lucky13
New York
I'm a newbie (six months) but today makes three days in a row with no lookups. So you 'll probably all say it's too easy!!!
Well, it's early and I had to go to both the Wordplay AND the comments to finish this one but how about: Big Cat's utensils? LEOPARDSPOTS Your ride talks back to you? HORSESASS Don't worry. I may be back with more.
What's the "IT" color this year? BROWN, SUGAR.
I hadn't done puzzles for a while until about six weeks ago. This was my first Saturday puzzle. I'm glad to read through all the comments and find that almost all commenters found this one particularly challenging. I ventured this as a learning project. I looked up lots of things that I could Google. And also used the "check" and "reveal" options. It's sort of like playing Scrabble using the dictionary--still fun. I learned a lot of things. Kate and Allie was a show I had never seen--about two divorced mothers who moved in together to lighten the load. I also found out a lot about the Clay/Liston fight and its controversial aftermath. And I finally learned what a technical knockout is. And how it differs from a Technical Decision. Very interesting. Also, a little bit about how you make a bow--with a stave!
Don't know much about history Don't know much biology Don't know much about a science book Don't know much about the French I took Don't know much about computers But I do know that my favorite clue is: 13D [What this hand has: A♣ A♦️ K♠ Q❤️ 6♠] And I'm proud of myself that I got it right right away--a gimme!
I always thought REVERSEENGINEERing meant you take a clock apart to see how it works and then put it back together. I tried it with my defunct shredder (but didn't get too far). For everyone's information (for what it's worth), in Italian there are four different ways to say "That's great"-- bravo--for one single male person, pronounced brav-oh brava--for one single female person, pronounced brav-ah bravi--for more than one male person, pronounced brav-ee brave--for more than one female person, pronounced brav-ay for males and females together, also bravi Example: one male and 800 females--bravi!! Italian is a great language: once you know a few rules, you can pronounce almost any word in the language.
I was a Girl Scout (and a Brownie). I can't remember if I sold Girl Scout cookies or not--it was so long ago. But I do remember two of the badges I got. One was for camping and I learned to make a fire with an A-frame, tie a square knot, and to use a Girl Scout pen knife which I still have and use. The other one was the Dabbler badge. We dabbled in all sorts of arts and crafts. I love Thin Mints but tend to stave off chocolate these days due to its caffeine--which keeps me up all night. I wish the Girl Scouts would discover or invent caffeine-free chocolate. I read that some people were looking into it: there's some variety of chocolate bean that grows naturally caffeine-free!!! I'm a NEWBIE. I was offered the Easy Mode version of this puzzle in my email. But I finished it without Easy Mode, although Google did help me out a little. I've been doing puzzles again for the last two months after years of not doing any. I used to do KenKen a while ago. I love math. I did the tough ones. Lately, I've been doing a lot of New York Times vintage acrostics which someone in this comments section alerted me to. I return the favor--a lot of fun. <a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/premium/xword/acrostic/acrostic.html" target="_blank">https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/premium/xword/acrostic/acrostic.html</a>
@Sam Voile is a type of fabric, like chintz, calico, tweed, tulle, gingham, etc. From the internet: "Voile is a soft, lightweight, sheer, plain-woven fabric, traditionally made from cotton but also from silk, linen, or polyester, known for its crisp feel, smooth texture, and breathability, making it popular for airy summer apparel like blouses and dresses, elegant window treatments, and delicate linings, offering a delicate drape and soft feel suitable for warm weather and decorative uses."
I know it's a Monday, but I'm a relative NEWBIE (five months), so I'm glad I got this one done WITHOUTANYLOOKUPS. By the way, Jo, could a nine-letter word for a “hand-held blues instrument" be a SAXOPHONE?
@Gedalyah Reback From the internet: "AI Overview A standard English Scrabble set has 100 tiles, with varying counts for each letter, including two blank tiles; the most common letters are E (12), A (9), and I (9), while high-point letters like Q and Z appear only once, with a detailed breakdown provided in the table below." There are no points for the blank square needed to make "jazz!"
I finished this puzzle (with a little help from Mr. Google) but I still didn't figure out the gimmick until I read the Wordplay.
Speaking of Emily Dickinson, here's a great poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay. One of my favorites and perfect for making-resolution time: FEAST I drank at every vine. The last was like the first. I came upon no wine So wonderful as thirst. I gnawed at every root. I ate of every plant. I came upon no fruit So wonderful as want. Feed the grape and bean To the vintner and monger; I will lie down lean With my thirst and my hunger.
I'm a NEWBIE but breezed through his one. I could agree with Wordplay about REUNES or ETERNE, but I think NEONATE is a very nice legitimate appropriate word. From the internet: ne·o·nate /ˈnēəˌnāt/ nountechnical a newborn child (or other mammal). Medicine an infant less than four weeks old.
