learn something new every day! I love reading references to families solving together. My dad makes copies of the local Sunday puzzles for my mom and my aunt (and me when I'm in town) so they can share in the experience. Keep on passing it down!
@Darren If "insider knowledge" means experience solving NYT Thursdays, you're probably right.
@Dave I got a kick out of this comment. 😉
Fun Wednesday rebus and impeccably timed: we had our HVAC replaced yesterday after 5 days without A/C. ("Worth the splurge" indeed, Strands!) Monday night, I opened the windows when the outside temperature "got down" to 85°--two degrees cooler than inside. I don't imagine I would have enjoyed it nearly as much had it run yesterday. 😎 I hope everyone impacted can also get some relief!
BUCKAROUGE is definitely my favorite! I loved the constructor's notes very much. Captain Holt is my Peacock profile pic, but sadly the subscription price is going up again and it's likely one of the first we'll LOP. (Once we finish Poker Face. And a rewatch of Nine-Nine. And The Phoenician Scheme. And Drop. And anything else anyone recommends. 😉) Thank you Mr. Berg!
@Andrzej Yay! I'm so happy for you all!
@Rich in Atlanta Yay! I love your posts, and have absolutely zero expectation of remembering any of them when I come across the puzzle in the archive. Heck, I was once 8 puzzles into a Sunday Omnibus when I realized I had already been through that one. 🤣
I just finished reading through the comments while trying to imagine a movie where the Lanes' characters get shipped. Sequel to The Birdcage where Diane Lane takes over for Dianne Wiest and the (very sadly) widowed grandparents spar over making their grandkids nutrious meals? Take my money! (And yes, I'm well aware of the most obvious hurdle. Weirder "ships" have sailed.)
@Rich in Atlanta Oh, my!
@Jay Samesies. I was about a minute from giving up when I caught it. Whew!
@Steve If there's one thing I still HAVEN'T learned from the NYT is that it isn't spelled SaGO. Every. Single. Time.
@Eric Hougland Having lived in the midwest until his late twenties, my husband knew east as "toward New York." It took a minute to adjust after we moved to CT.
@Striker Happy birthday, little Striker! I started the Sundays in the magazine but once I got the app, I just wanted to beat my own time. Once I realized I was missing a lot of the creativity in the construction and solve, I decided to stop and enjoy the process. I imagine you're doing the same.
Loved this! I got the theme with STRETCHOFTIME but couldn't figure out how an apostrophe clued to a PRIdEESTIMATE. D"oh! (What's our word for misreading a clue for way too long?)
@SCM How wonderful! I'm in awe of constructors everywhere regardless of publication status. Please keep at it!
@John Carson I found SILENT right away and figured it was involved after it didn't register as its own word. I can't believe it took me as long as it did to find the rest of the Spangram. (If I don't get it first, I try to work around it mentally and enter it last.) Strands #281 “Quiet at first” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🟡
@John Carson Strands #320 “The time of our lives” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵 The only gap I noticed was Gen X, but we're used to being left out. 😉 Is there an equivalent word that could have been use, like Zoomer for Z?
@G I couldn't agree more. I can't count the number of times I've watched that scene from The Court Jester and it always makes me smile. Thanks, @Sam Corbin!!!
Fun to see Boystown in the puzzle and to read the comments and links. My dad was a Big Brother and brought his "little" to help me move from Indiana to Cornelia and Wilton in 1998. At some point they took a break from unpacking to take a walk. It didn't occur to me to point them toward Wrigley Field (two blocks NW) and when they came back, he asked if we'd moved to the middle of "gaytown". "Nope," my husband replied, grinning. "Just west." We loved living between Boystown and Wrigleyville and since I barely recognize the neighborhoods today, I'm happy to see that Reckless Records and The Chicago Diner are still there. (And Chicken Hut! Willie's sounds like a hoot, but we newlyweds were big fans of their half chicken with pita, rice, and salsa for $6.) Thanks to Mr. Koppy and to the commenters for the fun trip down memory lane. (And with a Soundgarden soundtrack to boot!)