Saturday, August 10, 2024

The "long" version of it is 12% heavier / SAT 8-10-2024 / Brand of brightly colored hair dye with a rhyming name / First civilization to cultivate potatoes / Animal whose pattern allows it to camouflage into grassland / Gambling venues with a portmanteau name

Constructor: Spencer Leach

Relative difficulty: easy-ish; most of the struggle was getting logged into all the various accounts and then realizing all my settings were off; seriously, how TF does anybody solve crosswords with all the annoying "halfway done!" popups, they're so awful and annoying


Word of the Day: TON (The "long" version of it is 12% heavier) —
The long ton, also known as the imperial ton or displacement ton, is a measurement unit equal to 2,240 pounds (1,016.0 kg). It is the name for the unit called the "ton" in the avoirdupois system of weights or Imperial system of measurements. It was standardized in the 13th century. It is used in the United States for bulk commodities.
It is not to be confused with the short ton, a unit of weight equal to 2,000 pounds (907.2 kg) used in the United States, and Canada before metrication, also referred to simply as a "ton".
A long ton is defined as exactly 2,240 pounds. The long ton arises from the traditional British measurement system: A long ton is 20 long hundredweight (cwt), each of which is 8 stone (1 stone = 14 pounds). Thus, a long ton is 20 × 8 × 14 lb = 2,240 lb. [wikipedia; gotta love the inherent randomness of imperial units]
• • •
Christopher Adams here, back at the keyboard after a very long day at the Iowa State Fair, and then a long experience trying to get into the puzzle (and this blog) because I'm staying in a hotel overnight, which means I'm not on the usual computer, which meant having to remember a lot of passwords that I haven't used in years because my computer remembers them, and then realizing all my solving settings were off, so navigating this puzzle was like a deer on a frozen pond; anyway, even if I don't remember passwords, I remember answers, especially when the clues are way too easy for a Saturday (all things considered, about a 3:30 solve w/o navigation issues). 

Not really what I was wanting from a Saturday if I wanted something difficult; lots of the clues that wanted to be difficult or misdirect simply didn't do either of those things. You give me a question mark on [Regular joes?], you might as well put up the bat signal and say "it's a coffee pun". You put in a brand most solvers won't know (MANIC PANIC) and then immediately nerf the difficulty by saying it's rhyming, which gives solvers letters for free. Etc etc. And quite a few of the clues (SRO, BIG TOP, RAMS, LIRA, BAO, many others) were just straight definitions (or oft-used clues) that I'd expect to see early in the week. I guess you could say that I was ONTO [23A: Not fooled by] this puzzle.

And there's not much in the way of fill for me to like here; others will like MANIC PANIC, PICKLEBALL, TIKTOK DANCE, etc. more than I do, but these are just things that range from meaningless to me to things I actively abhor (again, YMMV). YOU PROBLEM was nice, but more the exception to the rule; ditto for TWISTER MAT and GEOCENTRIST (more for the clues, which again, exception to the rule).

Olio:
  • PICKLEBALL [Sport that has generated noise complaints across the country in recent years] — I look forward to this trend dying as soon as possible, as I am not a pickleball person. Also, there's pickle beer at the State Fair; I will not try that, as I am not a pickle beer person.
  • MATRYOSHKA [She's so full of herself!] — I didn't like this clue, since my understanding is that (traditionally) the dolls are not all the same, but represent different people, and so the outermost doll may be full of other people, but not herself. At least it was an attempt to be cute and tricksy that wasn't immediately obvious, though; took a few crossings here.
  • CLUB FED [Relatively nice prison, humorously] — A cutesy, jokey entry about a prison is still an entry about a prison; can't say I've heard this term before, but didn't care to see it here and don't care to see it again. 
  • YOU PROBLEM [Another's issue, in modern lingo] — Gotta love the NYT trying to meet the constructor's vibes, but instead giving off "how do you do fellow kids" vibes by adding the (completely unnecessary) tag "in modern lingo".
  • MOSEY [Walk leisurely] — There will be lots of moseying on day two of the State Fair, in addition to more foot long corn dogs, lemonade, deep fried food, beers, etc.
Yours truly, Christopher Adams, Court Jester of CrossWorld

[Follow Rex Parker on Twitter and Facebook]

107 comments:

  1. Wendy Writer1:45 AM

    Why present animals with clues that require their death? RAM. PELTS. Animals don't exist just to provide material for clothing, religion, and crosswords. I'm a carnivore, so I'm hardly pure on this topic. But, really, is that the only way to look at animals? (I've seen this tendency in other puzzles as well.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At least it wasn’t a bear

      Delete
    2. Anonymous9:57 AM

      Zebra was also in this same puzzle, as a per-se animal. Methinks thou dost protest too much.

