I didn't do this puzzle until just now. I thought it was fun and clever. I have never posted before, but I thought the constructor might like to see a positive comment. I agree that it's probably easier for those of us using the app because the cross referenced answers are highlighted.
1
I never thought I'd post a comment about a crossword puzzle, but I hated this one enough to take the time. Sunday's paper was my first NYT home delivery, and I was especially looking forward to a tough Will Shortz Sunday crossword puzzle. This puzzle was a complete disappointment! I'm sure it was amusing for the author to put together, but it was plain stupid from a reader's perspective. I didn't mind the tough ones like 50A and 6D, but jumping back and forth to track the various clues like "Example of..." made me cross-eyed. Definitely not the kind of challenge I was after. Yuck.
Geez, what a bunch of sourpusses. I liked the puzzle!
1
A lot of cross words in this comment section!
Ba-da-bing.
I didn't love the puzzle, but there's always tomorrow, so why get you knickers in a twist?
Ba-da-bing.
I didn't love the puzzle, but there's always tomorrow, so why get you knickers in a twist?
1
Like Rex Parker, I did not enjoy this puzzle. The theme drove me nuts. Not only was it not overly impressive, but there were some really ridiculous long entries. And I wish the theme clues were at least symmetrical... seems a bit unfair that they weren't. I feel like I've submitted puzzles with much stronger themes that have ended up in the rejection pile (admittedly, they may have been done before, but at least they wouldn't make solvers dizzy). Just my two cents.
1
Didn't it bother anyone that the theme answers were not placed symmetrically in the grid? Obviously it was attempted as 9 of 10 horizontal answers lined up but half (2) of the down answers did not.
Such a fine line between brilliant and clever.
Such a fine line between brilliant and clever.
Forgot to put it in my CiC:
I went to the link to have 3-1-1 explained, and I still don't understand. I understand what the rule is limiting the liquids, but I only see a mention of a quart bag and the max for each liquid. No mention of 3s or 1s.
I went to the link to have 3-1-1 explained, and I still don't understand. I understand what the rule is limiting the liquids, but I only see a mention of a quart bag and the max for each liquid. No mention of 3s or 1s.
3 ozs for the items. 1 qt for the bag. At most 1 bag.
1
I always dislike cross-references, unless there is a truly spectacular and clever reason for them.
I got the gimmick right away. Saw the title. Started in NW and had BASEB... at 22A. Looked at 7A and saw that it referred to 22A and another clue. That showed me everything. Not so much an Aha! as an Oh.
I almost stopped right then, but decided to go on and just ignore the cross-references. Got most of them from the crossing words and letter patterns. Toward the end I glanced down at one of the related entries that I already had.
Didn't see the chain or circle or whateveer we're calling it (no highlights in AL). Took Deb's word for it. Read Jeff's column and looked at his highlights to see the chain/circle. I still don't see it. And I still don't much care.
Someone (forget who) offered the opinion that this gimmick would have worked better in a format other than XWP. I think probably. I like that kind of wordplay, and a whole lot of other options could have been explored without the constraints of the grid. Could have made a wonderful chain/circle.
So I didn't quit (although I was tempted a second time when I got to FLEETED).
I do appreciate the effort and thought and work that went into this puzzle, and I was happy to see that there were a lot of WPers who really liked it. WPers seem to be divided into those who like X-refs and those who don't. To me today's felt like a constructor's puzzle.
I got the gimmick right away. Saw the title. Started in NW and had BASEB... at 22A. Looked at 7A and saw that it referred to 22A and another clue. That showed me everything. Not so much an Aha! as an Oh.
I almost stopped right then, but decided to go on and just ignore the cross-references. Got most of them from the crossing words and letter patterns. Toward the end I glanced down at one of the related entries that I already had.
Didn't see the chain or circle or whateveer we're calling it (no highlights in AL). Took Deb's word for it. Read Jeff's column and looked at his highlights to see the chain/circle. I still don't see it. And I still don't much care.
Someone (forget who) offered the opinion that this gimmick would have worked better in a format other than XWP. I think probably. I like that kind of wordplay, and a whole lot of other options could have been explored without the constraints of the grid. Could have made a wonderful chain/circle.
So I didn't quit (although I was tempted a second time when I got to FLEETED).
