Terry AVL NC

Loved this puzzle. My Thursday best. Loved the theme and that I got it quickly. I have to say, there is a lot of grumbling that goes on in this space. And that’s ok. I just know that I am not capable of putting together any sort of crossword; especially one for the NY Times. I love every one of them - easy or impossible. And I am thankful for the folks who are talented enough to create one that will satisfy the editors. Even if it’s easier than most Thursdays. Than you, Kevin! Happy Thursday, y’all!

I had no idea about the theme. Got the theme answers from the crosses and knew I was missing something. I blame me. I still enjoyed it very much. I am constantly amazed by the creativity of the folk who make these puzzles. And thankful for them. I love doing them everyday - even when I don’t “get” it. Thanks, Joel! And best of luck this year studying maths.

First time I have figured out it’s a rebus and got them in the right place without help. Go me. Also, this was such a fun puzzle. The theme was a good one and the other fill was clever. Thank you, Topher! Deb, you’ll be missed. Thanks for all your tips and help over the years. Best wishes for your retirement! Looking forward to your column tomorrow. Happy New Year, y’all!

Wow. What a great Thursday puzzle! I had to use Wordplay to figure out the theme but that’s ok. Once I got it, it made me smile! 😁 The southwest corner was tricky for me, too. Thanks Kyle for a great puzzle! Deb, thanks for taking me under your wing years ago! You gave me permission to get help when I needed it and that makes solving the puzzles so much better. I don’t get frustrated and I am constantly amazed by the great puzzles the constructors make every day. The things they come up with make each solving day a new adventure. You will be missed! I am retired and highly recommend it! Maybe in your travels you can come see our beautiful mountains in WNC. Godspeed for the journey! Y’all have a wonderful Thursday!

This one was good! Loved the long entries. Thanks!

This was so good! I figured it out myself without having to use Wordplay. On a Thursday. Yay me! Thanks, Stephan & Jeff. This was just fun. Happy Thursday, y’all!

Oh my goodness I am mad at myself! It took me 30 minutes to find my typo! Just did not catch i had “BONSET” instead of “BOXSET” because TENnessee is also a state that spans two time zones! 🤦🏻‍♀️ What a wonderful puzzle, Amie Walker! This was so much fun. I was able to make good time til the double rebuses got me. I knew there was a rebus, it just didn’t occur to me that it was double, so I could not make it work until I read WordPlay. Even though I knew what the letters had to be. It was still very enjoyable. I love a big puzzle like this that has lots of fun clues and answers. Y’all have a wonderful Sunday!!

So much fun! Love the anvil and coyote that popped up at the end! Great cluing and answers. Thanks, Daniel!

I loved this puzzle. Clever clues. Wonderful fill. A great way to start the weekend. A fantastic debut, Joyce! Thank you. Y’all have a fine Friday!

I loved this puzzle. Thank you!

I did a Thursday with a rebus with no help except I could not remember A. A. Milne’s initials. 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ This was such a fun puzzle and better than my average. Thanks so much, Gia!

Oh, this was a good one! Not too hard, although I did struggle with the scissor ones for a while. Thanks for a fun end to a weekend of solving. Y’all enjoy your Sunday! Thanks, Michael!

Thank you, Alex! This was such a fun puzzle. Loved the theme and the non-theme. Especially got a kick out of “Law, but not order.” Perfect for this retired lawyer. I look forward to your next puzzle. Y’all have a wonderful Sunday!

I am always amazed by the puzzles. There is NO way I could put them together. But I love solving them. Thanks!

This was a good. I love it when I can figure out a Thursday theme with no help. I enjoyed this one immensely. Better than average time. It’s been a good puzzle week so far. Thanks!

Loved this one. Great clues. Wonderful long entries. A nice puzzle before bed. And a good time for me - way better than my average. Thanks!

I loved this one! Lots of good, fun fill. Had IOS instead of CPU for faaar too long. Plugged along here and there but it was really enjoyable. Thanks, Greg & Glenn. Happy Friday, y’all!

Yay! May be my first Sunday with no Wordplay help. Lots of fun. Loved the fill. The theme was interesting. Although with my oldish eyes those circles are hard to see. Thanks, Chloe. I loved this one. Happy Sunday, y’all!

This was fun. I enjoyed the theme. Thanks, Kevin & Andrea. Have a great Monday, y’all!

This was fun! Thanks so much! And thanks to all who sacrificed all for us. And to their families.

This was fun. Nice Tuesday! Thanks.

