Joe

This one had a few tough spots, but was otherwise pretty breezy for a Friday. Finished 40% under my average time. 32D, GREEN BELT, put me in mind of my late mother. In the early 1970s, we were living in a small farming and coal mining town in southeastern Ohio (population around 5,000). At one point, the coal company started strip mining, using a giant earthmover called the GEM of Egypt, and was planning to strip to the edge of town. As I recall, they planned to strip to the edge of the high school parking lot. My mother and a friend thought this was absurd. My mother got herself appointed as head of the planning commission, which was unpaid and not considered actually a significant job. My father was a doctor and I suppose the town council thought she was just a bored housewife who’d plant flowers and put up banners on Main Street. But she, along with her friend, parlayed it into something more and they started demanding meetings with the coal company and the governor’s office. People organized protests. The NYT, and other papers, sent reporters. My mother got death threats. On one morning I remember my father going out to start her car as one caller had told her to be careful when she did that. In the end, the town got a two-mile greenbelt and my mother and her friend got written in Time, which called them “redoubtable matrons.” So, thank you for bringing me that memory.

I solved this in less than half my average time…something I have to say I owe to my wife, who was a horticulturist and who still starts who-knows-how-many plants under grow lights in winter, before moving them out to her small greenhouse, and with whom I watch gardening shows so she can get ideas for our (well, her) gardens. To save myself embarrassment, I’ve had to learn flower names so we don’t keep having conversations like: Me: “I like that flower there.” Her: “Which one?” Me: “That blue one.” Her: “Which blue one? There are three different plants with blue flowers.” Etc. Etc. Etc.

Honestly, I didn’t pay attention to the shaded squares while I was doing the puzzle since I was finding this sort of challenging for a Monday (though I managing to finish in around 30% under my average time). So, it wasn’t until I came to the column and read the constructor’s note that I went back to take a look. Understanding the context, I found the puzzle, itself, quite moving. Blessings on Kenneth Cortes, and on anyone who’s had to have an unnecessarily difficult conversation about who they are. I hope the puzzle opens some bridges between those who are gay or trans and the people in their lives.

This one was tough for me…finished about 40% above my average time…but, honestly, I’m satisfied as I was able to finish with no help. At first, when I solved 23D/52A, I thought, “That’s odd…only one rebus.” When I finished, and looked at the finished grid, however, I thought, “Aha! Perfect.” Thanks to Rebecca Goldstein for a good start to my day.

I see a lot of complaints today so I want to add my appreciation for the puzzle, which I found a challenging workout that I finished ten percent over my average time, but without any help, so I was quite satisfied. Congratulations to Nat Wiegmann on joining the family business, and to Brad.

While a number of people seem unhappy with the crossword, I enjoyed it. It took me a bit to suss the theme but once I did it went fairly smoothly and I finished around 30% under my average. A pleasant way to start Sunday, along with my coffee…so, thank you, Michael Lieberman.

I found this moderately challenging (finished around 15% under my average time) and quite an enjoyable way to start my Wednesday, having coffee, telling my dog to stop barking at the squirrels, chipmunks and birds who only want their breakfast at our various feeders, and listening to Art Blakey’s Paris Jam Session. It was only when I started writing my comment that I went back and read the Gameplay column, and the constructors’ note. I am so sorry for your loss, truly. I believe we’re supposed to make the world a better place by our being in it and it seems your neighbor Isa did that. May you and their partner find solace in your grief.

When I finished, I thought of one of the tropes from rom-coms…that someone despises another person but can’t extract themselves, and ends up falling in love with the object of their initial enmity. Early on, I absolutely hated this puzzle with all its two-part answers across and so many down clues that I couldn’t solve immediately. I thought about giving up but then thought about my steak of 1,000-plus, so pushed on…and slowly, as it all started falling in place, I came to love this puzzle. Finished 10% under my average time…so, thank you Daniel Bodily for an enjoyable start to my day.

Took awhile to find my way in and at first I hated this puzzle and assumed I’d end up looking up a few to finish but eventually I found a toehold and finished around 30% under my average time without help. This is one of my favorite puzzles in a long while. Congratulations to Hoang-Kim Vu for a first-rate piece of work.

I am surprised by how many didn’t enjoy this puzzle…not criticizing those who weren’t fond of it, as de gustibus and all that, just sincerely surprised as this one was fun for me. Finished 40% under my average. Delighted to see a debut of ELAINE STRITCH.

I cringed at SLEEKEN, and ever a bit at DOTER…so I got curious about if, or when, they might’ve shown up in the past. Before today, SLEEKEN (which spell check questions with a wavy red line) had shown up three times: February 8, 1981; May 8, 1960; and November 2, 1953…all clued as “Make smooth.” DOTER has shown up 37 times, most recently, before today, on December 1, 2011. As for the rest of the puzzle…I found it a decent challenge for a Wednesday, finishing a minute under my average time.

