Whatsername

@Selective Walrus The past tense of LIE is LAY. Clue is correct.

@Mark DelGiudice The past tense of LIE is LAY. Clue is correct.

@Zachary Seriously?

@CCNY Mazel tov! Twice. Good luck with the flights.

@Sleepyinsummerland I remember the first time I encountered a rebus. I had no idea what I was supposed to be to do with it but thankfully, my crossword mentor helped me out. It was very frustrating, but I have since then grown to enjoy and look forward to them.

@Andrzej: Relevant or not, those points are all important to me as well … and the reason I never finished reading any of these books. All it takes for me to be done with a book and an author is the hint of an animal being mistreated. That’s not to detract from this writer’s works, just my own preference, and nothing to do with the puzzle which I loved.

@JD Gold Completely agree. Something needs to change.

@Steve L Collins

@Drew I had Took A STAB At in 26D so my rude word was at 51A. And since Hardy/Petty didn’t ring a bell, I just assumed they were TAMS.

@SP. Very nice and well measured comment. I wish I’d thought of it.

Yes! A couple of times I actually tried to brush them off because they were distracting me.

@Harriet Agree! And if we can’t have that, then at least a fair mix of literature, art and classics amongst the pop culture and proper names.

@Ernest So did I. Agree no fun. My dog actually chewed it up and I gave him a reward.

@Mean Old Lady I have to tell you a funny story about a Missouri marriage. A friend (thought by some to also be a mean old lady) caught her husband of 40 years in a compromising situation with a very young, very attractive, female. She thought it over, then called the sheriff and asked if it’s a crime to destroy your own property. The sheriff said no ma’am, if your name is on the title, legally you can do whatever you want so long as you don’t harm anyone or someone else’s property in the process. So when the disgraced cheater finally came shuffling home, she didn’t say a word but she was ready. At that point, he was just thankful to be allowed through the front door and, not wanting to push his luck, disappeared to his man cave. As soon as he was out of sight, she started swinging her ax at his pride and joy, his Ford F150 pickup truck. She’s not a petite lady and she was a woman scorned, so you can imagine the results. It was a small town, so of course everyone very quickly heard about what she had done and why. I always figured that the humiliation of having to be seen driving that beat-up truck around was far worse than anything else she could’ve done to him. And believe it or not, that happened 12 years ago and they are still married.

@Bill Interesting that you rely on the DEAD TREE EDITION dictionary for the one true definition. I do that too and apply the same principle to the King James version of the Bible.

@Helen Wright I’ve never tried to do a crossword published in another country, but I can see how there would be unfamiliar obstacles. I would not expect to know localized trivia or references to societal culture. However, it seems to me that variations in spelling between the UK and the US would be subtle. I’m curious now about the British spelling of MANEUVER.

@Cathy Same here. The whole thing gave me a headache.

@CarolinaJessamine Thank you! I feel much better now.😄

@Striker The last time I saw a SKY WRITER was at the EAA air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. If your kids are into aircraft, it’s quite something to see.

@Strudel Dad My ventless Gas FP generates a great deal of heat. I would never hang a TV above it.

@Robco Same here.

@Mimi Bill’s partner COO, as in bill & coo … in case that was the source of your confusion.

@The Whip I was just thankful the artists weren’t rappers.

@Bellinghamster If you don’t understand the complaints, remember that everyone reacts differently. Not everybody will respond with praise. It’s meant to be an opinion. You can not like that all you want, but the grumpy opinions are just as relative here as the “fun” ones are.

@Paul Why don’t you just tell her to relax? Women so love it when men do that.

@dutchiris Better check that average again. This was a Friday.

@Petrol Bill and COO is an expression for kissing and cuddling, the expression having originated from birds doing the same thing with their “bills.” DOG IT means to dismiss lightly, as a dog might sniff something, decide it’s not interesting, and walk away. 411 is the number you call to get phone or address information. It used to be anyway; most people just use Google nowadays.

@Nancy. J True. I’m not sure whether that was the case either then or now. But as we know, marriage is often about compromise and working it out.

@IL Well said!