Dan Collins

I’ve come to accept that anything goes in the NYT crosswords. I no longer get bent out of shape that I didn’t find it to my liking or too difficult or even quirky as today’s puzzle is. It’s a crossword puzzle and it was created by a talented person with great effort, detail and creativity. When I was at my job as a warehouse worker there wasn’t a forum to discuss my work for the day. Unfortunately in today’s world especially here, people can just say whatever they wish however hurtful it may be and hide behind the screen. Thank you for a challenging and quirky grid. Happy Giraffe 🦒 Day everyone

So y’all know that feeling you get when you think you nailed it but just can’t see your mistake. I’ve gotten over the notion that I must spend mindless time searching. Today I had one letter off and I just didn’t want to spend the time. I hit the help button corrected my mistake took the blue star instead of the gold one and peacefully went on my way. WOW, WHAT A RELIEF. I still feel good about myself!

A single rebus, an alphabet string, a line drawing. Can we shove a few more gimmicks into a puzzle? Sometimes I just don’t get all the fuss. But that’s why there are 7 puzzles per week. Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes you don’t. I didn’t feel it today.

For me (and a lot of my generation) this was the end of my gaming days. (I’m 68) My son and I (mostly my son) completed every possible coin, star and any other doohickey available. So this was a throwback down memory lane. Hours upon hours getting to the next level. These are cherished memories I have. He’s in his late 30’s and teaching our grandson the latest. Fun puzzle. Thanks for the memories. Puzzle wise, I’ve never heard of a “peep toe before. Now I have!

When Friday puzzles appear such as today’s and you scan a few clues, you think to yourself, this is such a daunting task. Then you run through the clues and get a few. You go around a couple more times and your success is starting to become achievable. Next thing you know, it is solved. That was me today. I started out hopeless then just kept going to the well and sure enough she’s done. The clues today really made you stop and think. All in all an enjoyable brain test!

I continue to be amazed by the verbal assaults on constructors. Yes there might be an occasional stretch to make the puzzle work. For me today it was OBTUSER. Not the way I might use it if ever, but it made the puzzle work. These people(constructors) have a gift. I am forever grateful to their craft. I would like to know how many of the complainers have had a puzzle published? Like mom used to say “if you can’t say something nice…………be quiet!

The occasional foreign word is normal. A complete phrase or sentence in my opinion is out of bounds. There were so many regional jargon answers it just wasn’t very fun. Adagio or lento for the music clue. The answer translates less stirred or less agitated. Bring on Sunday.

Yes this was not your typical Monday puzzle. How do we improve if we are constantly handed layups. The comments are brutal. Mine took longer than usual like so many others and I’m fine with that. I got my mental gymnastics in for the day and had to work just a bit harder, making the music at the end that much more rewarding.

Too hard, too easy, too many proper names, too obscure TOO BAD This is a crossword puzzle constructed by a person having a gift. Excessive criticism behind a screen name has unfortunately taken over this column. Some days I get it some I don’t. I just love crosswords. Most days I have one or two fat finger letters and check for mistakes resulting in a blue star. Oh well, there will be another tomorrow.

This puzzle didn’t resonate with me. No, I’m not one of the complainers. I just couldn’t get my head in the same place as the constructor. Sometimes everything comes together and sometimes I’m clueless. Today was the latter. I’m always in awe when long answers are stacked on top of long answers and so on…. Well done.

Love it or loathe it, you must admit the sheer brilliance of the construction. Once I figured out what was happening my brain went in circles figuring the answers. Only 6 minutes over average and I am thankful at that. What a great week to be a cruciverbalist! ( funny but that word is not recognized 🤓)

My favorite clue. “Collectors item”. Brilliant!

Not a fun solve. Everything felt forced. Too many clunkers. The fit but again felt forced. 67 years and never run into frog leg fries. Borderline offensive on the mullet clue.

Great puzzle. I’m not big on recognizing themes so most of the time I come here for an explanation. I am sometimes annoyed by the nit picking and unnecessary political slants taken. It’s a crossword puzzle sometimes they are more difficult than others. I’m in awe of constructors whether it’s a Monday, Saturday or Sunday. Thank you for your efforts.

To say the least this was by far one of the more enjoyable puzzles to complete. Yes some say too easy well that’s on them. I find doing puzzles that send my brain in different directions the most fun regardless of how hard the clues are. Kudos to Sam! I giggled when the lightbulb went off, and THAT IS WHY I LOVE THIS PUZZLE

When I started it seemed a bit large for a Saturday puzzle. Silly me! I got such a late start the Sunday was already loaded in the App and I just clicked the first puzzle in the lineup. 🥸 I guess I’ll be doing Saturdays tomorrow. It’s been a few weeks since we’ve had a rebus, so ugh for the rebus dislikers and hurrah for those that enjoy them. As always I’m in awe of constructors at any level. Thank you for your efforts.

