Ken S

I never cease to be amazed by the tempest in a teapot that puzzles like this evoke. I caught on to addition of the hyphen early on by looking at the title and realizing that the combined dashes make up a line horizontally and fit into the numerous hyphenated theme words vertically. No need for a rebus or the word “line”. I guess some peoples’ minds work differently. A nice Sunday puzzle and one that fits into to Goldilocks category for me.

A very cute theme for the season, nitpickers not withstanding. Those who have pointed out the error of Ms Sinclair’s ways that a peanut is not a nut are botanically correct. Usage, however, is another thing . Strawberries are not berries, starfish not fish, seahorses not horses, etc. Keep up the good work Sarah, we Sinclairs must stick together. Keep those puzzles coming. Merry Christmas!

As usual, a Sunday puzzle with a gimmicky theme causes us to have to read all of the negative comments. As someone astutely pointed out, not too long ago, it’s a puzzle and it should be puzzling. Always expect some kind of gimmick on Thursday and Sunday. My first pass through the clues yielded very few fills and my usual frustration with the “dash” clues. I eventually caught on to the trick and then things began to fall into place relatively quickly. It was a very good feat of construction and a nice challenge to this veteran solver. Best wishes Mr. Shortz for a speedy recovery.

The puzzle aside, Deb, your poignant recounting of your father’s brave battle and how he got you started with the NYT crosswords was something wonderful to share. I think many of us have similar memories of those we shared the solving experience with. A departed loved one, a past relationship, their memories are often evoked by the crossword. So sorry for your loss Deb.

One of my favorite recent puzzles! When you come up with two of the same letters in a row that you are sure of from the crosses, you know trickery is afoot. The horse in a bar clue cinched it for me. As someone else alluded to, the graphic accompanying the solve was a very nice touch at the end. Very much fun.

I was somewhat underwhelmed by the theme and understand why it would appeal to the constructor. Some of the phrases, after removing the terminal H, were really a stretch in my mind. But that’s me. I will repeat a response I made to a reply from a few hours ago that is buried in the plethora of comments. Please resist the urge to include a Wordle spoiler in your comments in this column. I often don’t get to Wordle until later in the day and the comment today ruined it for me. I could not unread it. If I am not mistaken, there is a Wordle forum where such comments should be made.

I really found this puzzle enjoyable. The fills were often groaners, but made me smile. TONYORLANDO was the first one I got, slowly followed by the others. Amazing that Derrick has been constructing NYT puzzles for so long. There was also an almost total absence of current pop culture, one of my personal bugaboos, but I live with them. As I scrolled through the comments, I was once again struck by the often nit picking points that many solvers make. Case in point, SAUTERNE. I knew that the French region and eponymous wine names end in “s”. I am sure, however, that, as others have pointed out, that American wine makers take liberties with names and drop that letter. To all you oenophiles, this is a crossword puzzle, not a Wine Spectator article. Lighten up. Kudos Derrick for starting my Sunday morning off on the right foot and putting a smile on my face.

This was certainly a niche puzzle, a niche audience that I am not a part of. I am glad that many thought highly of the puzzle, but since I am not and have never been a gamer, the theme answers could only be guessed at. I did guess correctly at some theme answers as crosses filled in many boxes and previous puzzles occasionally utilized Mario references and names. I think that puzzles should not be aimed at such a specific group, but be more general in their scope for all to enjoy.

I went away from this puzzle after achieving an almost blank grid after many minutes, continuing my morning ritual of Strands, Connections, and Wordle. Forgot about it, did my errands, etc and finally went back to it. My failed attempt , greenbaypackers, finally gave way to THANKSGIVINGDAY and eventually everything fell into place. Upon reading that the constructor, Jackson, is a high school senior I was bowled over. Truly amazing feat for someone so young! Such a great puzzle to boot. Good luck with your college applications Jackson. As someone who wrote many a recommendation for my AP Bio students over a 30 year career, I know how arduous they can be to complete and how torturous the wait is.

I found the puzzle a tad more difficult than most Sunday entries. The device used was fine with me and I admit to not knowing a number of the less well known more modern terms. That’s all fine, what I do have a problem with is all of the proper names in the fill. Just too many for my taste.

I really enjoyed this puzzle. It rewarded those who stuck with it and figured out the numerous misdirections and examples of clever wordplay. Clues for WEREWOLF, NAVEL, BARNS were among my favorites, but there were many others. Great job Jesse. Keep them coming.

I always expect to see numerous somewhat negative comments whenever the puzzle contains a gimmick and I was not disappointed. My attitude is, yes, the puzzle was hard to see on my iPhone and, yes, the clueing was sometimes a little sketchy, but I enjoyed it and it was certainly timely. I feel for all who have vision impairments that would cause hardships, but the constructors and editors cannot take into account everyone’s handicaps when trying to present an original and unique puzzle. Nice job Paolo.

A nice light theme and a quick Monday before I start the Christmas preparations. I must also join the chorus of those who consider KALE to be an abomination and utterly unacceptable ingredient in the classic Caesar salad. KALE has its place in many dishes, but when it becomes the green of choice in a salad with egg yolk, Worcestershire sauce, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and anchovy, it is no longer a Caesar salad!

