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Relative difficulty: Easy (very)
If you change every middle letter of every answer to every starred clue to another letter that makes another actual word in that answer itself *and* the Down cross, and you line all those new letters up in order, you get "VALENTINE"
- UNLIKABLE (23A: *Opposite of endearing) ("K" can be "V")
- UNINHIBITED (24A: *Freely expressive) (second "I" can be "A")
- INTERFACING (46A: *Communicating (with)) ("F" can be "L")
- SHRINKING (49A: *Contracting) ("N" can be "E")
- INVECTIVE (69A: *Harsh language") ("C" can be "N")
- IRRIGATED (87A: *Watered artificially) ("G" can be "T")
- COMPLEMENTS (89A: *Goes well with) (first "E" can be "I")
- ALTERCATION (113A: *Noisy disagreement) ("C" can be "N")
- COMMANDED (116A: *Ordered) ("A" can be "E")
The Avogadro constant (NA or L) is the proportionality factor that relates the number of constituent particles (usually molecules, atoms or ions) in a sample with the amount of substance in that sample. Its SI unit is the reciprocal mole, and it is defined exactly as NA = 6.02214076×1023 mol−1. It is named after the Italian scientist Amedeo Avogadro. Although this is called Avogadro's constant (or number), he is not the chemist who determined its value. Stanislao Cannizzaroexplained this number four years after Avogadro's death while at the Karlsruhe Congress in 1860.The numeric value of the Avogadro constant expressed in reciprocal mole, a dimensionless number, is called the Avogadro number, sometimes denoted N or N0, which is thus the number of particles that are contained in one mole, exactly 6.02214076×1023.
The value of the Avogadro constant was chosen so that the mass of one mole of a chemical compound, in grams, is numerically equal (for all practical purposes) to the average mass of one molecule of the compound in daltons (universal atomic mass units); one dalton being 112 of the mass of one carbon-12 atom, which is approximately the mass of one nucleon (proton or neutron). For example, the average mass of one molecule of water is about 18.0153 daltons, and one mole of water (N molecules) is about 18.0153 grams. Thus, the Avogadro constant NA is the proportionality factor that relates the molar mass of a substance to the average mass of one molecule, and the Avogadro number is also the approximate number of nucleons in one gram of ordinary matter. (wikipedia)
• • •
My guess is that many people won't care about the wispy theme because they will be feeling too triumphant at having solved a Sunday puzzle in record or near-record time. There was almost no resistance in this thing. I would say 80% of my struggle came from the single answer PENLIGHT, yipes, absolute stumper, completely unparsable for me (for a bit) (12D: Instrument used in a medical checkup). I also had DONOR (??) instead of HONOR in the adjacent answer (25D: Word with code or card), and had no idea that anyone ever called SRI LANKA the "teardrop of India." I mean, yeah, I guess I see it, now, but yeesh, again, hard to parse. STAPLE was slightly hard because of the "?" clue (54A: What may connect the parts of a school assignment?), and I couldn't make heads/tails of the GENDER clue either (51D: One of three for German nouns, or one of four for hose in Africa's Zande language). But as far as difficulty, that was it—the NE corner. Everything else was dry grass and I was the fire. I kept waiting for a theme to show up (beyond the switch-the-letters theme that I already knew was coming, as a promised "bonus"). But I kept waiting. Still waiting.
Bullets:
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
- 7D: ___ sandwich (DELI) — really wanted EAT A. But seriously, isn't a DELI sandwich just ... a sandwich. Is it sliced meats? But then, no, it must also be chicken salad, right? Is it just ... I don't know. It's not a term I know. I know that I can get a sandwich at a deli, and I guess pastrami and other cured meats, maybe those seem like DELI sandwiches, but overall the term lacks needed specificity for me.
- 83D: Literally, "revenge" (VENDETTA) — in what language? If you have a VENDETTA, you *want* revenge. You *seek* vengeance. Turns out it's "revenge" in Italian. You coulda said so.
- 105D: 9-5 automaker, once (SAAB) — forgot they existed; wrote FIAT (speaking of Italian)
- 63D: Italian bread that's no longer made (LIRE) — speaking of Italian some more ... what is the difference between LIRA and LIRE!?!? LIRE is the plural. And yet nothing about this clue says plural. So you need the cross for that final vowel.
- 103A: Ending remark that's surprising (KICKER) — well I had UNAPT instead of INAPT, sigh, which meant that my initial "Ending remark that's surprising" was, fittingly: "... SUCKER."
[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]
To all those who did not know that @Rex would pan this puzzle, I say this: “Welcome first-time readers of the blog.”
ReplyDeleteSteinberg (this puzzle's constructor) said, "If one of my puzzles ends up feeling more like a construction stunt than an enjoyable solve, I haven’t done my job quite right." I do think he sums up the problem with today's effort right there.
Perfect assessment! That’s all Rex needed to say!!
DeleteA weak theme, sure, but a refreshingly low PPP quotient with no naticks... How long has it been? What's not to like?
ReplyDeleteOoh a meta puzzle... shades of the WSJ crossword. The theme was mildly interesting; VALENTINE was very straightforward. It would have been nice if the alternate answers fit the clue, as 104 down did. That would have been something!
ReplyDeleteI was backing my way into the northeast corner, and looking at ---LANKA, without looking at the clue I put PAUL ANKA.
When I was in Sweden the car we rented at the airport was a SAAB. It had a big decal on the side: FLUGBIL, which I was told means flying car. It didn't actually fly (that would have been something!)
Our cabin is in the north Shuswap, and the local giveaway newspaper is called the KICKER. I always wondered why they chose that name, and I think now I know!
[Spelling Bee: td pg in 3 min 40 sec (fast!), but now still stalled at -2. Arrgh!]
I think Saab made (makes) airplanes....
DeleteI love to have a number of AVOGADROs in my gestapo while I’m INTERFACING with Marjorie Taylor Greene.
ReplyDeleteAlternate clue:
62D. Went both ways …. WAS A BI
Quite a scENE with NICENE, SCALENE and EOCENE
I didn’t see the “About this puzzle” note until after I was done, so it was solved as a themeless. Once I grasped the theme, it seemed like a construction idea with zero implications for solvers. I’ll be interested to see if anyone here got the theme and found it helpful to the solve.