It’s amazing the banter here. One says it’s lazily constructed. Another carps about proper names, people defending the honor of the comment and rebuttal after rebuttal. I’m right you’re wrong, on and on and on. The only thing that would have lit up the conversation more would have been a rebus on a Monday. Perish the thought. Congrats on your debut Steve. I look forward to more from you.

Sorry but did not even come close to enjoying this. Clues were just beyond my scope.

What an amazing debut puzzle. Everything worked! I’m an old guy and side with the Pluto fan club. The number of comments rival that of a rebus filled Thursday. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Bravo.

Minifig had me stumped. What does this have to do with a Lego? I mean I eat them occasionally so what’s the big deal. Then I brooded over it for a minute. The lightbulb went off Mini Figure. My kids are 34 & 36 and haven’t had Legos in the house for years. Mildly challenging puzzle today.

Oh the joy of a new personal best. However, when you shave 20 minutes off of your record it leaves a feeling that it may not be eclipsed for some time. I had a feeling that the comments would just blow up with bestie comments. So here’s mine. Woo hoo!

So many things were far from my thought process. I did not enjoy this puzzle but then again some folk don’t like anchovies like I do. I did persevere and finish but had to settle for a blue star.

BRUTAL JUST BRUTAL. My brain has gone in every direction across time and space with this one. I love Saturday puzzles. I am amused at how concepts have so many different meanings. I knew “rib joints” had to refer to a business of some sort but I just couldn’t get off smoking as in cigarettes. But it did refer to joints just not the kind in my head. 😉

Outstanding puzzle. A rebus for the fans and agonizing for 5he uninformed. Yes a good Caesar salad is hard to come by. Even rarer is when it is served with actual anchovies. In my opinion the best part of 5he salad.

For me this was a brutal puzzle. It was a fine puzzle. But I never got into the mental groove. Nothing made sense until the answer got filled in. I mostly enjoyed the mental gymnastics. As we get older, stretching our brains is critical to survival. I am forever grateful for the brilliant minds who are able to twist and turn words to fill grids. You push us further and keep us thinking. Thank you!

The hat trick of delightful puzzles this week. Wednesday, Thursday and today. Just enough of a challenge to keep you interested but easy enough to not get frustrated. Been doing crossword puzzles for some 50+ years and have never lost interest. Thanks NYT.

Maybe there should be 2 separate forums. One for those who enjoy a challenge and may not get everything on the first go through and another for the nitpicking. It’s a crossword puzzle for goodness sakes. Yes this was a bit more challenging for a Tuesday to some and there are those who aced it. But you can say that about every crossword ever created.

One of the biggest mistakes I make is comparing my time with others. Mind boggling times like 15 or less minutes to knock out this puzzle. On Sunday I’m quite pleased that I finish in under an hour. It’s a big puzzle and I type slow. So my question to the super solvers is this. What do you do with the rest of your day?

Any time the word bloviates appears in a puzzle, makes it a fine puzzle by me!

Does anyone else open the completed puzzle more than once just to hear the ditty that you solved it correctly? 🤓

I truly enjoy rebus puzzles, but this did not resonate with me. The fact the it worked one way or the other ( the root or square ) was so far over my heat it hurt. But that is why it’s a Thursday puzzle. I enjoyed it and hated it all at the same time.

I knew that the only incorrect letter on my grid had to be the y in vibey. I had vibed which worked for quad also as far as an actual word goes. Full disclosure, I sat on the square and put in letters until I got the music. A win is a win!

28 minutes slower than my average. (Yes I know there are folks who solved in less than my extra 28). But I got the gold star and music. 🙃 What a fun puzzle. And a debut yet. Congratulations!

DELIGHTFUL, CRUNCHY, DOABLE!

Nice puzzle today. 7 minutes better than average so, yay me. I do have an observation though. Yesterday at this time there were probably close to 600 or more comments. The boo birds sure come out when a puzzle is above their skill set. Yet a nice medium to slightly difficult one like today’s gets no kudos. So, kudos from me. Well done Willa!

So much banter. So much nitpicking. Must we parse every word. A jacket/coat, a hook/needle, swole/bulk. I believe yesterday the hoo-ha was the rhyming of sari/sorry The list goes on and on throughout the week. Gosh, this was flat out a fun Monday puzzle. Bravo to the construction crew. In addition, the MIDI was quite clever as well.

Once I solved the explanation clue it was a no brainer. Definitely a fun puzzle.

This was a fun puzzle. Once you realize the answers are more like puns the fun really takes off. The answer for 53 down was very easy as it was deep enough in the puzzle that it had to be PUNNY!

For all of us old guys. PLUTO IS A PLANET!

Spent most of the puzzle in leftyfieldy!