I do appreciate the effort and thought and work that went into this puzzle, and I was happy to see that there were a lot of WPers who really liked it. WPers seem to be divided into those who like X-refs and those who don't. To me today's felt like a constructor's puzzle.
1
Wanna try to put me in a sour mood? Then publish a Sunday puzzle whose reason for being is cross-referenced clues (14, if I'm counting right). At least it was super-easy, so I didn't have to bother sorting out the theme to any degree. Plus, I solved on paper, so no flashy grid entries for me. Meh.
Possibly the weirdest cover of a Bob Dylan song to become a Top 20 hit is the Four Seasons' take on "Don't Thnk Twice." For some reason, it was released under the alias of The Wonder Who, which fooled nobody. The title sums up my attitude today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KryO3-XnCq4
Possibly the weirdest cover of a Bob Dylan song to become a Top 20 hit is the Four Seasons' take on "Don't Thnk Twice." For some reason, it was released under the alias of The Wonder Who, which fooled nobody. The title sums up my attitude today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KryO3-XnCq4
1
The Across Lite version had 95 down as "Me So _______"
"Me so horny" is not the sort of line I would expect to see in the NYT. The Times must have thought so, too, as they changed it to "______ toad" in other formats.
"Me so horny" is not the sort of line I would expect to see in the NYT. The Times must have thought so, too, as they changed it to "______ toad" in other formats.
1
The most annoying puzzle ever.
3
As I worked on this I was trying to decide if the trick was clever or just annoying. I finally opted for the latter.
3
Put me in the "liked" column. Yeah, cross-referencing, but when that's what the puzzle is all about I won't complain. I sort of sensed a word circle, not visible in Across Lite - very clever. As for the relatively quick solve, I'm fine with that too! I have things to do (war on gypsy moth caterpillars). BTW, DIAMOND works as a 22A, but I suppose that would have complicated things.
1
???
22A is in the clue for DIAMOND.
22A is in the clue for DIAMOND.
1
Oh, you're right. Silly me.
Those caterpillars! I used to twirl the nest around a big stick just before they were ripe for hatching, then put the resulting blob on the deck for the birds to have a jolly time helping me save the black cherries once the wrigglies crawled out of it.
It is soooo disappointing when you anticipate working a good Sunday crossword and this is what you get.
4
Loved the duplicitous clues, but overall thought there were too many really easy clues (19A, 20A, 27A, 44A, 55A, 71A, 68D, the list goes on and on), plus I take issue with "Rearer" and "Fleeted", which both seem like a stretch.
Concerning 95 down, my print version today has, ahem, a rather different clue: "'Me So ____________', 1989 rap chart-topper". Definitely prefer the toad!
Concerning 95 down, my print version today has, ahem, a rather different clue: "'Me So ____________', 1989 rap chart-topper". Definitely prefer the toad!
1
My solve did indeed GOFAST, asnd so did my archaeo-heart when I saw ESSENES. Tomorrow I leave for the dig, and this puzzle was a great send-off: my MEANSOFTRAVEL will be by PLANE, I will LABOR with a SPADE, and I will be speaking the "lang. heard in Haifa." Will check in with our community when I can. Shalom l'hitraoth!
12
BYE NOW, archeo[campus v.i.p. - not].
TTYL
TTYL
4
1
Looking forward to your review of the new "Mummy" movie reboot when you get back, Prof. I'm sure it's 100% scientifically accurate.
1
Can't recall when I've had less fun on a Sunday morning, 'cause the dentist is closed on weekends.
Cross references are awful in the best of contexts. This one is replete with them, and it's all just a slog: no wit, no humor, just a bunch of banal words with two meanings. The HAND TOOL that comes to mind is the old saw (hah!) about hitting yourself on the head with one because it feels so good when it stops.
Cross references are awful in the best of contexts. This one is replete with them, and it's all just a slog: no wit, no humor, just a bunch of banal words with two meanings. The HAND TOOL that comes to mind is the old saw (hah!) about hitting yourself on the head with one because it feels so good when it stops.
7
I enjoyed the challenge, but my main emotion is awe. Constructing that puzzle must have been murder!
1
I hate to be grumpy ever, let alone on such a beautiful day and in light of all the hard work put in by constructors and editors, but that puzzle could not GO FAST enough for me. I am not a cross-referencing fan under the best of circumstances, but this one had such simple cluing and some really clumsy answers -- BRIDAL THINGS! WEATHER WORDS! REARER! The basic theme is clever, but the execution and solve surely suffer. Sorry.
