I see someone else has written about this. I’m racing through the Archive doing the Monday puzzles, and was very disappointed to come across a clue that required taking God’s name in vain. Yes, I can look at it from the point of view of the crossed word, but it’s wrong; it’s a privilege to honor God and treat God and the name with respect. Please do not create these very fun puzzles that demand cursing to complete them.
1
I wasn’t a fan of the casual use of “My God” for 36D, “Sheesh.”
Though I’m not very religious, I know that is an offensive use of the word “God” and could be very alienating for some people who would otherwise enjoy the NYTimes crossword.
2
@Maeve Quigley for Criss sake; is that better? Just don't read,watch,listen to anything other than Christian media, but please don' t make it difficult for the rest of us who good people, and not uptight about every little thing.
@Chef Mark K Odd that you think that cursing God’s name is a small thing... being respectful of God and the name of God is one of the most significant, honoring, and life-altering choices one can make.
@Carol looks like you used His name in vain more times than Mark and the puzzle combined.
We really lowered the bar when we voted Trump into office.
4
It would be nice to see clues that refer to parents instead of moms and dads. I’m a parent but do not identify as a mom or dad.
For instance, at 8D the clue could be “School Grp. for parents.” That wouldn’t change the answer at all.
2
@Melissa Prendergast
Because “Parents” is part of the PTA acronym, it can’t also appear in the clue. A quick scan of the 371 entries of PTA in the NYT XWP yielded my favorite: “Not just a pop group, for short.”
11
@puzzlemucker
I’m not a constructor, so thank you for the information.
2
@Melissa Prendergast
Late-breaking and exciting developments. After taking a closer look at the cluing for PTA, I found that the very first time it appeared, in June 1944, it was clued as “Parents’ group.” “Parents’” or “Parental” appeared a few more times in PTA clues into the 1960s, when it disappeared from the cluing.
3
Hard to say which I enjoyed more: this puzzle's bar dropping or last night's bar hopping!
1
It has to be right in front of my nose, but I cannot find the last B6. I have our relative, the yummy stuff and an owie. Any hints would be gratefully received.
@Jennifer - if you don't find it, you might cry?
@David Connell grrr. I had it in my mind and never put it down! Thanks!
I have to say this is an enjoyable and one of the liveliest thought-provoker puzzles I've seen in a long time, and not just because of the entrancing and stepping theme: some of the clue-fill choices gave me mindworms. Let me stick a few out there.
21A: One normally lights a fire, not burns a fire to set one.
43A: Had to think this one over: it's perfectly correct, however my first thought was that a flat tire normally needs a patch.
48A: And all these years I thought that name was "Tom,Tom"
50A: The fill should be singular; otherwise I would have left out "of them". Also the clue should have read "Morse code O has ..."
66A: Madonna's chromosomes?
3D: The smallest possible amount IS the minimum. By definition. So what does "bare" do? Is there a "clothed" minimum?
6D: Is there a shortened form of this fill? :-)
3
I read through yesterday's comments to see if anybody had a "bad thought" for the clue at 15D: Cop___. I had A _ _ E _, and thought "surely not!" And of course it wasn't... Since nobody mentioned it I couldn't resist. (Being a former BARtender has nothing to do with it!)
3
@Suzy M.
Lol.
I was doing an archive on the plane yesterday.
Oct 12, 2018.
61across. Impressively tough, in slang. 6 letters. BAD___
I thought surely it couldn’t be, not the NYT! To my delight and dismay, Yup...so gangsta! Lol.
1
Wonderful Monday puzzle. Quick, as Monday’s are meant to be, with a very clever theme. Thanks L.L.!
I will never understand the folks who get angry in this space about any puzzle they don’t like.
7
@Shari Coats
I don't see any angry puzzle comments today. I don't read Bee comments, so I don't know if they are buzzing about anything today.
TIL about 17 different times that one must not pluralize LEGO.
