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Screw or nail, to a Brit / SAT 2-14-26 / North African fortress / Beer brand from Trinidad and Tobago / Honorific meaning "elder brother" / Antagonists in 2013's "Captain Phillips" / It's made with two fingers / Like a nepo baby's life, perhaps / Arrive suddenly and from a distance, metaphorically / Losing team in the "Miracle on Ice"
Saturday, February 14, 2026
Constructor: David Karp
Relative difficulty: Easy
Word of the Day: CASBAH (47A: North African fortress) —
A kasbah (/ˈkæzbɑː/, also US: /ˈkɑːz-/; Arabic: قصبة, romanized: qaṣaba, lit. 'fortress', Arabic pronunciation: [qasˤaba], Maghrebi Arabic: [qasˤba]), also spelled qasbah, qasba, qasaba, or casbah, is a fortress, most commonly the citadel or fortified quarter of a city. It is also equivalent to the term alcazaba in Spanish (Spanish: [alkaˈθaβa]), which is derived from the same Arabic word. By extension, the term can also refer to a medina quarter, particularly in Algeria. In various languages, the Arabic word, or local words borrowed from the Arabic word, can also refer to a settlement, a fort, a watchtower, or a blockhouse. (wikipedia) // Algiers is a 1938 American crime drama film directed by John Cromwell, written by John Howard Lawson and starring Charles Boyer, Sigrid Gurie and Hedy Lamarr. The plot concerns a French jewel thief hiding in Algiers who meets a beautiful French tourist. The Walter Wanger production (originally distributed by United Artists) was a remake of the successful 1937 French film Pépé le Moko, which derived its plot from the Henri La Barthe novel of the same name. [...] The film was most Americans' introduction to the picturesque alleys and souks of the Casbah. It was also the inspiration for the 1942 film Casablanca, written specifically for Hedy Lamarr in the female lead role. When Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer refused to release Lamarr, the role went to Ingrid Bergman. // The oft-quoted invitation extended by Charles Boyer to "come with me to the Casbah" does not appear in the film, but still became comedians' standard imitation of Boyer, much like "Play it again, Sam" for Humphrey Bogart, "Judy, Judy, Judy" for Cary Grant and "You dirty rat" for James Cagney, all misquotes. Boyer hated the phrase, believing that it demeaned him as an actor. However, the Looney Tunes cartoon character Pepé Le Pew, a spoof of Boyer as Pépé le Moko, did say "Come with me to the Casbah" as a pickup line.
• • •
 |
| [ROBBIE (6) / ELORDI (6)] |
When 1-Across is a gimme, the puzzle tends to play easy, and this is especially true if 1-Across is a long answer, like PEACE SIGN (1A: It's made with two fingers ... man, every clue is reading dirty to me now). I threw down PEACE SIGN with 80% certainty and then checked the crosses, and yep, they checked out:
Bullets:
- 38A: Like a nepo baby's life, perhaps (CUSH) — well as you know (maybe, if you were here that one time...) I hate the very term "nepo baby." Just the way it looks and sounds. It's idiotic. A blanket term of derision that people apply very indiscriminately. So I guess it's fitting that it should clue the "word" CUSH, a "word" for which I have nothing but derision. The word (no scare quotes) is CUSHY. Maybe if you're texting and really in a hurry ...
- 53A: One of the "Golden Girls" of the 2024 Summer Olympics (SIMONE BILES) — me after reading the first five words of this clue: "BLANCHE DEVEREAUX! No, too long. ROSE NYLUND! Too short, ugh! DOROTHY ... what was her name? ... DOROTHY ZBORNAK! Still too long. SOPHIA PETRILLO! Dammit!" (OK, so I didn't get all the way to Dorothy and Sophia, whose last names I had to look up, but that first part definitely happened)
- 12D: Takes badly? (LOOTS) — fun ("fun") to put this right next to the SOMALI PIRATES. This is one of two clues that initially misread quite badly. For some reason I read [Talks badly?] and (off the "L") wrote in LISPS. I also read [Many a private investor?] at 25D: Many a private investigator? (EX-COP). I wanted, I don't know, ANGEL, something like that.
