Can’t believe they haven’t corrected the clue for Ronaldo yet!
1
so, what does that say if I stuck with ONTODDLER as the last word of the last clue until the end.
Madeira is in Portugal. Cristiano Ronaldo is Portuguese. (He plays for Real Madrid.)
1
What on earth is an ingredient "roller" in a churro?
Clue for June 30 puzzle.
It refers to the Spanish pronunciation. A “rolled” R.
Great clip. I'm ready to sign up for next year's tournament!
1
Do it! It's so much fun!
1
I may be the only woman in America who didn’t know Anastasia STEELE. That tied up (pun not intended) the whole southwest for me. Sigh.
3
Nah! I didn’t know her either.
On another note, many times if I don’t know an answer, I guess based on surrounding letters. At first I thought STEENE, but ultimately settled on STEELE. Many times my guesses work in my favor.
1
Little bit of history here. DUKE OFWELLINGTON was a gimme, along with SCIPIO, EGYPT, and BADABINGBADABOOM (after a few D fills).
PSHAW and AARGH are both in my vocabulary.
The thing that disturbed me most about this puzzle was that I knew about the NAENAE. I blame Ellen DeGeneres.
3
Thanks, Deb, for the inspiring words. As usual, I was shocked by all the white space at the top and bottom. However, as usual, it didn't turn out as bad as I feared, getting within a few minutes of my best time.
Really chuckled when I got BADDABINGBADDABOOM! (Never watched the Sopranos but somehow knew of it.) Also liked NAWLINS and the cross of AARGH and PSHAW!
Lots of entries I was unfamiliar with: GRETNA, AINT (it Fun), DRIBS, SCAR, SCIPIO, DISTRO, ERICA (Hill), (Anastasia) STEELE, NTEST, MAC, CRISTIANORONALDO. Nevertheless, got them through the crosses or good guesses.
Entries with clever clues: INFO, TETE, INNS, WERE, ANTE. Not so much: ODOMETER (Would someone please explain?), SOSO, NTEST.
Thanks, Mr. Steinberg, for a challenging but doable puzzle!
1
The ODOMETER is (usually) in the "Middle of a (vehicle's) dash[board]?"
1
The DASHboard of a car, I believe.
1
Duh! I was only thinking of "dash" as a racing term or a punctuation symbol. Thanks, BA and JC.
Great video! Thanks for posting it and thanks to everyone who recommended it.
1
I don't usually do the mini, but after I saw one comment about it I checked out today's mini - and I loved it! Glad I did it before reading the other comments that gave it away.
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Inspired by that, I created one of my own. My first crossword puzzle construction! (Even if it is only a mini...)
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/155225878@N02/shares/tJ70L5
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Dan,
Great Mini! I had fun solving (I didn't print it, I had to remember the letters for the across clues and then put them together for the downs) LOL. Keep it up!
2
Thanks, Steve! I hoped at least one person would see it and give it a solve.
Cheers!
Did the daily after seeing the controversy, and I liked it.
Just did Dan's on a Post-It note, and I liked that, too.
1
AARGH This puzzle is killing me!
AUDI was how I got in but I managed to finish it thank God!
Really! BADDABINGBADDABOOM? Someone has been watching a little too much TV.
Thanks for the mental exercise.
My comment (and everyone else's) disappeared halfway through being written. I think I hit something in error and this time it's not the NYT. If a half-comment shows up, though, please forgive.
I zipped through the top stack. DUKE OF WELLINGTON was a gimme, and BIDETS and AMULET opened up the rest. I knew 1A as a catchphrase from "The Sopranos" but not what it meant (never saw the show). I even got ELO!
Then a screeching halt when I ran into NAENAE, ERICA, GTO, DISTRO, and SLURPEES vs. SLUSHEES. AARGH!! Had to go around the bottom and come back to that area.
The bottom stack was a lot harder than the top, especially the sports guy (Jeff chen says it's soccer). I did well on the first half of those spanners, but the endings were more of a challenge. (Until I read Deb's column, I had mentally parsed 67A as CRISTIAN ORONALDO.) The situation was not helped by my having entered HECKLE instead of HECTOR.