But still, a pleasant puzzle. Thanks, David Steinberg.
After I read the note about the theme, I decided to try to solve fast without looking for the theme at all. Good decision. The theme was completely useless for solving the puzzle -- would in fact slow you down considerably -- and the pay-off was very slim. Especially since I had recently done a different crossword in which a letter could be changed and the word still fit the clue. But no clue-fitting here. Paltry bonus in changing the letters.
ReplyDeleteYES, AND...? sort of sums up my reaction to this. I normally like David S's creations, and I didn't hate this one, but it does seem to need more going on to make its point. Whatever that point is. "Change of heart" actually seems like a depressing sentiment for Valentine's Day – "Honey, thanks for the roses and chocolates but I think we should call off the engagement."
ReplyDeleteOh well, DS is allowed a BAD DAY once in awhile. Here's something to cheer everyone up →🟧
Nice piano duet! Thank you!
DeleteIt did… thank you! 😊
DeleteOops..
ReplyDelete[SB when I said "td" I meant "Sat."]
I didn't even realize there was a theme even though there were clearly theme clues :) in any case, it was my fastest Sunday solve ever, in 23:10. So I guess that makes it an easy one?
ReplyDeleteHappy almost-Valentine's Day!
ReplyDeleteSolved the entire puzzle not knowing or understanding whatever the theme was because what note? Why do I never see those things?? I must be in too much of a hurry to open the puzzle before I see the constructor's name. Yeah, let's go with that and not the obvious reason.
Well, I'm sure I won't be in the minority when I say this one f l e w by in close to PR time. (Have no idea what that might be, but can't be much faster than this)
I had a good time solving despite believing this puzzle was more notable for it's feat of constructioneering. Couldn't have been easy - even *I* know that - and it's always nice to have both without sacrificing either.
It helped that the solving fairy flew through my head (with the usual minimal resistance) and dropped answers that came as if by magic. Like...
how did I just know EOCENE?? Or AVOGADRO?? Fairy.
And for cryin' out loud who would know ETTA James from that obscure reference?? "At Last"?? Next thing you know they'll be expecting us to know random food stuffs like OREOs or ROE...oh. Never mind.
At any rate, can a "city with a marina" be far behind?
I bid you good day.
🧠
🎉🎉🎉
Me too @Framtic! I just jumped on and was astonished when I finished. Yet, even as I flew through this, I said to self, “The constructor is a clue genius! Remember to look who made this.”
DeleteEasiest Sunday in my history of solving puzzles. It took me less than half my average time; but somehow I didn’t enjoy it that much 🤷🏻♀️
ReplyDeleteYes, very easy. Major WOE - AVOGADRO. Major erasure spECK before FLECK. Clever theme, liked it more than @Rex did.
ReplyDelete@mathgent from yesterday - Boston Legal was one of my favorite shows back in the aughts. Denny Crane was a lot more fun than James T. Kirk.
Heck yeah Saabs still exist, my vert 900 is parked in the garage. (well ok, they don’t exist as a car manufacturer anymore)
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that held me up was putting in the alternate letters as rebus squares and then wondering why I wasn't getting the happy music after it was clearly solved. Not very challenging, but also not very frustrating, which is something of an achievement for a Sunday!
ReplyDeleteI felt disappointed. I didn’t see that note anywhere in the app, so it was merely a quick solve. I spent more time trying to figure out the theme than I did solving the puzzle. I guessed that it must have something to do with the heart of each starred clue, but kept looking for hidden words that weren’t there, etc. The puzzle was easy, but figuring out the theme without the notes wasn’t!
ReplyDelete@Joe Dipinto - You posted a link and said "Here's something to cheer everyone up." And indeed it did! A wonderful three-minute kick-starter to my day.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteRead the note, saw that the middle letter of UNLIKABLE/WOKEN (23A/4D) could become V and still make sense, guessed that the rest would spell out VALENTINE, solved as an easy themeless. As others have noted, this was a virtuoso performance of constructing.
Actually, the theme (such as it was) did help me a bit: I had about six of the starred words, started figuring out the changing hearts, got _ALEN_IN_, realized what the missing letters were, then filled in was and able to complete the missing “changed” words. From there it was straightforward to get the clued versions of the words. Still had some difficulty with the two west corners from having made initial wrong guesses (annoying, because I’ve played numerous PIANO DUETS).
ReplyDeleteOh, and the clue on genders was a gimme for German speakers. Although it would have been even easier for me if Czech had been the example of a four-gender language. I looked up Zande language to check whether it had four genders for nouns, but the Wikipedia entry didn’t go enough detail. Still a mildly interesting factoid.
Impossible to enter the bonus letters in any way to the app. It's an invisible VALENTINE. I did not appreciate.
ReplyDeleteBless you, David Steinberg. You said in your notes that building this puzzle was one of your biggest constructing challenges ever, and with 18 symmetrical interlocking theme answers – 18! – I have no doubt about that. Yet what you pulled off was smooth – what you call in your notes “natural sounding” – so smooth that many commenters found it easy. This speaks to your remarkable talent.
ReplyDeleteAnd all constructors should heed your last sentence. I pounded the table and inwardly shouted, “Amen, brother!” when I read it: “If one of my puzzles ends up feeling more like a construction stunt than an enjoyable solve, I haven’t done my job quite right.” (Hi, @Joaquin!) Yes! The solve is first priority, even before the pyrotechnics.
I’m sure it was unintentional, but here’s something very cool in this puzzle that focuses on middle letters. There are two pairs of five letter words – each pair being one word stacked over the other – whose middle letters can be successfully switched! We have CARES over WAVES, which turns into CAVES over WARES, and SEVER over FEWER, which begets SEWER over FEVER. And, to top it off, these pairs are symmetrical! What are the odds? That’s seriously wild.
This “natural sounding“ grid, David, oozed with quality, as do all your puzzles. Quality and inventiveness (what a brilliant and fun theme!). You’re in my top tier. I’m so grateful for your work, and, you’ll be happy to hear, for today’s very enjoyable solve.
I'm thinking of the scene in A Christmas Story when Ralphie gets his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring, and his first big decoding task to save the world turns out to be "Don't forget to drink your Ovaltine." The moment I got the UNLIK(V)ABLE/WOK(V)EN answers, I realized the "bonus" would be Valentine. I thought we hide Easter eggs, not Valentines.
