MmmmHmm

Many NYT Thursday crosswords strain for awkward themes. This one floated down clever, smooth and sweet. Enjoyed the puzzle--especially the olive.

Once again, I am utterly charmed by a Joel Fagliano mini. His Sunday puzzle is a tunnel of love. Many people seem to be on mini duty these days, but no one can replicate Joel's sly sense of humor.

I've decided to quit Connections. It's too duplicitous. Too many twisted meanings and multiple possible solves where finding the "right" one is a matter of luck. Playing it makes me feel like a rube, and a little sick. I have this reaction to many of Wyna Liu's puzzles.

This puzzle is not so much "highly theoretical" as "mighty incoherent."

Looking at several editorial oddities, I think you all miss Will Shortz

I dislike Ezersky puzzles because Sam finds such sadistic pleasure in torturing the English language. His bent words reflect so much more discomfort with English than mastery that I feel awkward on his behalf. I prefer puzzles by people whose comfort with English lets them roll around in words and kick out clues like hay: with charm and humor.

This is the first Sunday puzzle I could complete without going to the hints. Enjoyed it!

For years I'd worked Monday - Wednesday puzzles. The few times I got up the gumption to try a Thursday ended in frustration with clues that bore no relation that I could see to actual words. Perhaps today's puzzle was unusually easy. Regardless, I not only solved the puzzle unaided--I actually enjoyed it. Thanks!

I loved today's puzzle. The trivia were things a Sunday morning x-worder might actually know, most of the clues indicated familiarity with the English language, and some were slyly humorous! Only one clue (Pitchfork shaped letters) bore no relation that I could discern to the answer. I solved it without screeching or gnashing my teeth! (Ok, I did need help with the theme.)

Too many clues made absolutely no sense even AFTER I peeked at the answers.

Thunder shower=ESPN? Huh?

What's the point of a Sunday puzzle that no sane person can possibly guess the answers? Amalgamate = IMMIX ? Huh? This isn't English or any other language.

Box Social seems mighty obscure

This was so far over my head it was ridiculous. I'm glad several people enjoyed it.

No one's gonna get either GENZER (c'mon!) or an obscure motor called SERVO (I mean COME ON!). They cross. Could not get that last R. And felt cheated.

This is my favorite NYT crossword that I've ever worked, and I do the puzzle every day. First, I adored Roger Ebert, and the reviews quoted in these clues made me laugh. Then, the clues are literate, not irritating chemicals or math allusions. And, other than the Ebert quotes, only two clues reference trivia -- not terribly obscure trivia at that. The only thing I want from this puzzle creator is MORE!

A brick home can be adobe? Someone left reality on that one. Irritating puzzle.

I can't seem to answer a single clue today. They all seem to be trick questions based on obscure trivia! I think you should run two Friday puzzles: One at this level, and one for dummies, say at a Tuesday Wednesday level. You could the regular Friday puzzle: "For geeky East Coasters Who Like Trivia" and an easier, vocabulary-based puzzle "For Straight Talking Midwesterners." How about it?

Most of this puzzle made absolutely no sense to me--even after I peeked at the answers: Tangled Frozen Traffic? Who's supposed to guess that? Wired Sleepers Misery? Huh? I'm supposed to guess this has something to do with very obscure movies. Y'all really are a cult,

Today's clues involve so much trivia and obscure, deeply male slang ("banned body builders, slangily?), I started to feel sick, flipping back and forth from internet to puzzle. It's not a crime to clue words from the English language!

I resented this puzzle when I read through it and could NOT ANSWER ONE SINGLE CLUE. NOT ONE. Leaving this one to the NYT crossword cult. But humiliating ordinary humans who have the temerity to attempt a Saturday crossword can't be good for expanding NYT readership.

There was way too much very obscure trivia in today's puzzle. The popular name of the 1958 Italian hit Nel Blu? Come ON. That's not so much word play as it is torture.

I regularly enter rebuses (rebusi?), but these were beyond me. Sadly, the xword seems to bring out my inner grouch. I'm a word person. This is higher something else. Gotta say good byyyyyyeeeee!

Strands today was perfect for anyone suffering from Christmas Brain, which is just this side of "wet brain." Calmed me down. Thanks!

I really enjoyed today's Strands, and yesterday's too. Their winsome humor had smiling by the time I finished.

It's Tuesday. This x-word is too cute by half. It's not wordplay. It's wearisome.

I feel certain that Wyna Liu must be a lovely, warm, humorous person. Else why would you keep on staff someone whose connection to English words is so punitive and weird it constitutes reader abuse? NYT editors ensure that the words employed in your news stories make sense. NYT puzzles should be held to the same standard. What would Abe Rosenthal say?

It's irritating when you offer FIVE correct answers (including hole) to a Connections category. What fun is that? It's just chance whether or not you correctly fill the category.

FYI- Gymboree is not a children's clothing store. It offers toddler-exercise classes.

Today had to be the ultimate in NYT puzzles that don't make no sense. Even reading the explainer--I didn't see any Yeses. Even looking at the answer key -- the answers made no sense. Y'all have completely lost touch with reality. Possibly the most annoying, obnoxious NYT X-word I've ever abandoned in disgust. Sheesh!

Feedback on the new Pips game: Today I did the easy puzzle in 38 seconds, the medium in 42 seconds, and I gave up on the hard one after 35 minutes of trying. Consider making the medium puzzle closer to halfway between easy and hard? Enjoying it.

These clues are too coquettish for me.

In what language does "really involved" = ornate? Elvish?

There's TOO MUCH trivia in this puzzle! And the trivia is in spheres foreign to me, so I'll have to look up a helluva lot, or actually quit and do something productive with my life!

I like the midi! Right on my level: Clues that refer to actual words, and not crossword cult perversions of words and their spellings. That is, straightforward, and can be done in the space of a subway ride!

29 Across "Rite Aid Competitor -- Rite Aid is in bankruptcy and has closed almost all, or maybe all of its stores.

Many clues in the southwest quadrant of this puzzle made zero sense to me--even after I found the answer. 1. End of days = ESS. Wha? 2. X = Chi? Never heard of it in my yoga class. 3. You might take them for a spin = EPS Huh? What's that? 4. Ambitious sort = aspirer? Is that even a word? Just sayin, constructors. Nonsense isn't that cute, or fair, in a crossword. Keep one toe in reality!

Call me a clueless nerd. I have no idea what "Bands minus the number 5" could mean. Can someone enlighten me? Could you consider clueless nerds when you make up these categories? Y'all are trying too hard to be hip, imho.

Inspired puzzle.

I certainly understand why Sam Corbin, Deb Amiens, and the other authors of the Word Play column cannot write negatively about the day's crossword puzzle. But must they sound so relentlessly, falsely happy? Embedded as it is amid the tones of sober realism that pervade NYT's hard news stories, Wordplay's relentlessly cheerful praise for even the most obdurate puzzles, comes off as fake, jarring. I find myself asking, What are these authors trying to cover up? Could they find some middle ground between grim depression and unbridled joy? Make some admission that a puzzle has given them some feeling other than sheer delight?

Re the mini's kangaroo movements: Consider "Boink."

I used to love the imagination and humor of Joel Fagliano's Mini puzzles. But that all disappeared a year or so ago. Today's mini has so.much.trivia-- I think, Joel ole buddy: wha' happened?

"AGLARE?" Seriously? Dictionaries DO list it, but has anyone here ever used it?

This is not a good puzzle for an alcoholic.

I HATE today's spelling be. So many of the answers are not actual words or are extremely obscure "just barely" words. And so few words to find. Not fun on the Fourth of July!