- 17D: Honorific meaning "elder brother" (AGHA) — I've seen AG(H)A countless times over the years, but I did not know this bit of trivia. Interesting.
["Your name it is known in high places / You know ... the AG(H)A Khan / And he sends you a racehorse for Christmas / And you keep it ... just for fun (for a laugh, ha ha ha)"]
- 34D: Greenland expanse (ICE SHEET) — yeesh, lotta "ICE" the last two days. Yesterday we had ICE ARENA (?) and THAI ICED TEAS (as well as MINNESOTA NICE), and today, a big (but probably shrinking) ICE SHEET. Oh, and the "Miracle on Ice" (19D: Losing team in the "Miracle on Ice" = U.S.S.R.). Was "ice" always everywhere like this, or am I just more inclined to notice it these days, for reasons?
- 40D: Nervous laughs (HEHS) — I had HEES, but yeah, HEHS is nervouser. Equally terrible as an answer (all laugh syllables bad, plural laugh syllables worse), but definitely more "nervous."
- 47D: Beer brand from Trinidad and Tobago (CARIB) — the one answer that totally stumped me today. I could get there pretty easily from the clue (specifically, the beer's place of origin), but still, no, never heard of this beer. Wanna see a picture? OK, here you go.
That's all. See you next time.
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127 comments:
Agreed, way too easy, but it was fun while it lasted.
Are you no longer grading the puzzles with stars, @Rex? How will we know what you really think? /s
Easy. Wednesday-on-Saturday. Was it a themeless? Or was there a very thin Valentine/romance theme?
* * _ _ _
Overwrites:
SpIRAL Nebulae(?) before SERIAL NUMBERS for the 11D one-of-a-kind figures (I bet I'm the only one who made that mistake).
udon noodles before SOBA at 50D.
One WOE, CARIB beer at 47D.
Two quick comments...
Tuesday Time: Tuesday Easy.
I don't think that the sexual innuendo was at all unintentional; one must hope that the solving experience will not result in contracting a case of the CLAP.
Why put in the heart when the theme isn’t love? Even the love triangles are agonizing, and the sex tapes are crass. I immediately read come as a double entendre, and it’s tasteless. Then you have your random gymnastics and piracy fill. Dull, ugly puzzle.
Appreciate the grid (he)art, but as Rex points out, it was crazy easy. Just when I thought Saturdays were starting to have some bite again.
I didn't know that Yggdrasil was an ASH tree. AGHA had to be right, but I left that H as my last square because the answer could've been an alternate name for Yggdrasil instead of the kind of tree that it is.
ZBORNAK?! Imagine that in a themeless grid.
Easy but still fun.
Gulp before SWIG, but other than that this played very easy. I enjoyed it more than OFL, despite the ease. I was mildly surprised to see "screw" in the NYT with that meaning. "Nail" too. But it made me laugh when I got to SHAG.
A Saturday puzzle in 6:57?! Yikes.
Not sure "tool" is an unlikeable sort, I thought it was a derisive comment that someone's an idiot ...
Trying too hard to be cute with the grid "art". It looks more like an evil clown face.
I learned something with SHAG, and now its slang makes sense to me. CUSH is bad, but I like that reminds me of Jared K, the Zelig of nepo babies.
Personal best at 6:21 and I wasn’t even trying.
Rex was a little tough on that nice red heart for Valentine's Day.. True there could have been a little more "love" in the puzzle, but I definitely got a lot of those same innuendos everywhere! SHAG made me laugh with a "Whoa!" 😳 haha
Totalmente asombroso.
Deary me. What a puzzle. I think I could write this comments section myself today so I'll take the Saturday off. Good luck loving on this gem.
And c'mon that triple stack on top is pretty nice.
❤️ PARACHUTE IN. SWAG/SWIG. TOOLS.
People: 3
Places: 4
Products: 3
Partials: 8
Foreignisms: 1
--
Gary's Grid Gunk Gauge: 19 of 63 (30%)
Funny Factor: 3 😐
Tee-Hee: ["Follow me"]. SEX TAPE. CUSH. SHAG. CLAP.
