Natdegu

Best Sunday puzzle in ages. Tricky, but not too difficult. To my own surprise, I did not have to look up any answers -- just kept plugging away. "Lea low" and "Murse" were stumpers for awhile. I absolutely loved the theme entries. Are people actually uncomfortable about including words for feminine hygiene products in 2024? Wow. Bravo to the constructor -- more from him please!

What a fun puzzle. It harked back to when Wednesday puzzles were doable, not frustrating. I had a few wrong letters, but they were easy to correct by thinking about the crossing words. I almost looked up what Queen Victoria had named after her, but E_A was a real "doh" moment. The graphic is super to watch! Thanks to the constructor -- let's see more from him.

A great puzzle -- just the right level for a Tuesday. I thought there might be some lookups, but the names of unfamiliar bands and actors were nicely filled in by the crosses. At one point, I had filled in BD_M, thought, "No! Not in the NYT Crossword!" And sure enough, the answer was BDRM (doh). Once I let go of HTTP and put in HTML (another doh), it was all smooth sailing. Did not even realize that the two-word theme answers were all two *body parts* until I read Sam Corbin's column (there were other two-word answers). May all Tuesday puzzles be like this. Congratulations to the constructor. Let's see more from him! P.S. Appreciated the cat-related clues (purrrrrrr).

What a fun puzzle. 17A set me to singing that "classic". Any puzzle that has both Tabby and Van Gogh is A-OK with me. Had never heard of a party foul, but it was easy to fill in. More from this duo, please! Signed, A Proud Canadian

This puzzle was really fun. I laughed out loud many times. It helped that I knew the logic terms, except for "No true Scotsman" (I thought it was filled in wrong, reading it as "Not rue Scotsman"). What a gem of a saying. Yes, there were a number of lookups (I really should have figured out NBAERS). It's supposed to be fun. The swerve between Latin phrases and misspelled slang clues was actually entertaining. Keeps a solver on their toes. And Tolkien clues are a bonus. More from this constructor, please!

Now this is more like it. Lovely puzzle, with a clever payoff. May the puzzles for the rest of the week be equally fun. Bravo, Mr. Lieberman. Encore!

What a fun puzzle! The number of circle squares warned of many possible rebi, but I just kept plugging along. It worked out fine, with some bumps along the way (I filled in a number of wrong words at the beginning). The theme and the science-related clues were wonderful. I left the one actual rebus square blank till the end, looked at the pattern of the SUPERNOVA stars, then -- Boom! (So to speak.) Bed SLAT made me laugh out loud. It was almost a cryptic clue, where the solver has to think very literally and imaginatively at the same time. How on (or off) Earth do the two constructors do all their extracurricular activities, construct a NYT-worthy puzzle, and keep up their marks at Western? This just goes to show that Western students are... not dummies. Bravi! More from this team, please. Go Canada!

What a fun Tuesday puzzle! "Place for boxers to exercise" made me laugh out loud. Some nice misdirections. I was sure that "alternative to essays" would be either tests or exams -- it turned out to be ORALS. The theme was very silly, which is all to the good. Bravo, Boaz Moser!

What a lovely, fun puzzle. The theme entries were doable, once I got the idea. Some clever, misleading clues (others have mentioned racking their brains for a Crayola colour). Let's have more puzzles like this. Bravo to the constructor! P.S.: To those upset about NAVAHO -- it was clued as a variant spelling. P.P.S.: Happy belated Canada Day to all the Canadians out there. Have a good one, eh?

Was able to fill in the rebi with "Up" in some cases, and "Down" in others. The reveal at the end just blew. my. mind. Wow to the tenth power. Please let's have more puzzles from Zhou Zhang. Competitiveness can be a good thing!

A very nice Saturday puzzle -- not impossible, but not too easy. The "galaxies", "small cube", and "tenor... " clues all led me in the wrong direction. I suspected "bigger than a peck" would be SMOOCH. And "church section" is always either apse or NAVE. You just have to wait it out. Very glad to see a Beatles song reference (which could have been VERA or Dave). There were a few lookups (life's too short to agonize over categories one does not know). The misdirections were clever and fun. Bravo to the constructor!