4
Double Deber is the Real Deal. Usually I hate being run around in circles, but just seeing Charles M. Deber's name on the byline was a thrill--one that didn't wear off despite the scavenger-hunt nature of the puzzle.
Ever so clever!
Come back, soon, please!
I did catch on right away with SHOWER and BRIDAL THINGS when the crosses at 37, 44, and all, forced me to enter WEATHER....
Wishing everyone a lovely sunny Sunday!
Ever so clever!
Come back, soon, please!
I did catch on right away with SHOWER and BRIDAL THINGS when the crosses at 37, 44, and all, forced me to enter WEATHER....
Wishing everyone a lovely sunny Sunday!
2
Began the puzzle last night and finished it this morning. Nice way to end and start a day.
Thanks goodness for the yellow highlighting of the theme answers. That made the solving more rewarding. The biggest bugaboo for me was TTYL which I have to
assume means 'talk to you later.' I'm not confident of my skill at deciphering all these abbreviations since I am one of the ones who assumed LOL meant 'lots of love' far longer than many folks did.
Thanks goodness for the yellow highlighting of the theme answers. That made the solving more rewarding. The biggest bugaboo for me was TTYL which I have to
assume means 'talk to you later.' I'm not confident of my skill at deciphering all these abbreviations since I am one of the ones who assumed LOL meant 'lots of love' far longer than many folks did.
7
and Elke
Hey, Meg H. Am with you on abbreviations.
Initially, when I started commenting here, I wanted to use LOL- to mean "Little Old Lady" (a take-off on MOL's "mean old lady").
Covfefe.
Hey, Meg H. Am with you on abbreviations.
Initially, when I started commenting here, I wanted to use LOL- to mean "Little Old Lady" (a take-off on MOL's "mean old lady").
Covfefe.
1
It's nice that moment when the light suddenly switches on. It took me about 10 minutes after completing the puzzle wondering how "rearer" describes Silver in the opening of the Lone Ranger for the light to flicker on. This is the puzzle within the puzzle, trying to figure out how some of these clues fit. Sometimes I have to give up in sheer bafflement but mostly if I sit and think long enough, the clouds will part.
The theme became obvious quickly, leading to the correct conclusion that most of the non-thematic answers would be on a range from easy to trivial. Which almost caused me to write in ERG at 53A. Trap avoided. Me happy.
1
A nice concept, and fun on line, where the cross-references light up. I imagine all those references could be painful in print.
Here's one way Deb might have charted the connections:
baseball terms--HOMER--famous poets--FROST--weather words--SHOWER--bridal things--TRAIN--means of travel--PLANE--hand tools--SPADE--card suits--DIAMOND--baseball terms
Here's one way Deb might have charted the connections:
baseball terms--HOMER--famous poets--FROST--weather words--SHOWER--bridal things--TRAIN--means of travel--PLANE--hand tools--SPADE--card suits--DIAMOND--baseball terms
9
Yes, precisely! If people weren't still working puzzles on paper with a pencil, they wouldn't be published that way. Nothing "lights up" for me (like related-answer squares on a screen) except the occasional lightbulb over my head when I get something right. In my opinion this puzzle was recalcitrant for ye olde pencil wielders. With many answers impossible to guess without the context of their cross-words, it was incumbent upon the constructor to make those cross-pieces unquestionable. Yet many clunky answers have been noted: fleeted; rearer; is a bridal shower a bridal "thing"?;"Nuh-uh!" = "I do not" not; where except in Chaucer is tee-hee spelled tehee? "Tehee, quod she, and clapt the window to."Others were not quite on the mark. "Intimates" = "hints at" more closely than "gets at," with the connotation of "eats at" or "bothers." Changing the tense of "What are you getting at?" to "gets at," which I doubt anyone has ever said or written, is pushing it in the world of the noncolloquial colloquialism. Working this puzzle required making notes next to the clues consisting of other clues, and there wasn't room. As others have noted, this puzzle should probably have been in some puzzle format other than crossword. I felt all the way through that style had been chosen over content, and I didn't like the style. When I filled in the final square, I felt relief that it was over rather than the mild euphoria one seeks. The solution did not compensate in wit for the agony of success.