Uniclues:
1 Start a tea company.
2 Penicillin.
3 Swipes the keys and wallet from the tennis shoes of a guy out surfing.
4 Gender disphoria.
1 GET IN ON SACHETS
2 CLAP SWAG
3 LOOTS WAVER
4 SENSE SPATS
My Fascinating Crossword Uniclue Keepsake from Last Year: A peck on the cheek. NO MESS CANOODLE.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’ve had CARIB beer, it’s pretty good — though I guess it might not actually be any good but I think it is because I’m always on the beach when I’m drinking it.
I love cheeky Rex calling out COME straight up. Pretty much down with his summary today - decent puzzle but far too easy for late week. Didn’t have an issue with the grid art.
Kate Bush
Inside the heart was a little funky - too restrictive for any real greatness. Other than the full SIMONE BILES - the upper and lower stacks were solid.
Rusholme Ruffians
Liked SLEEVES x PLEAT and ETHOS. Not sure I’ve ever had CARIB - WES has been front and center lately.
Hot Water Music
Enjoyable enough Saturday morning solve. David Williams’ Stumper today has a few spanners that put up a real struggle if you are looking for a proper Saturday level toughness.
AVALON
Hey All !
Quasi SatTheme. Is this the first time a Theme tried to sneak into a SatPuz? Probably not, although it is a rarity.
Nice puz. The Valentines/dirty mind takes over at many of the entries, COME - SEXTAPE obviously, but also TOOLS, SHAG, PARACHUTE IN, LOAD UP, GET IN ON, HEHS. You get the idea. 😁
Had kIRIn for the beer brand first. Is that even a brand? *Looks it up* Ah, yes, a Japanese Brewing company. Kept the K, however, making kASBAH, kARIB, so a one-letter DNF.
Put in E_G, waited on the cross. Forgot about the C, was thinking it'd either be E or K.
To those who celebrate/have significant others, Happy Valentines Day. To the rest, have a great Saturday!
No F's - NOT OK. Har.
RooMonster
DarrinV
Don’t tell me this puzzle ain’t got no heart,
Just gotta poke around….
Random thoughts:
• Plenty of answers I liked – PARACHUTE IN (as clued), SWIG, CASBAH, SACHETS, and SIMONE BILES because every image of her that pops in my head is beauty in motion.
• I love the photo album corners in the grid design.
• Trio of PuzzPairs© -- ICE SHEET and a backward AVALON, VAULT / SIMONE BILES, and LOOTS / SOMALI PIRATES.
• Word ladder of SWIG / SWAG / SHAG.
• Rare-in-crosswords five-letter semordnilap (LOOTS).
• One reason I like David Karp, the constructor, is that his first 21 NYT submissions were rejected and he almost gave up, but his 22nd was accepted, and now he’s had six Times puzzles published. Inspiring!
• LOL clue for SHAG. Clever wordplay clue – [Take on or take down] for TACKLE. And nice play on LINE in [Puts one’s money on the line] for TAKES A BET.
So, plenty to like for me, for which I’m grateful. Thank you, David!
Crossnerd alert!
Three thoughts about the grid art:
• It would have looked more heart-like if the square below EPIC was moved down one space and if the square below ETHOS was removed. But it couldn’t be done because it would have created two squares that weren’t double checked.
• Here’s another take on a 2/14 puzzle design, by Mary Lou Guizzo: https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/14/2018 . Sweet!
• I don’t ever remember a puzzle with grid art that didn’t have a theme related to it. Seemed strange at first, but I love the spirit of Valentine’s Day, and I grew to like having it hanging around as I did the puzzle.
Wow, so easy. One-third of my regular time.
Fastest Saturday time for me. Did not feel like a Saturday, more like a Thursday. Kind of thankful for that as I woke up feeling a bit worse for wear.
This one was pleasant enough. Sometimes on Saturdays I co-solve with Uncle Google (he handles the trivia, like movie directors and the names of politicians, for example). Today I caught a break with SOMALI PIRATES being a grid spanner - I could normally parse that together without any trouble on a Tuesday or Wednesday, but I let my partner do the heavy lifting today.