Like everyone I really enjoyed the puzzle, with quite an original theme for a Monday. Definitely needed the fine reveal, what fun to finally notice all those neatly placed BARs. I am happy to add my praise to the queen of Monday puzzles.
6
The cherubs make tableaus while playing their cellos for children who are eating pizzas in the piazzas, on leave from their kindergartens. Their brothers use many apparatuses to create sphinxes with their phalanxes.
English is a language. It is alive. No trademarks needed.
Leggo my legos.
cherubim - tableaux - celli - childers - pizze - piazze - Kindergärten - brethren - apparatus - sphinges - phalanges - Lego™
13
Last week we learned of the inviolable rule on proper-name pronunciation. Do we have here an example of the inanimate-object exception? Or perhaps the no-proxy/principals only exception, since we’ve heard only from the company and not from the bricks themselves?
Whether or not LEGOS are countable objects, I couldn't care fewer.
4
@Thomas Downing - sounds like we have a supporter of Citizens United here?
Companies are not persons, no matter what misguided opinions come down from the courts. On top of that, they are free to mispronounce their own names. Examples come easily to mind -
Acqua di Giò, advertized as "aqua di zho" instead of "aqua di joe," which is what the name is and means and is carefully spelled as;
Freschetta, advertized as "freshetta" instead of "fresketta," which is etc.;
IKEA, advertized as "eye-key-ah" when its name in Sweden is "ee-kay-ah".
In every one of these and countless other instances, the company accommodates the popular pronunciation in order to sell more stuff. I doubt that, when I enter the Lego store to buy a $150 set of plastic bits, they would argue with me about what I call them! At their home, they are "lay-ko" bricks, not "leg-oh" bricks - so we've already missed the mark, without worrying about plurals.
@Andrew - the whole less vs. fewer thing bugs the heck out of me. It's in a whole class of invented grammatical rules / problems that arose in the past 150 years due to too many teachers.
Dad: Son, pick up your LEGO
Son: *clik*
Dad:
Son: ???
Dad: All of them.
9
@Hildy Johnson
Brilliant. I literally lol’d drinking my coffee.
1
About a week ago, the AcrossLite settings changed and I can't figure out how to reset them. Any help? Was I the only one?
JH
@Joseph Horton MD Please send a note to customer service for help at [email protected].
@Joseph Horton MD
On a mac, go to Preferences under the 'Across Lite' menu item. Which setting do you wan to reset?
(I am not a PC user, but perhaps it would be 'Options' instead of 'Preferences'?)
1
@Joseph Horton MD
I use Microsoft Edge primarily, and several days ago AcrossLite stopped working, although it worked in Google Chrome - but Chrome does weird things to my computer. So I reinstalled AcrossLite and now it works in Edge.
Those interested in further pro and con on LEGOS may wish to look here:
https://painintheenglish.com/case/4639
3
The plural of LEGO isn't LEGOS
4
@Ethan Indeed. LEGO is a collective (Proper) Noun.
2
I initially put Duplo in 1D because I thought surely, Will Shortz would know the plural of LEGO is LEGO. Rather disappointed to see that slip through.
5
@Simon Maybe Will Shortz hasn't stepped on enough of them. "Lego" is a kid-friendly, four-letter swear word at that point.
6
An uncommonly Lempeltuous Monday.
It was a real EGO SLAP to be casting about for the theme (GORED BOARD?) right UP ON to the final BARBARous ending. I liked the oyther inversion of having the 'High points' cutting across the middle, and am wondering idle whether there's a conspiracy of sorts to sqwoosh an ACME into a Monpuzz whenever possible... as a tip of the old fedora among Monday specialists, dontcha know.
Will be humming Beach Boys and Streisand the rest of the day.
6
My five favorite clues from last week
(in order of appearance):
1. It gets pushed in a corner (6)(3)
2. Forceful one? (4)
3. Wind-up toys? (5)
4. A rancher might pull one over a calf (4)
5. Septennial symptom? (4)
ESCAPE KEY
JEDI
KITES
BOOT
ITCH
11
@Lewis
I liked that "3" could work with either a long or short "i" in wind. The wind keeps the toy up in the air, and you wind up the string.
