And an excellent, smooth solve for the puzzle itself. I'm a little astonished that he's only been in the NYT 15 times, since he's one of my favorite constructors.
― Mike Mignola Electric Co. (Leee), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:08 (three years ago) link
A great puzzle with a bunch of surprising answers.
― baelien (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:17 (three years ago) link
Wow that’s a seriously great essay from Collins
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:31 (three years ago) link
Loved yesterday’s too
i mean, there are many ways you could clue “PORT” - i love it when it’s this chewy
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:35 (three years ago) link
virtual ACPT next weekend - anyone signed up?https://www.acptonline.com/event-details/43rd-american-crossword-puzzle-tournament-1
― donna rouge, Friday, 16 April 2021 02:37 (three years ago) link
Rex Parker OTM about today’s NYT puzzle: This is a puzzle with a dense, multi-layered, architecturally impressive theme, and I viscerally disliked almost every second of solving it. Torture.
― donna rouge, Sunday, 16 May 2021 19:56 (three years ago) link
I stopped doing Sunday puzzles a few months ago. It's been a freeing feeling.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Sunday, 16 May 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link
Such a slog, even when I got it down to under ten minutes for a while- and still wasn’t competitive!
― Working in the POLL Mine (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 May 2021 20:38 (three years ago) link
Rex Parker in hate-solving shocker.
I'm still all about minis/variety puzzles/cryptics, although lately I've been on Nikoli kick.
― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:14 (three years ago) link
Heh. Rex Parker a lot nicer in real life but yeah.
― Working in the POLL Mine (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:22 (three years ago) link
I had a tough time but eventually finished. If I'd thought to look at the title I would probably have gotten the theme significantly faster - but then I'm pretty used to solving conventionally before seeing the themey stuff.
― cardio free europe (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:47 (three years ago) link
Rex isn't my bag at all, so I try to not take too many cues from him. Today WAS tough, but I enjoyed it! I felt like I earned that A-HA. I think Jeff Chen had a good idea about ways that could've improved the execution, though.
― Tahini Coates (Leee), Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:56 (three years ago) link
I Like Sunday for basically just being 4 Mondays sellotaped together.
― Andrew Farrell, Monday, 17 May 2021 15:35 (three years ago) link
Heh. Good description.
― Working in the POLL Mine (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 17 May 2021 15:41 (three years ago) link
The first of the black boxes that I got was FLU, and I thought each one was going to be a different illness for which there's a vaccine. As high concept as the theme was, I was disappointed when that didn't end up being it.
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 19:23 (three years ago) link
Yeah the theme would definitely have made more sense if I'd known the title beforehand. I had SET, FLU, and RIM and saw nothing that could link them.
― balsamic panic (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 19 May 2021 19:55 (three years ago) link
In fairness, I don't think I've ever heard of 'set shot' before?
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 20:40 (three years ago) link
it's a basketball term
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 21:38 (three years ago) link
I did not like Thursday's, especially since I got stuck and left it and completely forgot to try to finish it, thus ending my nascent streak.
― Elementary, My Dear Hoatzin (Leee), Saturday, 22 May 2021 00:13 (three years ago) link
Is today's NYT puzzle a themeless, i.e. not a rebus? I'm getting naticked, AGAIN.
― BABA BUOY (Leee), Friday, 2 July 2021 18:21 (three years ago) link
Today has no rebuses, no. The long answers are multi-word, but not unsolvable imo
― I can yeet a yeti (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 2 July 2021 18:47 (three years ago) link
I didn't know 32A or 56A but the downs worked
― I can yeet a yeti (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 2 July 2021 18:48 (three years ago) link
I had an error elsewhere yesterday which I finally caught. Streak still intact, with minimal cheating.
Today's another hard one, but I liked the bottom half a lot. The cluing for the NW felt too slippery for me, though.
― BABA BUOY (Leee), Saturday, 3 July 2021 18:59 (three years ago) link
today's NW featured a word i was wholly unfamiliar with -- which, fine, i learned something new -- and a form of a common word that i don't believe anyone has ever used. all of which really exposed my supernatural-teen-drama-protagonist weakness. probably spent half of my total time in that corner
― mookieproof, Saturday, 3 July 2021 19:22 (three years ago) link
feel like a real crossword guy now that i've developed a STYE
― mookieproof, Saturday, 7 August 2021 22:36 (three years ago) link
The clues today are really hard, especially that NW.