The six long acrosses were all pretty reasonable, with SANTA helping out up top - similar to Rex, I had to wait for crosses to come up with PHOTOS.
A trifecta of ugly stuff today (GTG, AGHA and HEHS), with CARIB receiving a well-earned honorable mention. I imagine it would take quite a bit of reworking to edit that stuff out. It’s tolerable at least, especially on a Saturday I suppose.
That was absurdly easy. Disappointing when you're looking for a Saturday challenge.
My first thought on seeing the red valentine shape was, OMG, a themed puzzle on Saturday!! I expected there to be letters in the red squares that would spell something. But no. Just an easy Saturday with an undercurrent of rather unromantic sex. SEXTAPE, the clue for SHAG (screw and nail, really? Ugh)
I had the most trouble in the SW, with gulp before SWIG and mAKESABET, so I was mystified there for a short time.
Thought 1-across was a drink/cocktail.
SHAG was the first answer I put in the grid, but more to amuse me than I thought it would be correct. Thought it was probably a bit too racy/vulgar for the Times. And in what was clearly a Valentines puzzle and would presumably be more focused on the romantic end of the spectrum than the carnal.
Too easy 😕
About 2/3 the time of yesterday’s puzzle, but here is a rare instance where running a puzzle on the ‘wrong’ day is justifiable. Hardest thing today was trying to figure out how to rebus ‘yggdrasil’ at 28A into three squares.
Staff before SENSE (a very different sense of ‘faculty’). LifTS before LOOTS. SnoG before SHAG – thinking at the time a) that’s not really what snogging is b) that is a very bold clue for the NYTXW. Turns out only the latter thought was valid.
The best thing today for me was learning that Pepe Le Pew is a spoof on Charles Boyer. I never noticed. Oh, and that “Casablanca” was intended to be a vehicle for Hedy Lamarr. That would have been a different movie!
Noticing ICE everywhere…it’s like when I first learned about Baader-Meinhof. Next thing you know everyone’s talking about it.
Hearing the song in my head right now…hope the boys are jamming up there in heaven right now.
Anyone else wondering why @Rex included SANTAPHOTOS as a love/sex reference? (filthy, as he put it)
OOF! Saturdays are Mondays at Carvel and the NYT. This puzzle was way too CUSH(Y) for a Saturday. So CUSH(Y) that they saved me the trouble of putting in the Y which would have made it a proper response. It completely lacked SWAGGER which would have made been the correct answer as clued. Perhaps the clue should have been “What this puzzle is?” SWAG, as in a gift, a freebie.
Favorite answers : Casbah - don’t remember ever seeing that in the puzzle and Simone Biles one of my all time favorite sports celebs.
For people born after 1990 who may not get the Carvel reference. Monday called. It wants its puzzle back.
No red squares on my printout so I missed that nod to Valentine's Day. Oh well.
The top went in so fast I thought the whole thing might be Monday stuff but the rest was (marginally) tougher. Thought the clue for SHAG was pretty racy for the Gray Lady, learned what AGHA meant, and found the origin of the famed crossword goose NENE. Some good stuff there.
OTOH CUSH is cringey and I don't like SWAG as a noun either. Was swagger too long? Didn't know the beer brand but I do know what a CARIB is so easy enough. Nice to read OFL'S notes on CASBAH, which I guessed correctly. Hadn't thought of the connection to the Spanish alcazaba but it makes sense, lots of Spanish words that start with "al" come from Arabic (English too, algebra and alfalfa and lots of others), as "al" is the Arabic definite article.
Easy breezy Saturdecito, DK. Not the Daunting Kind of a puzz but fun enough, for which thanks.
Today we're off to a Lunar New Year party hosted by our next-door neighbors. The last event we went to that they hosted was for a 90th birthday and featured friends and relatives from all over the world, live music, an open bar and all the lobsters you could eat, among other things. Could be interesting.,
Many of the “cheeky” entries are vulgar and puerile.
Only if you are note safe when you screw, nail or SHAG. Which I thought were about the crudest clues and answer I’ve seen in a while.
