Nick
Vancouver
Though I solved slightly faster than my average time, I thought this puzzle had a touch more bite than a typical Wednesday.
Well, like others, I smashed my personal best for a Saturday. Unlike others, my minutes weren’t measured in single digits, though the double digit minute count did begin with a one. I don’t know how people post those 4, 5 and 6 minute times. Even on a Monday where the answers come seamlessly, I can’t read and process the questions and type my responses that quick. Maybe the fact that I’m solving on my phone has something to do with it? Anyway, my hat’s off to those capable of the feat.
Too…. tough… for…. a….. Tuesday. I was literally about to call an end to my second longest ever streak when I happened “play” (as in, I won the lotto!) just the right combination of mystery letters I was stuck on, and the gold star was very (very, very, very) luckily had. Won’t bore people with the combination of letters I was stuck on in various parts of the puzzle, but a skim of the comments suggests I was not alone in my difficulties.
To preserve my personal best streak, I pushed this one right to the time limit and couldn’t get it done. In the end, it was the southwest corner that did me in, though the whole puzzle was a brutal, grind-it-out, slog. But if a streak is going to end, I guess I’m glad it’s on a puzzle that no “Aha!” moment was going to save for me. In any event, I’m proud of my 61 day no lookup and no hints streak. A few years ago I’d never have imagined achieving such results.
That was just right for a Thursday! I didn't get the theme until ~ 95% complete, but ultimately decoding A Star is Born to read as A Star is B or N was essential to getting me the rest of the way home.
Nifty theme. Took me a while to get it but, even when I did, it still required careful thought to complete several of the themed entries. Hard Wednesday/easy(ish) Thursday for me. I liked it!
My misplaced confidence that pAniC was assuredly right led to me being stymied in the NW for a long time. A long, long time. I nearly called it quits on my decent (by my standards) 19 day streak. The aha(!) moment came when I realized, in spite of being sure an “I” was the fourth letter in 19A, that AUTOS was nonetheless the correct fill and therefore pAniC was not the sure thing I assumed it to be. HAVOC immediately followed and the NW rapidly fell into place. My middling streak lives on at 20.
Per Deb, I absolutely admired 24D. I thought it in the moment, and I’m glad to see I wasn’t alone. There have been myriad great clues over the handful of years I’ve been doing the NYT Crossword (about 7 maybe?), but this one stands out as one of my favourites.
I’m Canadian, and I know my provinces. But ALB had me hung up to the end. I got the gold star solvent by way of the cross of LOUD, and only had the “aha!” moment after the fact.
@Mick You could make that claim about any big city. But I’d disagree. The vast majority of drivers know what to do. Sadly, too many of them think rules and courtesy don’t apply to them.
@Barry Ancona Agreed, very easy week so far. However, while not what I’d typically expect from a Thursday puzzle, Tuesday may be too far in the other direction. A Wednesday feels about right to me. P.S. I’m getting within striking range of my all time best streak (modest as it may be by some high standards here). I feel like I may be jinxing my chances with the comment I made above!
@Dave K I’m right behind you at 1791!
Dunno how to feel. Inventive (and difficult) theme which I admired. Challenging cluing, bordering on obscure, which I didn’t. Got it done without lookups, but it was a difficult slog. In the end, I probably lean toward admiration because this is a puzzle I will remember.
I did not PB any of Friday, Saturday or Sunday. But I am confident that this three-day Friday, Saturday and Sunday stretch was easily my quickest such stretch ever.
Proof that a puzzle doesn’t have to be particularly hard to be fun.
@Zach “One of” - so not necessarily the largest.
Ok, so I just established a new personal best streak (adhering to my very strict no lookups, cheats or hints policy) at 62. If it weren’t for a slap the forehead mistake 63 puzzles ago, my streak would stand at 81. No false modesty here, I’m proud of the streak and where I’ve come from when first taking on the challenge of NYT crossword puzzles after previously limiting myself to the far easier local newspaper puzzle here in Vancouver (for those interested, the newspaper is The Vancouver Sun). However, proud as I may be, I’m questioning the quality of the streak: the past few months of crosswords have either been easier than the typical puzzle of the previous 5 years (or so), or I’ve legitimately gotten better. I’d like to believe the latter, but suspect the former. FWIW, when my previous best of 61 ended, it was a Sam Ezersky puzzle that broke the streak. Im certain in saying there have been no puzzles as challenging as the one produced by that (notorious?) constructor, but I’d dare say the average puzzle has been easier this time round also. Thoughts?