This was both enjoyable and informative. I knew a few of the theme fills, but not all. A marvel of construction and a near perfect Wednesday puzzle.

I can understand the frustration of many regarding the number of proper names in the puzzle, especially the two that crossed, and especially for those solvers from foreign lands. I am lucky to have known them, but often I feel just as much at sea when it comes to clues involving textspeak, Biblical references, and more recent pop culture. I look at the NYT crossword as not just a puzzle, but a constantly evolving learning experience.

I found the insight into the retention of FTROOP in the grid very interesting. As someone who has attempted to construct xword puzzles years ago, I understand how difficult it is to make the changes that the editors originally asked for. The inclusion of a 60s sitcom counterbalances the inclusion of more modern pop culture terms and, since it could be arrived at through the crosses, works for a Monday. Thanks Peter for an enjoyable Monday and a brief trip down television memory lane.

Although I don’t rate this puzzle as one of my favorite Wednesday entries, I don’t see why there is any controversy regarding the inclusion of the Kardashian sisters’ names. I think the juxtaposition of the Brontes from classical literature and the sisters K from pop culture was effective.

This was a marvel of construction and the fit to a tee Wright revealer was great.

Very fun theme and I will accept a few of the questionable fills to reach the goal of an enjoyable Tuesday puzzle.

I took the grinding in the clue for BARISTAS to be a reference to the grinding of the beans, not the grueling hours Sam referred to. When I finished the puzzle this morning, I predicted to my wife that there would be many complaints regarding the low degree of difficulty. Everyone has their level, what is easy for some is challenging for others. I take them as they come, easy or hard, it is the experience that matters. This was a rare Friday that I did not have to resort to Easy Mode.

I am glad that the constructor bided his time all these years until he could come up with an appropriate theme fill, owing to the team name change. The puzzle was somewhat harder than the usual Tuesday for me. I do take somewhat of an exception to a previously discussed clue/fill. Larry Bird in his heyday was much more apt to take the outside shot rather than “stuff” or dunk the ball. I feel , therefore, that the clue is somewhat of a stretch to use the Bird surname with the masked capital letter and the play on words with the basketball term “stuff”, as in dunk. All in all, however, it was an enjoyable puzzle with a well executed theme.

A really well constructed debut puzzle. Gauged by my usual struggles with late week puzzles, this might have been a tad easier than the norm, but I am not complaining. Great clues for APERTURE and SEURAT. Nice job Evan!

Michael - the most likely candidate for your garden pest is a hornworm. They devour whole leaves nightly and, due to their green color, are hard to see during the day. Good luck saving your pepper plant. As far as the puzzle goes, I was able to discern most of the theme fills, having problems with a few of the more subtle clues. Loved the wordplay with clues for ANI and CARLOT.

Not one of my favorites, but as a dyed in the wool Yankees fan, the crossing of the two N.Y. sluggers was heart warming. Sadly, when Maris bested Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1961 he had to put up with much derogatory press and undue pressure, causing this pleasant, honest man to actually begin losing his hair. He was a gentleman, but a person not suited for the press coverage in NYC. It is also fitting that Judge bested the 61 home run record set by Maris, a fellow Yankee.

I did get the rebus number answers, but missed the SQUARE theme until I came to the column. Very nice two level theme. Looked in disbelief as I filled in the K for KREBSCYCLE. I never thought that something that, as a biology teacher/professor, I have taught for years would be in the puzzle. Let’s hear it for Hans Krebs!

Deb, Thank you for your years of insights into solving, your constant support to get us to believe in our solving abilities, and your many very interesting and entertaining columns. Enjoy your retirement and believe me, you will find that you seem to actually have less time than when you worked. Best of luck! The puzzle was a very approachable Friday entry.

Any puzzle with Stephen Sondheim and one of his wonderful musicals in it is a winner in my book. One of the giants of the American musical theater, Sondheim was innovative and dramatically altered the course of the Broadway musical, much like Rodgers and Hammerstein, Cole Porter, and today’s Lin Manuel-Miranda. If it makes him more palatable to puzzle solvers here, he constructed cryptic puzzles for New York Magazine early in his career. The puzzle, for me, was fine, but the added graphic made it a little more interesting.

I am kind of in the middle on this one. It was not one of my favorite Sunday puzzles, but I don’t believe that it warrants much of the negativity in many of the comments. Most of the theme fills were somewhat predictable once the “mutation” device was figured out. As a longtime fan of the orchestra, BOSTONPOPSICLE was my favorite. A shout out for OLESTRA. It was at first thought to be the answer for a non-caloric fat substitute to make chips less fattening, as long as you didn’t mind a little GI distress and diarrhea. Whoever came up with that bad idea is in the same league as those who put wood dust in some breads to cut down on calories.

A really delightful puzzle! The surprise rebus on a Wednesday! (It is Wednesday, right?). Not one, but two single named Irish singers. Good clueing, straight forward fill, and the graphic at the end! Who could ask for more? Nice job.

