Trenton Charlson’s New York Times crossword—Amy’s write-up
NY Times crossword solution, 1 9 21, no. 0109
Trenton unleashed the uncommon Scrabbly letters and used 11 from the Z/Q/J family. The fill is far more solid than I’d expect, so I’m grateful he didn’t JAM an X in there just for the sake of chasing a cheap pangram.
(Note: Nine days into the 2021, two NYT puzzles by women, that’s 22%.)
I remain brain-sore from four days of watching more CNN than I have in years, so: moving on from paragraphs to the listy-list:
- 1a. [Coltrane’s rendition of “My Favorite Things,” for one], JAZZ WALTZ. I don’t know that term at all.
- 17a. [Marked by stately beauty], JUNOESQUE. Really not a remotely common word, that.
- 51a. [Biblical character who lived to be 912 years old], SETH. Purportedly. It’s not humanly possible.
- 64a. [How Prince Harry met Meghan Markle], BLIND DATE. Fun trivia!
- 66a. [Zip], JACK SQUAT. Zip as in zippo, nothing, nada. If you don’t personally use “jack squat” that way, perhaps you never saw Chris Farley’s inspired SNL performance (below).
- 13d. [Sarcastic response to backpedaling], “NICE SAVE.” Not sure I really encounter this in a sarcastic manner. What say you?
- 43d. [Master of meditation], ZEN MONK. “Buddhist monk” feels more familiar to me. Have you seen ZEN MONK much?
- 54d. [Does some shop class work], SANDS. I would also have accepted SAWS RIGHT THROUGH THE EDGE OF YOUR THUMBNAIL, but maybe that’s just me. (Hey, you can’t even tell anymore. It was healed by the end of junior high.)
Four stars from me.
Wayne Bergman & Gary Otting’s LA Times crossword – Derek’s write-up
LAT 01/09/2021
These are two names I don’t know, but they produced a fine puzzle. I have mentioned before that I don’t always have time to do every puzzle, so perhaps this duo has popped up somewhere else previously. At any rate, this was a fantastic puzzle. I found it a little tough to crack into especially in the NW corner where we normally begin; I think my first entries were in the right central area, then I slowly looped around to finish up where you’re supposed to start! I had a lot of fun with this one, and that is the whole point, is it not? 4.7 stars from me.
Some interesting tidbits:
- 1A [“Friends” catchphrase] “HOW YOU DOIN’?”– I think Joey said this. I was not a huge Friends fan. I think it’s on Peacock if you’re interested!
- 17A [Newspaper audience] READERSHIP – The READERSHIP of newspapers is still steadily declining, but I get the paper still each day. It’s mainly just good for obituaries, I think. Puzzles that originally appeared in newpapers (crosswords!) have migrated online, and there is almost no need to get a paper anymore if that’s what you want it for.
- 57A [One may be part of a fresh start] CLEAN SLATE – I liked this one. I had SLATE and was trying other words in there, but I remember a nice “a-ha!” moment once I figured this one out.
- 62A [Relative of a fidget spinner] STRESS BALL – Crosswords are my “stress ball” AND “fidget spinner!”
- 2D [Only unanimous Cy Young Award winner between Dwight and Randy] OREL – Timely, since I think he played for Tommy Lasorda, who just passed away on Friday at age 93.
- 4D [“Always in motion is the future” and others] YODAISMS – Wonderful. I wonder if Grogu will speak in this fractured-backwards English if he ever has any dialogue!
- 11D [Some moonshine] ROTGUT – I think this is what it literally DOES to one’s gut!
- 27D [“I’m curious about everything–even things that don’t interest me” speaker] ALEX TREBEK – VERY timely! Just watched his last episode on Friday night. I nearly cried! What a loss for us puzzle fans!
- 30D [__ Island] RHODE – This is simple once you get it; but I was stumped for some reason. I must be tired …
- 45D [“Jurassic Park” dinosaurs, e.g.] CLONES – Another movie to watch again! Or, maybe not … it isn’t that good!
That is all! There is a new Panda Magazine out today, so I will be busy!