― Carte Blanchett (Leee), Saturday, 11 September 2021 20:04 (three years ago) link
When both Jeff Chen and Rex Parker sing the praises of a puzzle, you know you've got a good one. Really good fill and cluing today, if on the easy side (I set a personal best for a Saturday).
― Nelleee Hooper (Leee), Saturday, 4 December 2021 19:38 (two years ago) link
So you are saying I should come out of hiding and try to solve
― Goofy the Grifter (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 December 2021 20:58 (two years ago) link
i liked it. many cheesy jokes. 38 down questionable. 22 across ok i’ll allow it. 56 down the kind of boiled down essence of what you’re going for on a saturday, kudos.
― Tracer Hand, Saturday, 4 December 2021 21:13 (two years ago) link
12 down was a bit of Leo pointing at the tv
― KPH, Saturday, 4 December 2021 21:16 (two years ago) link
I didn't even know Across Lite and .puz had gone away.
― Goofy the Grifter (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 December 2021 00:26 (two years ago) link
Gone off the internet because of clues.
― Goofy the Grifter (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 5 December 2021 00:27 (two years ago) link
Hated yesterday's, nearly broke my streak of 200+.
― Shower Farts (Leee), Saturday, 11 December 2021 17:41 (two years ago) link
agreed
― mookieproof, Saturday, 11 December 2021 17:47 (two years ago) link
yeah i didn’t care for it either, lots of annoying fill/cluing. i was particularly annoyed by the clue for 41-across, which i didn’t understand at all. that punny use of “natural” seems pretty obscure to me?
― donna rouge, Saturday, 11 December 2021 17:55 (two years ago) link
Same here. The entire puzzle is a pile up of obscure cluing and/or answers, NE is absolutely heinous.
― Shower Farts (Leee), Saturday, 11 December 2021 17:58 (two years ago) link
So are y'all using the app, web and/or phone? Does it affect your solving speed or do you care?
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 9 January 2022 23:57 (two years ago) link
App is my only access and I usually do the easier ones in bed when I wake with raging anxiety. I make so many typos I reckon it adds 10% to my solve times tho.
― assert (matttkkkk), Monday, 10 January 2022 00:41 (two years ago) link
I guess the way you can switch between the phone app and web app is nice.
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 10 January 2022 00:53 (two years ago) link
Probably best for me not to worry about time for the time being
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 10 January 2022 02:06 (two years ago) link
I use all "three" (really, it's just mobile vs. web IMO), though tellingly, the only time I posted a sub-4:00 solve was on web (via laptop).
― Rabbit Pen Warren (Leee), Monday, 10 January 2022 18:07 (two years ago) link
mostly use apps these days. i did just do that super-mega crossword from the NYT puzzlemania insert the other day in pencil, but it’s not like i had any other choice. i do enjoy the physical act of writing in letters but apps are just more convenient for how i solve in everyday life i guess
― donna rouge, Monday, 10 January 2022 18:11 (two years ago) link
I usually do the daily NYTs on the website via laptop. The app is frustrating because it's hard to see the acrosses and downs at the same time. I can do a Monday on the app because it is literally just typing, but past Wednesday I need more information before committing to an answer.
Fireballs I print out and do in ink on paper.
For the Bee I use the app until I get to Genius, then I need a different window for the Forum hints, which are usually required to get to Queendom.
― nonsensei (Ye Mad Puffin), Monday, 10 January 2022 18:54 (two years ago) link
Another nice thing about the web and phone apps is that they are integrated with other things so clicking on a date or link in xwordinfo, say, brings up the puzzle in question.
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 10 January 2022 18:58 (two years ago) link
I like printing em out, idk
― symsymsym, Tuesday, 11 January 2022 02:24 (two years ago) link
Probably for the best. B-b-but then you don't get the instant gratification of e-checking! Oh wait.
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 11 January 2022 02:42 (two years ago) link
When I'm working on paper and finish a New Yorker or Fireball, I am starting to hear the NYT "finished" noise in my head
― nonsensei (Ye Mad Puffin), Tuesday, 11 January 2022 02:53 (two years ago) link
I let my Fireball subscription lapse finally, despite the flood of emails Peter sends to remind me what I am missing
― The Door into Summerisle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 11 January 2022 02:54 (two years ago) link
yeah I let fireball lapse this year too. still subscribing to avxclub and the great aries themelesses.
― symsymsym, Tuesday, 11 January 2022 03:00 (two years ago) link