ReplyDeleteRex would have been correct about my experience as a fastest Sunday ever if I hadn't, like Ann Howell (3:19 AM) entered the alternate letters as a / rebus (K/V, I/A, etc.). So no happy music until I went back and undid those 9 squares.
And when the happy music began, I was disappointed that the app didn't have a little animation in which the alternate letters appeared in red and switched back and forth between the clued answers and the alternate answers. That would have redeemed the concept a tad.
But I did admire the cleverness of the construction and the solving experience. And I learned about Mr. AVOGADRO, who was Italian but whose number--based on the wikipedia entry provided by OFL--seemed more like it was from GREECE (73A) to me!
One 5 letter Hidden Diagonal Word (HDW): LINTS (although I'm not sure why you would ever need to pluralize LINT, unless for a POC).
Avogadro's Number is (still) a sandwich shop/music venue near where I once worked, so 56D was a gimme (and probably would have been even if not). Overall, way easy for Sunday.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen anyone comment about "Only trisyllabic rainbow color" (indigo). Umm... "violet"?
ReplyDeleteI thought “violet” at first, but checked the first down, which I knew right away was GLyNDA. Yeah, that’s how I thought it was spelled. That made “yellow” the obvious color, and I kept trying to say it in a three-syllable way. Checked other crosses and saw INDIGO.
DeleteAfter reading the clue for the day’s theme, I used the rebus to include both letters in my solve with a slash in between them. This added 20 minutes to my time before I went back and simply put in the letter for the original clue. So, I’m with those of you who would have liked to have seen a little more definition of the theme within the puzzle. I did get stuck in the northeast corner, but even that was more of a glitch, than a problem. Avogadro’s number was a gimme for me; I was a chemistry teacher in my first life.
ReplyDeleteAll the intersecting themers, letters, directions - I’m assuming this was not an easy build. Decent solve - very straightforward for a Sunday - just not an over the top aha.
ReplyDeleteI’ll give a pass to the tepid (INVECTIVE is wonderful) themers given the density and constraints. There was plenty of general fill that was solid - AVOGADRO, SALIENT, SCALENE etc. Really appreciated the lack of trivia in the big grid. One PETERus - two PETERI? Was looking for pEDS to cross AROD.
A CAPELLA -> AUDREY
Immense construction chops - but still an enjoyable Sunday solve.
The theme was meh (although my inability to pick the right one of "compliment/complement" meant I hit part of it accidentally), but I also set my Sunday record, so can't complain too much. Would have been faster, too if I hadn't gone for "whew" instead of PHEW.
ReplyDelete@Christo - I pronounce it with two, the “VIO” being equivalent to the “VIO” in “violence.”
ReplyDeleteI see a couple of people quoting Steinberg without mentioning that the sentiment is one often made by Rex (and many here) and is an observation alleged to be a swipe at Shortz whenever Rex makes it.
If this had been a Fireball meta the only clue would have been, “there’s a meta” and directions on where to send the answer for a chance at a prize. Well, that and the “Change of Heart” title. There probably wouldn’t have even been the asterisks in the theme clues. If you like the meta element and challenging puzzles, Fireball is always fairly challenging and has meta puzzles fairly regularly. I also saw that the Sunday WaPo is a meta today, but haven’t tried it, yet.
Liked this fine as a giant sized themeless. I don’t read the little bioblurbs before solving because they too often contain spoilers, so I had no idea what the asterisks were all about, then read the note it was pretty straightforward. If it hadn’t been late last night when I solved I might have spent some more time pondering asterisked clues without looking at the note spoiler.
@Frantic Sloth - I’m normally an IPA guy, but last night I had an Amber Rye Lager with dinner and had dreams of roller coasters and marinas.
**wordle alert**
I had one consonant in yellow on my first guess, but all my thoughts on second guesses with it also contained vowels eliminated in my first guess. I finally came up with a second guess that included doubling my known consonant. I now knew where that consonant belonged and had only two vowels left. And my third guess came far quicker than my second and I got the birdie. I predict everyone today will get the birdie.
Also, if you think dordle is twice the fun, you might enjoy quordle.com - yep - it combines 4 wordles into a single solve.
Fast, enjoyable solve. Thank you for the reference to Avogadro - sometimes I feel we get too many literary references and not as many to science. I actually enjoyed the theme- the title and the eventual VALENTINE.
ReplyDeleteMore snow in the NYC area today. Let's hope it's the last of it this season. In any case, may everyone's hearts be warmed by a happy Valentine's Day!
@Son Volt - … AVOGADRO, SALIENT, SCALENE etc. Really appreciated the lack of trivia in the big grid I’m pretty sure that two of those “solid” answers will be in lots of solvers trivia bucket. Not everyone celebrates National Mole Day (nor National Molé Day for that matter) after all.
ReplyDelete@Ken Freeland - The puzzle is at least in the low end of NYTX typical PPP. A quick count puts it at least at 22%. The NYTX never gets below 20%.
I knew this was easy because I was making so much progress - I believe this is my third Sunday solve (unassisted), although I agree this one had a lot of easier sections than normal. Never did figure out the theme - read the notes toward the end of my solve and agree with OFL - why call it a bonus ?
ReplyDeleteA Sunday grid like this one a few times a year is good for someone like me (provides a much needed ego-boost and keeps me hungry for more). So for those of you who found this too easy for your liking, please indulge the mere mortals amongst us.
Heck, I’m even proud of the fact that I got EOCENE - which is probably standard crosswordese for some.
My heart sinks every time I see Steinberg's name. I am rarely on the same wave length. I'm here to do the puzzle. I don't need a bonus. UNLIKABLE is not INAPT.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else get stuck and have to check every clue because you entered the bonus letters as a Rebus?
ReplyDeleteSigh
I did. See Ray M at 7:53 AM.
DeleteThought that finding so many words that changed their meanings by switching out the middle letter was feat in itself. Not too shabby. My favorite was SHRINKING > SHRIEKING.
ReplyDeleteHand up for the speediest Sunday I can remember, so sometime within the last six months. I did read the directions and the quick solve left time to fool around with the replaced letters, but once I had VAL I saw what was going on and thought, hmmm, that's kind of interesting. The end.