Andrew Bell Lewis’s Newsday crossword, “Themeless Saturday” – Derek’s write-up
Newsday 01/09/2021
Well, today is the start of a new era with the Saturday Newsday puzzle: it is supposed to be easier! It is now called the Themeless Saturday puzzle. I, for one, enjoyed the old difficulty level. Perhaps some did not. In the end, if this change brings more solvers to the fold, then it is a great decision. But for those of us that like our themeless puzzles to have a lot of teeth in them, which may even lead to gnashing of our own teeth, this is a bittersweet day.
Make no mistake: this puzzle still isn’t easy. But I got it done in about 8 1/2 minutes, which would have been a major triumph under the previous difficulty level. I noticed Stan posted on Facebook an announcement concerning this change, and the initial comments echoed what I mention above: people still want the harder puzzle. I am anxious to hear what you think! I will be watching these comments today much more closely today to see how people feel. Please share your thoughts! In the meantime, still 4.5 stars for a great puzzle by Brad Wilbur and Matthew Sewell.
Some actual puzzle thoughts:
- 1A [Devices with virtual keys] SMART LOCKS – I want one of these for my house. An old electrician buddy told me that might make is easier for someone to break in, but I don’t care! It will be easier for me to get in! (Also, it would be a fun toy!)
- 15A [Musical instrument that can emulate whale calls] WATER PHONE – I believe you. I will have to Google this!
- 20A [Hoop group] NBA TEAMS – This is technically correct, but it still seems as if the clue should end in an S. Tricky!
- 29A [Best imaginable results] OPTIMA – This is not a word one uses often. It is the correct plural of OPTIMUM, so we are good. Maybe this puzzle IS still tough!
- 30A [One in a Rubik’s race] SPEED CUBER – This is referring to Rubik’s Cube solving. The world record is like 3 seconds or something ridiculous. There is a documentary or two floating out there that explore this world.
- 61A [Mandate for maturity] “ACT YOUR AGE!” – I can picture someone yelling this, so I put it in quotes!
- 12D [Analytics expert] DATA MINER – One of these days I am gonna learn Python and use it to do this. This has applications for an accountant.
- 14D [Starts slinging mud] GETS NASTY – Great entry. I have to make sure this is in my wordlist!
- 38D [Heyday for voice actors] RADIO ERA – Ah, if people that hadn’t seen the TV era could see the idiocy we have now …
- 40D [Certain supplemental coverage] MEDI-GAP – Wonderful entry! Also a reality for me in 10-15 years! I will also make sure this is in my word list.
Everyone have a safe and healthy weekend!
Lewis Rothlein and Jeff Chen’s Universal crossword, “No Vowel Play” — Jim Q’s write-up
THEME: Words/phrases that don’t mean “bl?nder” where the ? represents a vowel.
Universal crossword solution · “No Vowel Play” · Lewis Rothlein · Jeff Chen · Sat., 1.09.20
THEME ANSWERS:
- 18A [Flatter, but not blander] SWEET TALK.
- 23A [Mixer, but not blender] TONIC WATER.
- 36A [Obstructor of views, but not blinder] THOUGHT POLICE.
- 51A [Lighter-headed, but not blonder] UNSTEADIER.
- 57A [Slip, but not blunder] PETTICOAT.
This is a very funky, clever, and quirky idea. It’s not often that the theme answers don’t really have anything to do with the theme (in a sense, that is). I don’t think I’ve ever really seen a theme with this type of approach. And I never would’ve considered BL?NDER with a vowel progression to seed the idea.
Love that the first word(s) of the clues are all synonyms for the BL?NDER, yet have a completely different meaning in relationship to the entry that goes in the grid.
I doubted myself at BCE/CONKS as I supposed it may be BBE/BONKS. I think I’ve seen BCE before, but it’s not crosswordese that I keep handy. I guessed correctly though :)
A fun, cerebral type puzzle today.
4 stars.
Gary Larson’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Prep for Work” — pannonica’s write-up
WSJ • 1/9/21 • “Prep for Work” • Sat • Larson • solution • 20210109
Occupational puns employing prepositional phrases.