The theme took me back 60+ years to my brief, far-less-than-stellar stint in little league baseball when, after each game, we’d give a cheer for the other team, win or lose: TOO FOR SICS ATE WHO DO WE APPRECIATE? (Fittingly, then there were several baseball-related clues/fills…and I was delighted to learn that the AREA of a baseball infield is around 8100 square feet, which I should’ve known, given the distance between the bases, but never thought to do the math.) Early on, I thought I’d end up with a personal best, but ran into snags as I moved toward the south. Still, I finished around 40% under my Tuesday average. Enjoyed a number of the clues along the way: “One who might call you out if you’re home late,” for UMP. “The decline of Russia?” for NYET.

I was surprised to see that XWStats rates this as “very hard,” as I finished around 30% under my average time (though, I hasten to add, still two minutes above the median time of solvers reporting their scores to the site). There were quite a few I had no idea about but there were enough crossing fills I was able to figure things out. I am far from a fan of soccer (football) and the only one among the WORLD CUP WINNERS I knew for certain was AV[ENG]E, and only because of an episode of Endeavour set in 1966. I appreciated several clever clues, especially “Used one” for PAWN, and (as someone who has to work hard to keep my weight within a range that won’t earn me a talking to by my doctor when I go in for my regular checkups),I also appreciated that 14A was LET OUT not “take in” … and I know the latter wouldn’t fit. Despite my relative good solve time today, I have done enough puzzles not to get cocky, since I know that tomorrow the crossword could well have me tearing out what little hair I have left. .

Came close to my PB today and finished roughly 50% under my average time. Loved the puzzle especially since SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE is one of my favorite albums. In fact, three years ago this past Thursday I walked with my daughter down the aisle at her wedding to “As.”

This was quite tough…finished around 25% above my average time, but with no help, so I’m quite satisfied. Beyond that, it gave me an excuse to sit a bit longer on my deck, looking out over the woods, watching the birds, and drinking coffee before I have to get down to the day’s work…so, thank you for the challenge, Rich Katz.

This one was tough for a Monday, as I solved about 20% over my average time. Still, I admired the puzzle, especially some of the clever clues: 17A, “Device that helps you make a point in class” for PENCIL SHARPENER; 27A, “Toy likely to be found in a pop-up store?” for JACK-IN-THE-BOX; 8D, “ Soul from Seoul” for KIA. I did know what ASMR was only because last year the White House posted a video of handcuffed immigrants being loaded onto a plane in which the only sound was the clinking of chains and they labeled it as “ASMR.” Since I didn’t then know what that meant I looked it up.

I started very slowly today..the first fill I had was ANI Difranco…but once I found a toehold, I managed to pick my way through this and finished much more quickly than I thought I might. In fact, after I fixed a clumsy typo that kept me from getting the star immediately, I was surprised to see that my time was more than 30% under my average. While I didn’t need the theme to solve today, once I finished I admired its cleverness.

I appreciate this puzzle enormously. It took a bit to find a toehold, and I solved it fairly chaotically, bouncing around the grid. I was tempted a couple times to look something up, but I managed to work through the ones I had no idea about, and finished around 25% under my average time. Thanks to the constructor for a pleasant start to my day.

I hated this at first, with all of the down fills in the north clued by dashes, and I assumed I’d end up surrendering and looking up quite a few…but I kept plugging and after the revealer I started enjoying it and finished without any help 40% under my average time. Nice job.

Count me among those who found this an appropriate Sunday workout. I enjoyed the theme. Finished around 15% under my average time…but was surprised when I got the star, as there were a couple I was uncertain about.

I enjoyed this quite a bit. Took me a bit to find my way in but once I did I solved fairly quickly (around 40% under my average time. I loved the theme..honestly, every theme clue tickled my funny bone.

A delightful puzzle, with an appropriate mix of gimmes and head-scratchers for a Tuesday. I was surprised, though, when I got the star and saw my time was 40% under my average. I can’t think of BADDA-BING-BADDA-BOOM without thinking of the film Fifth Element. <a href="https://youtu.be/j8WLYzA0lCs?is=sqdlEuyddnYN6shF" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/j8WLYzA0lCs?is=sqdlEuyddnYN6shF</a>

This was a solid Friday puzzle, I thought. I was surprised I finished pretty much exactly 20% under my average time (which puts me on the nose with the median solver, according to XWStats)—surprised, since until I got the star I felt as if the puzzle were quite challenging. I got misled in a couple places since I entered an answer I was certain about only to figure out I was wrong when the crossing fills made no sense…”Meh” instead of MID at 7D; “Calls” instead of TOLLS at 23D. So, thank you to Rafael Musa for a good start to the solving weekend. Your two-year wait may have been hard for you but it was worth it for this solver.