Mark Twain had some thoughts on gender and other things in an essay titled "That Awful German Language", which includes his observation that "some German words are so long that they acquire a perspective".
Zippy Sundecito, DS. Started fast and Didn't Stop, and a pleasant ride it was. Thanks for the fun.
@Pablo 9 this morning
DeleteThat's my favorite Twain essay!!
@Zex 8:19 (and @Christo) - your hint on violet does not make your case. I pronounce violet as I do violence (and violin) as 3 syllables. Wonder if this is a regional difference or just something some people do. Interestingly, I pronounce viola also in 3 syllables but as vee-o-la rather than vi-o-la as I should if I followed the way I pronounce the other words.
ReplyDeleteMy time was below average but nowhere near a record. Probably because I delayed filling in the theme answers thinking that there was a trick in them somewhere that would appear later (I did not read the notes or title of the puzzle until after the puzzle was completed.
I am shocked over the lack of complaints about AVOGADRO - I was a chemistry major so super easy for me, so I can only guess that enough people retained enough from high school or college chemistry to get that.
For some reason, the clue for BAD DAY stood out to me and gave me a chuckle. No idea why because it is not that special. Also blanked on AMTRAK because I could not get Acela to fit.
My major write over today with some comedic effect was putting in NiBS for "barely usable pencils" (pen tips, short pencils - details, details) which left me with PIANO DiETS. Perhaps you are so busy playing all those notes with 4 hands that you do not have time to eat?
Yes, it was mostly easier than the usual Sunday. Kind of a nice Valentine's Day present. Normally I dislike David's puzzles, but a thumbs up for this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure the note was needed. The squares were clearly defined by the note, so a circle in the square, or better yet, a shaded square, could have identified the locations of the double letters. And the other part of the clue? Yes, maybe it made the trick easy to figure out, but I guess that was the point.
One of the things I mentioned in the comment I previously lost was that I have been watching the old PBS Nature shows, and saw one show that highlighted how bad humans treated Chimpanzees. I empathizes with Sharps observations, and commend him for his attitude. But when I solve a crossword, those consideration seem to be lost on me. Still, it remains a horror.
I'm feeling eviscerated.
ReplyDeleteVendetta in Italian:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-GCOHEDCyk
Rex niggling about a Steinberg puzzle. I am SHOCKED !
ReplyDeleteA better than average Sunday, which is admittedly faint praise.
Z, it's bad enought we have to hear your Wordle adventures. Now your going to tell us about your dreams? You're lucky I can't find a bowling alley in the Dominican or I would join that club.
TJS (still can't fix the sign-in problem)
Wordle 239 3/6
ReplyDelete⬛⬛🟨⬛⬛
⬛⬛🟨🟨⬛
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
I had a very poor lie just off the green but managed to chip it up and roll it in for a birdie today. 4-under after 11.
The puzzle was fun but can the NY Times please give some guidance as to how to enter "bonus" or other rebus squares for specific puzzles? I have limited patience for going back to change squares that are correct essentially but entered incorrectly to get the "happy music". I usually just use the lifesaver and take the hit on my streak.
ReplyDeleteIf you like football enjoy the Super Bowl today. Otherwise Happy Valentine's Day in advance to all!
Like Rex, I blazed through this for a new Sunday record. I also skipped the note and had no real need for the "bonus" theme. While it is an impressive feat to find 18 words (themers + crosses) that turn into a different set of 18 words with the middle letter swap, there is just no point. The puzzle is done. It just didn't do much for me.
ReplyDeleteThe fill was solid, but nothing really jumped out. Even the PPPs are so well known that is's almost impossible not to know them (AUDREY Hebburn, CHER, PETER I, GLINDA, GREECE, OAHU, ETTA James, etc.). BTW, I'm sure I've seen ETTA in 3 recent NYTX. Let's get some creativity please. And for my signature complaint, there's not a drop of booze in the puzzle either. Dry as a bone!
Thx David; an enjoyable Sun. puz! :)
ReplyDeleteEasy+
No problems with this one; very smooth and steady all the way.
COMPL(E/i)MENT always presents a moment of hesitation.
"Everybody loves a compliment. Or is it a complement they love? If there is a published list of commonly confused words, complement and compliment are almost certain to appear. However, these two terms don’t have to be on your personal list of befuddling vocabulary! Here’s the breakdown":
"Complement and compliment used to share some meanings, because they derive from the same Latin root word. Complement used to mean “to compliment,” but that meaning is obsolete. Compliment has an archaic meaning also; it used to mean “gift.”"
"How can you define complement? If you think complement looks a little like the word complete, that can help you to remember some of its most useful meanings. A complement is something that completes or perfects."
Another fun solve. :)
Thx @Zex for the Quordle tip. Btw, 'violet' is two for me, as well.
@okanaganer 👍 for 0 dbyd & an awesome pg time yd!
Enjoyed the acrostic; tougher than the last couple, but a fun workout!
___
yd pg: 17:55 / yd Wordle: 4 (both tough)
Peace ~ Compassion ~ Tolerance ~ Kindness to all 🕊
Thanks, @JoeD. Much appreciated. The puzzle was easy, that's better than frustrating. Rex is correct; if you master a Sunday, at least part of you will like it.
ReplyDeleteIf you want more challenges, check out Quordle.
My neck of the woods is all in for Matthew Stafford, as he played for UGA. And my birthplace is generally wishing him well, e.g. many have Detroit Rams shirts.
Really like Cincinnati, however, Burrow is a great guy and the mayor's peppy.
~signed, A Fence Sitter.
@Christo, Z - I filled in Violet, and a small voice said you have to be careful with pronunciation clues as regional results may vary. Indigo solved that brief dilemma. 3 syllables in my book.
ReplyDeleteSame PENLIGHT problem as Rex. I was looking for something more technical that I might have heard of and love that it turned out to be something basic hiding in plain sight!
I took the the time to do the note and thought, "Valentine, how cute". The perfect thought for a themed puzzle today. SOLID construction that was fun to race through.
lirelira is our kealoa of the day. Plus, every single themed answer if you don't read the clue:)
I see the "Dust My Broom" video is still up. I learned that song in middle school from the ZZTop cover. I see they didn't make the Wikipedia list of guitarists influenced by Elmore James.