What a great puzzle. The difficulty level was just right for a Wednesday. Once I recognized that there were rebuses (rebi?), it went quite smoothly. Many clever clues could be taken two ways, which makes the solving a satisfying "aha!" moment. A couple of answers eluded me till the end. One could argue about 66A, but why bother. No lookups! That doubles or triples the fun. I leave you with this classic song: "When an eel lunges out, and it bites off your snout, That's a moray."

What a fun puzzle. The theme was clever -- dare I say, chipper? This Canajian fills in the known words, and waits for the Tex-Mex foods to reveal themselves. After thinking I would have to look up the name of a palace, I got a real kick out of 63A (doh). In the end, I filled it all in with no lookups. Lots of tricky, fun clues. More from Barbara Lin, please! P.S.: Chips... chocolate... mmm... must have some.

What a nice Thursday puzzle. It was actually doable (is that a word?). TIL the etymology of the word "Arctic". I caught on to the theme / trick fairly early, although totally missed that the letters were L and R (in their correct spots!). Had to look up several US athletes, but I did get RASTA. Loved the blinking lights at the end! A great construction. Hats off to Adam Wagner, and may your road be smooth and uncluttered.

A fun Thursday puzzle. Not too impossibly difficult, although I slogged away without knowing the theme for quite awhile. But once I got 7D, the light dawned (OPALESCED?). Bonus: though some answers were unknown quantities, the crossings meant I did not have to look anything up. Yay! "Unwanted pop-ups?" was a hoot. More from Royce Ferguson, please.

What a great puzzle. The clues with blanks were quite solvable (the second one was easy enough to show a solver how to do them). I laughed out loud several times. Was actually surprised when the triumphant music played -- I thought my fill-in for 44A must be a mistake -- the NYT would never allow that word! Thanks to the constructor for a fun puzzle that made one think. Also, for clues that did not require any lookups by this Canadian senior.

An amazingly fun puzzle. TOSCA, ESCHER, and Lake ERIE in one grid? I felt as if I had come home. Not to mention the punny theme, and the bonus clever, misleading clues. And cheeeeese, Gromit! Too-too wonderful, Ginny. Let's see more from you soon!

What a great puzzle, especially for this hot summer. Was able to fill in every square without lookups (a rarity these days). That makes it so much more fun. The theme revealed itself when the puzzle was done. Yum, yum. My favourite flavours in a multi-scoop cone are dark chocolate and maple walnut. How about you? Congrats to the constructor. More, please!

Such a fun puzzle. I'd love to solve it over, and over, and over, and... Bravi to the constructors! British cryptics are a totally different animal (a hedgehog?). Love to solve them too, but they can be frustrating. John Ewbank and Colin Thomas succeeded in creating an enjoyable, clever, Monday-level NYT-style puzzle. More, please.

This was fun! Only had to look up one answer (football-related). Football puts me to sleep -- so sue me. Knew that 17A had to be John Glenn, but obviously that did not work, so... hmm... what was going on? Possibly my Canajian ignorance of some of the theme answers was a plus here, as there were no preconceived notions (er, Washington did not work for the president). A nice combination of fun and tricky. I actually LOLed when realizing how to write in the "special" answers. More from this constructor, please! (The demons who create British cryptic crosswords are referred to as "setters" -- woof!)

What a fun puzzle. I did notice fairly early on that all the clues started with B. That helped with some of the solving. It was a good Wednesday puzzle -- a bit tricky, but not insanely difficult. And no rebuses (rebi?). Hurray! Not going to get into the controversy over Bach and etudes. That way, madness lies. It's a crossword puzzle, folks, not a PhD thesis. Enjoy. A very Happy BDay to you, MaryEllen. Hope to see more of your clever constructions.

What a fun puzzle. 9D was an old friend, and filling it in gave me the feeling that everything would be OK. I loved the misleading clues (45D took awhile to get right). Was sure I would have to look up 38A but it turned out to be a "doh" moment. It's really refreshing to do a clever puzzle without those current cultural references that, ahem, puzzle some of us. Merci beaucoup for 30A. As for the to-do about 55A -- come on. It's a crossword puzzle. Some (other) constructors play with language as if it were taffy. Congratulations to Ernest Lim. Let's have more from him.

Nice, fun, chewy puzzle. Just right for a Wednesday. The middle left gave me some problems (I had never heard of 25D), but eventually, it all worked out. The representation of the haunted mansion was wonderful. Better to enjoy this puzzle now than wait for next Halloween. Congrats to the constructor -- let's have more from her!