4
I enjoyed the puzzle. But my brother, who works for Lego, would have an issue with 1 Down, as the company prefers that the brand not be pluralized. In other countries, they are Lego bricks, not Legos.
1
I don’t think it is possible to create a better Monday puzzle. Thank you for an exceptional job Lynn.
6
Such a refreshing puzzle - fun to do and a non-obvious theme - perfect for a Monday!
7
It's cold and rainy here, gray and wet, and it's Monday, and it's the last week of the semester. But thanks to this fine puzzle, I am now in a good mood, and I can go out and face the day.
6
The BARometric pressure falls,
As snow moves in, and sleet, and squalls.
A BARrelful of clever clues
Might chase away those winter blues.
But what I get is BARren, BARe,
Devoid of any challenge there.
In fact, when all is said and done,
BARbiturates might be more fun.
10
@Nancy, lol!! Am doubting Theda BARra coulda done better.
That was downright Dorothy BARker.
3
Thanks, @Leapy! Always missing you over on Rex and it's great to see you here.
1
@Nancy
And then there is the poem "Crossing the BAR" ...
Lynn Lempel does exactly the opposite of this puzzle's theme for all constructors everywhere.
Her ability to create fresh themes that continue to surprise us is nothing less than brilliant.
Brava the marvelous Ms. Lempel!
11
Bit of an odd crossword-related incident. I'm watching the local news (Channel 5 for those in the Atlanta area) and one of their reporters (Paul Milliken) was reporting on the snowfall in...
Natick, Massachusetts. I have absolutely no idea why he was there and they didn't offer an explanation.
5
A bunch of NYT xword fans?
1
@Rich in Atlanta Some of us may actually come from Natick!
4
@Rich in Atlanta
Natick is on the Mass turnpike, a major commuter artery, and is near two other major highways for the greater Boston area. A perfectly reasonable place to report on snow and traffic for a Boston station, which other newsrooms are using.
If you live near Boston, Natick is not hard to know about. Otherwise, it’s no more obscure than anywhere else, including many towns in Westchester county.
4
I love fast solves, elicited TOM egotistically.
Heading back to Mississippi with visions of decimated Barbies and Kens dancing in my head. A few years ago we introduced Tannerite (explosive) into the fun. This year saw a few explosions and fewer remaining dolls.
A note to those who shoot in the desert: Pick up your trash and brass.
Thanks Lynn.
2
I was hoping the BAR was lower in each answer, as well as in the puzzle as a whole, so head STRIPBAR, instead of CABARET for a bit. Still a pleasant Monday diversion.
2
I hate to carp, but too-easy puzzles like this that are basically a primer of stock filler are not fun, especially when so many (if not all ) of the filler
Words have been used within the last few days. I urge the editors to urge the constructors to take a new look before acceptance. I did appreciate
homage to Mr. Barrymore, at a bare minimum.
Skeptical1,
Which puzzle did you do this morning?
11
@Skeptical1
Mondays are easy. They often also have commonly used fill, though this puzzle wasn’t egregious in this respect, and it had a theme where a modicum of intelligence was needed, which I found refreshing.
If you don’t care about your streak, avoid Monday through Wednesday and do late week puzzles from the archive. A few Rich Norris puzzles should be a very bracing tonic.
6
@Barry Ancona
How did you like seeing all those BAR references, BARry?
5
BAM! - - Back to solid a solid “Solve”!
Nothing to complain about in this Monday puzzle. A discoverable theme that actually helped with LIONEL BARRYMORE. No obtuse or overly-clever clueing. What’s not to like?
And - - the relocation of BAR - from the top of a grid column to the bottom was a precise move of three squares in each theme answer. THAT was probably more work than it looks like.
