Resolved

Feb 22, 2020 · 119 comments
BCB (Portland, OR)
This was a fun, and challenging, puzzle for this beginner. After going over all the answers, I understood them except 123-A, “Side ones” for the clue Where first tracks are found.” Could someone explain this to me? Many thanks!
ChiaviDiBasso (Wilton CT)
@BCB Side One of an LP would have the first tracks on the record. This may be one of the older persons' clues!
BCB (Portland, OR)
Aah, although I do fall into that category, it never occurred to me. Thank you!
Leapfinger (Durham, NC)
Maymudes! Pronounced Maym-uh-deez? Such an interesting and unusual surname. But it seemed to me to be a partial, wanting something added ON. Maym-ON-uh-deez just has to trace back to the Rambam, Maimonides
EW (LA)
Mostly fun puzzle. The theme was simple but effective and the fills were mostly lively. My only complaint is the cluing for 113A, which was so awful it literally made me convulse. The first two things I associate with that word are public hangings and suicide. Furthermore, the phrase "to be at the end of one's rope" means to lose patience and the ability to cope with one's circumstances. So even the cluing itself leads you down a dark line of thinking. I'm really gobsmacked and I can't believe the editors would approve such a distasteful clue. This single entry almost ruined the entire puzzle for me.
Carrie (Northfield, MN)
Fun to see another crossword from a fellow Carleton student! Enjoyed the cute theme and especially appreciated that the puzzle went quicker than usual for me given that my senior thesis is due at the end of the week. Carls helping Carls!
Gale (New York, NY)
It's very humbling to read the comments of those who thought this puzzle was easier than most Sunday puzzles. I saw that one reader had finished the puzzle in a mere16 minutes! Well, I have just started doing the harder NYT puzzles recently and it took me over two hours to complete this one.
GreaterMetropolitanArea (Just far enough from the big city)
@Gale To me the goal is to finish. I do not clock-watch or care how long it takes. If I come back to it a week or a month later, so what? Fun to keep starting afresh. The automatic timer on the electronic version drives puzzle-doers to feel they need to beat their previous best time. But every puzzle is different, so what's the point of comparing?
Linda Kirwan (NJ)
@GreaterMetropolitanArea I dislike the timer feature for the same reason and usually ignore it. I also deliberately stop my streaks at random points, so I don’t feel the “tyranny of the streak” as another puzzler put it. I just want to have fun! And everybody gets to define that their own way.
Tony S (Washington, DC)
@Gale Maybe it's because I'm as old as water, but I print out the puzzles and work them with a pencil that has a good eraser. There's no timer, no pressure, only fun and relaxation. I've surrendered enough of my soul to technology already --- I need a few anchors to a gentler era.
Shari Coats (Nevada City, CA)
I liked the theme. Got it fairly early on with RECOVERGIRL, and might have seen it even sooner if I could just remember to look at the Sunday puzzle title 🤦🏼‍♀️, but I never seem to.
McBean (Castle Rock, Colorado)
For "Billionaire Carl," I first entered "Sagan" as in "billions and billions."
Mike R (Denver, CO)
@McBean Don't give Will Shortz any ideas, now...
McBean (Castle Rock, Colorado)
@Mike R I flashed on that just a little while ago. I would be honored!!!!
McBean (Castle Rock, Colorado)
@Mike R Oh, and, by the way, Howdy Neighbor!!!
Bellevue Bob (Bellevue, WA)
Fun! (re?)solved it in 16:06
SteveG (VA)
I do xwds on paper and at leisure for fun and to absorb a bit of arcana. This one was (almost) pure fun except for my not being able to guess 48D and 53A. Well at least some arcana seeped in.
Golfsan (Denver Co)
Nit picking..an arear is overdue debt, not unpaid.
JayTee (Kenosha, Wi)
@Golfsan If it's overdue, it's unpaid.
Barry Ancona (New York NY)
JayTee, Right, but Golfan is pointing our that "Unpaid debt" is not in ARREARs if it's not past due. Arrears is a financial and legal term that refers to the status of payments in relation to their due dates. The word is most commonly used to describe an obligation or liability that has not received payment by its due date. Therefore, the term arrears applies to an overdue payment. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/a/arrears.asp
GreaterMetropolitanArea (Just far enough from the big city)
@Golfsan The increasing (?) use of ARREAR (singular) in puzzles is as distressing as the now extremely common use of ELATE as a transitive verb in the definitions.