Eventually worked through my trouble area. The U from the 7-Eleven drink made me take a chance on AUDI, and that was followed by a few lucky guesses and Mr. Happy Pencil came to congratulate me. (Oh, PSHAW. Tweren't nuttin'.)
So an easy puzzle on top of a hard one. And an altogether satisfying and gratifying solving experience. Thank you, David, and all concerned.
BTW, what does the photo have to do with the puzzle?
2
Illustrating 1A, I presume.
Maybe Barry.
But doesn't it illustrate "Abracadabra!" more than "Voila"? (As I said, I was never clear about what the "Sopranos" catchphrase was supposed to mean.)
At Lure Fishbar, it would be "Voila."
Is there a place to comment on the Mini Crossword? I thought I had a malfunctioning grid. No hints that there were any quirks. Frankly, unfair.
Hi Lorraine,
You are always welcome to join us here.
But if you'd like to let Joel Fagliano know how you feel, please hit the Crossword Feedback button (not "Help' at the top of the nytimes.com page. That is not Crosswords care) and send him a note.
I am on this site looking for the same info, looks like the L was missing in 3 squares, wondered if it there was a greater meaning, or just a mistake.
1
I'll post a reply here - but hope it is seen by the many posters who complained about the mini.
Puzzles - including the Mini puzzles - have symmetry. The black squares are mirrored, either left / right (mirror symmetry), up / down (mirror symmetry) or diagonally (normal crossword symmetry). When the grid does not have symmetry, that fact is always important to the solution of the puzzle.
So there was a hint that there was a quirk - a hint that should have been obvious the minute you saw the grid. It isn't symmetrical. It has a big old "L" in the lower left corner that isn't mirrored in the upper right. That's the hint. Fair, frankly. Fair and creative and fun. The L is two spaces wide and three high, and it ends the first two downs and begins the last three across. Fair and creative and fun.
1
Loved, loved, LOVED this one! Made me laugh, made me cry. Taught me stuff too! (So Spaniards name airports after sports stars! Maybe here in DC we could have Bryce Harper National Airport!) The stacks were terrific and the fill unobtrusive and not all that far-fetched! Kudos!
It’s not a Spanish airport! Madeira is part or Portugal and Ronaldo is a Portuguese soccer player. I’m still shocked The NY Times had such a major geography error.
5
Fun fact. It's the airport with the infamously grotesque Ronaldo bust.
(that's why I knew the answer immediately ;))
1
They must have caught it and changed it.. when I did the puzzle tonight around 5PM it read "67A
Athlete for whom Portugal's Madeira Airport was renamed".
1
Look for plurals. 99% of the time the cross word at the end of the plural will start with “s.” That was my in today: 28 Across, some bucks starting with “s” was likely to be “stags.” Then “Egypt,” then “yams,” and off I went. I work the puzzles on my iPad so don’t have to worry about erasures or get caught up in the smug pen/pencil debate. (An axiom to live by: People who claim to do late week NYT puzzles in ink are to be avoided; certainly don’t play cards with them.) Knowing stuff certainly helps: the victor at Waterloo, the nationality of Knesset members, a tag line of the Sopranos, etc. Good puzzle!
2
I do them in ink and I am terrible! (But I press very lightly on guesses.)
I do them on stone with a chisel.
5
I did them in ink until I started using the app. Changes your approach. I'd hold a lot of possibilities in my head until I was pretty certain what was correct. I'd still end up with messy over-writings too often...
1
I noticed we had a 16-across puzzle today ....and wondered what word one uses for a word that is 16 letters long. Anyone know?
I have often seen "seqsquipedalian" applied to collections involving 15 but that appears to be wrong. The Latin apparently means "whole and a half" -- so 150 is a century and a half and is often referred to as a sesquipedalian anniversary.
FWIW
The sesqui- means "one and a half" - sesquicentennial, 150th anniversary year. But the "ped" means a foot (as in a unit of measure) - so sesquipedalian means words that are a "foot-and-a-half" long.
