Dan Collins

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

Two days in a row with delightful solves. Just enough to keep you on your toes today.

Favorite clue/answer Conspiracy theorist accessory Tinfoil hat Giggles Nice challenge today. We were forced to think in many different directions.

Is it me or am I missing something. I am still a bit clueless as to a theme for today. I happy to have solved faster than my average. I’ve read the article and parsed it all out but still am in the dark. I will share that my day is never complete until the NYT crossword is solved wether I get the theme or not.

Favorite clue/answer Stud to studious! My kind of humor.

My lightbulb went off with teacher edition. I thought it was gonna have a speed bump effect with the s in sedition. Making it teacher’s edition. But I came down with Mother Earth. Truly an enjoyable puzzle.

I just love a good Monday puzzle that brings out some controversy (@$$ backwards). I got a chuckle reading 28 then 34 across consecutively. Oh the 10 year old in me shows himself again.

Took me a minute to get the idea after the solve. My only grievance is that on the face of a die the portion that is not a PIP is a solid surface not filled with letters. So for me it’s a bit of a head scratcher.

Once you realize that most of the pertinent clues contained a K it was fairly straightforward. I blundered CRONE misspelling kamikazis. So I missed a gold star by 1 letter. Alas.

I thought 2D EVENER was a bit of a stretch. Yes it may be grammatically correct but it just plain awkward.