Jennifer DeC (Mesa, AZ)
Am I the only one disappointed in such an easy Sunday puzzle? Believe me: I'm not brilliant. But this just wasn't tricky and fun like I expect the Sunday puzzle to be.
Leapfinger (Durham, NC)
Looking over the solved puzzle gave me a runny nose, You might say I had a RHEUM WITH A REVIEW. We truly miss our fine musicians like saxophonist Moore of the Dave Matthews Band and the great Harlem writer Jones. It would be a real boon to the Arts if we could REVIVE LEROI. Then a friend of mine who teaches grade school has quite a number of Vietnamese students. She saw a few of the playing together at recess and said to Hli Dah, Nou Kha and Kha Hli "I can see you're HMONG friends!" It might be where you find the UGLI fruit, but as you can see, I pluck my puns from THE LO RAX. A well-developed theme, sprightly fill and engaging clues. A nice variation on "Take your daughter to work" Day, and a lovesome showcase for keeping it All in the Family.
Rich in Atlanta (Clarkston, Georgia)
Had our granddaughter overnight and through most of the morning, so worked on this during brief breaks over a period of about 7 hours. I found it quite enjoyable. Once I'd figured out the theme I Thought it was fun to try and figure out each of them with a minimum of crosses (which is usually what I had anyway). Didn't always get there, but managed a couple of them. Not too easy; not too hard. Just right for me.
Jason (Silicon Valley)
No trigger warning for 4D? Is anyone watching?
Tony S (Washington, DC)
@Jason Isn't PATRIOT ACT a touchdown pass from Brady to Edelman? I guess a trigger warning would be advisable if you're a Giants or Jets fan.
Jason (Silicon Valley)
For both acts, I was pretty deflated by spy-gate...
Deadline (New York City)
@Jason Under the PATRIOT ACT, *everyone* is watching. At least all those in power.
Johanna (Ohio)
This delightful puzzle reminded me of this song because of the repeated "re a re a re" in the chorus. Also, it's how I feel about the Maymudes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAI_Nv3qWto
Dr W (New York NY)
Delightful. This puzzle really "oozed" for me -- started at the bottom and the grid filled up like I was pouring letters into it, the fills suggesting the next entries. This degree of felicity is rare. (Perfect antidote after attending a funeral yesterday morning, BTW.)
Santi Bailor (New York, NY)
One of these Sundays I'll remember to check for the title. I don't get a blinky light to indicate notes and most puzzles don't have a title. Someone here mentioned the Sunday has a title but I never check. My only unknown was Icahn and the spelling is unusual so could not be inferred and I had LEAD TO for HEAD TO. Icaln seems just as reasonable as Icahn. Should I Google this millionaire? I will I suppose to learn.
Barry Ancona (New York NY)
Santi, Google if you wish, or just remember Icahn Stadium on Randalls Island (which replaced the Downing Stadium of my youth).
Dr W (New York NY)
@Santi Bailor Nah. Just think: "Icahn do it".
Santi Bailor (New York, NY)
@Dr W I googled but not someone I like. Seems to me palsies with someone I dislike. ICHAN'T stand this guy!
dk (Now In Mississippi)
Yowser, misspelled YEESH, lamented Tom languidly. Beaten by sloppy typing yet again. First stirrings of something like love (circa 6th grade) occurred while waiting for my sisters dance class to end, watching my female classmate in leotards... sigh. I guess UNITARDS are the same thing, without the romance. Thank you Sophia and David
Sam T (Hawthorne Nj)
In the spirit of enjoying the cultural references in the NYTXW, I've started a to build a playlist on Spotify of songs referenced in the daily puzzle. The Playlist is https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0vxpMh06oxbZz1YCwGfiic?si=ZV1yMHw6SRawTMJGujeasw Today "I Have Nothing" by Whitney Houston, "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin, "To Live and Die in LA" by 2Pac, and another so by Wang Chung I've also set up a spreadsheet that anyone can comment to add a new song, following the template I've set up. I think it'd be fun to see what kind of list each year puts together. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13Ld8gVTHnIOMN0ePvgmPue7lyYi054TSPnkgd2e275A/edit?usp=sharing
JAC (Austin, TX)
Thank you for the joyful reminder/clip of Toonces the Driving Cat! My parents were fans and the sheer absurdity used to delight me as a child.