1
My bad -- you're right , ped = foot. Got off on the wrong foot I suppose .... still looking for the 16-prefix, tho.
Dr W, "sixteen" in Latin is "sedecim" or "sexdecim" (I never took Latin, so I don't know what the difference is). So perhaps you could come up with a word with that prefix?
This took me longer than my Friday average and almost destroyed a 27 day streak (no looking up, I don't do crossword to practice my Google skills. ) SOSO, AND APR are just two with poor clues. NAENAE, SCIPIO, CAPIBARA, DISTRO I have never seen in over 2000 NYT puzzles. The Madeira airport name was most obscure, and I don't see the apparent appeal of BADDABINGBADABOOM. But I did get it done with only a few guesses, so okay, but it was not my favorite.
2
In the Shortz era...
DISTRO: 2nd appearance
NAENAE: 3rd appearance
SCIPIO: 8th appearance
CAPYBARA (sp.): 4th appearance
46A and 67A clues were incorrect (oops), but the entries were hardly obscure.
1A? Different strokes...
Awright, I give up: What is an N TEST, and why is it much-criticized? Google is not being much help. I must know!
Nuclear.
1
Nuclear test, as in atomic bombs.
1
AARGH, naticked at APR and SCAR, the latter a brilliant clue. David does it again. Great puzzle.
Loved the crossing of "aargh" with "pshaw." They're both utterances every solver has made at some point. "Capybara" was a new word for me; I'll remember it in case I ever need it for a Sunday Spelling Bee.
Another good one by David S. I was able to suss out most of the fill with only a few lookups. Finding 1-Across was the most enjoyable part for me, it added some pizzazz to the puzzle!
Oddly enough, and unlike my usual experience, the big stacks at the top and bottom didn’t really bother me much. They were among the earliest things I filled in. Usually they cause the kind of fear Deb was describing in her column.
The west-central area, though, really killed me. I had to look up Hannibal’s foe (which bespeaks a gap in my education, I’m sure) as well as the cousin of a guinea pig. Had no clue about that one.
I thought there were a couple of rather weak fill spots, N TEST and AARGH, in particular.
I agree with Ralarson about APR. That’s an aspect of a kind of financing, not a kind of financing.
2
Very enjoyable solve. I SHOULD have completed it error-free, by simply looking up TRES LECHES CAKE to confirm, but I was so sure that SOSO was wrong for 27D that I went with the ridiculous TRER/ROSY/DESTRY. Obviously I didn't know DESTRO either. Am I all alone out on this limb thinking that "Fine" stands for Fantastic, Incredible, Noncomparable, Excellent? When my wife asks me how dinner was and I say "Fine" she always thinks I'm not complimenting it enough. I don't get it. To me, "fine" and "just fine" are synonymous with "terrific" or "wonderful," or "ROSY." Way better than soso. What is wrong with me? End of rant. And I know, I know. I need to find a word to use besides "Fine." But I promise you, it won't be "Soso."
3
Wait. Deb, you were in NJ? How does one find out about your speaking schedule?
Today's puzzle--I just love seeing z puzzle with all that white space, knowing it's going to be a challenge. The top half dropped really quickly for me, but I got stuck in the middle with SCIPIO and DISTRO. Fortunately crosses led me home. I am struck by the randomness of puzzlers' knowledge--always evident in these comments. Today, CAPYBARA saved the day for me, a rodent that appeared in a children's book in one of the libraries I worked in. Totally random, right?
I loved the Will Shortz video. The tournament both intrigues and intimidates me. Maybe someday....
I'm heading way Downeast for a few weeks, but taking my phone and my computer so I don't miss a day.
1
Hi OT,
My speaking schedule is kind of haphazard and I often forget to post about it, but my next one is at the Long Valley, N.J. library on July 17, at 7 p.m.
Hope to see you there!
3
Hi Deb,
Did you stop for a meal at Ancona Bistro (less than a mile west on Valley Road in Gillette)?
