Martin Benjamin

I appreciate that a young constructor can poke at older folk with newer pop-culture references like Doja Cat. However, I beg the puzzle editors to keep in mind that you've got an international user base for which an answer like "EZPASSTAGS" is just too local, unless there is some contextualizing clue, e.g., "They really take a toll on the GWB". Asking about E-Z Pass is like expecting people in California to know the name of the restaurant where you hang out with your friends after school.

Usually, when a puzzle has a clue about some item that's outside my experience zone, I figure it out and am glad to add a tidbit of trivia to my general knowledge base. Over the years, that's included knowing some bits and pieces about Mario. However, devoting an entire Sunday to this one topic is a waste of my morning. It's like a bad cup of coffee that you just sort of suffer through.