Mean Old Lady (Now in Mississippi)
There were certainly a lot of first names in this puzzle--none of which I knew (though I got the F in FELIX by myself)! I object, though, to the 15D clue, "Ending with PSEUD- or SYN-." Maybe calling it an 'ending' instead of a 'suffix' makes it okay in the eyes of Will & Co., but I think it is a bit sloppy and disappointing. What's next? Beginning to -DILLO? (with PECCA- and ARMA- as possibles?) There should be some limits. The big news is that we haven't had any rain for 24 hours. The bad news is that it's in the forecast. Rain, rain, stay away! The rivers are dropping...slowly. Now for the hard part...
suejean (HARROGATE)
Nice to see DR. J, my father’s favourite basketball player as well as our Rich’s wife.(same name, not person) . As for the theme, typical Sunday wordplay, cleverly done from this almost unique father/daughter combination. They succeeded in keeping the two senses of the theme answers quite different. They all made me smile. Hopefully they will continue to create puzzles for the NYTIMES .
L DeVault (Charlottesville, Va)
I’d love to check out her earlier puzzle! When I click on the link, i get a message that I must be a subscriber to see it. I am, but I don’t see a way to log in on that page. Help, please.
vaer (Brooklyn)
@L DeVault It's the December 6, 2018 puzzle. You should be able to access it from the Archive.
GreaterMetropolitanArea (Just far enough from the big city)
@L DeVault Do you pay separately for the crosswords? There is an extra regular fee to see them, as is now the case for most recipes. I agree that the message should state this.
twoberry (Vero Beach, FL)
Really fun to solve, even though the first two letters of theme clues became easier to resolve as time passed. I have to go to breakfast now. It's REPAST TIME.
lpr (Nashville)
I got very stuck in the NW corner... for some reason I thought THERIOTACT could be related to terrorism Lol. Read those terrorists the riot act, that'll show em!
Jefferson (Seattle)
@lpr omg I had THERIOTACT for so long too. Then I came back to the puzzle and realized real quick that 1A is DESPAIR
Nancy (NYC)
Cute, if easy puzzle, with wacky theme answers that are very well clued. Who knew that phrases could be changed so completely just by adding a RE at the beginning? Wish the title hadn't given so much away, but I tried to come up with a replacement and couldn't. Nice, job, Maymudeses. Your backstory is charming and interesting and everyone should read it.
polymath (British Columbia)
Pleasant solve that I managed to zoom through, faster than my fastest NYT Sunday from six weeks ago. (Meanwhile, I can never remember where I put the car keys or phone.) The last letter to fall was where the Whitney Houston hit crossed requite, a word I know only in the phrase "unrequited love," which certainly did not suggest it means avenge! So that took a whole minute to come up with. The theme became clear with "relate to the party" and 'twas fun to see the rest of the theme entries. Nice to be reminded of "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, that I'd watch with my parents as a child. Plus, the cheapo miser is reminiscent of Jack Benny and Uncle Scrooge, two more pleasures of my youth. The puzzle did leave me with one puzzlement: What is a non-snow skier?
Barry Ancona (New York NY)
polymath, A water skier. (Meanwhile, I can never remember where I put the car keys or phone.) My solution: no car, phone on desk.
Andrew (Louisville)
@polymath I'm with you on the car keys. I have a button on mine which makes the car beep. That's all fine and dandy, but the car is usually where I last put it and it's quite big. What I need is a button in the car which makes the keys beep.
Steve L (Chestnut Ridge, NY)
@Andrew You'd be surprised how easy it would be to lose a ton-and-a-half car in the parking lot of Universal Studios after 12 hours at the park, sores on your feet, and everyone trying to leave at the same time. Even hitting the alarm button didn't help until we were really close to the car. But the car keys issue I've solved easily. I put a glass dish close to the front door of the house where all the keys and the wallet go when I come home. I do have to hide the whole setup if I have strangers in the house, but that's not too hard or too often, and as a result I haven't lost my keys in forever.