      Delete
    3. Wendy Writer9:58 AM

      Ha!

      Delete
    4. Anonymous11:59 AM

      Why are animals here?

      Delete
    5. WokeUpThisMorning12:59 PM

      "Gee, look how sensitive and morally superior I am."

      Delete
  2. Anonymous2:07 AM

    LOVED this puzzle. I solved it fairly quickly but I’m also getting better at them. No notes. Thank you for MATRYOSHKA and the amazing clue for TWISTERMAT.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Easy-medium. I got off to a slow start as ANITA and MANIC PANIC were WOES. The rest was pretty whooshy except for MATYROSHKA which had to be wrong but for the happy music. Turns out I know it, just not how to spell it. It reminded me of Natasha Lyonne’s Netflix series “Russian Doll” which is worth a look. It’s a somewhat bizarre twist on “Groundhog Day” with a 97% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

    I also got fooled by the SYNONYM clue for a while.

    Plenty of sparkle, liked it a bunch, or a whole lot more than @Christopher did.

    ReplyDelete
  4. As someone who lives outside the US and doesn't buy hair dye, the brand clue on "Manic Panic" was impossible. It's a cute phrase, it could have had a cute clue! Had "planet earth" at 26 down for a while, so was on the right track :) And was trying to fit "matriarchy" (or something related) at 57 across for ages... It didn't feel Saturday-hard, but it was fun.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:58 AM

      Fairly obscure brand even inside the US. Teenage girls will NAIL it.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous4:43 PM

      actually have to disagree, i'm not sure teenagers will know manic panic. it's still around, but i'm 40 and have been dying my hair since i was 15, and most people have moved on to other brands. MP's heyday was in the 90s. or, they get their hair done at a salon as the vivid hair dye stuff has become pretty mainstream and thus lots of options abound. (which i appreciate!)

      -stephanie.

      Delete
    3. Spencer L7:25 PM

      Funny, I had no idea it was a thing back in the day when I was making this. I used to dye my hair all sorts of colors back in 2020-22 and so I recognized the name when I was filling the grid!

      Delete
  5. As someone who spent much of their teenage years at the local Hot Topic, and having used it personally, Manic Panic was a refreshing gimme.

    This puzzle played very easy overall. It felt fresh, but also that it was trying reeeally hard to be. Not a whole lot to complain about though. Knew what it was going for with 57A (She’s so full of herself!), but couldn’t remember what the dolls were called. Always just referred to them as Russian nesting dolls.

    I keep thinking that I’ll never be fooled by a clever clue for SYNONYM again… and I continue to be proven wrong. Very fine misdirection. But I agree very much that most of the “tricky” clues were in fact mostly gimmes. Hey, I had a long Friday night, so I’ll gladly take an easy puzzle that makes me feel smart

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous5:05 AM

    I wish he'd talk more about the State fair....

    ReplyDelete
  7. MATRYOSHKA was a WOE (although I know them as Russian nesting dolls; didn't know their name) but the crosses were fair. Otherwise I agree with Christopher that the puzzle was otherwise easy. I liked it more than he did. Never heard of MANIC PANIC but again, easy to get from the clue and the crosses. Loved YOU PROBLEM and IN REAL TIME, and I was worried when I saw ZOOT that the constructor was going for a pangram; thankfully not.

    ReplyDelete

  8. Oddly, I also did this puzzle in a hotel but without all of Christopher's drama. Very easy for a Saturday; my only "cheat" was looking up the spelling of MATRYOSHKA (57A). Then I checked a few answers when I failed to get the happy music but found the error was just a simple typo. MANIC PANIC (13A) was a WOE but easily gettable from crosses and the "rhyming name" part of the clue.

    ReplyDelete
  9. David F6:39 AM

    I thought this was fine - some decent answers (YOU PROBLEM, MATRYOSHKA), some decent misdirects ("Contracts for shrinks, e.g.", "People hold complicated positions on it"). It was a bit easier than I expect from a Saturday, but I did get the "whooshes," so I'm good with that.

    I think maybe Christopher's solve was colored by his experience trying to log in - either that or he's simply trying to out-Rex Rex... :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:46 PM

      @David F lol, i had a similar "wow this is more rex than rex" reaction ;)

      "all the various accounts" - you have one account for the NYT times
      "all the halfway there popups" - there's one popup that appears halfway, you can just keep typing, it really doesn't impede anything at all...

      agree though that puzzle was easy, i think my time was a PB. usually this would disappoint me on a saturday, but the puzzle was fun to do. and a really good forehead slap moment when the SYNONYM answer finally made sense to me.