- 22a. [Songwriters earn a living ___ ] BY THE NUMBERS.
- 28a. [Hit men earn a living ____ ] IN THE OFFING.
- 61a. [Lawyers … ] ON A TRIAL BASIS.
- 100a. [Sharpshooters … ] OVER A BARREL.
- 107a. [Wheat farmers … ] WITH THE GRAIN.
- 3d. [Efficiency experts … ] OUT OF ORDER.
- 15d. [Mixologists … ] BEHIND BARS.
- 66d. [Haute couture designers … ] FROM THE HIP.
- 72d. [Fashion models … ] UNDER WRAPS.
No duplications among the prepositions. Five acrosses, four downs, and a nicely integrated grid. That’s all I can muster today, as I’m dealing with some pain issues and having trouble concentrating.
Oh no. Bring back the Saturday Stumper. What a disappointment. There are a plethora of hard themeless puzzles that take me ten minutes:NYT, BEQ, Fireball , Aries, etc. There was only one puzzle that every week kicked my ass. RIP Saturday Stumper
I’m sad sad sad. I looked forward to the Saturday Stumpers, they made me gnash my teeth and tear my hair (in a good way). I felt the same when another Stanley Newman puzzle. the USA Today HARD crossword, went soft a few months ago. At that time I wrote to them in protest. The only response was pretty much “too many complaints about the difficulty” and “so sad too bad life goes on”.
yeah, another sad day when the hard crossword went soft :(
there are so so many easy and moderate puzzles, it is selfish to complain because you can’t finish one puzzle and deprive others of their enjoyment
Sad news. Stan should create an archive for all past Stumpers.
i have seen this and done them all, but i don’t remember where
i suspect you can find it if i did, as i am not very good at the internets
There is a blooper in what was the Stumper. Mario Party was never available on the NES.
(I already miss the harder puzzles.)
Just came here to say this, too. I filled in WII at first because I knew NES couldn’t be right. And then it somehow was NES.
Count me as another vote for someone who liked wrestling with a tough Stumper.
I did today’s Stumper before hearing of the bombshell announcement and thought it was challenging, fun and solvable.
If future puzzles are along these lines, I think it’s a good move. It’s still the hardest puzzle in mass circulation (and perhaps the name could have stayed the same). On the Saturdays when I’m unable to solve the Stumper, I usually feel like I wasted too much time on it, some of the crosses were impossible for mere mortals to suss out, and it leaves me in a bad mood. So this is a quality of life improvement on my end.
I do feel bad for the people who are able to solve the really hard ones, or enjoy trying.
suck it up buttercup
a lot of people loved the stumper in spite of maybe not finishing every week
it’s people who think like you that deprive us of a great saturday puzzle
thanks a lot for having such a tender ego that you would rather not see the puzzle if you can’t finish it
I prefer the Stumpers too but I don’t plan on being an asshole about it.
sorry, it was an asshole thing to say
in my defense, this last week has pretty much brought out my inner asshole
i thought it was the stumper and was patting myself on the back but thinking, this was too easy
alas, no more stumper, who needs another ho-hum themeless, saturday won’t be as special without the stumper
I will also add my vote in favor of the Saturday Stumper level of difficulty. I will take solace in the twice weekly Tim Croce’s Club 72 puzzles, which equal or surpass the old Stumper difficulty. Tim is NOT apologetic about it either. Must be time for another tip!
yeah, tim can be hella hard, and i gladly pay to keep him going
i will miss the stumper
BEQ appears to be the only hard option out there who does not charge
i send him donations, but it is nice to know if i don’t have the dough i can still do the puzzles
i forgot about stella, she has some great tough puzzles she offers, thanks stella
LOL, I was just going there to find out how to spell her last name (Zawistowski) to come back here add her Tough As Nails to the higher difficulty puzzles. Not Stumpers, maybe… but nice and chewy meaty from the one’s I’ve done.