Beth Schwartz (NYC)
I thought this was the easiest Sunday puzzle in the history of the Sunday puzzle. I prefer more challenges. I breezed through it without even a thought of looking up some bit of trivia.
brutus (berkeley)
Solving without a whole helluva a lot of REpartee, I had to REinvent RELATE TO THE slate. I also REvised the dust closet, eschewing oreck; also the wardrobe. YEESH, those leotards had to go...The REgime of gimmes, partial RE’s, helped. The solve wrapped in the NE corner. Wagner’s piece was late to the dance but finally tolled for moi thanks to much cross support...SARA Bareilles’s spring ‘19 release Amidst The Chaos includes this REflective, REtrospective ballad on (SIDE ONE?) track six, “Miss Simone.” https://youtu.be/qRXRL8Pa29o REgards, Bru
Ann (Baltimore)
SAL soda was the last to fall in for me, because, what IS that? (Now I know, thanks Wordplay commenter friends). TIL, but, ew. Took a lot to pull ENCARTA from my brain, but TIR (remembered). Theme was clever and fun to suss out. Nice puzzle to fall asleep with last night, to spring up and complete quickly this morning. It's so cool, how that works!
EskieF (Toronto)
Letter Boxed G - H (8), H - T (5)
Amy (Fort Myers)
Not as concise, but also: T-L(10); L-S(7).
enilorac (New Mexico)
@EskieF Another that is not as concise, F-H (8) H-G (8). Yesterday I had GADFLIES SEMITONE.
Lewis (Asheville, NC)
My Libra sensibilities like how the darkness of the symmetrical DEATH TRAP and STRUCK OUT is balanced by the symmetrical promise of SEEDLING and PERFECTO, and how the corner of DESPAIR and RAPSHEETS, is countered by the JOY LUCK club next door. Also, with THEUK, we get a rhyming dook! The most fun for me in this puzzle was provided by the theme answers -- for me, trying to figure them out with as few letters filled in as possible. I love when the theme brings enjoyment during the solve instead of only revealing itself after the solve. Thank you, father-and-daughter Maymudes!
Lewis (Asheville, NC)
The link, "from 1998", in Caitlin's second paragraph, goes to a puzzle by father/daughter David J. Kahn and Hillary B. Kahn, titled Green Eggs and Hamlet, that I found to be a jaw-dropping fountain of delight, clever and hilarious. Caitlin's link took me to the blank puzzle on the app, which I was afraid to use the "reveal" button on, for fear that it might bust my streak. But if you just want to look at this puzzle rather than solve it -- and I believe you will find it to be well worth the two minutes it takes to get to and eye this put-a-big-smile-on-your-face puzzle -- go to XwordInfo.com, click on the SOLUTION button by the photos of today's constructors, and click on the link to the puzzle in Will Shortz's intro.
Digicate (Brisbane)
Streak is only for current puzzles. Older puzzles may be hinted or revealed without issue. I find the older puzzles a degree harder to solve as a general rule. Either the clues in current puzzles are getting easier or what I suspect is that pop culture references make the clue easier when it is in the zeitgeist (I mean we are aware of the answer - even vaguely - through the current media). Once the puzzle ages we lose the context of these clues. What used to be gimmes now require extra brain power to reach back and uncover a half read headline or flicked through television show. ;tldr; - I use the cheat functions much more on the older puzzles and with impunity. Thanks NYT!
JayTee (Kenosha, Wi)
Working on older puzzles will affect one's completion percentage, if left incomplete. You can also download the old puzzles to Across Lite and work on them there without regard for streaks or percentage of puzzles completed. I found the referenced puzzle (May 17, 1998) somewhat difficult, as the cluing was (as expected) relevant to the time it was published, along with an eight-part, full width "soliloquy" that made crosses essential to solving.
Kevin Phillips (Va)
Fun. Liked the 'recesspools'--recess was my favorite class.
Deadline (New York City)
@Kevin Phillips I hated it. I always wanted to sit quietly in a corner of the playground and read, but TPTB (teachers) made us run around and "play." Ugh. Dodgeball. Red Rover. Ugh, ugh, ugh. And ouch.
Beejay (San Francisco)
@Deadline I had no problem with recess as I liked to play pick-up softball and four square, but I did dislike Dodgeball because other kids were using it to hit very hard and kids were getting hurt. At one school, when I refused to play it, the teacher made me stand face-to-the-wall for the duration. I was soon joined at the wall by some fellow classmates who apparently agreed with me.
Kevin Phillips (Va)
@Deadline Recess (where I went) was a free time thing. The organized stuff was gym class. In gym I was always the smallest kid and got picked last, lol.
Amy (Seattle)
I've never heard of TOG up before. Super fun theme!