Lovely puzzle. This one was actually easier for me. and more fun, than yesterday's main puzzle. LOTSA the answers were right in my wheelhouse. Congratulations to a fellow Torontonian! Let's have more puzzles from Jared Cappel.

Great puzzle today. The theme was obscure, but luckily I did not have to solve the theme in order to get the right answers. When the light dawned, that theme was an absolute hoot. Marc Chagall would have appreciated the namecheck. I knew "parkour" from various suspense books featuring people younger, spryer. and bolder than I am. Perfect Strands today; perfect Connections today (to get *one* of those perfect is extremely rare for me). However, the Mini was a challenge. Does anybody else think the Minis are getting more difficult? Maybe I'm just trying them too early in the day (never was, and never will be, a morning person). Tom McCoy needs congratulated. More from him, please!

Wow! Two fun puzzles in a row! Any puzzle that has ASTAIRE and ROGERS is my jam. Not forgetting, of course, FIDDLER, and the clever circled letters. Then there was INEZ and the ever-reliable Julius Caesar (he might have boasted, but he had a lot to boast about). The most fun Wednesday puzzle I can remember. Please, more from this constructor.

What a lovely tribute to the Man of a Thousand Voices. Those cartoons still are the best ever made, with their wacky humour, fluid visuals, and of course, Mel Blanc's incredible talent. There is a special place in my heart for "One Froggy Evening", and for Marvin the Martian. "Give me back my space modulator!" Thanks to the constructors, and thank you, Mel. "I knew I shoudda toined left at Albaquoique!"

This was just the right level for me. Not too impossibly difficult, but certainly not a gimme. Several words that I stubbornly clung to had to be changed in the end. I only had to look up one word (the Mexican stew). That gave me the correct answer to "Strike one!" -- a great, funny, misleading clue, among many others in this puzzle. I am now mildly curious about "Everything is Illuminated", although films with that setting tend to be sad. More from Michael Lieberman, please.

Worked away at this till the "aha!" moment. Once 63A was filled in, it all became clear. The rebuses (rebi? reboids?) were reasonable -- only three of them, and they read the same across and down. No lookups! The Beatles and Tina FEY are in my comfort zone, as are MARCEL Duchamp and the ELAND. The clue for 11D suggested "midwife", so the answer was not a huge stretch (so to speak). Nice Wednesday puzzle -- a challenge, but not insanely difficult.

What a fun puzzle. I smiled a lot. If I hadn't clung to "Foot" for 1D, it would have gone faster. However. So nice to have a Wednesday puzzle that is solvable (soluble? -- note to puzzlers: immersing electronic devices in water is not recommended). Bravo, Parker Higgins! Encore!

What a fun puzzle. Clever, misleading clues and a nice theme -- just the right level for a Tuesday. (I managed to solve it while half-asleep.) More like this, please! And yes, give that constructor a CIGAR!

What a fun Monday puzzle, with a clever theme. I now do not look at the time it takes to do a puzzle. That makes it much more fun. (A recent Mini which took 2 minutes was an outlier. I hope.) Hats off to the constructor! More from him, please.

Lovely, refreshing Wednesday puzzle. Guaranteed rebus-free (was pest control involved?). CHEESEDOG made me smile, and, with the other clever theme entries, was perfectly punsensible. FERMI and CURIE are old friends, and the car models were not difficult. Now, as to why the NYT is making me sign in again every time I want to do a different puzzle... or could it be the devious computing machine? Very nice start to the day. Hats off to the constructors!

What a fun puzzle! This book person found the theme heartwarming. And the constructor mentioned at least one more book with his "Frank account?" Those who knew the inventor of Pepsi without using the crosses, raise your hands. Then you can pat yourselves on the back. Some clever cluing. Sea otters and seals are always welcome. If only the Spelling Bee would accept NONO and Gogo (and Luff, and Alee)... Hats off to the constructor. You win a free book of your choice!