Sorry: *east*
Madeira is not part of Spain! As a Portuguese-American, I am shocked The NY Times let such a glaring mistake get through! Shame, shame, shame.
1
Hi Lisa B,
The puzzle editors apologize for that. It has been changed in the electronic versions.
It's been changed in the online version, not the download version.
1
It also hasn't been changed in the paper...
Sure wonder what tomorrow will bring. All this week's puzzles have been at the high end or above my averages. Today I was not in high gear; I first tried ADMIRAL WELLINGTON. AARGH. Liked the clues for SCAR and ODOMETER.
I am a proponent of looking things up when all else fails. That's how you learn. Curiosity may have killed the cat but it keeps us vibrant.
4
Looking things up led to me learning of the Punic wars, and what eventually happened to Hannibal. Yes, I was a horrid student.
Don’t feel bad. I had Arthur Wellington!
2
Another non standard grid. Getting more of these lately and I like it.
2
Question I’ve had for quite a while: Why add the question mark to a clue like “Pot grower”? I can’t figure out a pattern to when a misdirection gets a question mark and when it doesn’t. I prefer them without for the challenge of it, at least in late week puzzles.
I’m guessing Will’s criteria for this are known to long-time commentators, but I haven’t seen it discussed in my short time here.
2
I think the use or non-use of the ? is strictly subjective on Will's part.
I also prefer the extra challenge of no ?. Except sometimes it helps get me back on track.
FWIW, I strongly believe in question marks on tricky clues, even on the weekends.
Today's mini crossword has mistakes...I believe. 7,8 and 9 across have one too many blackout spaces....L for Lamar, L for Libya and L for Lisp
1
1 down is DSL. Hope that helps.
1
Oh. I get it. Lame.
The video of Will was most enjoyable. I am relatively new to the Crossword and find puzzles from the later half of the week challenging. Thanks, Deb, for today’s crossword puzzle talk to boost my resolve.
6
Why are all the Ls missing in today's mini?
Answered already in these comments. Read on.
It's not a bug; it's a feature.
1
The problems with print and login happen only when the crossword app is installed.
Never heard of the term N-test.
Is NTEST supposed to be "nuclear test"?
1
I thought so; what do you think, Dan?
That's all I could come up with. Not a fan of that or ATEST for that matter. Were these terms every really used?
That said, I understand sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to save an otherwise great puzzle.
1
They were both used -- and probably still are used -- in tabloid newspaper headlines.
You have broken the web site.
From my Android phone, it no longer let's me log in.
And, in crossword, it lets me play it but I can no longer print. we
What gives?
Hi Victor,
If you are having technical issues, please send a note via the Crossword Feedback form. Customer Care reads those notes. Unfortunately, posting a technical issue here will not help you, but we're always happy to answer any solving questions.
When you "restart" aren't you shutting something down as part of the process?
When you click the Shut Down icon on your computer, the options include Shut Down and Restart.
2
Thanks for posting the Bryant Gumbel interview, Deb. Loved it!
Did I ever tell you guys about the crossword dream I had a few months ago? I dreamt that I was at a party, and Will Shortz was tending bar. He was angrily grumbling at anyone who would listen that he was much cooler than Nate Silver, and that words were harder than numbers.
I don't know what my subconscious was thinking, but as far as I'm concerned, Will is super cool. Look at that amazing puzzle collection. Wow! I really liked seeing the footage from the crossword tournament and Erik Agard's interview, too.
7
Nate's pretty cool too. He has a book or two out that are worth reading, I forget the title but you can search on the name.
Anybody else out there who learned Gretna Green from "Downton Abbey"?
I think I just knew Gretna From British novels.
Am I the only one for whom 1A is complete unknown.?
1
I think I got it from Pride and Prejudice...
Hmm. I thought I knew Jane Austen pretty well, but I don’t recall BADA BING BADA BOOM in any of her books. Of course, it has been awhile ...
1
Decided to be patient today and it worked out. Multiple breaks and waiting for my memory to kick in, but it all came together in the end, despite a couple of possible Naticks (GRETNA / NAENAE notably). Took me a long, long time.