PeterW (Ann Arbor)
Ooooph!! A “completion”. This was an engaging puzzle - but it was just “too much” for 4:00 EST after a nine-hour return flight from France (buried in the middle of a nineteen-hour day) yesterday. I picked up on the theme soon enough - but there was a little too much “younger generation” stuff in this one for my “codger” brain to deal with - - - particularly after a ten days away from exercising this thing between my ears on a regular basis. I’ll catch up with last week - - and I think I can do better tomorrow. (I had BETTER be able to - - or I’ll have to go back to Paris for my brain!)
Greg (Anchorage)
SPELLING BEE THREAD 02/23/20 Center Letter: L 6 Letters: D H I N O P 30 WORDS, 102 POINTS, 1 PANGRAM=Perfect, BINGO First Letters: D x 6, H x 2, I x 1, L x 10, N x 1, O x 1, P x 9 Word Lengths: L4 x 18, L5 x 3, L6 x 4, L7 x 3, L8 x 1, L9 x 1 Grid: 4 5 6 7 8 9 Tot D 2 1 1 2 - - 6 H 2 - - - - - 2 I 1 - - - - - 1 L 6 1 2 - 1 - 10 N - - - - - 1 1 O 1 - - - - - 1 P 6 1 1 1 - - 9 Tot 18 3 4 3 1 1 30
Dave (Penngrove, CA)
@Greg First 2 frequency: DI x 3 DO x 3 HI x 1 HO x 1 ID x 1 LI x 4 LO x 6 NO x 1 OL x 1 PI x 2 PL x 2 PO x 5
Puzzlemucker (NY)
@Greg Thanks Greg, Dave, and Kevin! P7 was a mystery to me despite Kevin’s hint. Thought it would be a compound word but no combo worked. Lucky guess finally got me to QB.
Louise (San Francisco)
@Greg Just getting started today. Lately the pangrams have been a struggle but this one *ahem* leaped out at me. Thanks for taking on the grid! Being in AK, you must be doing this before bed?
Kevin Davis (San Diego)
SPELLING BEE 30 words, 1 points, 1 perfect pangram
Kevin Davis (San Diego)
Sorry, typed too quickly. 30 words, 102 points, 1 perfect pangram
Kevin Davis (San Diego)
Hints: 2 animals, 1 bird. I only gave hints below for one 4-letter word plus all the longer ones. Sex toy Containing 2 sets of chromosomes Spoonful of cream or butter “Flipper,” pangram Scientific term for fat Abbrev. for sucking out fat procedure Biochem. fat adj., resembles sci. term Candy favored by Kojak Move in an ungainly way Very large number Motorcycle or horse 2nd seat FDR disease Lightweight cotton fabric
Kevin Davis (San Diego)
When I gave up & checked the grid, I was only missing 1 word. Knowing its 1st letter & length, I quickly figured it out. I've never seen it here previously. That's why I gave a clue even though it only has 4 letters.
Dan (Sydney, Straya)
COMET made a very brief CAMEO for me.
kilaueabart (Oakland CA)
Ran way past bedtime with one square left to fill: center top, where (I think) 9D RO_U and 24A S_Y cross. I'll try going through the alphabet in the morning.
M (US)
@kilaueabart For 24A, try channeling your inner smart aleck...
kilaueabart (Oakland CA)
@M Hard to believe I can get that tired. As soon as I remembered to look at it this morning, S_Y looked like SKY and it fit the clue. ROKU is vaguely familiar from somewhere. It still took me a couple minutes to discover I hadn't gotten around to fixing STn to STA when I caught on to SIDCAESnR.
Mike (Munster)
Very solid puzzle. Gradewise, I give it a RE-plus. (You'd better tell the boss of all those forgetful employees to remind his own business.)
JayTee (Kenosha, Wi)
Almost had by leo- instead of UNITARD and ART SALE. Christie's holds auctions per their website—they do private sales as well, but those are not events. Other than those, it was a matter of filling in entries I did know, interpreting the misdirects for others, and waiting on crosses for the rest. It went fairly quickly, just a bit over half my average; but I enjoyed the journey as long as it lasted. Nice debut for the father-daughter team.
Deadline (New York City)
@JayTee Isn't an auction a type of SALE?
jg (Bedford, ny)
@JayTee Most of us who confidently entered AUCTION (from the second "A" in SID CAESAR) didn't care much for ART SALE. Then it occured to me that when an item is hammered down at the final bid the auctioneer exclaims "Sold!" So there's that.