What a clever puzzle! The vowel-consonant alternation made it a bit tricky, but also made it easy to spot any wrong guesses. Above all, it was *fun*. The genius from Kazakhstan and the name of the band were the icing on the cake. My hat is off to the constructor. (Bows)

This was a fun Thursday puzzle. Once I caught on to the idea, the main challenge was tapping in and out of Rebus. There were not too many difficult clues (just a few lookups). I got the idea of "noted name with an Oscar", but spelled it wrong at first (some people pronounce that last name differently). And... I went to check the completed puzzle, and managed to wipe out the whole thing. Oh well -- it will end up being my fastest Thursday ever! Please deliver large pizza *now*!

What a nice, puzzle, after some very frustrating ones this week. The grid-spanners looked daunting, but were actually doable once I filled in a few of the Down words. Did not use Wordplay, but an idle glance at the photo helped me with a really puzzling clue. I still didn't get HIT ME, even after filling it in (kept thinking, "The legal drinking age in the US is 21, so... ?"). What a clever misdirection. So sorry for your loss.

What a fun puzzle. A bit crunchy -- just right for a Tuesday. The words I didn't know could eventually be filled in by the crosses. Did put in SOFA, then erased it, but it turned out to be right. Yes, a lot of synonyms for money are words for food (yum). But, as well as MOOLAH, there is simoleons, and probably many other non-food words. The theme was clever and delightful. Bravo, Jesse Guzman!

A great Sunday puzzle. The theme clues / answers were witty. The constructor has a gift for sly humour. The level of difficulty was just right -- fun and funny, instead of ridiculously frustrating. I confess to a few lookups after filling in the grid, but I took my best STAB at it. More from this constructor, please!

This was a difficult one. I probably should have backed away from the puzzle, slowly, and come back to it later in the day. Did not know that nickname for Cromwell (I kept trying to fit in "regicide"). The clue with "trunk" made me flip back and forth between elephants and large suitcases. Could not remember whether spiders had eight EYES or eight LEGS. However -- TUCKET was familiar, from an old British comedy skit (the Two Ronnies?). And I saw "... LIBERTY VALANCE" back when movies were projected on the cave wall. APEROL? Is that a favourite of our primate cousins?

Still struggling with this puzzle. OK, so the theme is: one sound is replaced by another. Have to love all the Qs, but other than that... Also, just when I figured out how to copy my Connections result and share it, the connection (ahem) to that comment section went away. It used to be at the bottom of the Wordplay column. Where did it go? Please help. It's bad enough being the 51st state.

Great puzzle. From 1A on, I felt comfortable with it. The theme was clever, fun, and above all, not hellishly difficult to figure out. Even the unfamiliar items had crossing words that helped. I only had to look up one term in the SE corner. Congratulations to Nathan Hale! (Did not know he was still active.)

What a great puzzle. Lots of fun, and the theme entries were the icing on the cake. Only one lookup. I had to change some guesses, but so be it. (My first thought for the far-sighted bird was Eagle, which of course didn't fit. Ahem.) Congrats to the constructors. More from them, please!

Very nice puzzle, with a clever theme. Some tricky clues (like "Lose one's shirt", which had me stumped till the end). As for Peter Pan, I thought, "well, maybe the animated cartoon had a flying bus?" The constructor hit the right level of difficulty to be fun and challenging without being frustrating. Bravo! More from Hanh Huynh, please!

Great Tuesday puzzle. It was fun, and just the right level of difficulty. The theme entries were clever but silly. We can always use more humour these days. Had never heard of "yassify", but the crossing words gave it to me (yass, they did). More from this constructor, please! The Mini was also a treat, with a theme (vroom!). My partner has been attending car races since the horse and buggy days (not quite), so that made it all the more fun. Minis should be a tasty little appetizer before the main puzzle entree.

Really nice puzzle. Just the right difficulty level for a non-morning person to solve on a Wednesday. The theme answers were funny, and not ridiculously difficult. I had to start over on a few guesses that didn't work out. But I didn't have to look up anything! A big plus. Could we have more puzzles from this constructor, please. But Henry the Eighth = 4H? Off with his head! (See history, or great old movie with Charles Laughton.)

Very clever puzzle, fun to solve -- and *no* lookups! Thanks so much to Jeff Chen -- let's see more from him.

Terrific Thursday puzzle. The rebus was possible for mere mortals to work out. The theme clue was clever and funny. Though I tackled this one much earlier in the day than normal, there were no lookups and this turned out to be my personal best time for a Thursday. A big hand to the constructor!