Floridaworder

This was a very tough one for me and I could not finish without lots of google help. I’m fine with that! Saturdays should be hard. There are people on this thread who have been doing NYT crosswords much longer than I have and I know I’m not yet as skilled or knowledgable as they are when it comes to crossword puzzles. But after a string of easy Saturdays I could be cajoled into thinking that I was getting as good as some of the master solvers. I hope Saturdays continue to be like this one, a challenge that puts me in my place.

Loved this puzzle and found it to be a perfect Tuesday level of difficulty. I always enjoy a theme that sends me in a different direction before I finally “see” it, e.g., I was first looking for words that contain letters that are not pronounced. And I love it when there is an answer that is a word or phrase that I have heard but not seen, e.g., I had heard the phrase “mise en place” but never “seen” it as written. Thankfully it’s Tuesday and I was able to get there through the crosses. Nicely constructed and fun to complete.