Great puzzle! Needed help with the names (as almost always) but was able to get the rest. Took TOO much time trying to find my typo. Sheesh. Lots of fun. I loved the span entries. It makes me happy when I can get many of them without help. Thanks, Rafael. This was just a joy. All y’all have a great Sunday!

I hate it when loo is lav! Took me awhile to figure it out. A great debut, Jonathan! Thanks. Hope y’all have a terrific Tuesday!

Loved this theme! Knew the answers. Loved PACIFIC OCEAN down the middle. Thanks, Ginny & Avery. Lots of fun. Have a great Wednesday, y’all!

Another one that was a great Sunday puzzle! Never got the theme. Oh, well. Lots of good clues and answers. A little sports, a little arts, a little entertainment. Lots of fun. Thanks, Natan! Y’all have a great Sunday!

Thanks, Sam! Figuring out the theme helped me with typos! I hope everyone enjoys this one, as I did. Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. I wish y’all peace! 🎅🏻🎄

This was excellent! Lots of fun. Loved the non-themed stuff as well. Thank you, Gene Louise! Just a delightful puzzle. Y’all have a great Sunday!

This was a great puzzle! I loved the theme. I got almost all of the acrosses, a rarity for me, that I got to skip over many of the downs. So, I am glad I read Wordplay and saw that we had yipes and yowie! I liked those two in the same puzzle. Thanks, you two! What a fun Monday!

Loved this one!! A fun one! In the South, we “take a powder” for a headache by taking a BC Powder - a crushed up pain killer. If we say, “I need to take a powder.” it usually means we have a headache. Happy new solving week, everyone! I hope this puzzle made no one say, “I need to take a powder!” Thanks, Margaret!

What a fun puzzle. Great theme. Nice cluing. I loved the clue for RYE. I started with RED. Thanks, Jacob! Have a great Tuesday everyone!

YES! I figured it out! No help. Even on the names! I enjoyed this one immensely. I liked the theme. Thank you, Wendy & Barbara. Y’all have a great Thursday. Stay warm! It’s frigid here in the NC mountains. ❄️🥶

Struggled with this one. I needed all the help Deb could give me on the theme. I always appreciate a constructor who can do something like this. Good on you, Simeon!

So much fun! This has been a great week. I think I liked this one the best. I just had to keep plugging away. Thanks!

This one was tough for me. Not as much fun as usual. I think a lot of the stuff was just in areas I don’t know. So, I learned things.

This was a lovely puzzle. I enjoyed it greatly. Thanks!

Another good one! Thanks!

A good Saturday. Better than my average. Got stuck on ASU (Appalachian State University) who are also Mountaineers. Learned things, too. Thanks!

Had “dadjokes” instead of “badjokes” that it pushed me by my average time. Oh, well. I loved the long clues/answers. Enjoyed this one a lot. Thanks!!

Another great puzzle! Loved the books and library! Thanks!

This was fun! I loved the puns. And the other fill. Thanks, Randolf! Happy Sunday, y’all!

Took a while to get really started but going over and over works. Loved the spanning entries. They were all well clued. Especially liked the clues for PEDIATRICIANS and NEANDERTHAL. Thanks, Nick for a great puzzle. Happy Saturday, y’all!

This was fun! Always happy when I can figure it out.

Such a fun puzzle. Thanks, Tarun!

Loved it! Figured it was a rebus early on. An accomplishment for me! Loved the clues. I am often awed by what constructors are able to do. Better than my average Thursday. Thanks!

Loved this puzzle. Wonderful clues and answers. Thanks!

SO COOL! This Bond fan loved this puzzle. Thank you, Danny!!

This was so a good puzzle! Thanks, Peter! Did you know that the ancestors of Red Pandas are from the Southern Appalachias? Our Western North Carolina Nature Center has a pair. “History: The red panda’s ancient cousin once lived in the Western North Carolina region. Bristol’s Panda (Pristinailurus bristoli) is an ancient North American relative of the living red panda whose fossils have been discovered at the Gray Archeological Site in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Tennessee. Western North Carolina’s climate and ecosystem is almost identical to the lower mountain forests of Central Asia where red pandas currently live. The red panda is an endangered species with less than 10,000 (possibly as few as 2,500) of them in the wild. Their natural space is shrinking as more and more forests are destroyed by logging and the spread of agriculture.” <a href="https://wildwnc.org/animals/red-panda" target="_blank">https://wildwnc.org/animals/red-panda</a>/ Hope all y’all have a great Wednesday!

This was fun! Thanks, Trenton! Happy Sunday, y’all!!

Tough but doable. Loved the fill. Always need help with names. Thanks, Josh! Have a great weekend, y’all!