Lara
Winnipeg
Mennonites mentioned! Always a little bit exciting for us Mennonites
I think this is the first Thursday I've done without any hints or help! I'm proud of myself! I like to set 2 "new years resolutions" every year - 1 very lofty and not necessarily attainable, and 1 that is much smaller and easy. 2024 my attainable goal was to learn how to do crosswords and as the year closes, I've got a streak of 200+ and I feel like I've achieved something! Crosswords and other puzzles (like difficult versions of solitaire) help my ADHD addled brain rest and reset. It feels like pouring a gentle cup of chamomile tea on my brain (or something like that). I appreciate the constructor sharing his story - resilience and recovery are always wonderful to hear. Thank you!
I loved this one! I'm still relatively new to crosswords and this was a no-lookup-Tuesday for me! I'm always pumped when I can achieve that :) I thought the theme was super cute
I'm still relatively new (compared to others) to crosswords - I did NOT understand the theme but I got more of the regular answers than ever before! I'll take that as a personal win. Lately the harder puzzles have been slightly less-difficult for me... maybe I'm getting better!
Happy Canada Day to those that celebrate! I hope the weather is sunny and not too hot wherever you are!
I came in here to say I loved this puzzle! It was really fun and I enjoyed it.
The answer to 32D threw me off because we all know that the postal code for the North Pole is H0H 0H0
I solved this with no hints and did not use rebuses! I just entered "F" (on my desktop) and it was accepted. I saw it as a kooky misspelling and didn't even think about using a rebus. Once I got the first few at the top, it was not too difficult (The bottom centre and RH corners tripped me up a bit)
Winnipeg mentioned!!!! <3
@Grant Libby is the app that most/many libraries use to distribute ebooks and audiobooks. It rose to higher prominence during COVID. I use it all the time - it's a great app! Hook your library card to it and you'll get all the books you want delivered immediately for free! <3
I loved this!! I solved everything without lookups until the final clue and once I read through the help here I got the rest of the word too! I’m proud! What a fun challenging puzzle
@Grant I'm not a Swiftie but yes they would say that it is varied enough. Also her current tour is called the "Eras Tour" and fans will dress up in outfits that match different albums and their themes.
It's interesting to me because this puzzle was pretty straightforward for me - no look ups at all. I had to ponder a few times, change a few letters here and there but that's all. But there are lots of puzzles that I think are insanely difficult and others breeze through in single digit minutes. It's just how our brains work, and which phrases and references are familiar! Thanks this was a fun one!
@Lara I finally got it - WAIFS - but I had to literally do every combination possible. I don't know why this one caused me so much trouble
I got a PR today and this past Wednesday! I was actually getting slower for a long time so this feels good. Have a great weekend everyone!!
@Jane Wheelaghan If you are new to NYT crossword I recommend two articles: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-solve-a-crossword-puzzle.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/article/how-to-solve-a-crossword-puzzle.html</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/crosswords/mini-to-maestro-part-1.html" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/19/crosswords/mini-to-maestro-part-1.html</a> I started at the beginning of the year with my new year's resolution to learn how to do crosswords! These articles have been extremely helpful to me. It's so much fun!
I was excited to know "MAPOTOFU" immediately because I LOVE mapo tofu. It's such a comfort dish! If you haven't tried it, I'd encourage you to give it a whirl!
I loved it! It was challenging but when I got the trick, it was really fun. It made me think and it was a slow puzzle for me but at no point was I totally frustrated. Thank you!!
As a non-American I did not understand the theme and solved mostly with crosses (confused at the answers). The SE corner held me up the most. I'm not sure if I liked this one.... but overall I completed it with more ease than other Thursday puzzles. I think that might be due to getting better at puzzle solving!
I understand that you would RE-TIRE in a pit but I had a good chuckle at the idea of retiring to a pit. Get in the pit!
I did this without any hints! I loved playing Minesweep as a kid. I was pretty good at it! This was a great puzzle - I feel very accomplished :)
@Mean Old Lady I was excited I knew mapo tofu right away. It's one of my favourite dishes! I recommend it highly - it's soft tofu and pork and green peas in a savoury sauce. I'm not Chinese but its such a comfort food for me. The texture is really nice - soft but not mushy or too smooth. If you see it on a menu give it a try!
