RM

@Andrzej I personally don't say "exacto" but rather the longer version of "exactomundo!" I echo other posters and add my own admiration to you and others doing the NYT crossword in a foreign language! Keep posting; your comments are interesting.

@Francis don't feel weird. I also couldn't care less who the constructor is and don't let it influence my enjoyment (or not) of a puzzle. I'm sure we're not the only ones!

@Andrzej I'm always in awe of non-Americans doing an American crossword. Like you've mentioned before, how successful would a non-Polish person be at a Polish crossword? It's not just knowing English words, it's all the cultural context that contributes to the clues and answers that you have to work through. I also enjoy your comments here. :-) Basal metabolism, as I'm sure you've already looked up, is the rate of energy consumption by a body at rest - how many calories you burn just by existing. This apparently slows down as we age and thus we pack on extra weight. Never mind the common sedentary lifestyles these days, right? Silage sounds gross, but it's just the leftover stalks and leaves from when a crop field is harvested. That plant material is separated from the crop and fed to farm animals, cows and pigs typically. Here's more than you ever wanted to know about it: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silage" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silage</a>

@Andrzej - The author is Roald Dahl, a writer from England mostly know for his fantastical stories, ostensibly for children but with a layer of humor for adults. He's also written novels for adults. Other well known books of his include James and the Giant Peach, Matilda, and The BFG. My personal favorite is Fantastic Mr. Fox, which was also made into a movie by Wes Anderson.

@Andrzej you've pretty much described a tater tot in your list of potato preparations. 😀 They're easy enough to make at home: shred some potato (your preferred yellow ones work well), squeeze into a small rectangle shape, then deep fry, then roast in the oven. But there's something about the saltiness, crispness, yet chewiness of an Ore Ida tot that can't be replicated. Home made isn't always better.

@Andrzej I agree, the puzzle was quite fun and engaging. A danish and a bearclaw are two kinds of sweet pastry. A danish is like a little platter of flaky pastry with a smear of fruit jam or sweet cheese in it, then a drizzle of icing. A bearclaw is like a croissant with almond filling but is shaped to resemble a bear's paw and toes. Both are delicious if you have a sweet tooth!

@Ιασων ID in this case is the code for the state of Idaho, which is famous for potatoes. Apparently so famous that the phrase is included on license plates, which are also called tags, at least in American English. Idaho has more to offer than delicious potatoes though - the landscape is beautiful.

@Andrzej "two if by sea" is from the American Revolution - it's part of the phrase "one if by land and two if by sea", the number of lanterns that would be shown in a church steeple when it became clear what route the British would take to invade Boston. As for Ind - it's the abbreviation for Independent, an option American voters have for registering to vote but not declaring a party affiliation. Ind voters typically* aren't allowed to vote in primary elections (generally held in spring months), since the ballots provided in those elections are for party members to choose among their candidates for going to the general election (held in November). * this may vary by state, I'm not sure. Hope that helps!

@Lpr I found it interesting to see the selection of articles that made it above the fold, ranging from the tragic events in MI and Monticello, to the war coverage in Mexico, to bank news, to factoids like the Secretary of State was remaining in DC so became president for the day. Oh and that men wearing Panama hats stirred "Times Square to mirth"! Quite a mix of "all the news that's fit to print." The writing style was also fascinating - different from today's and yet not so much.

@Andrzej the W-9 is a form from the US tax office where employees declare their federal ID numbers, what we call Social Security Numbers (SSN). These numbers are 9 digits long, thus the W-9 nine. :-)

@Ιασων DEMO in this case is short for demographic segment, such as females of a particular age group. I think only statisticians would ever use the term "demo" on the regular - to me, just "demographic" is enough. Demo also means "demonstration" in the world of software development, and that's what I automatically think of.

@Andrzej in American English we say "times" as the verb for multiplication. So 2 times 1 is 2, 2 times 2 is 4, 2 times 3 is 6, etc. Thus the "times" table. IDK if kids still learn rote like this, but I remember struggling with the sixes and how easy I found the sevens for some unknown reason. A time table is a bus or train schedule, yes, but I could see how it might also be used in the plural in some local dialects.

@Ms. Billie M. Spaight but you don't buy them in a sneaker shop, right? Shoes are shoes...

@B the scenario is apt, but the word is "open" not "unshut". 😀

@Andrzej did you figure out DRAKE in the end? It's a male duck. Which apparently Daffy Duck is. What is he called in Polish, I wonder?

@Francis thanks for the tip, I'll try it! Seems to be the right answer if it worked for @andrzej.