Dawn on the road

Clever theme & finished almost 28 minutes faster than my average. Maybe it’s just me but I was expecting some type of animation when I was done 🤷‍♀️ like the “key” opening the lock? Or maybe I’m just spoiled with these crossword puzzles 😁😆. Bravo to the constructors 👏 & Happy Anniversary 🫶

Wow Deb! Congratulations! 🎉 👏 You are one of the reasons I’ve been a long time subscriber of the NY crossword puzzle. I remember when you & Sam did the live chats and walked through solving puzzles. Specifically the session with Bowen Yang of SNL. It was great fun! I’m better at solving puzzles than I am at expressing what you have meant to my love of crossword puzzles. I’ve even come around to not dreading a REBUS 😉. So thank you Deb. 🙏💗 PS - I’ve been retired for 5 yrs & love it! Hubs just retired a few months ago (I do remind him I have my routine 😆).

While most will comment on the theme (it was a fun challenge!) I have to comment on 82D. As a season ticket holder I am one of the BREWCREW 💙 and sm looking FORWARD to the season starting. Sadly for the first time since the Brewers came to Milwaukee (1970) we will be without our beloved Bob Uecker behind the mic. 💔🙏 Thank you for a fun puzzle! Hope to see more like this.

I believe this was record time for me on a Sunday which is too bad - I like to linger over the Sunday puzzle. Clever theme - 35A was the last to fall for me. Originally had ROAD at 23A and a few others threw me off balance but overall enjoyed the solve. 😃

Finished in record time and I think this is one of the few times I didn’t have one look up. Bring April 1st I was prepared for a more devious (in a good way) puzzle or at minimum REBUS 🤦‍♀️. I don’t fly as much as I did before I retired but can’t tell you the last time I saw an inflight magazine - kind of miss them. Congratulations on a fun puzzle….no fooling! 🎉

Deb to say you will be missed is an understatement. I know you leave the column in very capable hands but that doesn’t mean there won’t be a very big gap to fill. 💔 I’ll never tackle a REBUS without thinking of you Deb. Best wishes and may your new adventures be filled with happiness, peace and joy 🙋‍♀️🫶👏🥂

There are hard (fun) puzzles and there are hard (what the heck!) obscure puzzles….this was the latter 🤦‍♀️. Normally with hard puzzles I chip away to try and get a foot hold but that was virtually impossible in this case. Had no HAS GAME in this one….FACE TAT? UFOLOGY? EBRAKE?? I got through it but it wasn’t fun. On to Sunday …. speaking of I need some ice cream 🍨

For those of complaining this should have been a REBUS puzzle … 🛑 stop. A REBUS is a REBUS and this was not. It wouldn’t make sense as a REBUS. This was a very clever and fun puzzle. If the constructor wanted it to be a REBUS they would have.

Monday easy & fun puzzle! When I saw the clue for 33A I immediately thought of the very funny Mike Myers as Linda Richardson on SNL. One of the funniest of these was when the iconic Barbra Streisand made a cameo … like budder! 💗🥰😂 which also included Madonna & Roseanne Barr. Bravo on a very enjoyable puzzle 👏👏

The end was worth of solve! Very fun and clever! 👏

This was great fun! Took me back to the days when calculators were almost the size of a Kindle 😆. Enjoyed the reference to the Bolshoi. I was in Moscow many years ago and was offered the opportunity to see a performance however, for various reasons wasn’t able to attend. I definitely regret missing that opportunity. Milwaukee has a fantastic ballet company and recently did Sleeping Beauty which was absolutely amazing. Back to the puzzle. Great fun loved turn my phone UPSIDE DOWN 🙃 - 20A gave me good giggles 🤭. A relatively easy solve which in no means takes away from the theme and construction. Bravo on a fun and clever puzzle! 👏👏

Very fun puzzle and loved the theme 😁. Either I’m getting old(er) or I’ve been solving long enough to be spoiled when there is a theme like this to expect 🐜🐜 to perform some sort of animated dance 💃🏻 🐜. Ok I’m getting old(er) 🤷‍♀️. Bravo on a very enjoyable solve .. now where did I put the can of Raid?! 😆

Very sad to hear the passing of Robert Redford an incredible actor and director. 💔 It caught me for a minute that he was 89 yrs old … to me he’ll always be the dashing heartthrob 💗 may he rest in peace. Puzzle was fast but the theme was a bit clunky. After reading Wordplay the theme was still 🤷‍♀️. Regardless congrats on your debut puzzle Mr. Daly 👏🎉.