Her twitter is protesting the softening of Stumpers.
they can be stumperish, but solvable with patience
i like them a lot
The Club 72 puzzles are free – at least the ones I’m doing are. It’s worth tipping Tim and Brendan, who work hard for our pleasure.
like button hit :)
Yes, it seems like the vast majority of solvers are not happy the Stumper is easier!
One thought in favor of the hard ones: even if you cannot finish it, it is a great gauge for how well you are solving. When you CAN finish one, it is a major triumph. At least that is how I felt years ago when first tackling puzzles this hard. Also, when you labor over a tough puzzle for an extended period of time and then check the answer, you just might learn something!
I am still monitoring these comments …
>>>When you CAN finish one, it is a major triumph. At least that is how I felt years ago when first tackling puzzles this hard.<<<
Exactly my experience. Still is, often. I have my share of dnf's.
These things are anonymous, right? So no harm no foul if you can't finish, or need to use the help. But major good feelings when you do it all … at least for me.
When HARD CROSSWORD went soft, I did write & mention that there are lots and lots of easy-to-medium difficulty puzzles out there for those who just have to finish every time. I know they know this.
Nobody cares :( .
They just seem to want to tap into that market, even with free puzzles. I guess the ads make it for them, more hits more $. So I'm selfish :( . I do tip the good guys, BEQ, here etc.
yes, this
when i started with the monday nyt and usa today i was happy just to finish
then i got to friday and finally saturday nyt
by then i realized that finishing sunday in less than half hour was no big deal
it certainly was the first time i did it, hahahaha
so by the time i could finish most saturday times, it was great to find the stumper and when hard daily puzzles came, i could drop some easier puzzles and get some of my life back
alas, stan decided what he decided, but for me, a bad decision
Now I know why I blew through today’s “not so much of a Stumper”. I’m going to miss the “I just finished the Stumper!” feeling of true accomplishment.
Mixed feelings about the Stumper. Often thought the clues were overly difficult, stretching the bounds of sensibleness. But I did like the ultimate challenge, so to speak.
NYT: James Harden passed Jamal Crawford for most 4-point plays.
Kind of an unrepresentative sample, readers of this blog. But I too loved actually being stumped for a while every week. Perhaps I’ll raise the difficulty level by waiting to solve until half past drinks o’clock.
You could also try solving Downs only, hiding the Across clues from yourself. It jacks up the difficulty level considerably, even for a Monday puzzle.
I miss the Stumper already. Thank goodness for Club 72 and Tough as Nails.
we need a like button
ima stfu now
Please bring back the toughies. I’ll have to check out Club 72 and Tough as Nails. Thanks for the heads up.
NYT should make a weekly Stumper-like puzzle. Someone run this by Shortz.
Running across two uncommon words, BIT should’ve been clued differently, imo, since “jot”, or even “dot”, is applicable.
The only reason I ever go on the Newsday website is the Stumper. I don’t know what distinguishes the new Saturday puzzle from any of the several other available crosswords at that difficulty level.
Seconded! I really hope that Stan and/or the editors of Newsday reconsider. There are plenty of good crosswords out there, but the difficulty level of the Saturday Stumper was what set it apart from others.
I’d like to weigh in, in favor of returning to the Old Stumper. I usually had to claw my way through it, but I learned two types of things: facts; and how a constructor can make me think differently from my normal way.
My running buddy and I discuss crosswords (and Spelling Bee, but that’s a matter for another time) and especially the Tough as Nails, Fireball, and Stumper. We (as marciem said) gnash our teeth, appreciate the gotcha! clues, and complain mightily about the unfairness of it all. We are so happy.
My brain likes being wrenched about, so I will check out Club 72 for sure.
We at this site may be in the minority of Stumper solvers, but I hope there’s a chance that Stan Newman will reinstate the Stumper.
i lied about singtfu
we really might consider a like button, that would shut me up, hahahahaha
NYT
Can someone please explain to me why TEE is the answer to 41D: “Something shot from a cannon nowadays”?
Thanks in advance.
I believe the clue is referring to a T-shirt cannon.