After a couple of years working on these grids, (and with respect to them), I have given up on the old TGIF acronym and replaced it with TGIM. And, now, it’s OHIT, OHIF and OHIS. (Actually, I enjoy the Thu, Fri and Sat challenges. They just take a little longer - - and my frustration meter pegs much more often than with these early lozenges.)
4
Loved it. Very smooth solve and a great 'aha' moment when I finished and had to review the puzzle to figure out the theme. I don't usually keep track of my time (I solve in Across Lite), but I wrote this one down and I'll see if I can ever beat it.
My answer/clue history search today took me down a path that eventually led to a Sunday puzzle - March 20, 2011 - just a few months before I started here. The answer I was looking up didn't appear in today's puzzle, but was somewhat related to one of the entries (don't want to give it away). The clue for that entry was "Chick lit book #7 (1985)." I of course looked at the complete puzzle and really wish I could have had a chance to try solving it without knowing what the theme was. Highly recommend it to anyone who hasn't done it.
2
@Rich in Atlanta
Something to look forward to on this snow day Monday. Thanks.
2
@Rich in Atlanta
Great puzzle. Well worth the workout, imo. 52 comments on the WP Blog for that Sunday puzzle.
1
@Rich in Atlanta
Appreciate both your generosity and your consideration.
Officer/gentleman
Lynn is so consistently good, with puzzles that have bounce and themes that snap. If there were a crossword Hall of Fame, she's there. This is what you want a new solver to experience, a puzzle showing wit and providing fun. One demonstrating that a puzzle can be a thing of beauty. This is what we get from L.L.'s bean every time. Once again, thank you Lynn!
22
[@Lewis, Eddie Bauer just phoned and we need to talk about your tendencies for product placement.]
...groan
First time I have completed a NYT crossword with no help, and I did so in below average time! A CREST and ACME, even if a Monday means I have LOWER[ED] THE BAR for this AAA LABOR.
12
Great and a little challenging Monday from Lynn Lempel.
Had a dash of trouble with the NW corner as I mistook the “Nigerian” LIARS for SCAMS - possibly due to anchoring spam mails/calls from purported Nigerians to the memorable story of a pub quiz name I made up back in Hong Kong times (the team chose names from “funny” stories that happened to us in the preceding week - and as I had my phone stolen while being drunk and the thief placing a bunch of calls to Nigeria, we settled on “Nigerian Phone SCAM” for team name). Guess that’s how my brain misread the clue, which is actually asking for a personalised noun...
Also had to fiddle with the SW corner due to at first getting wrong both CREST and DASHES. Not being overly familiar with morse code, I still enter PAUSES instead and that gives me a world of trouble. Took me a while to realise there’s nothing in Poker that goes with _ _ RIEU.
The theme finally set me straight. Yet, the visual representation was entirely beyond me until I read Deb’s column. Anyway. Fun Monday. Finally getting a few weeks Mondays done without any aide.
2
LETTER BOXED
M-S(7), S-Z(6)
Quite surprising.
3
@Andrew
I have the same. Yes, very surprising that the second word was accepted. A slangy British English word, possibly derived from Yiddish.
YESTERDAY:
CARDINAL LEGWORK
3
@Mari
I didn’t know it was British, and I thought it ended with a double letter. Definitely slang and something I associate with a certain American comedian.
2
SPELLING BEE GRID
Dec 2 2019
O B H K M N Y
WORDS: 37, POINTS: 131, PANAGRAMS: 1
B x 15
H x 9
K x 4
M x 5
N x 3
Y x 1
4L x 19
5L x 8
6L x 7
7L x 1
8L x 2
4 5 6 7 8 Tot
B 8 3 4 - - 15
H 3 2 1 1 2 9
K 2 1 1 - - 4
M 3 2 - - - 5
N 3 - - - - 3
Y - - 1 - - 1
Tot 19 8 7 1 2 37
56
@Mari Hints for today: two similar words concerned with same-sounding words with different meanings - the pair has occurred before on the Bee; 7 words formed from adding 'Y' to the root word also in the solution set; An ape seen before on the Bee; An interjection/shoutout to get attention; A style of fashion which is casual and flowing; an informal verb meaning to mix socially. Panagram starts with the 8th letter of the alphabet and is a compound word.