      -stephanie.

      Delete
  10. Chris nailed this one. Wednesday level general fill with some try too hard to be fresh one-offs. The trite lingo stuff were an aside as the crosses allowed entry anywhere in the grid.

    ZEBRA had a hit with this about the same time MANIC PANIC was all over the Village

    National travesty that perfectly good tennis courts are being retrofit to PICKLE. After @Anoa’s wonderful take on yesterday’s plurals I’m interested in how he handles today’s garbage - How TOS being the worst of the bunch.

    For a proper Saturday effort try Matt Sewell’s Stumper.

    MANIC Street Preachers

    ReplyDelete
  11. Big and little pleasures in the box today.
    • MATRYOSHKA. First pleasure when the meaning of [She’s so full of herself!] hit me. Second pleasure was remembering the Netflix series “Russian Doll”, which I adored.
    • NEMO over OMEN! Abutting palindromes!
    • Enough footholds to flesh out answers that weren’t in my wheelhouse, yet sufficiently scattered that my brain’s work ethic was satisfied.
    • BOLERO, evoking Ravel’s hypnotic piece.
    • Reading [Relatively nice prison, humorously] for CLUB FED, seeing “prison” as “person”, and thinking “I don’t get it! Why would you call a nice person that?”
    • An answer set pulsing with energy – words I haven’t come across in a long time (GEOCENTRIST, MATRYOSHKA, BOLERO), lovely colloquialisms (YOU BET I CAN, TEA, YOU PROBLEM), and zingy words (YIKES, ZOOT, PICKLEBALL).
    • The brilliant clue – [Contracts, for shrinks, e.g.] – that transformed SYNONYM from neutral to special. The never-before-used clue for prolific answer ATM: [They don’t usually produce change].

    A swag bag puzzle filled with lovely gifts. Thank you, Spencer – what a sweet springboard to the day!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Administrative note: I shall be away for several days, back at the end of the week. I should be able, however, to slip in my clue list on Monday.

    Wishing you all well!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I’m always concerned when there is trivia right out of the gate at 1A and the ANITA lady and MANIC PANIC are about as trivial as trivia can be. Fortunately there were a couple of true gimmies up there in the north like PICKLE BALL and TSK, which loosened up the atmosphere a bit.

    I thought the long downs had a little more sparkle than our guest host did today, so I was able to MOSEY around the rest of the grid and have some success.

    Have been doing the NYT grids on a daily basis for about a decade now and it still escapes me why they embrace stuff like RACINOS.

    I would put the Russian doll clue/answer combination in the “trying too hard” category, but at least give them credit for making an effort there.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Well, I certainly liked this much more, and found it more interesting and challenging, than did our guest blogger. Never ever heard of MANIC PANIC and I’m still not sure I get what it is. Maybe not the toughest Saturday, but no complaints on my end.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous4:47 PM

      @mmorgan it's in the clue. "brightly colored hair dye" :)

      Delete
  15. Anonymous7:58 AM

    MANICPANIC I got immediately. Daughter used them religiously as a teen. Actually found what must have been a 15 yo jar in the back of a closet😂😂😂

    ReplyDelete
  16. Well thank you @Lewis for sharing my misreading of "prison". Never did see it until I read today's commentary. I feel better.

    Also shared with others the complete ignorance of MANICPANIC, which thank goodness for the "rhyming" part of the clue, and only vaguely remembering MATRYOSHKA but not how to spell it. And looking for a plural for "shrinks" and "contracts". Pretty sneaky clue.

    Otherwise pretty smooth. LOO roll may be fine but I think I have heard "bog roll" more often and of course it fit. Speed bump there.

    I always shudder when I see "in modern lingo" in a clue but today's were not too bad.

    I had a good time with this one, SL. Some Lateral thinking necessary, which is a good thing, and thanks for all the fun.

    QB yesterday which is rare enough to merit a mention. On to the Stumper.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Loo yes, loo roll? def not
      It's bog roll, absolutely agree

      Delete
  17. 'easy'??? huh. easily the most difficult puzzle in several weeks. Super vague clues, for highly unusual answers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:42 AM

      My experience, too

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:38 PM

      Challenging in north east for me.

      Delete
  18. I must not know what a court jester is... I thought it was the person who lightens the mood, makes people happy, gets laughs. The puzzle was more challenging for me than for many of you, apparently... Not knowing Matroyshka didn't help matters. I liked the puzzle, medium plus for me.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Link between BEANO and OPENLY GAY. Billy Bean passed away this week, the second ever major league ballplayer to come out as gay (after he retired). (First was Glenn Burke.) Billy also was the only non-pitcher to throw a beanball. (That was a joke.)