Barry Ancona (New York NY)
At an ART SALE, artwork is offered for sale at specified prices. At an (art) AUCTION, there is bidding to determine a price for each piece, and successful bidding results in a sale. But the "event" (as per the clue) is called an AUCTION. (The puzzle answer is not a "mistake," it is just not correct usage.)
Queenie (Henderson, NV)
I had no idea what sal soda was so I Googled it - Soda Ash, commonly called Sal Soda, is used to dissolve meat, fat and grease when boiling skulls and antler plates. Yummy!!
Paul (Alexandria, VA)
@Queenie It was new to me, too. I thought SAL SODA was a pop star.
Michael (Minneapolis)
I got all the way through and got hung up on BE LATE TO THE PARTY. I tried quite a few permutations of things I’d already questioned; RING CYCLE, SAL soda, FLED (could it be BLED?), TIRO and TEAL to name the biggest uncertainties, but then, duh, IRS. Still salty about Saturday but glad I stuck to the grind, fun and quippy Sunday. Cheers!
pi (Massachusetts)
This was great fun. One of the answers, SAL soda, threw me way back to growing up...hadn’t heard that term in many decades.
Deadline (New York City)
@pi There was also something called SAL Hepatica.
Ken s (Staten Island)
@Deadline Thanks for the vague memory. SAL Hepatica was one of the many bogus names we would sign onto attendance sheets when we had a substitute teacher in high school. Others cannot be printed in this space. Heard of SAL SODA, but did not know what it was. I enjoyed this puzzle much and definitely had AUCTION and LEOTARD first. Almost thought there was another theme with TORO, TYRA, and TIRO. Although others found the puzzle too easy, it was just right for me and I applaud the father daughter team who produced it.
Newbie (Cali)
So DESPAIR is not spelled dispair, huh? Cross that second letter with a proper noun from a 70s tv show, and poof! Gold star byebye... On another note, I’ve never benefited so much from understanding the title of the crossword. After I got the first one, the rest fell in seconds. Fun puzzle.
Hildy Johnson (USA)
Easy, breezy RECOVERGIRL. This was sheer pleasure, and a PR, less than half my Sunday average. Loved it! Had to backtrack on NAENAE to DOUGIE, AUCTION to ARTSALE and for first tracks, had NEWSNOW (that's new snow; now news now). Around here, folks love to get out the day after a storm and make new tracks. A lot of my colleagues call in "sick" but manage to fully recover, god love them, with pink cheeks the day after. Clever theme well executed, with just enough chewy bits to make it satisfying. Well done!
Deadline (New York City)
@Hildy Johnson There's a current TV commercial (I've repressed the name of the product) that goes off on obsolete or obsolescent stuff. One part says something about "do the DOUGIE" and shows, very briefly, some kids moving around a bit. I never knew what it was talking about. Didn't care enough to Google, but now I know that the DOUGIE is/was a dance. I missed that particular "craze."
Tom Wild (Rochester, NY)
@Hildy Johnson Speaking of first tracks, YARD SALE and SNOW SKIER would have made a nice combo.
Liz B (Durham, NC)
Well, I for one didn't figure out the theme immediately from the puzzle title. Although I did get it after I'd pieced together a theme answer. AUCTION before ART SALE and REDDISH before PINKISH. while I was solving, I felt like there were a lot of 3-letter words. I enjoyed hearing about the daughter-father collaboration. Autocorrect turned that into laugher-father. I give up.
lioncitysolver (singapore)
pun on the news maybe
Passion for Peaches (Left Coast)
Number 113A is a horrible clue and fill pairing. Suicide is the first thing that came to mind. That should have been thought through.
Steve L (Chestnut Ridge, NY)
@Passion for Peaches So you're saying, no NOOSE is good NOOSE?
Barry Ancona (New York NY)
Steve, No, she isn't, or at least she says she isn't. PfP said it was "a horrible clue and fill pairing." But as long as we're up, I'd like to ask her to offer an acceptable clue.
Andrew (Louisville)
@Barry Ancona "The Sultan's turret in a _____ of light" (Omar Khayyam)
Margaret (Maine)
What a fun REPRESENTATION of wordplay amongst the theme answers! “Relate to the party” seems especially timely.
