Ken
South Miami, FL USA
@RozzieGrandma Hi Rozzie! One thing I'm learning is, for end of week, Fri. and Sat., the clues can be so arcane or of such a narrow context, that it's better to try fitting different words in to the grid, rather than struggling to answer the riddle that any particularly difficult clue poses. Once the grid fits w legitimate English language words, I can have a backwards 'aha' moment, and enjoy how ridiculously narrow was that clue for the word that fitteded there. Happy Mother's Day! Ken Henschel in South Miami, FL USA
If I've solved the puzzle except for one letter, then I just start with 'A' and enter each letter alphabetically until it's solved. However, if I don't know 2 letters, then essentially the total possible number of solutions is 676, or 26 x 26. Mostly then, if I have solved all but 2 squares, it's time to declare 'near-complete victory', move on, and do something more fun and useful with my time. Being off by 2 or a few letters cures me from any addiction to crossword puzzlizing. Person smart, puzzle dumb. After all, have you ever heard a puzzle speak out loud? Toldjya, crossword puzzles are dumb. Ken Henschel
@Barry Ancona This clue does not hold water. If you add an 'N' to the word one at its beginning then you have 'None'. That would give you 'an en' as John StL said. But 'Not a one' doesn't work exclusively for the clue as written. If it is not a one it doesn't have to be zero! A two is also 'not a one', so is a seven, or a twenty seven. Just because it is not a one doesn't require it be zero. I solved it be entering every letter in alphabetical order til the 'T' gave me the Congratulations jingle, as I'd completed the entire rest of the puzzle. He presents the clue as a math-analysis statement. But he means instead the colloquial expression 'Not a one'. So for that usage the clue should be presented more like this: '___ _ one', i.e. none. Ken Henschel
In general the NYT Crossword just is not as hard as it used to be. If you have a subscription, go back in the Crossword Archives 10 years and try a puzzle from the 2010s or earlier. I've been trying Saturday puzzles from 2006. They are MUCH harder than the current rendition. The clues have more misdirection, ambiguity, obscurity. As for this puzzle, a person or their behavior is 'turnt' (energetic, buzzed due to substance use.) A wild party is not 'turnt'. It is as wrong as saying that a wild party is drunk. No. A PERSON at a wild party is drunk. The party itself is not drunk. Ken Henschel, Miami, FL USA
@replay dude you crack me up X-D X-D :-D :-D
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