One of the fastest Thursday puzzles for me! I had to check and make sure it was a Thursday puzzle as it seemed a bit too easy but then I ran into the theme clues. 🤦‍♀️ They had me scratching my head but I kept on until I had an aha moment at 49A and had fun with it.

Crossword themes never cease to amaze me but Thursday puzzles are in a class of their own. This was fun, frustrating, head scratching, head slapping & at the end I sat back and said Bravo Mr. Seigel! Bravo 🙌🎉

Well I’ll be …. Never thought I’d see the day when the NYT would actually publish removing ICE 💃🏻👏 bravo NYT …, Bravo!

Fun puzzle but either I’m getting better (doubtful) or this was a relatively easy Sunday puzzle. Our state fair introduced deep fried Oreos many years ago - love the cookies but some things are better left alone. Half the fun of eating Oreos is the dunking. Bravo 👏 to a fun puzzle and fantastic theme!

Finished 10 minutes faster than my average but this was a bit BLEH 🤷‍♀️. 40A had me first with WOLF, then CHOW, then finally BOLT after filling in BRIE but that had me 🧐 I don’t consider it a gooey cheese? 🤷‍♀️ The rest went fairly quick - had 60A before the other theme clues 😬.

Took a couple of clues to catch on to the emeht 😁 but didn’t have to AGONIZE very long. Given the news on the passing of ARMANI 60A was 💔. Nice solve thank you 👏👏

12D brings back memories…When hiking in the mountains of Jamaica several yrs ago I sliced my hand open on some rusty barbed wire. Was easily 2 hrs from the nearest medical clinic. Our trusty guide dug some dirt from the ground and rubbed it on my cut wrapped it with a cloth and we proceeded with our hike. I ended up with 10 stitches and a much needed tetanus shot. Great and fun puzzle! 👏👏

This was more fun than a Sunday COMIC STRIP👏 and that’s what gave me the aha! to the theme. It wasn’t until the very end I realized the course abbreviations 😬. Well done 👏🎉

Fun & fast puzzle 👏 - solved in almost identical time to Monday’s puzzle. No look ups and got them theme 38A pretty quick. I remember the Gremlins & Pacers as AMC had a large production plant in Kenosha WI just 30 minutes south of me. Gremlin came out with a Levi (as in denim) model in the mid-late 70s…it didn’t last long 😆🤦‍♀️.

Some puzzles click for me others not so much..this one I struggled a bit. I’ve never heard of or seen 17A, fun trivia about SHERATON - who knew? I did know SLIMED - go figure 🤷‍♀️. And I SPILL THE TEA when I get together with my BFFs 😆. Overall I enjoyed the puzzle even if I meant more than a few look ups. Congratulations Mr. Judge on your graduation! Wishing you all the best on the road ahead. 👏🎉🎊

Finished 14 minutes better than average but that isn’t a true representation of my struggle with this puzzle. Which by no means takes away from the clever construction 👏👏. Anagrinds are definitely not in my wheelhouse. Regardless I had fun with the puzzle and TADA finished with MIXED BLESSING 😁

This was a bit chewy for me and not in a bad way. Yes SIRREE nicely done 🎉. Loved 27A. He still has a car dealership in my area which is how he started back in the 1960s. My dad had several cars from SELIG Ford. Have Bud to thank for bringing baseball back to Milwaukee and building a stadium with a roof. 👏⚾️

Phew! 😮‍💨 that was quite a workout! And no rebus! I continue to be amazed at the level of difficulty in construction of these puzzles - my brain just doesn’t go there 🤷‍♀️. Like many I was convinced 10A was BLAND - the puzzle turned out to be anything but! Loved 41D and Debs story 💗. Hubs & I just celebrated 44 yrs 💍and I can definitely say he is 🥰. Bravo on a fun puzzle - didn’t leave me in a SNIT and I’m WISER (?) having solved at below my average time.

Today is … check calendar… yep Thursday. Thought I was doing a Tuesday puzzle finishing 19 minutes above my average. Doesn’t take away from it being a funny punny puzzle 👏👏. Caught the theme at 29A which was PERFECT 🤩. Well done Mr. Curry 🎉

Not current with foreign currency 🤷‍♀️💰 so ended up having to look up each but had fun with it. This certainly was no ORDINARY puzzle 😬. Originally had ISIT at 34A knew PHIL & CAMERON but no idea on DEDE. This puzzle had some fun ELEMENTS 🎉👏

Humm this was literally all Greek to me 🤦‍♀️. I mean I love my Greek yogurt everyday but that didn’t help me with this puzzle. And in tribute to our dearly (newly) retired Deb I didn’t flip / flop that it was a REBUS 😬. No matter my personal preference with a puzzle I always admire the effort it takes to put these together…so bravo 🙌 Mr. Schiff. 🎉🥳

Fun and clever puzzle 👏 but admit I wasn’t totally sure what or how I was solving it. Rebus isn’t my favorite but the double rebus tends to trip me up. But at the end of the puzzle found it to be great fun and loved the surprise graphics.