@Frantic Sloth - We've had ____ James for ETTA regularly and recently. Go ahead and commit that one to memory. "At Last" was the song chosen by Obama for his inauguration. Give it a listen, you'll likely recognize it.
This is not just anyone. This is David Steinberg -- who isn't known for creating cream puffs. So you've come up with this nice bit of construction, but how do you bring me, the solver, into it? Surely you don't think that circling nine letters that can be changed to a very obvious different letter after I've completed solving the puzzle is an interesting morning's challenge for me.
ReplyDeleteDid you at first think of double-cluing the theme answers in a way that forced solvers to understand the gimmick before being able to complete their solve? Did any workable example of Steinbergian fiendishness occur to you as you were polishing your grid? Such a nice grid -- and so wasted here.
So now I have VALENTINE. Big thrill. Where's the KICKER, David?
Hey All !
ReplyDeleteWell, DS, the Construction stunt was more than it was an enjoyable solve. Sorry. I am blown away at the theme and fill. I know it couldn't have been easy to construct. So my COMPLIMENTS on that. But the solve/getting the "trick" really wasn't all that exciting. Agreeing with Rex on that.
@Christo 7:31
I did! Who pronounces violet with two syllables? VY-LET? No no, it's VY-O-LET. New clue: One of two trisyllabic rainbow colors. 😁
WASABI (the word) always reminds me of the "Whasssssssup" old phone TV commercials.
VD is tomorrow. Get your lady something, guys, or the dog house for you. Make sure it's not INSTA CRAP. Har.
yd (oof) -12, should'ves 7. (Blaming it on having to leave earlier than normal for work.)
Two F's (one gets changed!)
RooMonster
DarrinV
Every time I think I might border on being a little bit anal retentive, I just read rex's comments and I laugh and relax . . . . I've got nothing to worry about. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, and a big thank you to the constructor for such a fun puz!
ReplyDeleteAnd in more important news:
Wordle 239 3/6
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🟨🟨🟨⬜⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
Since a lot of folks are posting about their Wordle scores... And thanks in advance for any help!
ReplyDeleteSince the NYT took it over several days ago, my device (an iPhone) records no ongoing data. Zero. Nada. No history, not even the most recent. I can play over and over again, every day. I've tried everything they suggest. This is the device I play on. Anyone else having problems? What am I missing? Various websites indicate the "vast majority" of players have had their issues resolved. Not I.
I didn’t even bother to go back and switch the letters to find the bonus. It seemed like a lot of work for little payoff. But I set a new Sunday record so yay! I kept waiting to get stuck and never did.
ReplyDeleteGah, got caught mistaking my complement for compliment so technical DNF. I briefly wondered, if I changed out all of the middle letters for the VALENTINE letters, would the app accept it as correct but I decided not to bother.
ReplyDeleteSince I using randomization to solve, my cursor jumped from 1A to the second entry, 51D: One of three for German nouns, or one of four for those in Africa's Zande language. Good grief, I thought, this puzzle is going to be impossible. In the end, it flew by, 16 minutes or so faster than my usual Sunday random solve.
Besides bon mot instead of bon ami, I briefly thought the 51D answer might be GErund and I spent a few nanoseconds considering how odd the German and Zande languages must be. Well, three or four genders is odd enough, I guess.
I liked STAPLE's clue/answer pair. Italian bread no longer made is rather cute though of course I put in the singular before the plural. I think there was TMI in the clue for TMI, har (31D). And _____ sandwich for DELI is very green-paint-y.
David, thanks for the VALENTINE and the bonus IN LOVE for tomorrow's holiday.
@ Trey (9:03)
ReplyDeleteI concur on your comments about pronuncuation.
And speaking of which...
What’s all this fuss I keep hearing about violins on television? Now why don’t parents want their children to see violins on television? Why, I thought the Leonard Bernstein concerts were just lovely. Now, if they only show violins after 10:00 at night, the little babies will all be asleep and they won’t learn any music appreciation. Why, they’ll end up wanting to play guitar and bongo drums, and go to Africa and join these rock and roll outfits. And they won’t drink milk! I say there should be more violins on television. And less game shows. It’s terrible.
David is a very good constructor
ReplyDeleteSome of you seem to believe anything short of fawning praise is disrespect.
Merriam-Webster has a parenthetical schwa in the pronunciation but if you play the pronunciation it is not a separate syllable to my ear. For violence they show that schwa as an alternate pronunciation and a distinct syllable. Violin is three syllables. I have heard violet pronounced as three syllables and also as a sort of half syllable, more distinct than “vie let” but less distinct than “vie oh lynn.” i think the clue is fine, but I do see how it gave people the arched eyebrow.
@TJS - Didn’t I see you back in blue yesterday? As to the problem signing in, are you trying from the web version? I know if I try to comment from the mobile version I have issues.
The one pitfall I run into with super-easy puzzles like this one is that because they go so fast and you can get so many of the answers without even looking at the crosses, you can end up getting snagged. For me, 56D AVOGADRO crossed with 68A AROD was one of those. The down was a gimme--I thought!--filled in AV-A-GADRO and didn't notice that AR-A-D didn't quite add up. Messed up what should have been a much shorter time bc I had to spend minutes hunting for my error at the end. Grr.
ReplyDeleteCan someone explain why hike is the answer for up?
ReplyDeleteUp is a verb, in this case. It’s a bit of a stretch because I’m not coming UP with a great phrase where they would be interchangeable. “We need to up our sales numbers” sorta works.
DeleteI did this puzzle while half asleep this morning. When I got done I wondered why there were no hearts in it. Only then did I read the blurb. Okay I'll bite and see what's going on. The V went right over my head but with the A the lightbulb went off. Oh yeah it's Valentine's Day. Mr. romantic that's me.
ReplyDeleteyd pg-2, @Okanaganar good luck finding them I didn't.
@ Anonymous (10:41 am)
ReplyDelete"Hike" (as a verb) can be used in the same sense as "up" (as a verb).
Then landlord can up the rent; the landlord can hike the rent.
Either way you are screwed, though.