Really impressive puzzle; that top stack is worth the price of admission all by itself. I never expected to start a one day streak on a Friday.
I will resist the temptation to change my blog name to 'Amusingly ironic in Atlanta.'
5
Oooh, that's RICH.
2
GTYR, RiA.
Besides, AIiA just looks silly, especially in a sans-serif typeface.
Especially since it should be Alii instead of AliA...
[HoHo, that's RICH!]
dk solving tips
1. Trust your gut
2. Practice perfect. Fill what you know to be true, be happy with what you got. I used to go through late week puzzles and fill in the S for known plurals.
3. Focus on one puzzle editor (humans learn one thing at a time). A NYT solve is a different event from a London Times solve).
4. Look up clues you do not know. Research is not cheating.
5. Have fun.
Found a Sammy Sosa baseball card. Giving it to my sister. Her mean time for late week puzzles is 10 minutes: we hate her.
Thanks David. May watch some old Sapranos or the ducks on the lake tonight because of you.
6
Good advice, dl. I'd add try not to be discouraged by others calling the puzzle easy ( as I was today)!
1
I would add, be aggressive in your guessing. Try things out, if they don't work you can always try something else
2
Research may not be cheating but it's not solving the puzzle.
First, let me put i a plug for Joel's mini, with its clever theme.
Second, this one didn't fall quickly for me; things filled in in bits and pieces; I'd return to an area and fill something in, go somewhere else and find something there, and the little pools of solvation swelled bit by bit, until the trudge became a gallop, with some pleasing swath-fills, then suddenly a final whew and pat on the back. A case of the Power of Persistence ("Just keep going"). Where moments of "Why am I doing this" built to a "I'm so glad I did this!" ending.
Hopefully, a template for my life. Thank you, David!
6
I did like that mini today. It was, so to speak, a Friday-ish mini with that black-square trick.
2
APR is not a type of financing (46A). It is a rate.
16
More collaboration needed: CROSSWORD did not check with either SPORTS or BUSINESS on this puzzle.
2
About yesterday's puzzle.. Am I the only one who is angry that a key part of figuring out the theme was not in any of the electronic editions? The "missing" numbers (e.g. 18A) were not missing in the electronic editions. I would have definitely noticed that and may have been able to figure out the theme. I want my streak back, NYT!!
3
Hi Steve,
As far as I understand the various formats, the only people who should have been "confused by the missing numbers" were those who failed to solve the puzzle on their own and turned to the column for instructions.
Not so, Barry. If I had seen the numbers missing, it would have been a red flag for me to wonder and figure out why. The missing grid numbers were key to figuring out the theme, but on the web and iPad they were filled in.
I meant noticed that the numbers were missing.
This one fell quickly after a average busting Thursday.
Preach it, Deb! Long time reader, first time commenter, but this was the word of encouragement I needed. I still fear the Friday and the dread of leaving the crossword unfinished; but I’m starting to learn that the only way to get good at late week crosswords is to challenge myself and push on through. And it’s working: I’ve now completed the last three Fridays in a row. Loved this one in particular: solid clues and satisfying answers.
15
I have a wake of unfinished puzzles behind me in the few months since I started puzzling. When I have spare time, I'll go back to one of them and keep noodling on it until the bastage falls to my growing skill.
3
I had to look up "bsstage". Oh wow.
1
excuse typo -- "as", not "ss"
Tthere are a couple of missing letters on error in Friday/ today's minipuzzle. L in Lisp and another L in Libya. I am unable to attach a screenshot.
Also in Lamar. I tried doing it as a rebus (definitely unusual for a mini), but that didn’t work.
The L is the black spaces (shape of an L).
7
Yes, I saw that in a different comment. It never occurred to me to pay attention to the black spaces, especially in a mini! Now I know that if I'm stumped, it is something to look at, too.
1
GRETNA / SOLTI Natick!
Great puzzle otherwise.
2
I would have counted NAENAE in that group.