I really don't like cross-referenced clues so I groaned when I started this one. Eventually I adapted. Enough of the non-theme answers were complete gimmes or straightforwardly clued that it didn't turn out to be as hard as it looked. In retrospect I wish I had just done a run through all the acrosses and (especially) all the downs first, but I was determined to figure out the theme so I ended up working section by section. Probably slowed me down.
I did end up using the cross-references to some extent in a couple of places, though I always had some letters filled in first. Let's see... used a likely TRAIN to see BRIDAL; used HOMER and FROST to finish up FAMOUSPOETS; and I know I used CARDSUITS both ways with SPADE and DIAMOND. Probably were some others.
I think it was a clever idea and (with a few exceptions) the fill was ok. The (main) theme answers themselves were all debuts and all worthy (IMHO), with the possible exception of BRIDALTHINGS. Because - THINGS. But those themers were the only entries longer than 8 letters and there were only two other entries of 8 letters. Everything else is 7 letters or less. There were some pretty good entries among those, but still.
Clever. Original. I still have some mixed feelings about it, but it was a good Sunday workout for me; nothing wrong with something different once in a while.
Maybe a bit of over-analysis about the construction in a separate post.
I did end up using the cross-references to some extent in a couple of places, though I always had some letters filled in first. Let's see... used a likely TRAIN to see BRIDAL; used HOMER and FROST to finish up FAMOUSPOETS; and I know I used CARDSUITS both ways with SPADE and DIAMOND. Probably were some others.
I think it was a clever idea and (with a few exceptions) the fill was ok. The (main) theme answers themselves were all debuts and all worthy (IMHO), with the possible exception of BRIDALTHINGS. Because - THINGS. But those themers were the only entries longer than 8 letters and there were only two other entries of 8 letters. Everything else is 7 letters or less. There were some pretty good entries among those, but still.
Clever. Original. I still have some mixed feelings about it, but it was a good Sunday workout for me; nothing wrong with something different once in a while.
Maybe a bit of over-analysis about the construction in a separate post.
3
Detest puzzles with cross-referencing even where said cross-referencing is minimal. Here it is maximal...so....
BYE NOW. Off to make much-needed coffee covfefe.
BYE NOW. Off to make much-needed coffee covfefe.
2
Totally agree. Cross referencing is a royal PITA!
2
"Pita" is an answer in the short daily online puzzle today (Mon. 6/26). But not in all caps.
I'm guessing the editors thought that all the cross referencing, and answers that couldn't be solved without crosses, would be a tad burdensome on the solver, so they decided to clue this directly/simply, as, say, on the harder end of Tuesday. I think it's worth showing the word circle the theme answers make (which I've taken from Jeff Chen's comments):
BASEBALL TERMS: HOMER and DIAMOND
CARD SUITS: DIAMOND and SPADE
HAND TOOLS: SPADE and PLANE
MEANS OF TRAVEL: PLANE and TRAIN
BRIDAL THINGS: TRAIN and SHOWER
WEATHER WORDS: SHOWER and FROST
FAMOUS POETS: FROST and HOMER
This is clever and impressive, and I'm guessing that it's what made the editors believe that this puzzle was worth doing.
The solving experience for me was like solving a quotation puzzle, where you have to solve around the theme answers in order to get them. Like many here, and like Jeff Chen, as he described his solving experience, I stopped the cross referencing after a bit, and just solved what was available. Afterward, I didn't analyze the theme answers enough to discover the word circle, so what excited the editors (as I speculate) never reached my brain.
The biggest positive of the puzzle for me was how lightning quick it went for a Sunday, even for a puzzle savorer like me. The speed and contrast with normal Sunday difficulty was cool. But may it never become the new normal!
BASEBALL TERMS: HOMER and DIAMOND
CARD SUITS: DIAMOND and SPADE
HAND TOOLS: SPADE and PLANE
MEANS OF TRAVEL: PLANE and TRAIN
BRIDAL THINGS: TRAIN and SHOWER
WEATHER WORDS: SHOWER and FROST
FAMOUS POETS: FROST and HOMER
This is clever and impressive, and I'm guessing that it's what made the editors believe that this puzzle was worth doing.
The solving experience for me was like solving a quotation puzzle, where you have to solve around the theme answers in order to get them. Like many here, and like Jeff Chen, as he described his solving experience, I stopped the cross referencing after a bit, and just solved what was available. Afterward, I didn't analyze the theme answers enough to discover the word circle, so what excited the editors (as I speculate) never reached my brain.