@Colin - Sorry. The only issue I had was playing the same puzzle twice on the day of the transition. Restarting your phone and deleting cookies and cache often works for these kinds of issues. I don’t know how easy it is to delete wordle specific cookies and cache, so I’d try other things first.
ReplyDeleteToday I’m just going to be lazy and say “what @Frantic Sloth said.”
ReplyDeleteHave a good day and thanks F.S.
@Tom T 7:11.
ReplyDeleteYour first paragraph mimicked my solving experience. I saw the K/V switch and said out loud: "I bet it's VALENTINE." It was. I was happy. Memories and roses popping in my head.
I see my best friend AVOCADOS at 56D is back. That is how I spell it and it's staying in my head for ever.
I liked seeing GOYA at 73D but only because the only art of his I liked were his "Caprichos." "La Tauromaquia" means bullfight in Spanish and I hated all of these.
Another favorite was seeing SRI LANKA. I had no trouble with that answer. It's called the "Teardrop of India" because of its location and its shape. It's also known as the "Heart of the Indian Ocean. It should really be called the land of rice and curry. if you ever go there, you must try their Kukul curry. AND...the people are wonderful.
Speaking of wonderful.....I know this fitted in the easy o-meter scale; didn't matter, I really enjoyed it. I first met David during my first (and only) crossword tournament in the East Bay. Our mutual friend, ACME urged me to go. I did. David was there. He has a magnetizing smile. I think he was still in Jr. High at that time. David went up (he was also tall) to everyone and shook hands. I thought what a polite and endearing person he is. Actually, everyone at the tournament was smart and fun to be with. I think I came in last; never got a booby prize
My SHRINKING FLICK KICKER runneth over.
I lived in India, and the more common term for Sri Lanka was "Earring of India"
ReplyDelete@Lewis gave us an eloquent explanation of a “faith solve” yesterday- one in which you struggle for a handhold but have faith that you’ll see something to get you going. Today is the polar opposite of that, so … a faithless solve?
ReplyDeleteLike many, this was a new record Sunday (19:04), and like many I solved as a themeless and then looked at the title and the note. Because of the note, solving the meta was as easy as solving the puzzle. I agree it would have been more interesting with no note, some highlighting of the middle letters in each themer, and a revealer that clues the meta. Or just a note that wasn’t so obvious, like “consider this puzzle’s title regarding the theme answers, and find an appropriate word.” There just wasn’t much challenge to this.
VENDETTA is a nice answer for me today because I decided yesterday to re-watch “The Godfather” Parts I and II. It’s been at least 30 years, and wow, I forgot so much. I also wasted a ridiculous amount of time reading all the backstory and trivia on IMDB. Al Pacino and Diane Keaton thought the movie would be so bad their careers would be over. The classic line “Leave the gun, take the cannolis” was improvised by the actor. So much more.
AVOGADRO sounds like the name of a crime family from the movie. Sounds like he made a much better name for himself.
This puzzle was just right. Clever enough to stay interesting and easy enough to complete before my usual Sunday boredom set in. YES, AND I learned how to spell A CAPPELLA.
ReplyDeleteGee, create a nice, easy but pleasant puzzle for St. Valentine's Eve and what does it get you? A tsunami of criticism and abuse. Well, David, I appreciated it - but I expect that your next entry is going to be a very large Grizzly BEAR!* (as defined by Webster,"a dull, unpleasant, or difficult piece of work."
ReplyDelete@bocamp-After a few letters made some of the longer words in the quote more or less obvious, I had an easier time with today's Acrostic than with a few of the previous ones. One man's wheelhouse.....
ReplyDeleteAnyway, thought it was fun.
@Brian C from late yesterday. I'm having the same problem. I can't access Wordle. I get nothing but blank screens. Same thing with JC66 link. I don't care about the stats part. I just want to Wordle.
ReplyDeleteWhat happened to the Wunderkind? This one is flat as a pancake - not a heart-shaped one, and without any chocolate chips.
ReplyDeleteI just want to add my yes vote. This is a beautifully smooth puzzle. What a pleasure. Thank you, Mr. Steinberg.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 11:38am: I had the same problem trying to get WORDLE on Safari. I was able to access it on Chrome.
ReplyDeleteEasy like Sunday morning. Wow. Was not even aware of a theme until I came here. I did love seeing AVOGADRO, because my genius brother (literally, a Mensa dude) exposed me to AVOGADRO’s number when I was maybe fourth grade, which makes him in.6th. We were at the grocery and Mom put some 🥑 🥑 in the cart. Sam says, “Look, AVOGADROS.” Mom (silly Mom) tried to correct him and he, in his superior but ever sullen manner proceeded to tell is that his comment was a “clever play on words.” And proceeded to give us a brief lesson on AVOGADRO numbers (none of which I understood beyond AVOGADRO was a smart math guy like my brother) and forever after, I always have AVOGADROs in my guacamole.
ReplyDeleteSaid it once above but our constructor today is a clue genius. This was such fun, and I am so impressed that it even had a theme, lost to me due to my speed.
You all contribute so much to my daily enjoyment. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Haven't read all the comments, but is VIOLET no longer considered a rainbow color? It has as many syllables as INDIGO
ReplyDeleteMy high school chemistry teacher brought home the size of Avogadro's number by giving us this assignment: what would/could you do with a mole of pennies? I used my mole to build a pyramid over North America. One of the corners was in Moosonee, Ontario. My lab partner built a planet and calculated its gravitational force.
ReplyDeleteThat is the very one that had me crazy! Glad I wasn’t alone.
ReplyDeleteyep. Happy SHRIEKING VALENTINE's Eve.
ReplyDeleteCool construction feat. Pretty bland solvequest experience.
There's clearly gotta be some cool significance to KIFNCGECA. Could be a name from Game of Thrones, and M&A wouldn't be any the wiser. But, Google didn't know about that, so probably not.
M&A has. got. to. think …
Meanwhile: staff weeject picks = ABS crossin BAS. Flexible, for changin the middle letter of ABS. fave: AHS/HAS.
Got it. KIFNCGECA anagrams to stuff. M&A fave, so far: FAKE CCING.
Thanx, Mr. Steinberg dude. Better puz title: "Change for a KIFNCGECA".
