Lydia

Today I solved my 500th puzzle in a row. And there could be no better crossword for that occasion than this beautiful tribute to a singular friend. Thank you, Ms. Baik. I'm sure Arjun is celebrating somewhere too.

For all the puzzle-haters in the comments, I share my utterly lovely solving experience this morning. My mother and I sat side by side in our rocking chairs in my sunroom. We listened to a cardinal sing as we debated WRENS and TEALS. We reminisced about favorite movies as we figured out NOLTE and WIM. We watched the sun dapple the leaves in my courtyard -- a beauty that ICANTEVEN describe. Puzzles are about the joy of connection and (re-)discovery, joys amply manifested this morning. Peace.

I woke up disoriented from a horrible dream about a ruptured friendship -- the sick stress of betrayal and conflict. This charming puzzle about the fundamental sameness that endures across difference brought back some happiness and hope. Thank you both.

Deb, a "safety school" is that college you're pretty sure you'll get into. Normally something like the local state university with high admission rates, or the place where your parents went, or the one that offered an early scholarship based on SAT scores, etc. As compared to a "reach school" -- the Harvards of the world.

I am a "normal, educated human," (in Kevin's words) -- and found this puzzle a delight! "Wholesale" was what broke open the theme and the rebus trick for me. Thank you for a fun and enjoyable solve!

A great puzzle -- and my 100th solve! Congratulations and thank you, Sara. Looking forward to 100 more puzzles of this caliber.

Perhaps B or N aren't words *by themselves,* but surely all the puzzle-dunkers realize that, "I have a hard time writing the letter Q" is a 9-word sentence. The puzzle was an enjoyable solve and led to several satisfying ooohh-that's-what's-happening moments for me. YMMV, but we don't have to be rude or pedantic about what really constitutes a word. Happy Thursday, emus!

A faster Saturday than normal -- and my 200th puzzle of the year! Thank you Ryan for the delightful solve (though I too had to guess at HUNTERHAYES). And thank you to the entire NYT Crossword community for fueling a habit that brings me daily joy. Enjoy your weekends, peace.

I have been solving the puzzle and reading this column daily for almost two years. I rarely if ever comment. But, Deb, I am both so sad to see you move on and so happy to hear of all the wonderful things you plan to do in retirement. Please know how much you will be missed. And know how many total strangers will be cheering you on in this next stage from afar! PS - If you ever want to go to Madagascar, I've worked there for 10+ years and have many recommendations :) Travel well and safely!!

Thank you, Mr. Maher! Had a fabulous time solving your puzzle this morning. Hope to see more!

Anyone else confidently fill in DAYSOFOURLIVES as the revealer at first? Thanks for a great puzzle!

Truly wonderful! ;) Thank you, Marshal-with-one-L!

The reason "dip" would be an issue for bulls isn't the stock market. It's livestock parasite treatment, when cows are immersed ("dipped") in pesticides or other liquid medications. <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plunge_dip" target="_blank">https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plunge_dip</a>

Is anyone else turned off by today's constructor notes? I perceive a whiny tone in the notes whose bad aftertaste mars an otherwise-fun solve. Puzzles are wonderful escapism, and I often appreciate that notes shed light on how particularly fun structures, punny clues, etc came to be. Something along those lines -- rather than basically a complaint about NYT puzzle acceptance rates -- would have landed better.

Has anyone else's NYT app changed? My Android app format has totally rearranged, and some previous, valued functions are now gone. For example, I used to be able to access the Wordplay column from a button in the Games tab that said "Read about today's crossword." Now I have to manually search for the column -- it'snot linked anywhere in Games. I also used to be able to see my Crossword streak (250 days!) under the Games tab, and my completed puzzles and puzzle times. None are now visible. However, many of us in the NYTXW community track our streaks, puzzle completion times, and other puzzle info. Please make this all visible again in the Games tab in the NYT app. And please continue to link the Wordplay column to the daily crossword. Otherwise, to me, this app redesign is a major downgrade -- my daily use has been made harder and more annoying. Does anyone from Wordplay have any more information about this redesign? Could these issues please be fixed?