    (Not to be confused with Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt in Moneyball.)

    Anyone else see a connection between BEANO and GALE FORCE?



    ReplyDelete
  20. Very easy. Lots of straightforward cluing. I liked TIKTOK DANCE and GALE FORCE.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Quite a few WoEs today, all of them in acrosses: ANITA, MANIC PANIC, RICO, RACINOS, BOLERO, EBT. I feel like having a lot of WoEs but still finishing the puzzle is a credit to the constructor.

    YOU problem, YOU bet I can.

    ReplyDelete
  22. “Inca” is simply wrong. The potato was domesticated in the Andes millenia before there was any such thing as the Inca. I knew what it was going to be immediately but was mildy infuriated by it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:02 PM

      You can't be "mildly" infuriated

      Delete
  23. Hey All !
    I thought this a good SatPuz. Enough stickiness to keep things slowed down enough to make you need crossers to CompleteSolve. Do agree a bit on the easy side for a Saturday, but anything that keeps more brain cells from dying is AOK in my book.

    Some fun entries, YOU PROBLEM, YOU BET I CAN, PICKLEBALL (didn't realize it was a loud game?), TWISTER MAT. Nice clues for MATRYOSHKA (which the spelling! YIKES), and SYNONYM. Iffy clue for COFFEES.

    Had a good PuzFlow today. MOSEYed through rather nicely.

    SNOOP is everywhere these days. I heard he's getting paid $500,000 a day (a day!) to be a correspondent at the Olympics. Dang.

    Happy Saturday everyone!

    Three F's
    RooMonster
    DarrinV

    ReplyDelete
  24. All ok and easy-medium for me except the NW, which I found very hard because I didn’t know MANICPANIC (cute name but doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with hair-dying.) ANITA was also an unknown to me, and I didn’t know PICKLEBALL was noisy 😄 So, I’m afraid I had to cheat today.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Clever cluing! Not Saturday tough, but fun.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Easy? I admit there were parts of it that fell pretty quickly, but there was nothing easy about GEOCENTRIST crossing MATRYOSHKA. I mean, CMON. But I liked CLUB FED, TIK TOK DANCE, RACINOS, and OPENLY GAY. Have to say I mostly enjoyed it.

    MANIC PANIC is the name of a hair dye? Sounds like a bad OMEN for the end result. Well, how do I look? YIKES! SO SAD!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I must be the only one -- so far, at 9:26 AM ET -- to be absolutely baffled by NES and its clue (something like "Switch predecessor"). There were many answers unavailable to those of us born before WWII, but that was the worst.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes, me too! Would love to hear the explanation.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous11:04 AM

      Switch and NES are Nintendo video game products.

      Delete
    3. Anonymous11:07 AM

      Nintendo Switch is a gaming console, which was preceded by the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System).

      Delete
    4. Anonymous2:42 PM

      Oh! TY!

      Delete
  28. Druid9:37 AM

    Is it now accepted to have two answers with the same word? You problem and you bet I can?

    ReplyDelete
  29. Wasn't Christopher Adams the guy who guested for Rex a while back (before a couple of days ago) and posted something hateful? Many of us told Rex not to have him back.

    Very nice. Especially liked the clue for SYNONYM.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:45 AM

      @mathgent Are you serious? Hard to believe that Rex didn't obey you. WOW, so, so sad!

      Delete
    2. @mathgent: it was 12/15/2022, and it remains the puzzle with the most comments in the history of the Rexblog - 347 - most of the comments having to do with the blog, not the crossword. Alas, you can no longer see the original posting as Rex cleaned it up a bit.

      Delete
  30. I always wonder when nytxw and latxw have similar answers/clues but today 'you bet I can' was duped in almost the exact location. clued differently but it still seems odd

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous10:08 AM

    This has to be one of the most Gen Z puzzles I’ve ever played from the Times. Loved it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:16 PM

      Struggled with it for the same reason, not being someone who even cares about, or ever utters, "gen" anything.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:41 PM

      It also suited this millennial! I am the target demo to immediately solve NES, pickle ball, twister AND Manic Panic. Never finished a crossword so fast!

      Delete
  32. Anonymous10:20 AM

    Agree with Rick above.
    Toughest in weeks..
    Too many unknown facts…rapper,hair dye,racino,Anita,…ugh

    Fine for others I gu ess, not for me.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Much too easy for a Saturday but I didn't mind as the puzzle was so charming. Particularly the NEMO over OMEN corner and that little GOATEA on its chin.