20
Hi there. I’m new. Missing the H6. Any hints? Much appreciated!
2
@Julie “to mix socially, esp. with higher classes.”
11
SPELLING BEE
At 35 words 124 points need two more four letter words or one eight letter word.
Pangram might be new; it’s a printed collection of religious songs found in the back of pews.
Another possibility new word is an adjective for the sound of an explosion.
4
@Kevin Davis
I'm far behind you, but...try adding a Y to you 7-letter word?
1
@Mooninfog already have that one but thanks. I’ll have to check Mari’s list to see which 2 I’m missing.
@Mooninfog turns out I’m missing one B4 & one B6.
23A: “Curly and Shemp’s fellow stooge”
MOE, Curly, and Shemp were all brothers. Shemp the oldest, MOE in the middle, Curly the youngest.
What, no Larry?
Thanks for the reminder.
1
NYC Traveler,
Larry was Fine.
3
I went to the bar yesterday. Now time to see which firms will hire me.
(This whole comment section is out of order!)
(Also, Lynn Lempel, as usual, does not disappoint!)
4
and Elke
My attempt at a BAR joke without destroying the earlier thread.
A LIAR , an OGRE and a SLAV come to MOE's BAR :" We had enough of our EXES' SERMONs and so we wished a POX on them. But now we are SORE and LONESOME and so we are ready to LOWER THE BAR ".
Also like Schiller's ODE to JOY and Beethoven's musical treatment of it. There are many Flashmob youtubes of it. Will see if my browser will let me link one :
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo
A Canadian "Sorry" if it did not work (the link i.e.)
4
@R/Elke, if it helps even one person to enjoy this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo
Certainly the most joyous Ode I've seen performed -- I think it was the children made it so.
Thank you, Elke
@R/Elke, if it helps even one person to enjoy this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJcQYVtZMo
Certainly the most joyous Ode I've seen performed -- I think it was the children made it so.
Alle Menschen werden Brüder.
Thank you, Elke
When I read the clue for 1A, all I could think of was AGONY -- good thing I didn't write it in or I would have wasted a good deal of LABOR trying to make everything else work out. It's funny the associations we may have with certain concepts!
7
The ODE TO JOY part is Schiller's, not Beethoven's. Beethoven just set it to music in the finale of the Ninth.
1
@Ethan Beethoven *just* set it to music?
19
@Ethan
Dorothy Hammerstein: "Jerome Kern wrote 'dum, dum, da-dum.' My husband wrote 'Ol' Man River.'"
(I may have paraphrased.)
7
@Stephanie Frankly, for all it's fame and glory, the Ninth isn't one of Beethoven's best pieces, in my opinion, and maybe that opinion colored the way I phrased my comment. In any event, the "Ode to Joy" belongs to Friedrich Schiller; no slouch in his own right, and of that there can be no doubt.
2
Great great theme and execution. Brava. Thank you Lynn.
My only slight hangup was SCAMS for the Nigerian princes clue.
Curious what choices you had for the 15 letter entry, as you needed BAR as letters 7-9.
1
@Newbie I didn't even figure the theme out until I read Ms. Amlen's column after finishing the puzzle. I knew Lionel Barrymore immediately because I'm a movie nerd (born, for the record, 30-odd years after "It's a Wonderful Life" came out).
@Brendan
I’m ashamed to say I’ve never even watched the movie. Everyone tells me, every year, i gotta watch it. I don’t. Well, maybe this year. So you can guess, I never heard of that dude. I know I can look it up, but any relation to Drew Barrymore? granddaughter?
@Newbie
Lionel Barrymore is great uncle to Drew. There are several other Barrymore luminaries in the film world.