For me as well, but I’ve become more comfortable with Naticks. I know they irk a lot of solvers, but now I look at them as “learning” like Barry’s said earlier about getting an answer solely by crosses. Especially since they’re only Naticks to some solvers.
With the World Cup on and the spotlight on Ronaldo... wonder how the high profile Portugal captain was clued as Spanish.
Anyway, on to the knockout stage ... this puzzle wasn’t one, though Thursday came close
I’ve seen this complaint several times, but the clue I see is Athlete for whom Portugal’s Madeira Airport was renamed. I wonder when it was changed.
Chris,
I assume you're doing the puzzle on the NYT online site (or whatever it's called), where NYT folk could make the fix after being alerted by Deb, who read an early comment here last night. Other apps, xwordinfo, and the print and PDF versions will still say Spain.
So so may be just OK but it’s not just fine.
6
"Just" means barely as well as exactly. With the first meaning, SOSO is just fine for "Just fine."
1
David is so good.
4
I, too, was somewhat awed by all the empty spaces, but after DAKOTA and ELO and TETE started things off, DUKE… was my first long across, followed by the rest of the north side. On the south, I had TALENT first, then CRISTIANO and MASTER before getting the rest from the crosses.
Managed to do it in less than ⅔ of my average Friday time, a nice challenge, but fun.
The mini baffled me until I found that rebuses didn’t work and noticed the shape of the black squares. Took 2:22?! AARGH.
7
Don't feel bad...I stared at it for 10 minutes before coming here (and I'm sure I'd be staring at it still). Grrr.
2
Deb, you’re right I am a fine person. Thanks for noticing.
As is usual for a Friday or Saturday, this puzzle was daunting until it wasn’t. For me the gimmes were BTEAM, TETE, RYAN, and SAC on the first Across pass. BYLINES, AFL, BEGET, EGYPT (though a guess), SNL, MOOT, ISRAELIS, GRANDE, IGOR, TCM on the following Down pass. Then it was a matter of bouncing back and forth seeing what those letters did for me. Interestingly, unlike Deb, TALENT occurred to me before MANAGEMENT. I knew DUKE OF WELLINGTON right off but needed some crosses to dredge it up. Likewise I figured BIDETS but needed a couple of letters to bring the word to mind. I knew po’boys was New Orleans but needed crosses to arrive at NAWLINS. All-in about 3/4 of average Friday at 18:08 after spending a minute or so to find my typo of CAbYBARA.
My nit for the day is that APR is not a “type of financing” is it? It stands for Annual Percentage Rate which is property of a loan not a type of loan.
7
and Elke
aargh what a scary white expanse.... but DUKE OF WELLINGTON fit right in .
Then I got a bit too clever- I really thought that the clue for 17A (''invisible social group'') required NYTXWORD BLOGGERS....
But DAKOTA, BIOS ,GRETNA and ODOMETER etc did not agree.
Sure wish I could live to the AGE of 122 (with brain intact) to see how this decade's history evolves .
Nice history subtheme- the DUKE, SCIPIO, EGYPT (Mizrayim), DAKOTA Terr., HECTOR
BADA BING BADA BOOM - Fridays no longer scare me; especially if they are by David St.
This was fun.
1
Actually, my plan is to live to be 123. Then it’ll be 1-2-3 GO!
Or equally well, it'll be one Twenty-Three skiddoo...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/23_skidoo_(phrase)
How can “ really fine” be equated with “so so”?
1
The clue on my NYT xwd app (iOS) was “just fine.”
2
Not great, not bad, just "fine".
3
What I like about Steinberg's puzzles is how impossible they look until you get a cross here and a cross there, and then the ahas come in waves. SCIPIO's feats have eluded me, and I still have no clue what a DISTRO is, but the crosses are logical and familiar, once you get past the wily clueing. Very enjoyable.
5
DISTRO is tech-speak for distribution.
1
DISTRO is probably the most objectionable entry in my mind, because it would so specifically exclude large parts of the population. However, you can get it by crossings. But then again, there were a few of those in the puzzle, IMO.
I don't find it "objectionable" if I can get it from the crossings, Wen; I consider it "learning."