    I had no idea on the MATRYOSHKA clue but the crosses were softballs like so much of this puzzle. I was surprised to see it was a debut as it's been used as a clue rather often. MARTYR from OSHKOSH would be a good mnemonic.

    I've never heard of MANICPANIC but it turns out to be an interesting bit of rock and roll trivia and right on my demographic age wise. All the more amazing that it was a complete WOE.


    yd -0. QB 12. The last word I missed was BACKACHE sheesh!

    ReplyDelete
  34. Before having any crosses, I SO wanted “She’s so full of herself” to be narcisista. Oh well, now I have a new word to play with!

    I don’t think of TEA (for gossip) as modern lingo. I did like that it was followed right up with STEEP.

    Nice clues for SYNONYM, GEOCENTRIC, and KILO. Awkward library clue for LOG OUT. OPENLY GAY, YOU PROBLEM, and IN REAL TIME provided an AIR of freshness.

    The PROBLEM with YOU PROBLEM is the person saying it is usually the one who has a problem, if nothing else a decided lack of empathy.

    Because the puzzle wasn’t a particularly challenging Saturday, I appreciated the one-word clues that can mean many things - out, run, live. Added a little push-back.

    Enjoyed the change of pace and wouldn’t mind more from Spencer Leach.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Eesh, way too easy, record Saturday for me and not in a fun way. Didn’t know manic panic but given the clueing it didn’t matter. Overall, the puzzle was patronizingly simple. It’s all becoming a bit tedious…

    NES is a Nintendo predecessor to the Switch (video game console). It’s also a beloved classic :)

    Boo clubfed and racinos.

    ReplyDelete
  36. Here's how to make a Saturday sat. Start with a proper noun, two partials, a product, a gloat, and a rapper. When the annoyingly ubiquitous PICKLEBALL is the only thing saving the north, you've written an off putting beginning. But this redeems itself with plenty of Funnyisms.

    By the way, that MANIC PANIC stuff sure makes cool hair. It makes your head look like a spot on a TWISTER MAT.

    N-Ks: ANITA, RACINOS, and [shofar].

    ZOOT SUIT and BOLERO on the same line is pretty cool. Nice to learn the real name of MATRYOSHKA. That clue for SYNONYM is epic.

    Well, actually, the LUTE was popular into the late 18th century and is still wildly popular among lutenists today. Fun fact, lutes first arrived in Europe in the 8th century through Spain thanks to the oud (no frets) brought by the Moors (remember hooking up your boat? different Moors), but over time Spanish Christians worked up a sizable and irrational hatred toward Moorish culture so they changed the shape of their lutes to the hourglass design and called them vihuelas (same exact tuning) which ultimately gave rise to guitars in Spain. Chalk up another success to intolerance.

    Propers: 3
    Places: 0
    Products: 4
    Partials: 8
    Foreignisms: 7
    --
    Gary's Grid Gunk Gauge: 22 of 72 (31%)

    Funnyisms: 9 🤣

    Tee-Hee: OPENLY GAY. You know in the fields of Africa you can find ones openly gnu. I'm a minions fan so I'm openly Gru. Sometimes I go out in a dress at night so I can be openly gal. I've been practicing my smiting so I can be openly god or openly gawd if the smiting goes wonky.

    Uniclues:

    1 My head is the purplest.
    2 Sexy abuelo with a paddle.
    3 Goal of sideshowers.
    4 The swill my well-meaning friends try to serve me at brunch. God love 'em for trying.
    5 Self-talk on Sunday of one wishing the Olympics would last forever.
    6 A fish inside a fish inside a fish.
    7 Absolutely do utterly nothing to help.
    8 Live broadcast of virgin sacrifice to prevent earthquakes, or maybe just building a pyramid.
    9 Animal murder.
    10 Naughty Bovidae in boots on your lap.
    11 Swipe Spanish strings.
    12 Feeling those polkadots might have ruined your life.

    1 I WIN MANIC PANIC (~)
    2 PICKLEBALL RICO
    3 ONTO BIGTOP
    4 YIKES COFFEES
    5 C'MON AURA! SO SAD? (~)
    6 MATRYOSHKA NEMO
    7 NAIL "YOU PROBLEM"
    8 INCA IN REAL TIME
    9 PELTS SYNONYM
    10 TABOO GOGO GOAT
    11 SNAG CASA'S LUTE
    12 TWISTER MAT ACHE

    My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: Chest holder-in-placer with poor aerodynamics for handling her curves. SLALOM BOG BRA.

    ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    ReplyDelete
  37. I use toilet paper in LOO of my British friends. They use a LOO roll in my bathroom.