@Heidi I still can’t figure out what a ROLEO is unless it’s a rodeo for rolling logs? This puzzle was unpleasant for me 😔
I got the theme quickly and thought it was so fun! I blazed through the top half but struggled mightily in the bottom (especially the SE corner). It felt like an appropriate Thursday to me (my toughest day usually). I liked it!
This isn't meme related to me - we played this game growing up as a kid! Yes mostly as a rainy-day recess or gym class option
@Kaitlin There was a similar clue last week so I got it right away. Sometimes when it says "ending" question mark, it means the last letter of the word
I found the clue for WOAH to be quite odd. I had W and A, and the only thing that I could figure out to put there was WTAF, which didn't fit at all. I don't think WOAH or WHOA is particularly involved in the internet
I don’t get 4D - a singer in the family? RAT This was one of my only Saturdays with a single lookup! Proud of myself
This is my all time personal best time! By one second haha but I'll take it! A fun puzzle
I'm relatively new to the world of crosswords (a 2024 hobby) and this was so fun! I love these theme puzzles and this was a challenge but not impossible.
@Jane Wheelaghan Srs is "seniors" - in the US school system (maybe others but not in Canada) they have names for the 4 years of high school. First year is Freshman, 2nd is Sophomore, 3rd is Junior and 4th (and final) is Senior. I don't watch soccer/football either but "ole" as a clue is very common. I always think about seeing crowds chanting "ole, ole ole ole!" Its like a little song that huge crowds sing - I'm sure you could find it on youtube or something. I don't know why they sing this one in particular! A shim we use in Canada too - it's a small piece of wood (usually slightly wedged) that you put under furniture to help level it on a sloped floor. My mom always used wooden paint stirring sticks because they are free but buying a bag of proper shims is very cheap haha
This was really fun! I didn't quite get the theme at first. I had "WHYTHELONGFACE" but then "LONGJOHNSILVER" didn't fit the clues... but once I got it, it was pretty delightful. The clues seemed appropriate for a Wednesday
@Turing congrats! My 365 will be tomorrow and I had a similar trajectory as you. It’s been a great year of puzzles!
@Fred Baumann I thought "double decker checker" with KING meant that King Charles had purview over everything in the UK, including overseeing if people had the correct tickets to ride a double-decker bus. lol oops!
Trying to do that puzzle from 1949... it's diabolical! I don't know any of it.
I got caught by the ETALII/NEIL trap too - but other than having to look that up when I got the "horsefeathers" message, this was a fun puzzle with no lookups! That's a win in my book :)
I appreciated the advice to sit and think with the revealer. Usually I am trying to solve for speed (but not really for any good reason). I came to Wordplay because I was getting really frustrated, but I immediately went back to the puzzle and thought a bit harder and it all clicked! :)
I loved this! Very fun and appropriately challenging. I assumed that Bush and Carter had FARMS which messed up that too right corner for me for awhile but I eventually figured it out
@Harry That's awesome! I'm at 394 and doing the daily crossword is consistently the best habit I have every day!
@JGrey You would have to adjust the "tracking" - so that the picture would be stable. It was like a roller-wheel. If the picture was distorted or flipping, the tracking was off
APITALIAN, ANN and PANEL should also have some reversed letters if they have greyed out squares. That isn't necessarily the constructor but how it is displayed by NYT. Either way, there should be some sort of indication that the theme only applies to the across words. I was stuck on those for a long time.
@Carol I've known quite a few quilters including my own mother and none of them ever seemed to have an issue with "blanket". Perhaps that's a regional thing.
I combed through the comments but didn't see an answer. I don't get "46 years?" being BIDENPRESIDENCY I'm not American so maybe I'm missing something.
I don't understand 71A IFWAS BUTWAS ANDWAS? How are any of these a street urchin?
@EC I agree - hints about igloos and teepees (tepee, tipi etc.) could be phrased in ways that don't exoticize Indigenous groups.
This was a PR for me for Wednesday! I liked it :)
Where's my Pips! Where's my Pips! (said in a chant while I bang the table) Jk I know it said that Pips would be gone July 1 but I'm still sad. I thought it was a fun puzzle and I did them every day! Please consider bringing them back
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