3
The "Andy" in the news is of course Prince Andrew, AKA "Randy Andy" [since the age of 18], and now in deep trouble. As the second son of the ruling monarch he unfortunately fell into the same dilemma of QE2's younger sister, Margaret, who led an "interesting" life but and untimely death.
Having a non-executive Head-of-State, vis-a-vis Head-of-Government, has many advantages [as many Americans might agree, on reflection], but the "second-born" child seems destined to inherit existential problems. Let's hope that Prince Harry does not fall into that malaise – being married to an American (Meghan) will doubtless help. At least the gene pool will diversify.
And indeed, lest we forget, Britain's last great Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, was half-American too.
4
@NICE CUPPA
Exactly what does all this have to do with solving crosswords?
There is a time and a place for everything.
Crosswords are a place to get away from from those who want to politicize everything.
We, we humans, need these refuges.
9
@NICE CUPPA
I don’t know that I agree about second born child. George the sixth was a more dependable man than his elder brother. He certainly didn’t leak British secrets to the Nazis.
Also, Anne is the second child. To me, she seems one of the more admirable ones of that generation. But then I don’t mind watching show jumping, others may not agree.
5
It's always a pleasure to see Lynn Lempel's name as the constructor.
12
@vaer Agreed! I was just commenting yesterday that Monday puzzles don't have to be boring just because they're easy. With a great constructor like Lynn Lempel, they can be fun and interesting. This puzzle didn't LOWER THE BAR of my expectations.
6
This morning not UP TO PAR. Tonight they LOWER THE BAR.
Thank you.
5
Very nice! Since I went through the Acrosses first, I didn't see what was going on until I was quite a ways into the Downs. Loved how the BAR dropped three blocks with every theme answer.
I especially enjoyed seeing Beethoven's ODE to Joy there, since I'm deep into rehearsals for a performance of it in a couple of weeks. (In English, newly written words, not German). It's been my go-to listening music for a while now.
9
@Liz B Loved your comment on the Ode to Joy. I have seen it performed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra for the last several years at Tanglewood in Western Mass. It is always the last performance of the summer for the BSO, in late August. I would be fascinated to see it performed in English. Good Luck.
4
@Jim
Two of my friends sing in the Tanglewood Festival Chorus! The only performance of it I ever went to was Seiji Ozawa conducting on Boston Common.
1
Charming!
1
NGO is another Vietnamese name along the the lines of yesterday’s Tran
8
@ColoradoZ, but different in the sense that only one of those names can be called to someone at the far end of a long hallway.
[I tried it once...]
Many NGOs, far from operating independently of government, are in fact little more than vehicles for governmental. It’s quite sad.
But the clue is well crafted. Oxfam and Doctors Without Borders are counterexamples.
1
Oops... governmental outsourcing
@Thomas Downing
Yes, you are referring to QUANGOS – Quasi-[autonomous] NGOs – a term that is still used as a (chiefly derogatory) term in Britain, despite having its origin in the US (1970s) where it is no longer (or rarely) used, for some reason.
1
If this link isn't too long, you can read a letter to The Times from the creator of the term:
https://www.nytimes.com/1987/09/05/opinion/l-letter-on-quasi-public-organizations-whence-came-the-quango-and-why-969587.html
2
Great Monday puzzle. Lynn Lempel knows how to ride the CREST of her constructing career. No EBBED tide here.
One clue and entry, though, confirmed for me that neither constructor nor editor were in their teens. With the initial H in place for 52D's four letters of "Modern viewing for couch potatoes," I wondered what was more modern than HULU.
5
Nice Monday with an appropriately set BAR. No need to STUDY FOR or LABOR on this one. Definitely not out of SORTS after putting this one away.
3
Waiting for all the Brits to come in grumbling about LEGOS.
1
@Abelsey
Why are we going to grumble about Legos, fellow Brit?
@Laura Rodrigues In London - I'm an American in the UK for 21 years, and all I hear regarding Legos is that I should instead be referring to several Lego, as if they are deer.