    Gotta admit to being a PICKLEBALL enthusiast. Much more strategic than tennis. Watch for it in an Olympics pretty soon.

    Fun puzzle. Thanks, Spencer Leach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous11:59 AM

      You’re crazy if you think that pickleball is more skillful or strategic than tennis. It’s a “sport” for retirees.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous, me thinks YOU are crazy (and dismissive). Do you think paddle tennis on Venice Beach as filled with retirees? I can tell you last fall/winter I played tennis weekly next to pickleball peeps that were young and smacked the snot out of the ball…and yes, my dubs group started using sign language to convey the game score because the pickleball is SO loud! I agree that retirees are playing pickleball. Many at a level that would not be considered competitive, but hey…I agree with egs.

      Delete
  38. Easy. I enjoyed the treats of MATRYOSHKA and BOLERO jacket next to ZOOT suit.

    Do-overs: btuS before AMPS, I WoN, lensES before ANGLES. No idea: ANITA, MANIC PANIC, RACINOS,, CLUB FED.
    Kvetcher's Korner: the trend toward clues ofnewfangled portmanteaus - I had -INOS and disgruntledly wondered, "What, carSINOS - gambling in a parking lot? C'MON!

    ReplyDelete
  39. @Christopher, I sympathize with your password woes - that is the worst thing about life in the internet era. Good news, though, on the annoying little "halfway done!" pops front. When you have the puzzle open, click on the settings wheel (just above the NW corner on mac). There will be a list of boxes to check/uncheck, including “Show puzzle milestones.”

    Even though I understand the game’s appeal, as a tennis player I can’t help resenting PICKLEBALL. @Son Volt NAILed the biggest reason why. (BTW, thanks for LSD link the other day@Son! I didn’t know them but enjoyed that a lot.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I resented the incursion of pickleball, too, early on. I mean…it IS loud, plus I HATE playing on a tennis court that has pickleball lines painted in…it disrupts my mojo! However, as a woman, I remember in my “prime” resenting the fact that the majority of “pro drills” for women were mostly during the day, because evening was “reserved for men.” We are an evolving society.

      Delete
  40. "Tricksy, cutesy, jokey". Yeesh, y.

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hey, I thought of a new clue for "oreos:" "Not likely to come out of an ATM." Your can do it backwards, too: "They don't dispense oreos."

    Some nice long acrosses, very nice long downs, although GEOCENTRIST is a bit unfair, since its anagram egoCENTRIST fits the clue better. But maybe that makes it fun?

    I can never remember whether the product is BEAN or BEAN-x; both work with the crosses, but 58-A as clued has to be O. I also never remember that in the NYTXword, "Run" = AIR. They clue it that way a lot, and it fools me every time; today I needed the AI before I could see it.

    I do question the clue for 43-A; I've been to Southern Africa a few times, seen a fair number of ZEBRAs, and I can assure you that they do not blend into the grasses. But if you look at a herd of zebras running together, you will find it hard to pick out an individual animal; so a lion, say, will have to either make a wild pounce into the herd, hoping to land on one, or wait for a better chance.

    I know of switch as being an on-off toggle, a willow wand, or a Nintendo game controller (I think that's right), but none of those definitions seems to lead to NES. Or wait--is Nintendo descended from Nippon Electronic Systems?

    ANGLES, or rather its clue, is a really horrible POC.

    Now to see what everyone else had to say!

    ReplyDelete
  42. As the mother of a Gen Z-er I am well acquainted with Manic Panic, which turned my daughter's hair various shades of neon pink and green. Ugh!

    ReplyDelete
  43. Anonymous11:25 AM

    Loved the MATRYOSHKA clue (one of the best ever!) and thought it worked just fine, since many (though not all) sets have identical dolls nested within each other.

    ReplyDelete
  44. Go Kamala11:29 AM

    Having ZOOT, I confidently threw down donaldTRump for 26 down.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Yes, it was easy for a Saturday, but I still thought I killed it finishing in 26:24 until I saw the blogger’s 3:30.! 🤬

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stumptown Steve11:47 AM

      If I had all of the answers I don’t think I could enter them on my iPad in 3:30

      Delete
  46. I've never played PICKLEBALL, though I know many who do. My impression is that you have to be at least 60 to take part, so what's with the noise complaints? We old-timers are generally a quiet lot.

    Count me among those who thought this was a Wednesday; as Christopher pointed out, whenever something might be hard the clue gives you extra information. Like in 4-D, where the question mark tells you it's not something like #MeToo, so once youve got T_K it's gotta be TIK-TOK something. Also, TEA as clued is becoming another puzzle cliche.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Who knows if my comment tagged on to @egs original comment goes through but, no, pickleball is being taken up by younger people now. Due to the reduced court size, the game can be great for older athletic folks. However, as, I HOPE, noted above…At the “racquet clubs” in the winter, young people play, and boy howdy, it’s LOUD!