I was surprised to see a rebus on a Wednesday, though it was easy enough to figure out…and I enjoyed it quite a bit. Nice feat of construction to arrange the UTs into the pattern. Loved quite a few clues, especially 24A, “The remotest of remote jobs” for ASTRONAUT. I also appreciated the alternate clueing for a familiar answer: 9D, “Gas brand seen in Edward Hopper’s ‘Portrait of New Orleans,’” for ESSO. I didn’t know that painting but now I do. Finished around 30% under my average. Thanks to Peter Gorman for the pleasant start to my day.

One of my favorite puzzles in a long while. I appreciated so many misdirects: 35D, “Acrobat’s display,” for PDF FILES; 49A, “It has a light bulb,” for DAFFODIL; 28A, “Peace sign?” for DO NOT DISTURB; 18A, “Low volume,” for TEASPOON…. Thought for a while I’d have to look up a couple but I managed to push through in about 10% under my average time.

I know a lot of people complained about how easy this was (and I solved it around 50% under my average time), but I enjoyed it. Took me a bit to find my way into the crossword and I ended up solving it SE to NW, but, hey, it’s a Saturday morning here (in the US Midwest), and there was also coffee, so a pleasant start to what will now be a hectic day.

This felt challenging for a Wednesday, though I finished around 20 percent under my average time…that it seemed challenging is not a complaint, as I appreciated it (though it did bring up issues of inferiority, as someone who has never solved a Rubik’s Cube…not even in 2.76 days, not to mention seconds). So, thanks to the constructors for a very nice start to my day.

It took me a bit to find my way into the puzzle, and to suss the theme, but once I did it went pretty quickly and I solved around 25% faster than my average. Got hung up briefly at the end b cause, while I knew right off that 14D was PTOLEMY, and that it began PT, I initialed misspelled it PTOLoMY, which snagged me for 27A, thinking it must be ALPHA hALo. Be that as it may, I loved so much of the clueing: 10D, “Biblical second coming,” for EVE 17A, “Like the name of former soccer star Mark De Man,” for APT. I also appreciated the novel clues for a couple crossword regulars, ENO and ROE. OLE to Joel Woodford.

This was challenging, but in a way I appreciate. I thought I’d end up needing help in a few places but I worked through them and finished about five percent under my average time. Loved the theme…especially PAST PERFECT for “History: A+” and PARKING FINE for “Driver’s Ed: B+.” Oh, heck, all of them, now that I look at the puzzle again. On the controversy over 20A (“Sporty vehicles, for short”: UTES), I got this immediately. (a.) UTE has shown up often in the crossword, and (b.) SUV is short for sport utility vehicle.

It took me a bit to find my way into the crossword, and to pick up on the theme, and as I often do on Thursdays (and Sundays) I bopped around the grid for a while, clicking on the longer fills, searching for a theme revealer. Eventually I made my way in, and figured out the theme, and began enjoying myself, finishing 20% under my average time. A wonderful puzzle…and happy 17th anniversary to the constructor and her partner.

Took me a bit to find my way into this but once I did it went fairly smoothly and I finished in around a third of my average time. Enjoyed the clueing for 12 A (“Announcements before giveaways,” for SPOILER ALERTS), 38A (“Satellite alternative,” for AMFM), and I also liked learning that the Mayan name for ARMADILLOS translates to “turtle-rabbit” and that ATARI came from a term from Go. A personal story about 21D (Tom DOOLEY): As a young kid in the ‘60s, before I ever really listened to the lyrics of the song, I thought it was about the (since disgraced) medical missionary Thomas Dooley, who’d gone to med school with my father at St. Louis University, and about whom my father often told funny stories, usually having to do with his apparent indifference to the rules, which meant he didn’t graduate with my father and the rest of the class of ‘52, but took another year. Back then, before the information came out about his collaborating with the CIA, he was a hero, in the country at large and most certainly in our household. I used to think, “Wow! They even wrote a song about him.”

I enjoyed this puzzle quite a bit; solved around 40% under my average time and loved a number of the clever clues: 54A “Deuce follower,” for AD IN; 49D “Do business,” for SALON; 34A, “Style with spotty coverage,” for POINTILLISM. As to 19A, I’d never heard of the film “Empire of the ANTS” until today, but now I have to see it.

I sincerely enjoyed this puzzle, sitting on my deck, looking at the woods behind my house, listening to the birds. I thought for a while I might end up with a PB but ran into a snag because I forgot that MARK WAHLBERG spelled his name with an H. Still, I finished at just about half of my average time.

A bit sticky for a Monday, which I appreciated, since I usually open the puzzle already missing the Thursday-Sunday challenges. I see XWStats rates it as “hard,” which seems fair, though I did finish around 30 percent under my average time..but slower than I have been more recently.