WORDPLAY tells us: "13D. I love clues that trigger our senses. [Toy with a scent trademarked by Hasbro] is PLAYDOUGH, and I immediately recalled that wonderful vanilla-like smell." but the puzzle tells us: PLAYDOH. What's a person to do? We need some BINDing arbitration here.
USEITORLOSEIT, Christina. Bienvenue, Crystal--I can't imagine having a streak like that!
WRIER may be a word, but I don't think I've ever heard anybody say it or read it anywhere in my life! I think I'd rather say: "This one is more wry than the other one!" (By the way, Word Spell-check is now correcting me and not letting me say "more wry.") What do you think? I think Word Spell-check is changing our language in a lot of ways--by insisting on its way! Also by the way, from the comments, I am getting the idea that a lot of people are uncomfortable with "wrier" and find it clumsy and unaccustomed to use. A lot of solvers got stumped at that answer.
@Robert In my training at university, I learned a new word: "idiolect." An idiolect is like the word "dialect," except it's the particular language for one person (rather than for a group of people). I believe that the use of prepositions is one area that really varies HUGELY from person to person. Some people may say "compare to" and some people may say "compare with" and they could have different meanings person-to-person, right? Maybe?
[Downside of upcoming AI?] ENERGYGUZZLER
49D Mars follower, in Marseille got the better of me. I kept thinking it must be TERRE, as the planets are in order. Of course, it's the month AVRIL!!
@john ezra (two space entry) [Adam and Eve] INEVERPROMISED [With Adam and EVE clue] YOUAROSEGARDEN
A bit too tricky for me. I didn't get the trick until I read the Wordplay. But 52A Idiomatic partner of "lose" SNOOZE reminded me of NOPAINNOGAIN earlier this week.
I checked out Lady Jane Grey on Wikipedia. Not such a nice story.
@Lavinia OHPUHLEASE--I'd have one every day if I could and break for a Banana Split on Sundays!
@Steve L Yes, and it's not only shoes that have laces. You can have eyelets on a blouse, for example, to put a ribbon or other lace through.
Someone pointed out in the comments that students now aren't learning to touch type. I think that's really sad. I learned in "junior high school" & I find it really useful. It was an elective. I was going to take stenography after that, but that never happened. I learned at university there are certain skills that are easier for young people to learn--& I think touch typing is one of them. Think of foreign language. The best time for children to learn a foreign language is when they're learning the first language. They don't use grammar books, verb charts, vocabulary lists, etc. They just pick it up like a sponge. When people reach puberty, that kind of learning dries up somewhat. Some synapses in the brain disappear! I heard an interview with a famous pianist who said that all the pieces he learned when he was young, he memorized. After puberty--not so much. Many people know an immigrant family: the kids sound like native speakers of English; the older ones will never lose some foreignisms--in pronunciation and/or syntax. I know a young woman who just finished her B.S. pre-med w/ great grades. Now she's working on preparing to take the MCATs for medical school. She told me the MCATs don't allow the use of calculators. Now she has to learn all over how to do the simplest math without her device. How much is 10% of 150? She'll practice & figure out those types of problems now. It's sad that students don't have this basic facility with math problems without "smart" phones.
Re: the Constructor Notes and 52A, I had a friend in college who had a beautiful long-haired calico cat that she doted on. The friend was looking for a name for her home-based typing service. I suggested PURRSNICKETY but she didn't like it. Ditto, my second suggestion: PURRFECTION. You can't please everyone.
35D Rom-com plot points MEETCUTES??? Am I missing something?
LIFESTYLECREEP It's hard to imagine paying the bus fare with an "OMNY" card. But can you all imagine that the bus driver actually used to make change for a dollar? He had this little silver machine with all the coins lined up. Of course, nowadays, you can never go anywhere without it being "a matter of public record!" Also, back then, people cooked food. Not just point and click and there it is at the door in ten minutes. One time I took two minutes to go open the door and a squirrel had already started to tear the pizza box apart.
I think I found a typo in the clue for 17A in today's Easy Mode No.117 puzzle. The clue is "Marine crawler that is a commonly found fossil." The answer is "TRILOBITES." Shouldn't the clue read: "Marine crawlers that are commonly found fossils"? Gotcha.
@Steve L "I even started paying for small items, like candy bars, with credit cards." Don't vendors have to pay a fee every time a customer uses a credit card? I felt bad about using a credit card to pay for a five-dollar loaf of bread the other day?
@dutchiris The best movie in the entire world is based on a book by Isak Dinesan: BABETTE'S FEAST.
Fun January bonus puzzle today. The theme is game shows. I guess they're my favorite TV shows, right after America's Funniest Videos (except for the videos where people get hurt!). <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/crosswords/january-bonus-crossword-puzzle.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/crosswords/january-bonus-crossword-puzzle.html</a> And here's a great movie about a contestant who spent 35 years memorizing all the prices to compete on The Price Is Right. It's available all over the internet. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Bid:_The_Contestant_Who_Knew_Too_Much" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Bid:_The_Contestant_Who_Knew_Too_Much</a> <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6854248" target="_blank">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6854248</a>/ Happy New Year to all.