      Delete
  47. Well, please define the word easy....!!! CMON, you just plunked in TWISTER MAT, SYNONYM, and GEOCENTRIST without batting an eye lid? I stared...eyes wide open wondering and wondering.

    1A...A name...damn. Cheat on ANITA. Then I get to that nasty rapper name and cheat on RICO. I guess cluing it as some rich person at some RACINOS wouldn't do. Then I get to the "where or what are the Apennines?" clue. MONTE? Huh? At least I got that MANIC PANIC and TIK TOK DANCE without too much sweat. But sweat I did.

    So this one took a long time. A one letter at a time time. So much I wasn't sure of. I'd pen in an answer then look to see if it was correct. I guess that's a cheat as well. I guessed correctly about 90%. I'm a lousy speller and I just didn't know the things I already mentioned.

    I finally get to the end and have my roughest time. I've never seen nor heard of MATRYOSHKA. Not once....Since I wasn't even sure about GEOCENTRIST and GOAT didn't seem right nor MAKE as clued, this is what I had : - - TRYO--H-A. So I dare you to fill in the blanks! Cheat. So I see it's GO AT and for some reason when you arrive on time you MAKE?. At least I remembered ZOOT and BOLERO.

    OK, so I had a very hard time with this. Proper Saturday hardness...I actually thought it interesting. I'm not sure I understand why PICKLE BALL generated complaints across the country or why anyone would name their product MANIC PANIC or why contracts for shrinks is SYNONYM.....Otherwise, I'd say two thumbs up .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous12:36 PM

      Contracts and shrinks are just ordinary synonyms. If your pupils contract, they shrink.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous3:32 PM

      GOAT isn’t “go at,” it stands for Greatest Of All Time. It’s a common word used now for someone that’s the best at something. I.e. “Lebron James is the GOAT!”

      Delete
  48. No gimmes for me today. What is NES (24D)? BEST EVER = GOAT? (well, now I know it - hope I'll remember it).
    MATRYOSHKA? I know it's Saturday & I know what it is - but really? Surprised myself & solved the puzzle.
    BTW - unless I'm missing something this new format doesn't give you the option to save your comments to go back (& forth - ??)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Anonymous12:23 PM

    This old timer somehow can't get into the blog using his Google search for Rex Parker. I an read it but no longer comment in the way I'm used to. But what I wanted to say is, if you are at a hotel in most any town, there is a place not far away you can buy that day's NYT, and then you can do the puzzle the old fashioned way, with pen and ink. You don't always have to do it online

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:24 PM

      My comment exactly. But of course if you are old fashioned, you won't complete this creepy puzzle.

      Delete
  50. Anonymous12:30 PM

    I also came here to point out the error in the ZEBRA clue but someone beat me to it.

    Am I the only one who wanted Donald trump for 26D? I even had the TR in place!

    Finally, why the question mark on 1D?

    ReplyDelete
  51. @Mathgent 9:53 - I thought Chris Adams sounded familiar to me too
    re: hateful rant

    ReplyDelete
  52. MetroGnome12:42 PM

    What the hell's a NES and what kind of "switch" did it evolve into?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous2:35 PM

      NES was an earlier version of the Nintendo video game system. Their current one is called Switch.

      Delete
  53. Finished with some errors as I had IN REAL LIFE crossing EBL (what??) and thus NEFF crossing TFN (I was thinking of some initialism like OED). Quite annoyed, but then I was very tired after a four hour drive home thru thunderstorms and heavy Friday evening traffic.

    I remember Christopher's hateful post a year or two ago. I was one of the first to write a strong objection; I was afraid I would come across as a fussy old man but then I had lots of company.

    BTW I hate this new comment form. The comment box is tiny tiny and why can't I can't expand it at all??? Stupid. Bah humbug.

    ReplyDelete
  54. When did the comments format change? Been out for 6 weeks. This looks like it may solve the problem of not knowing who is responding to whom. Just flew back from China yesterday, so my body has no idea what to think, being 12 hours off. Interestingly, the flight from NY to Hong Kong goes straight up over the North Pole and down over Siberia. It seems like during a 14 hour flight the other side of the world would have moved and you’d end up where you started. I’m sure someone here can explain this.