Masked & Anonymo8Us
**gruntz**
@Zilla, (wow the Z*s are increasing) - when you have a chance to peruse the comments, there is a bit of back and forth regarding the number of syllables in Violet. I’m just a disinterested observer on that one, I’ll go with close enough for CrossWorld. I’m not as much a stickler as some others though (at least we are discussing an English clue/answer and not lamenting the number of GENDERs in European and African dialects and languages).
ReplyDeleteFair enough. Love the dialogue
DeleteQuite a fun puzzle.
ReplyDeleteI agree the puzzled could be solved as a themeless, but once I read the note and found the first alternate words it aded some fun to see what the next would be. I did not get the "bonus " until after the rsolve, I'd been writing down the alternate letters as I went, but somehow missed the first n and did not have valentine's day on my mind.
@okanagan. You were wondering how the name kicker was chosen in the Shuswaps and maybe you also wondered how Celeste was named. Before WW 1, my grandad and granny. lived in a log cabin on the lake. The BC government said hey had to name the little settlement in order to get a post office. My grandad looked up at the night sky and named it Celeste. My mum was born there in 1914. They moved back to Vancouver the following year when grandad left for the war.
ReplyDeleteWe took mum up there around 1997. The old cabin was still kind of standing! I’m guessing it’s long gone by now.
ALICe MoffAT
Nice dental theme going on in the SE. IRRIGATED/ADA/ENAMEL/CEMENTS/AMID/DECAY. (AMID added just to make the connection.)
ReplyDeleteIn order to access WORDLE in Safari, I had to clear the cookies.
ReplyDelete••••DORDLE Alert•••• (or Durdle Alert)
ReplyDeleteI just tried to start a game with the word DURAG. It wouldn't accept it. So I tried DORAG. It wouldn't accept that either.
***** Dordle ******
ReplyDeleteTwo words in four attempts is probably more lucky than impressive. Interesting little diversion.
Dordle 3&4/7 ALLOW&GRANT
⬜⬜🟨⬜⬜ 🟨🟩🟩⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ ⬜🟩🟩🟨⬜
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜
⬛⬛⬛⬛⬛ 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
zaratustra.itch.io/dordle
Hah! I did this the hard way - thought the first themer more complex then it actually was. I wanted all four words to fit the two clues. A cottage could be endearing, couldn’t it, so the opposite might be UNLIVABLE? WOVEN was more of a stretch, but for a long minute I imagined some connection between weaving and a fabric’s NAP being raised (not roused). Ah, crossword rationalization.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of NAP, Brother John, are you sleeping? DIN, DAN, DON.
My favorite themer is SHRINE KING, which is how it looks on my page.
Wonderful observation by @Lewis re CARES/WAVES and SEVER/FEWER! I didn’t see that, just noticed a few simple SYMMETRICAL partners: WINDS and YACHT, PIANO DUET and A CAPPELLA, the isles of OAHU and MAN(N). Not to mention CHER and ELMO.
And now for the KIssER. I’m going to blame it on it’s symmetrical partner NICENE, but when I saw the Epoch when palm trees grew in Alaska and had E—ENE, I tossed in EssENE. Naturally I tried KIssER, which kind of works with the clue, but NosEDLY stunk.
@Joe D, loved the PIANO DUET, and your hilarious comment re “Change of Heart!”
@JMS, what year? Mine’s a ’98. I may have to let her go, though. No SAAB mechanics around here.
Today’s birthday composer is VALENTIN de Zubiaurre. (If that’s not enough of a bonus, wait until you see the photos by his sons that accompany the music.)
I found myself singing the 'mats "Valentine" as I did the "bonus", so I loved seeing it as the first musical reference.
ReplyDeleteToday's crossword felt utterly pointless. What's the justification for having a theme if the theme isn't part of solving the puzzle? It feels like the NYT and the constructor just phoned this one in.
ReplyDelete@Alicat, thanks for the fascinating story about Celista (as it is now spelled). Our place is about 4 km east, at Magna Bay. Built by my dad in 1954.
ReplyDeleteDisagree about the lira/lire thing. "Bread" is a plural noun. You don't have *a* bread. Right?!?!
ReplyDelete@Anon 6:01
ReplyDeleteIs a US Dollar bread?
OFL lists 9 theme entries but I'm thinking it's more like 18 because the Downs crossing these must also work with the letter swap and it has to be in their middle also. Both the Across and Down themers have to make sense both before and after the letter swap.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a feat of crossword puzzle construction right there, nine pairs of crossing themers. But then there's another constraint that makes the constructing challenge even greater. The swapped-to letters must spell out VALENTINE in order! You can't play around with the order of the themers to find the one that works best/fills in the easiest.
So overcoming all those multi-layered constraints on the themers and getting it done smoothly was a real tour de force if you ask me.
@Anon. If bread is plural there has to be a singular form. What is it?
ReplyDeleteI often don't do the Sunday puzzles, but I checked the constructor's name and the note, and decided it might be worthwhile -- only I couldn't get to it until about 5 PM, due to a planned visit to an orchid exhibition an hour's drive away. I had a lot of fun with it, and am surprised by those who did not find the theme helpful in solving. It was very helpful for me -- since you know which blank will be the changeable one, you can go right there and get the down answer, which is much shorter -- e.g., I could see that 4D, WOKEN could be woven-- which in turn helped me get the across. I soon had VAL_N for the alternate letters, which pretty much gave me VALENTINE, which helped even more. The bonus is simply that you get one more answer than you paid for.
ReplyDeleteI grew up in NE Wisconsin, where we talk pretty much like the folks in Michigan, but have certainly always given 3 syllables to both violet and violence.
Did anyone else try to fit Shakespeare into 17D?
I think the reason you can't rebus the two letters is that only one of them is correct, i.e., fits the clues. You write the other one on the side somewhere to see what the bonus answer will be.
@Anoa Bob - I was thinking this was because the downs might not be the “heart” of those answers, but I think they all are. So in both across and down it is a “change of (the) heart.” To be fair to Rex, only the across clues are starred so it seems that Steinberg and the NYTX team don’t consider the downs theme answers. But I’m with you.
ReplyDelete@Anon6:01 - the clue was, Italian bread that's no longer made, I don’t see an issue with replacing “Italian bread” with LIRE.