@Warren I'm doing this puzzle past my bedtime, so WAKEUPLITTLESUSIE. And while we're on the subject, here's one of my absolute favorite songs--IVEBEENEVERYWHERE by Johnny Cash, including just about everywhere from New York City to Redondo Beach. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a-IO54sDx4" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a-IO54sDx4</a>
@Vaer Very nice. I saw Ray Charles perform a gazillion years ago in a college auditorium. He's amazing. I guess I've seen the movie RAY a few times. Shoulda been a RAYLETTE. REALLYNICE to hear him perform with Billy Joel and read the lyrics in Braille. I've never seen him do that before.
FYI: I once had an ESL student from Guadalajara, Mexico, which is nicknamed "The City of Roses." We visited a rose garden in California. She grabbed s small branch from a rose bush and stuck it in the ground. She said a new rose bush would grow. I've tried it over and over and it works!! Let a thousand rose gardens bloom. I also watched a video the other day which taught me how to grow a rose plant in a potato: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWFPSrFQZ_Y" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWFPSrFQZ_Y</a>
I've heard it said that young people don't get "judgment" until they're in their twenties. Well, I can testify, oh never mind.,, How about SWEETSIXTEEN QUINCINERA or WALKABOUT? Have you seen the film about the Australian coming-of-age ritual? <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067959" target="_blank">https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0067959</a>/ Unfortunately, the real rite of passage in our society is FIRSTCAR which also serves as a first (mobile) home!! But then there's also, again unfortunately, FIRSTUNPAIDINTERNSHIP.....
@SneakyB It's a game from looong ago. You take a potato and then you have all these little plastic pieces that you stick in it: nose, eyes, ears, feet and HANDS!! Mr. Potato Head. I guess.
When I started the puzzle, I could hardly find any “gimmes.” I thought, “Oh good, all the commenters will finally stop saying that the puzzle is too easy.” But then, as I worked on it a little, things started to fill in. A newbie (six months doing puzzles again), I felt proud of myself. I got most of the puzzles, with a little help from google. Yay! One clue about the Fisherman and his Flute fable kind of puzzled me a little though. I easily filled in AESOP, but I had never heard of that fable. With a little research, I found out that the story is about a fisherman who tries to get the fish to dance by playing his flute. When they don’t dance, he catches them in his net and tells them: “You see, you refused to dance. And now I will watch you dance as you are succumbing in my net.” A little gruesome, but to me a little obscure. I’m not sure what the “moral of this story” is. Wikipedia seems to explain it but it’s still not clear. The Fisherman and his Flute - Wikipedia “In this context the fable is given the political meaning that those who refuse a benefit when it is first offered will gain nothing by acting as asked when constrained to.” What???? Any English majors around to explain? By the way, La Fontaine, very popular in France, also has a version of this story. Five hundred years ago, he was an attorney, but then became a storyteller in the king’s court. Many of his fables have interesting legal themes and morals from law.
Also: [Sara, Abraham and Isaac] ALLSWELLTHATENDSWELL
@lucky13 Okay, now I get it. It's a muscle. And a pull-up is what you do in the gym. I'm new doing puzzles (since years ago). So I got the Easy Mode for today's puzzle. I'm doing it after working on the other mode. It's explaining a lot.
@Barry Ancona I thought the answer was MEDICAREPLUS which is like a Medicare Advantage plan which shows how long it is since I've thought about college.
i gave someone a present. She thanked me with a note that said: QQQQQQQQQQ
@G I'm not clear about this. I think I remember from my university education that English has 14 vowel sounds. After all, we have A in cat, law, Kate, and bad. Right? etc., etc., etc. Don't forget the diphthongs, also. And of course, the schwa (the reduced vowel!). It took me years of studying French before I finally figured out the vowel sounds in that language after taking a French pronunciation course.
@Tony An egg cream is not also called a malted but if they won't make an egg cream, you could order a malted instead. By the way, egg creams are fantastic. I grew up on them and this is my favorite clue. Yes, it's a regional thing.
@Andrzej A "starter" is the same as an appetizer, when you're sitting down to a delicious meal. The "entree," of course, follows the starter. Service compris.
@Roger I was thinking something fashion because Milan is definitely a big locus of fashion.
How about: [Lead-in to "I shall not want"] THELORDISMYSHEPHERD (Clue and answer from a Newbie the night before a blizzard, maybe...)
[Senior's test results?] EDUCATEDGUESS
@Gray I'm definitely not Gen Z. I did figure out ALTTEXT from the puzzle but I had no idea what it is. I had to look it up and now I know what it is. Actually, I had to look GEN Z up also. Ditto. 'They are known as "digital natives" because they are the first generation to grow up with the internet and smartphones from a young age.' born 1997 to 2012 "Between Millennials and Generation Alpha." Generation Alpha?