Shauron

I was surprised by the negative comments because I loved this puzzle! Usually my husband and I are in synch with the ethos of this group. As we do the puzzle we chuckle about what our friends online will have to say. We don't need to say anything because others say it well. A couple of answers here weren't great - agree with the comments about "tauten" and "ice rain" - but "all in all" I give a "nod to" Mr. Williams for this one!

Not to sound too much like a golden ager, but this harkens back to the days when a Saturday puzzle at the NYT was a Saturday puzzle at the NYT. For the past months i(years?) t's felt like too many puzzles have been trying to be too clever, or cutesy, or trying to fit square pegs into round holes, or be crazy hard on a Monday but easy as pie on a Friday... This was the most enjoyable puzzle my husband and I have done for a long time - not easy, and not perfect, but perfect for what it was supposed to be. I hope it signals an intentional shift on the part of the editors to get back to what established the NYT as the crossword gold standard. Thank you!

I haven't previously commented but every day read what folks say and love the back and forth, comradery, and community. I had to write today because of the juxtaposition of this puzzle (which was absolutely delightful and one of my all time favorites) and last Sunday's (which was the opposite, to say the least - I'm trying to be diplomatic here. Okay, I'll just say it because it still rankles - it was truly the worst and I still can't believe it got by the editors). I agree with what so many have already said: This epitomizes what a Saturday puzzle should be. "Shifty little sucker" and "It's a little shady" should be memorialized. They put a smile on my face and a lilt in my step. Thank you Barb and Lewis!

We had a hard time getting around "orbed" and were a teensy bit annoyed by the extra "T", but otherwise an excellent puzzle.

People writing about the relative ease of puzzles are not just complaining. They are hoping that editors will finally hear what they have to say. Having done the NYT crosswords for decades, something has fundamentally changed over the past few years. There used to be a reliable progression of difficulty through Saturday, and certain gimmicks on certain days. Sunday was special - not necessarily the hardest puzzle of the week, but always challenging and with a clever theme. I would get a cup of coffee, settle in, and anticipate a cozy Sunday morning working on the crossword for an hour or so. This is not the case any more. Mondays can be Thursdays, Fridays can be Mondays, etc. There is no anticipation of increasing difficulty, and Sundays can just be "meh," buzzed through in a few minutes (like today). I do not write this to extol my puzzle-solving skills (which are not great), or demean others. But there is no sense that the NYT Crossword is actually a thing any more. It's just another puzzle to take or leave. And it's not about the puzzle writers, to whom I am grateful. It's about the editing. There are ways to determine relative difficulty (accounting for potential biases, cultural differences, etc.). There are ways to gauge clues and answers. The question is whether the NYT has intentionally shifted to a different type of crossword. If so, please just tell us. If not, please finally hear what we are trying to say and edit. Thanks for considering.

This puzzle was uninspiring for a Sunday. Pretty easy, even not knowing anything about Friends. For fans I imagine it was cute, but I'm not sure the cute factor compensates for the meh factor. I don't mean to insult Friends fans or anyone else (we're all sensitive these days), but in my view, having a theme is necessary but not sufficient to warrant publication in the Sunday NYT.

This was my favorite Wednesday in a while! Oh wait...

Puzzle was okay, but two things stuck in my craw: 1. Corner piece as "staple" - I suppose I get it, it just felt off. 2. "Frog sticks" as french fries - seems offensive on its face, even if one isn't the language police. And is this really on menus? Maybe it exists, but with so many other ways to clue, why choose one that's going to potentially offend? Still did the crossword and still enjoyed it, but with a slight sense of "meh"

More like a Tuesday. But cute and fun.

Perhaps the earlier comments helped resolve the bugs for us solvers on the West Coast, because I solved it on my laptop without even realizing there was a glitch. Or perhaps I just totally missed the meta-theme-graphic-pattern that accompanied the puzzle, wouldn't be the first time... Thanks to those who paved the way by doing the puzzle and reporting the layout issues! I loved this puzzle, thought there were some tricky but fair and fun clues (yes, "bar menu"), and it was challenging in just the right way. A perfect Tuesday. Thank you, Bob!

Tuesday. On a Sunday.