The biggest positive of the puzzle for me was how lightning quick it went for a Sunday, even for a puzzle savorer like me. The speed and contrast with normal Sunday difficulty was cool. But may it never become the new normal!
4
Is a HORNY toad a thing? Thought it was HORNed!
Still a fun puzzle - turned out to be much easier than it initially threatened to be.
Still a fun puzzle - turned out to be much easier than it initially threatened to be.
1
I grew up on Looney Tunes and Yosemite Sam used to exclaim, "Great Horny Toads!".
Here's an example:
https://youtu.be/iMZfCar-Ks8?t=32
"Great horny toads! I'm up north! Gotta burn my boots, they've touched Yankee soil."
So I'd say it's a thing. Anything Yosemite Sam says is a thing. :)
Here's an example:
https://youtu.be/iMZfCar-Ks8?t=32
"Great horny toads! I'm up north! Gotta burn my boots, they've touched Yankee soil."
So I'd say it's a thing. Anything Yosemite Sam says is a thing. :)
8
Sorry, gotta go back a few seconds for "Great horny toads!":
https://youtu.be/iMZfCar-Ks8?t=29
https://youtu.be/iMZfCar-Ks8?t=29
Thanks Wen. Agree - anything Yosemite Sam said is definitely a thing!! :)
and Elke
Yay- a Charles Deber puzzle. And so little time to savour it.
Felt a bit like the cue ball that CAROMs from side to side, but it was fun to see the two meanings of the theme answers.
To attend a FEST which involves an ARK and HEB., our MEANS OF TRAVEL will be a PLANE and a TRAIN and , of course, the feared TSA (the one that took my mini Swiss Army knife ).
Noticed a new clue for ORR- had to think twice times two.
BYE NOW.
Yay- a Charles Deber puzzle. And so little time to savour it.
Felt a bit like the cue ball that CAROMs from side to side, but it was fun to see the two meanings of the theme answers.
To attend a FEST which involves an ARK and HEB., our MEANS OF TRAVEL will be a PLANE and a TRAIN and , of course, the feared TSA (the one that took my mini Swiss Army knife ).
Noticed a new clue for ORR- had to think twice times two.
BYE NOW.
2
As others have already written, this puzzle was oddly easy to do, especially online, where the double references are highlighted. (I would not have enjoyed doing it using the print edition, having to keep scrambling around to check the cross references.) But I just don't think this was much fun—more of a chore.
And there are some really really really bad clues/answers. FLEETED makes no sense as a verb. REARER might be clued as a raiser of children, but no one in normal speech or writing uses this word as a noun for horses—the verbal form is the only common. And please, editors and puzzle constructors, can we not do away with TEHEE? It's a laughable non-word. (At the very least it should be spelled "consistentlee," as "teehee.")
I imagine that we're supposed to chuckle at such verbal oddities and twists, but they seem forced and out of place in a puzzle that is already filled with double meanings, since they have no connection to the theme.
Hate to be a curmudgeon—good crossword puzzles are very hard to pull off, I know—but the NYT puzzle-makers can do and have done much better!
And there are some really really really bad clues/answers. FLEETED makes no sense as a verb. REARER might be clued as a raiser of children, but no one in normal speech or writing uses this word as a noun for horses—the verbal form is the only common. And please, editors and puzzle constructors, can we not do away with TEHEE? It's a laughable non-word. (At the very least it should be spelled "consistentlee," as "teehee.")
I imagine that we're supposed to chuckle at such verbal oddities and twists, but they seem forced and out of place in a puzzle that is already filled with double meanings, since they have no connection to the theme.
Hate to be a curmudgeon—good crossword puzzles are very hard to pull off, I know—but the NYT puzzle-makers can do and have done much better!
11
No highlights in Across Lite.
extra words
extra words
1
I thought this was a really fun puzzle! I love the aha when realizing the words double meanings. Makes me a better solver. BYE NOW.
5
went quite fast. I basically ignored the ones that referred elsewhere. I worked on the more straightforward ones. When I had enough clues filled in, I saw the double cluing. pretty quick solve for a complex puzzle!
2
Neither puzzle nor column, but I found the photo caption amusing. We see the train operator, but we do *not* see any "patrons" riding the train.
(Willets Point)
(Willets Point)
4
Well, the caption doesn't actually say we "see" the patrons. It just makes a statement that they ride the 7 through Queens, which they do.