T-shirts are shot from “cannons” at many sporting events.
Just one example
Thanks very much, Lise and pseudonym. It’s been ages since I’ve been to any sports event, and I had no idea that they were now shooting t-shirts from cannons. And thanks especially, pseudonym, for the video.
Thanks. That puzzled me, too.
Of course, the corner with JUNOESQE (not in RHUD), JOJOBA, ANUBIS, and JAZZ WALTZ was a workout. I’m really into jazz and its history, and Coltrane’s My Favorite Things is one of my favorite things. I must have heard it a hundred times. But I hesitated on that fill a long time, because I’d just never heard the phrase. Yes, I knew it was jazz and in three-quarter time, but still.
Ooops. I found one version of sheet musics that labels it a jazz waltz, although most don’t. (Another just tells you to swing, and most just give the time as 3/4, some also stating a tempo. Of course, Coltrane’s hand-written score doesn’t label it.) So at least one publisher thinks it’s a term.
I’ll add my vote in favor of the more difficult Stumper. Today’s puzzle was great, but as others have said, that level of difficulty is already available from the NYT and elsewhere, so another themeless along those lines is less notable.
I thought something was up when I solved the Stumper in the same time as today’s NYT, about a third to half of my usual time. Very disappointing. Stella has great puzzles and I’ll have to check out Club 72. Andrew Ries has a subscription puzzle that’s a hard themeless that I can recommend. But the Stumper used to be the puzzle I really looked forward to. I’ve bought some of Stan’s Hard Puzzle books and they’re about as hard as this one was so that’s no consolation. I agree that there are so many medium-difficulty puzzles out there, can’t we have just this one?
And then there’s the dupe of RACE ME and the 30A clue, “One in a Rubik’s race”. :-(
Hello everybody — Just a note to say how much I appreciate the support for the Stumper. I have no inside dope about its future (if any), but regardless it’s nice to know that people have enjoyed it.
@pannonica … feel better … thanks for your willingness to contribute to my favorite hobby
Yes, feel better soon. I thought the WSJ puzzle was really clever and really enjoyed solving it.
deja vu all over again
I mentioned in a comment last night about my dismay in the lack of hard puzzles.
When some say easiness may bring more people to the fold I counter: others will leave in disgust. Plus we’re the ones who fill the tip jars. It would behoove Shortz & got bucks’ NYT to employ the constructors who will be unemployed by Stan’s decision to acquiesce for whatever reason. Since 2014 I have shared my Saturday morning coffee with the NYT/Stumper & Croce’s Friday. It’s a pity seeing this dumbing down trend.
Count me among those who rue the demise of the Stumper. It was the highlight of my solving week, and as I became able to complete them every week, wished they’d get even harder. I don’t want to be able to solve every crossword I encounter–where’s the challenge in that? I’d be willing to pay to be deliciously tortured by puzzles. Can anyone recommend a source of evilly devious crosswords?
That said, I thought today’s Newsday themeless was enjoyable, if not particularly challenging.
I have so little time. I used to do all the puzzles. Every day. My work keeps taking more and more of my time. I was down to one puzzle a week. Guess which one I chose? It was nice because I could hunt and peck at it all weekend if it was a harder one, or feel great about solving those that were Les Ruff. Sometimes it required a break in order to return with a different approach to a clue, or have a fresh look at an entry to have the answer pop out at you. That is gone now. I raise a glass.
We move on.
Sigh.
I’ve been cranky about the NYT puzzle and jazz since 2013, when TORME was clued as “cool jazz pioneer.” That answer was based, I suspect, on a misreading that made its way into a Times obit for Mel Tormé. (Great singer, but not a cool jazz pioneer, or a cool-jazz pioneer.) I wrote to Will Shortz and ended up writing a blog post about why the clue was just plain wrong.
Anyway: Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” is better understood as being in 6/8. It’s difficult (for me at least) to think of a waltz in the jazz idiom that doesn’t have “waltz” in its name: Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” Bill Evans’s “Waltz for Debby,” Dave Brubeck’s “It’s a Raggy Waltz,” Mal Waldron’s “Fire Waltz.” But there’s Toots Thielemans’s “Bluesette.” So “‘Bluesette,’ for one,” could work as a clue. Or “Fats Waller wrote one for jitterbugs.”
