Laura Stratton

I'm a retired professional mariner. There is no such thing as a SEA MAP. The correct version is CHART.

Very tricky Sunday. It took me 2:20:32 with no lookups. It was hard work, but hey, considering the appalling state of affairs we are now experiencing, this is exactly the kind of puzzle that helps me transcend the awfulness. Thank you sir, may I have another?

I do not time myself. My goal is to solve crosswords with no lookups. So for me, streaks are important. Right now my streak is at 44. Sometimes it takes me as much as two hours to solve a puzzle, but I don't care about how long it takes. I care about figuring it out with no lookups. That's the real brain exercise that I think is important.

Top notch Saturday. Thank you!

Much too easy for a Thursday.

All Saturday puzzles should be this difficult. I solved it without lookups, but it required a lot of thinking, a fair amount of guessing, and one hour and 28 minutes.

Tough enjoyable puzzle - took me 01:12:48, but solved it with no lookups.

It took me one hour and eight minutes but I solved it with no lookups and I really really didn't think I could do it. Just got lucky I guess.

If you solved this one without lookups, you are an elite solver, ne plus ultra. Take a bow.

After 2 hours and three minutes, I finally solved it with no help of any kind. Wonderfully difficult puzzle to start my day.

I got every word correct with no lookups, but didn't get a win because I entered standard rebuses, which in my opinion, should have been allowed. This is not fair. It broke my streak of 34 in a row with no lookups. However, it did take my mind off of the appalling political situation we are now experiencing, so thank you for that.

IF you solved this one with no lookups, consider yourself a crossword master.

1:16:44 but I got it with no lookups!

Just a lovely walk in the park Sunday. Thank you for a wonderfully diverting crossword when I need it most during these horrendous times.

This one broke my 15 day streak with no lookups because I could not figure out 69 D. In my opinion, 69 D is just too cryptic. I am surprised that Will Shortz approved this puzzle. It's not a test of one's vocabulary or croossword skills, but rather a test of one's ability to figure out the WAY to far off the wall trick. Ugh. Not fair. Boo, hiss, and a big raspberry.

About as easy as it gets

I like a puzzle this this because it makes me think very hard and at 75, I need that to keep my brain working. Thanks for the workout.

Appropriately difficult for a Friday puzzle. Had to work hard. Loved it.

Remember folks, a puzzle is supposed to be puzzling, and this one is truly that. I solved it with no look-ups, but it took me 1 hour and 24 minbutes to do so. This is exactly what I needed amidst all the horrible things that are going on. Thank you for the respite.

Very tricky but I got it with no lookups after 2 hours and four minutes. Truly Saturday difficult.

Just the right level of difficulty for a Sunday. Perfect!

It took my 76 year old brain 1 hour 7 minutes, but I got it with no lookups.

Way too difficult to be fun. I would LOVE to learn how many of you solved this with no lookups. I'll bet it's a small percentahge. A VERY small percentage.

Just the right level of difficulty for a Friday

Not Saturday difficult - not even close.

VERY VERY Difficult. Way above my pay grade. Broke my no-lookups streak. I'm a good to very good solver, but this one put me to shame.

I found it very, very difficult, but managed to solved it in 1 hour 57 minutes with no lookups. As for you people who say it was easy, my hat is off to you. You are either master solvers or you want us to think you are!

I rarely complain about the quality of cluing, but today I make an exception: The clue for 31A, giving us BOOMROASTING - Please! This is so far off the wall that the Webb Space Telescope can't spot it. Who knows this? Hip 20 year old New Yorkers who know all the latest idioms? 31D - Dips = BAILS. I grew up on small boats that needed bailing and I've read all the Melville and Hornblower books. I'm a ex-professional mariner, unlimited tonnage master with three advanced college degrees. Equating dipping with bailing is more than a stretch. Unfair clue. No, let's not mince words. t's a really BAD clue. 30D - Mysterious ancient geoglyphs = NAZCALINES. Only archeologists would know this. Arcane knowledge in the extreme. Summary: If you solved this one with no look-ups, consider yourself a CROSSWORD PUZZLE MASTER who should immediately audition for Jeopardy. Degree of difficulty is through the roof. Not fun - not fair.

SOAPY and BROEY were my downfall. I entered SOAPS and BROES. One letter, Y, broke my 14 day streak. I'm 76 and I just can't seem to stay up on all the lingo. SOAPY I get, but BROEY? Please

Wonderful Sunday - thank you.

A proper Friday challenge. Took me just over an hour with no lookups, this putting my no lookups streak at 20. I couldn't care less about how long it takes. Time Schmime! The real prize, and the mark of a great solver, is solving it with no lookups or help of any kind.

If I can't solve a puzzle with no look-ups: 1. I lack the necessary knowledge, and/or; 2. The cluing is bad. This puzzle stopped me in my tracks on both counts, see numbers 1 and 2 above. To me, no look-up streaks are everything. This broke an 18 day streak. I don't mind it when it's just a lack of knowledge, but when it's the result of bad cluing, shame on the crossword writer(s). I wonder if Mr. Shortz would have allowed this one to be published as is.

I thought I was a good solver, with many long streaks. But this puzzle put me in my place. Couldn't even solve half of it.

Call me old school, but I like crosswords for the WORDS. This puzzle doesn't test your vocabulary. It tests your abilty to deal with complicated trickery. Ugh

In fairness, I think the puzzle should have been solvable both with the first letter or with a rebus.

Unfair. I entered the word LINE and got every word correct. The word LINE should have been accepted as valid. This ruined my streak.

A truly excellent Sunday puzzle. Bravo!

The theme words were the easy part, but pop culture did me in, breaking my 21 day no-lookups streak. My downfall was 44D, BLACK SABBATH GUITARIST TONY (IOMMI), and 65A, OPERATIC POP GROUP FORMED BY SIMON COWELL (ILDIVO). I have to wonder why I spent two hours and 38 minutes on this puzzle. IOMMI and ILDIVO are words known by a VERY VERY select few people. This puzzle gets a D minus in my book.

Great fun!

Two hours and three minutes of great brain exercise.

Thursday tough

Top shelf puzzle. Bravo!

Very difficult, but I solved it in 1:49:22 with no lookups. This is the most difficult Friday I've ever seen and I thought it was going to break my 33 day streak.

Hold on there folks! It's a puzzle! Puzzles are supposed to be puzzling.

Very difficult Friday. It took me 2 hours and 27 minutes with no lookups. Real brain exercise.

Very difficult - loved the challenge.

Much too easy for a Friday, more like a Tuesday or Wednesday.