    Puzzle was pretty easy, though not 3:30 easy which I can only do on a Monday if I enter a puzzle I’ve already solved and don’t have to think about anything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @burtonkd 1:21 PM
      The dilemma you describe about flying over the north pole only to end up where you began except in Hong Kong instead of New York can only be explained if the Earth is actually flat ... I think. Thanks for hurting my head. Hope the trip was great.

      Delete
    2. I would guess you need to keep course correcting to the left, turning with the spinning of the Earth. That's my (unproven) theory.

      RooMonster Lefty Loosie (Loopy) Guy

      Delete
  55. My only issue with this puzzle was that it seemed to skew very young, but then I guess that's just a "me problem!"

    ReplyDelete
  56. Anonymous2:22 PM

    first saturday unassisted. yesterday was first friday.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Anonymous 2:22 PM
      Congrats. That's a big deal.

      Delete
  57. Anonymous3:36 PM

    Easiest Saturday I’ve ever encountered. I would say it’s cause I’m young, but I’m 41, so that’s not it. Found everything either a gimme (MANIC PANIC, NES, etc), or easily gettable from crosses. Biggest problem for me was getting tripped up on the clue for SYNONYM, but that was a me problem. Loved this one! Woosh woosh!

    ReplyDelete
  58. Anonymous4:03 PM

    Well that was a first for me. I finished the SE and saw the letter salad that was MATRYOSHKA and said something has to be wrong down there but I moved on and when I filled in last letter I heard the music. Complete mystery to me

    ReplyDelete
  59. ZEBRAs have strips to discourage biting flies, by the way. Not 100% proven but considered the most likely reason.

    ReplyDelete
  60. Anonymous5:48 PM

    Please explain 35 down-synonym-for me. I got the puzzle but I still don’t get the clue??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous7:30 PM

      Contracts (is a synonym) for shrinks

      Delete
    2. Anonymous7:59 PM

      contacts is a verb here. Not a noun.

      Delete
  61. Anony 5:48....@Anony 12:36 explained it and thank you @Anony 3:32 for GOAT...This new format is weird. Welcome back @burtonkd....The last 14hour flight I took was from Uruguay to LA with a layover in Buenos Aires. Ugh.

    ReplyDelete
  62. Walter7:05 PM

    Really liked the Bolero, Beano, Nemo corner in the SW, Saturdays usually take me about an hour so I was fairly happy with this one

    ReplyDelete
  63. @kitschef, is there a special blogger trick for looking up something like that? Or did you just Google "Christopher Adams site:rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com".

    ReplyDelete
  64. @okanaganer - A while back I started making notes of puzzles that drew an inordinate number of comments. I have no idea why. Anyway, that puzzle has almost 100 more comments than #2. All the other most-commented puzzles were extreme stunt puzzles that were, by and large, detested. These include the 8/30/2023 puzzle, the 9/15/2016 puzzle, and the 9/11/2014 puzzle. But poor Bruce Haight's 12/15/2022 puzzle was a perfectly normal puzzle that, with a normal Rex blog post, might have gotten 80 comments.

    ReplyDelete
  65. Anonymous11:03 AM

    I had the same problem as Okanaganer @ 1:09 PM. Had in real life and ebl before INREALTIME. Fortunately, I pondered and corrected before finishing. Adding to the difficulty, NEMO crossing TON made it tough to solve in the SW corner. I knew about a metric TON but have never heard of a short or long TON. 2,000 lbs has always been just a TON to me - neither short nor long. A good Saturday-level challenge, aside from the near Natick caused by EBT and NEMO.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Anonymous3:10 PM

    I have never encountered Manic Panic in a Xword puzzle before. It was New York centric beginning in 1977, and by the 90's available nationwide.
    Who gnu‽

    ReplyDelete
  67. Anonymous3:17 PM

    Slot machines at horseracing tracks was introduced in some states, when attendance at said tracks started dropping precipitously. This was done in order to boost attendance and save them from closing. Unfortunately, most of them ended up closing anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  68. @anon 6:15: WOE = What On Earth??, or a solving "woe." Example: MATRYOSHKA. Needed every blessed cross on that one.

    Trouble also in the west central. BAO was a WOE, and YOU (no R??) PROBLEM was more of a "Huh?". And field of the supernatural turned out to be just a simple AURA. Really highfalutin' clue for that puppy.

    So, I guess a ZEBRA can really hide in that black-and-white grassland. Strange...

    Have never performed--or seen--the TIKTOKDANCE. I shall live out the rest of my days without doing either.

    Noted: Mini-palindrome in the SW corner: NEMO OMEN.

    Some lively entries in a tough/medium/easy puzzle, depending on where you are in it. Birdie.

    Wordle birdie.

    ReplyDelete