I hope Stan Newman gets enough feedback that someone reconsiders the end of the Stumper. As I said in an e-mail, it’s what makes the Newsday crossword distinctive. Why lose that? I doubt that many solvers would be drawn to the Newsday puzzle because it’s Saturday is easier.
You know, I was going in the comment above to add that it might be 6/8 for all I know but figured it was TMI. I was actually running it through my head trying to decide and came down hard in the end for 3/4, and then the search for sheet music had it 3/4 every time. But if you can hear it differently, more power to you .
I will echo the other comments regarding the Stumper’s demise; nevertheless, like one of the other commenters said previously, I will admit that the only time I visit the Newsday website is on Saturday mornings to print out the Stumper.
I wonder how many commenters here are actual Newsday subscribers? Maybe Mr. Newman’s/Newsday’s decision is what is best for the people who pay them–their subscribers–even if it is not what the crossword world in general would like to see.
For what it’s worth, I’m also a loyal fan of Mr. Birnholz’s Sunday crosswords, which is a big reason I have a subscription to the WaPo.
As a long time fan of Stan’s puzzles, I’d like to remind some of you youngsters that the stumper became much, much harder about 10 years or so ago. Up to that time I used to solve it without cheating fairly regularly. At that same time some of the easier, and FUN constructors were replaced.
I must not be in the league as some of you, but it seems to me if even the creme of the crop solvers frequently can’t solve it without resorting to google it’s not good construction. Usually this is due to clues that make no sense and are just plain wrong.
A good constructor IMO includes a gimme or two to get you started. Many of the stumpers that others here rate highly, I’d rate no higher than one star. Anyone can make an impossible to solve puzzle by rolling their own words and making stuff up. I don’t find an unsolvable puzzle to be anything to be proud of.
I suggest that there are no more than a handful of solvers that are up to the challenge and the rest of us mortals will surely lose interest in quests that we always fall short on.
IMO this is a good move on Stan’s part, because it can only bring in people who are not expert solvers which will help keep interest alive. If you make these too hard, soon nobody will want to do them except for a rare handful of people with crazy skills.
Those of you who find it too easy, do as was already suggested and use half the clues. I’ve done that for a long time and it can make simple puzzles challenging and enjoyable. So THANK YOU STAN for bringing back puzzles that have a wider appeal.
Just my 2 cents. Longtime follower of the site, first time commenter.
Late to the game, but I’ve always saved the Stumper for Sundays. I will miss that great brain-hurt and the satisfaction of pulling it off. (Maybe 70%?). Win some, lose some beats easy finishes every time.
I am very disappointed with the new Saturday Newsday puzzle. None of the tricky, misleading clueing that makes the solve fun and enjoyable. The only challenge for me with this puzzle was obscure, to me, items. Clueing for them was very straightforward and I don’t find this sort of ‘difficulty’ interesting.
“Themeless Saturday” instead of the Saturday Stumper. How about “not worth looking at Saturday?” Bring back the Stumper or I’m outa there….
I was out of town this weekend and wasn’t able to get to the (non) Stumper until today… hoo boy.
First, the grid was clean and interesting, so I don’t want Brad/Matthew to think this is in any way a criticism of fill. But (as has been said in the comments here ad nauseum) the Stumper was my favorite puzzle of the week. It would usually kick my ass and I rarely solved it in one sitting, but I almost always got there eventually, and to great satisfaction. That feeling was missing today.
The Stumper clues were always hard, but they never seemed unfair – everything in the grid was either familiar or inferable, and I’d usually exclaim in delight at least once a week when I unraveled a particularly clever clue. I’d happily pay for the pleasure of solving the Stumper every week, if that were somehow an option.
If not, kudos to Stan for putting together such a great puzzle week after week. R.I.P.
There are some older Stumpers posted on my Twitter @alexashortbush if that helps