How I use what I learn is another matter; I suspect DISTRO will remain in crosswords.
2
Friday with The Kid, always a treat. And all six of the triple stacks were new entries, quite a feat. I too was surprised that Spain had annexed Portuguese territory. It's bad enough that Cristiano plays for Real Madrid, and now this?
36A reminded me of that classic country music song, "Hannibal Crossed the Alps But I Can't Get Over You." (1A!!)
3
Hi Wags,
67A: I wondered if somebody thought "Madeira" was the name of the Madrid airport.
36A (38A, right?) reminds me that Hannibal crossed the Alps with elephants but none of the offspring survived.
BADA BING...
3
...Hannibal crossed the Alps with elephants?
Reminds me of hearing the best way to Mount Elephants. Howdah you do that?
1
Two B's or not two B's in Andrew Lloyd's last name? Two, but who knew? (Probably most of y'all, and me at one time.) Didn't know the Portuguese guy, who may as well have been Spanish. Did know ELO! Name any ELO tune and I'll guess "ELO." I once dated a guy who said 1A, then BADABOOM, we were done. Fun puzzle.
1
Ha! Thanks for the laugh, Suzy. That’s why those guys should all wear the Italian golden horn necklace - as an early warning system!
1
Nice and hard Friday, was thrown off temporarily cuz I’m a BADABOOMBADABING kinda guy, not the other way around. Even though I know my DISTROs, it seems awfully techy and obscure to the gen pop, I’ll be curious to see the reaction to it. And felt certain about CR7 since I’m pretty sure he’s from Madeira, but the Spain part of the clue was boggling.
3
On behalf of the gen pop, I had never heard of distro so was grateful for all the crosses which rendered it the only possible choice. Agree, hard but very satisfying puzzle. Just right for the Friday NYT.
4
Guess maybe I don't qualify as gen pop, but DISTRO was one of my first to fill and I enjoyed seeing it.
1
A fine puzzle. Challenging enough (for me) for a Friday, with some clues (e.g., 15 DOWN) that were tricky but ultimately fair.
But I must take issue with 44 DOWN. At first I wanted to fit HABANERO or SCOTCH BONNET, but of course they didn't work. So I worked around the crosswords and finally got it. But SERRANO? "Mouth-burning"? Please! I guess Mr. Steinberg likes his ethnic food extra-mild.
9
John, some of us have tender palates! For me a jalapeño is too hot, so a SERRANO would definitely burn.
2
67A - Portugal, not Spain. Either way, I’m not there... but I sure would like to be!
2
Really enjoyed this puzzle. Solved it quickly enough, but didn't understand it until I extended my arm to pu my phone down. Then, I saw it. That's a lot of clever in such a small pizzle
1
I actually love a good Friday puzzle. It’s mind bending but almost more fun than the early week puzzles. I got BADA BING BADA BOOM pretty early on and it’s so satisfying! I’ve only been solving for a few years and if I can learn to do later week puzzled anyone can!
8
This was great fun, and it solved in about two-thirds of my average Friday time. For a very scary-looking grid, the north half solved very quickly, with DUKE OF WELLINGTON, ELO, SOLTI, and BTEAM as my first input. Okay, I didn't "know" SOLTI, but 5D had to end in S, 6D was likely INFO, and 7D could only be N'AWLINS, and then the Downs just all kept falling right into place.
The middle and south were harder for me, but there were always interesting crosses to get me started on the problem words. SLUSHEES vs. SLURPEES? I got TALENT before MANAGEMENT, and took a while to think of RONALDO's first name once I got his last--didn't know he was from Madeira, which is Portuguese.
I didn't know Lamborghini was owned by AUDI and never heard of DISTRO, so the D at their cross was my last fill.
Great fun, but over too fast.
4
The hint for 67-Across is incorrect, the correct nation is Portugal, not Spain
21
I wondered why Spain would have an airport called Madeira!
3
Thanks, Linda. I’ve alerted the editors.
1
At least the clue has a number...
GOOOOOOL!