3
@ABelsey
It isn’t a British thing, the plural of LEGO is LEGO. Probably a common enough error to pass for accurate in the NYT though.
4
I enjoy the challenging, you have to think hard and work hard late week puzzles like the next gal, but oh the joys of a clear, no glue, no misdirections, sunshiny Monday!
And the lovely bars going down like lifts, what a beauty! May one dare to wish that the other Barr might also fall?
35
@Laura Rodrigues In London
I wish I could talk to you in person.
I browse the Guardian, the Times and the Economist. What really is happening in what used to be the British Isles?
4
Join so many of us in the “what is happening?” corner. If I was a conspiracy theory person, I’d say is the Trump playbook. Sometimes I think there is actual book! Mix a segment of the population who feels excluded and left behind by what they see as arrogant, self satisfied the london/ urban “elites” and add a savvy group of wealthy people who want deregulations to increase their profits ( of medicines, of food safety, of environment, of agrotóxics, etc...) and hate institutions the eschew profits because they are dedicated to meet public needs ( like the National Health Service) and finish with a good dollop of home made and Russian funded lies, spreading divisiveness and blaming migrants or the European Union for their hardship caused mostly by years of austerity, and... We have never been so divided and angry, and the division - eg in the referendum - sometimes is close to 50-50. Put in power someone who is not afraid of lying again and again, with a shady past. My opinion, just my opinion, for what is worth...waiting for the pendulum swing.
17
@Laura Rodrigues In London
"My opinion, just my opinion, for what is worth..."
$.02
1
Taking the lazy way out today by re-posting from yesterday to give Deb a chance to follow Caitlin down the BOARD GAME rabbit hole:
https://blogs.brown.edu/libnews/liman-exhibit/
The article is about a display of old board games at Brown University in Providence, RHODE ISLAND. The display was a temporary exhibit which has come to an ENDE. However,
AT PRESENT, there is a permanent display of old games on the third floor of the John Hay library at Brown. (Capital letters all answers on yesterday's puzzle)
2
@ColoradoZ
Hopefully, the whole week will have a BOARD GAME tie-in and you can just keep reposting the same comment.
2
@Puzzlemucker
I would GO APE if that happened. It would just be so NEAT. It would give me time to STUDY FOR the final exam in my cooking class where I have to demonstrate how to properly microwave a RED BARON pizza
6
A LIAR, an OGRE, and a SLAV walk into a BAR...
Fun Monday. Happy December!
14
@Ann
Trying my darndest to come up with a punchline worthy of the set-up, but I just can’t do it.
Discarded punchline candidates:
“And they thought they were exceptional! Ha Ha!”
“Welcome to the Manchurian party, fellas!”
“We’ll just blame Ukraine!”
8
@Puzzlemucker
I commend your efforts!
4
@Ann
Shouldn't that be A LIAR, an OGRE, and a SLAV walks into a BAR?
1
Aha! An excellent graphic vertical Monday theme. Could be the seed for a BOARD GAME called LOWER THE BAR. Will spend the rest of the evening, or at least part of it, attempting to come up with an outline for the game. BOARD GAMEs are back, or so I hear.
3
@ puzzlemaker
May a suggest a “snakes and ladders” format for your game of the day?
3
Though it BARely took time, Lynn Lempel's puzzle exceeded the BAR for a Monday, both with a theme and the quality of the fill.
What else can I say, except to offer BAR toasts: Salud! Cheers! A Votre Sante!
8
Best Monday puzzle I’ve done today, bar none.
- Tom
16
Done in a BAREMINIMUM of time ?
2
First, the Cardinal yesterday. Then the Niners this morning. Now the Raiders. I’m tired of football. Any know of a steaming service that carries Barbarella?
- Tom
1
@Tom Martin
I’m reading your comment as I watch the Raiders break my husband’s heart yet again😢. I’m sticking with crosswords, at least until spring. Let’s go Mets 2020!
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