Andy Phelps
Wilmette IL
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Wilmette IL
My favorite kind of puzzle... hard, but solvable without lookups. I feel like I passed a stiff test. Finished in just under an hour, compared with a 40-minute average for Saturdays. A good one!
A comment late in the day, but I thought this was an excellent puzzle, especially for a Tuesday. Not a puzzle that one could fill in by rote, which often happens early in the week. It had some zing. Finished in a minute over average and enjoyed it.
Loved it! Especially, "Is Pepsi OK?". Hard, which I especially like, but completely fair. 45 minutes with no lookups, considerably worse than my Friday average. Well done, Ms. Park!
One of the best puzzles I can recall. I solved it in well under average time, but it somehow felt fresh and challenging. A+.
I liked this one. Not usually a fan of Monday puzzles, which can be pedestrian. But this one had some pizzazz (had to check the spelling of that!), solved in 12 seconds over average. Well done to the setters!
@JohnMy own opinion, I have no problem with either word. ENNEAD is perfectly fine imo to describe a group of nine. It took me a long time to accept that TNIA could be the right answer at 29D, but it had to be, and it was. So today I learned something.
I liked this one. I had to use my brain. Solved in about 10% more than average time, which is how I like it. It took me 10 minutes longer than last Saturday, which tells you how much I disliked Saturday.
Accouterment, not accoutrement (10A)? Really? Sorry if this was mentioned by others, I don't see how to search comments. Good puzzle imo.
@AndrzejPost of the year
@Ritwik I was in IT in the late 70s. I recall a tome "Databanks in a Free Society", still relevant today.
Loved it! Solved well better than my average at 23:36, but it didn't feel easy. I particularly liked 20A. with 8D, TIL. Great puzzle!
@Jerry I am far removed from the details, but the Copilot summary of the work is "Data banks in a free society are a double-edged sword: they enhance administrative efficiency and social planning but also pose potential threats to privacy and individual autonomy, ..." The principles seem relevant today, the term "databank" I would agree is now somewhat archaic.
@DocPYes. Fast solves, in fact, to me are less enjoyable than brain testers, especially on Saturday. This one was not for me, although I solved it in half my average time. This is happening too often, NYT puzzle editors! The NYT Saturday was once the exemplar of a tough puzzle -- not so much these days.
@DQI solved in well better than average time. At the same time found it an enjoyable test and a good puzzle. as you did. No complaints from me.
@Barry AnconaGlad to see a prominent commenter weighing in on the trend away from challenging puzzles, especially on the weekend. Maybe the editors will pay attention, but it seems the focus is to avoid turning off less experience solvers.
@Patrick J. It's only a crossword puzzle...
@Jay Agreed. I come to the NYT Saturday for a challenge. The last two weeks have been Wednesday difficulty, and other puzzles of recent vintage rate similarly. NYT is losing me. I no longer visit most Mon-Wed and most Thursdays, unless it is to work on an archive puzzle of 5+ years ago. This is not to brag about my abilities, there are very many here who are better solvers. I direct this at the Editors, who seem to want to encourage less experienced solvers rather than challenge veterans. But you don't get good unless you are challenged -- end rant.
@artlifeI I had the exact same reaction. Seems too sloppy/lazy a clue/answer. Just my opinion.
@DougBlame the editors, not the commenters.
@JLG True. But why can't we have both? The source of challenging brain benders that we used to have, as well as a source of impeccable, objective news reporting? Personally, I visit NYT puzzles less often. I literally never solve the crossword on Mon-Wed, rarely on Thurs, sometimes on Fri. I look forward to a challenge on Saturday but rarely get it these days. Solved today in 13:46 and it was completely a "meh" experience. If this were the norm, I would not repeat. I still rue the loss of the online Acrostic, another great brain exercise. Surely the editors see these comments (Will S.?) but the die seems to be cast.
@Dan Amen! 40 minutes for me, but it was the kind of test I enjoy the most. Every answer was completely fair, but many took some working out, 35D being the last.
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