Nice job Morton and I am glad you stuck with your submission attempts. The right turns in the fill were at first confusing until I caught on to the device. Keep trying Morton and now that this puzzle has been published let’s hope that it is not another five years until we see another of your efforts published.

Some of the theme answers were a stretch. The inclusion of LLAMA always brings to mind the famous Ogden Nash poem. Thought at first we were dealing with a rebus when the “e” or “d” was missing from …COLLEGETRY. The inclusion of BERET as PhD headgear reminded me of a professor from my alma mater who always looked so dashing at commencement in his brightly colored jaunty beret worn due to his European academic background. Overall I felt the puzzle was fair for a Sunday. VHSTAPES made me feel very old.

It took me way too long to catch on, with much of the grid blank, but ultimately I prevailed. This was the type of puzzle where the theme really didn’t help the ultimate solve for me until near the end, but once I caught on, the remainder of the puzzle filled in quickly. I did like some of the fresher clueing for old standby crossword fill. Clues for ETNA and ETS come to mind. Nice job Aimee.

This was fun, especially once I got the revealer and the odd looking numbers made sense upside down. At first, though, I was looking for the pictures referred to. Reading through the comments, it is interesting to see the numbers of commenters who, like myself, lived and went to school in the pre-calculator days when slide rules were the norm in science classes. Taking statistics, my professor was always appreciative when I could come up with a square root without everyone having to use the tables. Upon entering grad school and taking statistics after the advent of calculators, it was a necessary investment to purchase a Texas Instruments calculator for the ungodly sum of $125.00.

A very well constructed puzzle having a few dubious fills to my mind (INPAWN particularly). Many clues given to aid in the solving. My first BREAKTHROUGH was recognizing the classic Doors song. I actually understood the meaning of the Doors clue when explaining the second group of clues to my wife and seeing the clue answers with the missing letters. BEET(H)OVEN was the first to fall. I assumed (correctly) that the missing letters would appear upon completion and I was not disappointed. Once again, a bonus I would not have received if solving on paper as I used to. Online solving is slowly winning me over.

I found today’s puzzle very approachable and included some witty wordplay. Too easy for some, maybe, but it is what it is, as the NYT continues to reinvent itself. I think the continued controversy is a tempest in a teapot. Although the current inhabitant of the WH likes to refer to the paper as the”failing” NYT, the powers that be at the paper see games as a revenue source to keep the news division afloat. If that means making the puzzles have a lower degree of difficulty to attract more subscribers, it is something we must live with.

A little tricky for me, especially finding it hard to believe that fill theme words were in the clues. I, as many here stated, confidently put in EvOL instead of ECOL. I would certainly say that ecological pressures result in natural selection occurring, but I would take issue with it being the answer to any Darwinian based clue. As far as people taking exception to getting a C as a grade, please note that college grades have shown a steady upward trend on average. In my day as a student the average grade was C, but by the time I started instructing on the higher education level it had been elevated to B. Go figure. Anyway, an interesting puzzle with an interesting theme, but not one of my Sunday favorites.

As others have already said, but I must add, this a very fun puzzle that actually had me chuckling many times as I deduced the original theme fills. A great way to spend a Sunday morning with a few cups of coffee. Who hasn’t sold a used car that had some questionable underlying problems? It brought me back to the sale of my first car to a somewhat naive buyer. A Corvair (remember them?) that I had to divest myself of prior to entering the Army. Caveat emptor! Some may say the puzzle was too easy, but I found it to be in my Goldilocks zone. Nice job guys!

As usual, many complaints about a puzzle that had a relatively straight forward gimmick. I thought it was challenging and thought provoking, the key for me being PARADEREST. I do agree that the crossing of the two names was a little questionable, but the crosses got me home after I vaguely remembered the comedian’s last name.

Although I had some problems with the puzzle, especially in the SE, I always enjoy the added challenge of a rebus. It took me a while, but I figured it out. Being bidirectional added to the challenge. The pro-rebus and anti-rebus factions, I fear, will never agree, but that’s why we have the forum. Not a fisherman, but FLYLURE was somewhat cumbersome

I found this quite difficult, especially for a Wednesday, but after a night’s sleep, some coffee, and renewed perseverance, I eventually figured out the gimmick. Some bickering in the comments about lack of exactly the same pronunciation between the puns and actual words. I have no problem with them, they were close enough.

As expected when I got here, numerous negative comments about the rebus device. I eventually got through the puzzle without ever having seen a Pixar movie, but I deduced early on that it was a rebus puzzle and knew that UP was a movie in the series. Crosses gave me the titles of the other movies and the title of the puzzle more of a hint. As far as where lemurs exist, I guess the clue should have read where they are indigenous to. With zoos and botanical gardens, fauna and flora can now be found almost anywhere in the world. After all, here in Florida the Burmese python is wreaking havoc in the Everglades due to the ignorance of those who let them loose after they outgrew their usefulness as pets. They are here, but shouldn’t be.