I've even done it myself, out to the end of the known universe.
I've even done it myself, out to the end of the known universe.
1
I'm surprised so many people got through this one so quickly! My time was a little faster than average, but still twice my fastest time. Even solving online, where the words mentioned in the clues were highlighted on the screen, I felt like my eyes were slow in keeping up with them. And I didn't figure out the 'circularity' mentioned in the comments--it certainly wasn't evident as I was solving.
Now back to the acrostic!
Now back to the acrostic!
2
Ok, wow, that was amazing. I have to admit that I wanted to ignore the cross references for a while, and solved the unconnected words until I got a good fill going. Then I bit the bullet and looked more closely at the theme. I got that there were double meanings, and I got the big ah-haaa with HOMER and DIAMOND (well, it is baseball season). Thank you for the colored highlighting in the app. Otherwise I might have been reaching for the Ibuprofen. I ended up liking it so much I went around highlighting the theme words a couple of times after I finished the puzzle. Great wordplay!
3
I solve on-line (also thought it was easy but for the jumping around on the app), and hubby solves in the magazine, with some help from me. He was asking about "me so ___" and I didn't remember that at all. Turns out that the clue for 95 Down is "Me So ____ (1989 rap chart topper)" in the magazine, and "___ toad" on-line. Maybe Will thought the rap song title didn't pass the Sunday breakfast test after it appeared in print, and changed it before 6 pm? Can't remember seeing different clues in the two versions before.
3
It was the song in Across Lite.
Didn't help. Never heard of it.
Isn't the toad "horned"?
Didn't help. Never heard of it.
Isn't the toad "horned"?
I loved the crossed clues! My fastest Sunday time. Baseball and cards...what better subjects for Saturday night.
2
How about a 'nasty gunfight' served with 'beautiful chocolate cake'?
2
Just enough cross references to make it an irritating solve. In spite of them, it went fairly quickly.
4
I've been contemplating, more than actually working on, an idea that is a cousin of this one. This puzzle showed me a lot about the caution I need as I develop the idea - what to avoid. All the cross-referenced clues, resulting in a complex web of pairs of words with more words binding them together ... it was solved in less than half my average Sunday time, but I missed that, "I see it all clearly now" connectivity that would depend on a more streamlined presentation, or a more visually coherent presentation, or something. I didn't dislike the puzzle - I just appreciated the lesson it gives me as I move forward with my own idea.
As Barry A remarks, it was easy enough to skip the cross-referenced fills until they became apparent, and to ignore the connections in general. There's a fine line between "gettable from the crosses" and "better solved without bothering with half the clues."
Sunday should be hard, with a satisfying "Hah!" at the end. This one was more of an easy, with a "Hunh" at the end.
As Barry A remarks, it was easy enough to skip the cross-referenced fills until they became apparent, and to ignore the connections in general. There's a fine line between "gettable from the crosses" and "better solved without bothering with half the clues."
Sunday should be hard, with a satisfying "Hah!" at the end. This one was more of an easy, with a "Hunh" at the end.
9
I feel like there should be an appreciation for starting with "go fast" and ending with "bye now." That's a nice touch.
15
Think Twice? Don't.
I quickly filled in 7A and 22A and got dizzy looking for 112A (this was on paper; I'm glad I didn't try on a small format app). I forgot about the theme and solved theme entries from crosses. The *idea* of multiple clues is excellent; the execution herein (IMO) not so much. I shouldn't be able to ignore a Saturday theme and finish faster than usual.
I quickly filled in 7A and 22A and got dizzy looking for 112A (this was on paper; I'm glad I didn't try on a small format app). I forgot about the theme and solved theme entries from crosses. The *idea* of multiple clues is excellent; the execution herein (IMO) not so much. I shouldn't be able to ignore a Saturday theme and finish faster than usual.
5
I'm with you, Barry.
Except I think it's Sunday.
Except I think it's Sunday.
1
Good Sunday puzzle. Solid cluing, accessible and amusing.
5
This was a lot of fun to solve. My only regret is that it didn't last longer.
3
Ditto
1
Went by nearly twice as fast as an average Sunday puzzle.
3
I usually struggle mightily for quite awhile on a Sunday puzzle, but finished this one in half my average time. I liked the theme but also thought too many of the other clues were easy. But it was nice to finish a Sunday puzzle swiftly for a change.