Rachel

@Super8ing But the concept of an autodidact is way older than the internet.

@B “Less than entirely clever in the brain department”? You cite one of the examples in the article, which is prefaced with the phrase “Its use was sometimes questioned” and is a bit of dialogue from a work of fiction. Hardly a slam dunk piece of evidence. The article also makes a good case that bold-faced lie rose as speakers became more comfortable with word-processing and variations in typeface. It makes perfect sense in that context. Language changes. You’d think someone clever in the brain department would know that.

@B You have every right to dislike rebuses, but they’re definitely not lazy. It’s a slightly different constraint than a more standard crossword, but that doesn’t make it easier to construct.

@Eric Now is a good time to remember LOW: “The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes/and little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes.”

@Bob To be fair, Massachusetts only has one Natick.

@Jim But bang is another word for ! One or the other is the only thing that makes sense.

@Walbs I think the point is that the placement of the As in the puzzle is symmetrical.

@K I’ve never been to Las Vegas and I don’t gamble, but I got it just fine. Rummy, Uno, Go Fish, cribbage?

@Angela Anuszewski “All men ARE created equal.”

@Jonny The awards were given in 2025, for films that came out in 2024.

@Megan Galentine’s Day started on the TV show Parks and Rec, so definitely not from today’s teens.

@Jane Wheelaghan PETSIT is part of the theme. A PErmIT is what one gets before their drivers license. PET SITting is to take care of someone’s pet while they’re away.

@Ms. Billie M. Spaight The game isn’t to find one set of four that works. It’s to find four sets of four.

@Dan It’s not, it’s 25%, because a quarter is 25 cents.

@Helen Wright I grew up in NH and yes, it’s true. NH has a very strong libertarian streak and a strange governmental structure (2nd most representatives per capita in the world, I believe), so the politics can be really weird (and bad).

@Weak You’re too generous with your accent in creme. Pretty sure it’s spelled that way for legal reasons because they don’t contain any dairy.

@Bill It was the very first thing I filled in, so I think (like most clues) it’s just a matter of personal experience.