Deadline (New York City)
I did feel a bit as if the puzzle was aimed at me, because -- as I posted in a reply to Puzzlemucker -- my name was sort of strewn around the grid. Well, the rest of the puzzle may not have been *quite* as easy as the parts with my name, but they weren't exactly obscure either. That's okay, because the theme was kinda clever. It was obvious right away, at the first themer entry, but it was fun to try to figure out what the other ones were going to be without having any letters. Only stumble was entering DRT at 8A. I knew that Mr. Erving was a sports person, and that there was a sports person nicknamed DR some-letter-or-other, and then I got confused with MR.T. Only after I had to fix it because of JOYRIDE did I remember that there was a DR J and think of our own beloved RiA et ux. Caitlin reminded me that there was once a game show called "PRESS YOUR LUCK." I only thought of the phrase in its original form. Also wanted to enter LEOTARDS, but it made me doubt my already-entered SEEDLING. Had to dredge up TYRA Banks, but Bobby SEALE was a gimme. Aside: It was nice to read about the father-daughter collaboration. What came through was their affection for each other and their shared pleasure in the collaboration.
suejean (HARROGATE)
Dr. J is also Rich’s wife, nice to see her in the puzzle again.
Deadline (New York City)
@suejean The "et ux" in my C-i-C was meant as a shout-out to her.
Rich in Atlanta (Clarkston, Georgia)
@Deadline Yep, the LAURA Ingalls/ENGEL jumped out at me (being one of the few, I assume, who already knew your real name). And of course, Dr. J.
Barry Ancona (New York NY)
"An art sale at Sotheby’s, 1999." Hi, Caitlin (and Will S.), That ARTSALE (at Sotheby's in the caption, at Christie's in the grid) looks to me more like an AUCTION.
Wags (Colorado)
Sundays are usually just a slog for me, but this one was one of the best in a long time. Great fun. Many thanks to the family duo.
Etaoin Shrdlu (The Forgotten Borough)
Lovely.
Puzzlemucker (NY)
Great backstory. Enjoyed the old-fashioned theme and some clever cluing (e.g., “Matter of survival” for AIR, “Brief glimpse of a star” for CAMEO), but most appreciated what @Laura Rodrigues coined “resonances” spread throughout the puzzle, including: Georgia ENGEL / LAURA Ingalls Wilder SKY / AIR EGO TRIP / JOY RIDE SNOW SKIERS / DRY RUNS YELL AT / ROOT FOR EXACT / PERFECTO O Bobby SEALE / ALAIN Locke TOP / SECOND BEST ON YOU / OR ME
Deadline (New York City)
@Puzzlemucker Your first resonance resonated even more for me, since my non-screen name is Laura Engle (Georgia can't spell).
Puzzlemucker (NY)
@Deadline I was going to allude to that but didn’t want to “expose” you without permission. (I read one of your articles about a Supreme Court decision, perhaps Obergefell?)
Deadline (New York City)
@Puzzlemucker Thanks for that consideration, Pm. I debated, but couldn't resist. Plus, I think I've posted enough stuff here already that if anyone's really looking for me I wouldn't be that tough to find. I'm pretty sure I've never written anything about Obergefell (except celebratory emails and the like). There've been some other things, though, from earlier years.
Jim (Rochester)
Medium-well is pinkish. Medium-rare is mostly red.
Steve (Colorado)
My first entry was reddish.
Jenna G. (CLE)
I’d always heard that medium-rare is (allegedly) half red, and medium-well is with just a tinge of pink. While rare *should* be mostly red, I find it’s safest to just order tartare :)
Christine Peterson (Oconomowoc, WI)
@Jim in my world, medium is pinkish. Rare is on the hoof. Medium rare is reddish. Medium well is brown. Well is shoe leather.
UCCF (San Francisco CA)
SAL soda was a new one to me. Apparently it's useful in taxidermy, where "sal soda will quickly turn meat and tissue to gelatin for easy removal".
Christine Peterson (Oconomowoc, WI)
@UCCF my mom used to make reference to it. I think she used it for cleaning. She would be 93 if she were still with us.
Deadline (New York City)
@Christine Peterson I got the entry right away because I remembered the term from somewhere deep in childhood memories. Hadn't a clue what it was, but the entry was three letters, and I had that dim memory. I think it was my grandma, who was a laundress (read, washerwoman) who used it, not my mother. My mother would have observed her 100th birthday next month, and grandma, I think, would have been 136 by now!
Madeline Gunther (NYC)
@UCCF -- You can still buy sal soda (sodium carbonate) under the name "Washing Soda" (different from baking soda). Pricy OxyClean is half washing soda! It's a laundry booster, and de-sinks smelly wash.