Bob
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About puzzles becoming easier.... Like a lot of us, I notice this. It puts a crimp the enjoyment. But as I watch newspapers across the country contracting, even folding, I’m thankful The Times can draw on its side enterprises to support the newsroom. Games has nearly 5 million subscribers, producing tens of millions of dollars in annual revenue. That supports a lot of reporters and a lot of reporting. One can imagine the pressure to drive these numbers up. Fortunately, we find ourselves in a golden age of the crossword. If I had to, I know I could find other good and challenging puzzles. But I know, too, that I wouldn't find another newspaper to match The Times.
@Francis. Your admiration is touching. Thanks for writing this
@Rebecca Goldstein Pan-centric, one might say, given the near-universal reliance on the solar calendar
Deb, You’ve been my teacher since I started five years ago. I’ve admired your willingness to speak with your own voice. That’s a great quality in a teacher — and in life. Best wishes to you
I'm happy to see the reference to Mansfield Park. I just finished my fourth reading in five years.
@sotto voce Re your 11-y.o. conversations with your Dad, ask David C.. But until he shows up, I think if you just voice the words and grunts (while paying attention to the movements of lips, tongue, and jaw), it will be evident why the grunts are more economical. They require almost no movement. (Something must be moving somewhere, but I can’t even tell what it is)
The people who work hard for their PTAs might appreciate occasional recognition that they do more than run bake sales.
@Steve L Steve, you're so eager to jump on people that you can't even wait for them to offend on their own?
Epistolary novel — I just finished an extraordinary one: Pamela, by Samuel Richardson, 1740. Highly recommended.
@Andrzej. Benihana was a case study at Harvard Business School in 1979. I remember three ways they boosted profits: kept wages low by hiring undocumented immigrants; discouraged lingering after the meal by seating unrelated parties around the same table; and signaled it was time to leave by bringing the knife display to a showy climax.
I interpreted the rebuses differently, and it seemed to work. Instead of converting the double NOs to YES, I converted them to AYES. Then inserted AYES as a sound rather than as letters.
@Striker. Good ear. Ngram viewer shows a tenfold increase since the mid-1990s
@Puzzlemucker Enjambment rules!
@Eric Hougland The circle of people to whom we extend our sympathy has been widening steadily over the centuries. Steven Pinker gives a moving description of this trend in his two books on enlightenment. Your comment fits the pattern, and it makes me happy to read. (Nonetheless, I think banning words like this would be a mistake)
How’s this for overthinking? Lee has CONGEE. Ok, but why congee? Oh, I see. “Lee” anagrams to “eel.” And from there, a short step. Alas, it’s a dead end
All ryes rise. That observation caused me to overthink the theme. But not all Jewish breads rise, making me overthink more
@Marshall Walthew That’s a heart-warming image
@sotto voce. That’s funny. I came to this realization only on reading your post. I’d always wondered the same thing
An agog capybara? I don’t think they do agog
Much as I might like to agree with those who say AI can't produce art, we should note that Christie's sold an AI-generated portrait for $400K almost 10 years ago. To settle the question definitively, I asked AI, and it said we're all engaged in a "category panic, not analysis." The market has settled the issue, it declares. So there we have it, from the horse's mouth.
@Lewis. I pulled out my copy of the Faulkner novel snd turned to the last page - not remembering a final scream
@clue by four Dr Zhivago, five years later, had a memorable toilet flushing
Thinking of the Turing Test, I had UNCANNYVOLLEY
@Don H. How about two words— My Way?
The exclamation point in the clue for 72 across [This is not working!] doesn't seem right. I get the misdirection, but doesn't it rule out the answer? Or am I missing something?
All, There are some ugly sentiments a few comments before this one. Suggest you ask moderators to remove
@Bob. Especially if you’re into metafiction
@Barry Ancona Good for you, Barry
To those who piled on the "chop" comment, this is what I heard: Quick! Quick! Cover your ears! LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-LA. Mommy, I'm scared. He thinks different from me.
@SBK Very interesting, I’ll be looking for “intercalated” in the spelling bee. It was because of cases like this that I used the modifier “near”
@Vaer I wondered too. Type "cutting even vs. breaking even" into your browser, and you'll find both are common, they mean the same thing, and cutting even is more informal. (At least this is what you find if you use the same browser I do.)
In yesterday’s puzzle, should the K in “Sacramento kings” have been capitalized? Otherwise, how would the clue point to “pros”?
@Bill in Yokohama. Thanks, Bill. When I did the puzzle, on my platform it was not capitalized. Just checked again, and it remains lower case. Seems like a surprising mistake. Or am I misinterpreting?
@Andrzej. Andrzej, The other day you puzzled over “hayride,” wondering whether “tractor ride” would make more sense. Here’s another “hay” idiom: “a roll in the hay.” Do you know it? Logical or not, I think you’ll agree it requires no improvement
For ATOLL, the clue is “key ring.” Is “key” necessary? 90% of the time that word can be dropped with no loss in meaning (“key takeaway” grates particularly). Or am I missing something?
@Bob --- See @Callie and responses. Very sad
@Nancy. I used to say the same thing about Middlemarch. Glad I relented
@Joe I wish people would be more careful and call it The Gambia
@Marc A. Leaf Yes, Marc, that is a hoot. So, too, is Tom Jones. With plenty of metafiction on the side
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