ReplyDelete@Z 819am It's one thing to share what you do behind closed doors, but please spare me the IPA blather. TMI 😘
ReplyDelete(Seems I might need to start posting the various winky faces again.)
Speaking of...
@burtonkd 936am In case you're not kidding, *I* was. But that's what I get for going such a long way for a weak "joke" that obviously didn't land. 🤣 Thanks anyway! 😘
Couple a months ago I got s*** on for saying eco park, an answer in that day’s puzzle, was common knowledge.
ReplyDeleteThe first commercial in the Suoer Bowl, the program with the broadest and biggest audience of the year, just name checked eco park,
PHEW. 23 min to solve and another 8!! finding typo...LIRa. Yes, plural, thank you, I get it. This Sunday-puzzles-on-the-phone is really annoying because the boxes are sooooo tiny. Next week back on the east coast solving on paper, that's about the only bright spot since it's in the high 70s here - sailing again today.
ReplyDeleteFave clue Canine Coat
@Smith-
ReplyDeleteHere I was trying to watch the SB halftime show and looking for any diversion at all and I saw your nice post. Made me wonder what Twain would have thought of rap as an "art form".
Oh gosh, The tv program which is being watched by 117 million Americans ( and thrice that elsewhere) is using Eco Park as their scenic in the rest out of commercial. Imagine that Rex, et all
ReplyDelete@Pablo
ReplyDeleteI like the part where he talks about his 3 teachers who quit, or something like that, and the awesome description of chugging through the sentence waiting ... for ... the ... verb!
Funny you wrote SB and of course I thought of excitement (I think it's late enough for me to say that). Is this a kealoa? Or a homophone (same spelling, different meaning)?
Not into FB (the sport or the meta - there's another one!) but my husband is listening on the radio as we admire the sunset and the surfers who are still out there in the twilight.
having been a chemistry major for a while, the only thing that was a problem was the placement of the O and A in AVOGARDRO. and, yes, we always called it avocado's number.
ReplyDeleteNote to several posters: It's "Echo" Park, not Eco Park.
ReplyDelete1 Avogadro
ReplyDelete2 Avogadro
3 Avogadro
.
.
.
I noticed a central letter would change the across and down words and if changed would not fit the clues and looked no further. VALENTINE. Sweet clever and huge feat of construction. Impressive. Whether you like it or not. I do, but I am just as glad coming here to find out as I would be if I had studied it and discovered it for myself.
Most happy that 3/4 of it filled in fairly smoothly and the remainder was not a slog. Now if the centers of the themers formed a heart I might have noticed. Maybe.
Anybody try MAXPLANCK?
Isarael before GREECE?
Me neither. But I thought of them. And yeah, Max is too long.
My COMPLiMENTS to Mr.Steinberg.
Loved the single die for CRAP, especially since I do not believe it works that way. An SoCC. Single of Convenient Comedy. But maybe I am wrong. You crap out. The roll is craps. The roll is craps. So the roll of each die is crap? Brilliant comedy.
Contrary to everyone else, this was one of my *longest* Sunday solves ever. But that’s only because I fell asleep at the iPad wheel and woke up staring at a 5+ hour time in the middle of the night. Put it away and finished quickly this morning. Alas, my Sunday PR stands as is. 🤷♂️
ReplyDeleteBut what I really came here to comment on is the LIRE error. The problem I have with the clue is not “bread”, which I find legitimate here, but in the verb “is” in “that’s” … which leads to an UNLIKABLE noun-verb ALTERCATION (or perhaps just a disagreement).
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ReplyDeleteDid not bother to figure out the meta and didn't think to check here until now. Yep. It's Valentine.
ReplyDeleteVery easy overall, but what the heck does that AROD clue mean? Also, "change of heart" evokes one of the two worst puzzles ever, that of 9/11/2014
ReplyDeleteLike @A 3:33, I thought: Steinberg = uber-clever; the clues must fit both sets of words. I went through the exact same thought process about raising (rousing??) the nap on fabric. Only later did I realize that would be too much even for David.
ReplyDeleteThereafter the puzzle reverted to an easy but pleasant Sunday solve. The grid's a little choppy, but FEWER black squares would mean a much tougher job, and probably some desperate fill. It's fine the way it is. DOD AUDREY Hepburn adds class to the proceedings. Birdie.
MOVE HONOR
ReplyDeleteUNINHIBITED was DAN,
he NAKEDLY COMMANDED THE kiss,
ASUCH he's no SHRINKING MANN,
AND BOASTS he's INLOVE with AMISS.
--- AUDREY MURPHY
Another smooth offering from DS - the notes say he's "from" my winter "home town."
ReplyDeleteOops - didn't look at the puzzle within the puzzle. Back I go to see.
Almost March! Madness!
Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords
Easy YES,AND I got the meta thing too. THE title and two weeks ago was the day before VALENTINE's Day kinda give all that up.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of trisyllabic, as a PHEW mentioned above, what about vi-o-let?
Aimee MANN, AUDREY, TEENA, CHER, even GLINDA; most women I can ever remember in a DS puz.
Not exactly a BADDAY.
Surely the theme was Secret Valentine!
ReplyDeleteI hate it when a puzzle is declared to be easier than easy and I can't finish it. I had buses instead of waves (totally works for the definition), so I had that whole area unfinished.
Because the Sacramento Bee doesn't publish the NYT crossword puzzles the same day they appear in the Times, anywhere from a month or more later, I have to go back and forth on Rex's blog using the "older" "newer" links to find the puzzle I just finished. Very time consuming.
ReplyDeleteIs there a faster way?
@Unknown 4:12 PM, my Vancouver Sun has the original published date on the upper right corner, like NO. 0114 for the January 14th puzzle (the one I happen to have on my desk). If your paper doesn't do that, ask them to do it and explain why. They have the info to do it.
ReplyDelete@kitshef - AROD is short for Alex Rodriguez, former star major leaguer and now a star of the gossip columns.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of GREECE Maria Sakkari of Greece tennis fame will be seeking her first WTA title at the tournament tomorrow at Indian Wells.
And this was the first Sunday in a long time that I solved before Sunday rather than having to work at it on Sunday and Monday and Tuesday etc. Now I can do some worthwhile work tomorrow ( Sunday ).
@ unknown 4:12 PM - use the syndicated button at the top of the home page.
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ReplyDelete