My first time through the puzzle on the across clues yielded nada 👎. Kept at it and with some of the down clues OFFTHEGRID opened things up. Fun solve not too easy and definitely gave my brain a workout. Especially liked 57A and always save some just in case 😃🍝. 43A had me for a few minutes - haven’t heard that term since my grandma 🤷‍♀️and she’s been gone for 18 yrs. Bravo 👏 on a fun Friday!

Congratulations on a mighty fine puzzle! 🥳 Had a few giggles with this one … 9D TEAPOT was a favorite and feel like we are currently in a bit of 10D these past few months 🤦‍♀️. Fun clues and few misdirects which keeps me on my toes. So if there were OSCARS for puzzles Mr. Moser would not be SNUBBED 👏👏🎉.

Fun puzzle! Actually got the revealer before the theme clues. We traveled to Moscow and other areas of Russia in the mid 90s. One of the things that came home with me were several Matryoshka 🪆 dolls. Still have them and they bring back good memories. Congratulations on a fantastic puzzle 👏🎉

Bravo! 👏 loved this puzzle! Must admit I was a bit 🤦‍♀️ when I saw the grid but throughly had fun with it. Hard to pick out a favorite clue but giggled at 21A. Looking forward to seeing more from Ms Morenus 👏🎉

This puzzle had me a bit STAR STRUCK .. 😆 haven’t heard DINDIN since my now 30 yr old kiddo was 5 🤷‍♀️. Fun and very fast solve - beat my Monday time by almost 6 minutes. A puzzle with a cherry on top! 👏🎉

Fun and challenging puzzle - SW got me with a few HEAD SLAPS 🤦‍♀️. I’ve always said ON PAR with .. who knew? Bravo Mr. Johnson 👏

Not sure if I landed on Sam Ezersky’s naughty or nice list 😗🎅🎄with this puzzle. No LOLLYGAGing with this one … no SIREE. 🎉 To my dear crossword puzzle friends & outstanding NYT staff … Happy Holidays🎄to you & yours.

Humm … beat my average time but did I miss something? I’m not connecting with the graphics 🎈🌲in the puzzle…did they have a connection to the theme and I totally missed it? 🤷‍♀️ Also want to wish all my fellow puzzle friends & the NYT staff & constructors a very Happy & Healthy New Year! 🥳💃🏻🥂🕊️

Fun puzzle … and fairly easy for a Thursday (I consider any puzzle without a REBUS easy for me). 17A was my aha moment. Nice 👏👏👏

I’ve done these puzzles long enough to either dread (REBUS) or embrace Thursdays. This one left me a bit in between…not in a bad way. I kept expecting this to be much more challenging - seemed more like a Tuesday and didn’t catch on to the theme until the end 🤷‍♀️. Regardless had fun with it! 👏

Humm .. still processing this one. Fairly quick solve for a Thursday but the theme had me a bit in a TIZZY not because it was challenging but because it was clunky. 🤷‍♀️ Had to look up Stieb - I’m a huge baseball fan but haven’t heard of this guy. Not a typical Thursday but then in today’s world maybe that’s ok 😬.

Fun, easy, breezy Monday puzzle. No look ups and done in 12 minutes. If you were taught cursive in school - as I was - you’ll understand 45A and practicing on rather large lined paper. 🥺 Didn’t get the theme until the very end. Nice job Ms. Rafaloff & Ms. Sontarp 👏👏👏🎉

As much as I love doing these puzzles it just won’t be the same without you Deb 🥲. You have made me a more confident player and have even come around (a bit) to REBUS 😌. I so enjoyed each and every one of your intros - you know just how to set up a puzzle. I wish you all the best as the next chapter starts (and it’s a blast!). 🥳🎉👏💗🙋‍♀️

Started out not liking this … correction hating it. 🤬 But (finally !!) saw the tiny x in the shaded boxes and ta da!! I had fun 🥳 with this puzzle even though math & I don’t like each other. Bravo to a fun and very clever puzzle.