Agree with most posters so far - it was an easy Saturday. Very close to my PB, and about 70%(!) faster than my Saturday average. There was another extraordinarily easy Saturday 6 to 12 months ago. That and this one are true outliers.
@Matt My experience also. Apart from the PUTTEES / STUPA cross, the bottom half to 2/3 of the puzzle went quite smoothly for a Saturday. The upper 1/3 was a more typical Saturday grind for me. Nevertheless, I was successful and my streak stays alive. Edging ever closer to my personal best.
@Steve L You could be right Steve, but I suspect differently in my case. I’m not a particularly fast reader either. But I’m not perturbed by the matter, as streaks matter more to me than time, and on that front I think I do well (though not as well as you with a 4 digit solve streak to your name!) with my strict no hint/cheat/lookup policy. For me I simply enjoy the process of sifting through my memory banks for the esoteric fill that comes with late week puzzles, and advancing my own modest streak which is approaching my PB of 61 (and would currently stand at over 70 were it not for a single December mistake that was head-slappingly obvious but to which I was blind in spite of the seeming endless time I spent flying-specking the puzzle… oh well).
@Steve L For a Tuesday, I too was flummoxed. While I solved the puzzle easily, I did so without ever deciphering the theme. I had to read Sam’s article for that “Aha!” moment. That said, had this been a Thursday or Sunday puzzle, I feel confident that the extra level of forced concentration required by such puzzles would have led me to the “Aha!” on my own. Regardless, it was clever.
My goodness, did the intersection of 59A with 60D have me flummoxed in the Southeast corner for the longest time. I was sure oWN was the correct fill for 60D, and my stubbornness clinging to that belief was my hindrance, though not undoing. Once I let go of my incorrect assumption, the corner came together and my unaided steak lives on at 54. Phew!
Not afraid to admit this theme flew WAY over my head. After reading Wordplay, I get it, but never would have without the explanation. Nonetheless, I managed to solve it while adhering to my “no lookups” personal rule.
I haven’t read word play nor any of the comments because I don’t want spoilers. Just want to ask, without seeking a hint, if there was a mistake in today’s crossword or more than one viable solution? I’ve double, triple and quadruple checked, and I can’t find what I think to be an error in my fill. Usually I have a pretty good idea if something may be amiss, but I’d have to say that I’m reasonably confident my fill is valid. My best ever 51 day streak (no lookups) is at stake! Yes/no?
@Matthew I just posted almost the same comment regarding 24D (before I read yours of course)!
@Steve L My third to last square at which I guessed the most likely vowel. Turns out my guess was right after filling my second to last, and then last, squares which were of the “Doh, how did I not see that earlier” variety.
Question for the community. Is there a way to have a gold star removed from my record? When solving, I’m quite strict about no lookups - for me, that’s just what feels right. On Sunday, I felt sure I had several mistakes in my puzzle and resigned myself to check the comments. I had no idea of the New Jersey Burrough, but felt confident I was correct in the chosen Pope’s names being SIXThS (as in 5 Popes had been the 6th to choose a particular name). I’d never heard of SIXTUS, so when I saw it in the comments I changed my “h” to a “U” just to see if it would help me uncover the other mistakes I was sure I had. Well, lo and behold, immediately popped up the gold star. If it was just some random Sunday I’d let it slide. But this Sunday puzzle pushed by personal best streak to 49 when it should only be 48. It just doesn’t sit right with me…. especially when I’m unsure if or when I’ll be able to duplicate or better this particular streak.
@Pani Korunova and my experience also reflected yours…. except I never did swap the s for an M. No gold star today.
@Andrew Wow, as a Canadian, married to a Spanish speaking Mexican, that comment resonated with me on multiple levels. I’ve seen a lot of witty comments here before (very honourable mention to Mike on this front), but that was an 11 out of 10. Well done sir!
@Jamie I, like many, didn’t know OASTS either. Nor did I know TOLET. So I partially cycled the alphabet to get the common T in both (and get my gold star).
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