A couple weeks back 🦖 used the phrase "absurdly easy" and I decided I would start keeping track of the "-ly easy" comments. So far I only have four:
-LY EASY Awards:
absurdly, insultingly, extremely, embarrassingly
But, the fascinating part of the process is scanning the comments looking for "-ly" words. I don't think I ever noticed, but 🦖 is an adverb-aholic. Today, 39 -ly words. Way to passionately blog big guy.
A tad disappointed not to find a video of the Clash in the blog today.
Carib Beer is quite a good lager. Carib Gold is a dangerously good malt liquor. Do not operate heavy machinery.
I like all polygons, but I LOVETRIANGLES. I thought I'd try to form a social circle of like minded people, but my newspaper ad (Married man seeks enthusiasts for LOVETRIANGLES club) drew the strangest responses, including some SEXTAPEs. Guess I'm a square.
Did you know that Faye Wray once got a sexually explicit text message from King Kong. Yeah, he was a real SEXTAPE.
TVs have gotten so complicated that I can't figure out how to even change channels. I had to hire two REMOTEWORKERS just so we could watch the Olympics. Now, when is SIMONEBILES skating?
@Lewis. I can't find your STOOL/LOOTS locale. I do see a common-in-crosswords non-semordnilap of TOOLS/SLOOT.
This puzzle filled my heart with something. Thanks, David Karp.
Another hand up for finding this puzzle kinda easy—close to half my usual meandering time for a Saturday. And enough double-entendre to choke the proverbial horse. Interesting choice to go with an opening PEACESIGN and warm heart art. But we all seem to have liked the puzzle, so good vibes there.
Fastest Saturday I've ever done on my phone. Cute, but preposterously easy.
It's unfortunate that Valentines Day fell on a Saturday this year because this was the puzzle we got. As usual I did it on my phone last night and the heart shape squares were in red leaving now doubt about the theme. That's kind of cute but the entries that formed a theme were uniformly tasteless.
As for the lack of difficulty the only square I had any question on was the C of CARIB and CASBAH. I was sure that the actual word CARIB uses a C but this is referencing an unknown commercial product which just might use a K . As for CASBAH, Arabic to English translations are notorious for variant spellings. A shadow of a doubt on one square was as good as it got today.
The Norse tree of life (28A) is Yggdrasil; the species is ASH. Lousy clue. And I’m a little surprised at 8D (SHAG)—a bit of a crass clue, no?
IU was going to make a Yggdrasil comment here, thinking I might be the only one who knew the word, But no, you're never the only one on this blog. I know it because when I got my current dog I was in the middle of cleaning out the house of a medievalist friend who had died, and I said 'I will let her pick the name of the dog, I will grab a random book from her many pikes, and open it to a random page and name him the first name that jumps out at me on that page.' It was a book on Norse mythology, and the name that hit me was Yggdrasil. I did not have the heart to name a dog that. Dog's name is Orion.
One of my fastest ever Saturday solves. For NYT, unusually raunchy cluing for SHAG. Got a laugh.
I confused Captain Phillips and Captain Ron, a very different movie, and struggled to fit something with Guerrillas in that space.
I briefly mixed up Captain Phillips with Sully, and was looking at the SOMALI PIRATES space like…BIRDS?
Sigh. Immediately saw the heart in the grid and anticipated a sweet valentine puzzle, thinking how nice to make a difficult Saturday more appealing. Sadly, I got neither. No sweetness, just lurid winks (hint hint) and Tuesday level difficulty. Not sure I’ve heard anything so tacky as the clue for SHAG since high school. I guess I’ll have to console myself with some chocolate. Is it too early? Never too early for chocolate. Happy V-Day day to all who celebrate.
Very disappointing for a Saturday. Way too easy
Not so "easy" -- got flummox'd on GTG (?!), SOMALI PIRATES (sorry, never saw the movie), NOLAN (know the movie, not the director's name), and SOBA and CARIB next to each other. Never heard of SACHETS, either.
TAKES A BET had me thinking I had something wrong -- when you put your money on the line you mAKE A BET. But AGE LIMIm was even worse--at least takes is a word--so I let it go.
ICE fiEld before SHEET--I think a sheet floats on the water, rather than resting on the rock of Greenland. But I guess a sheet in Greenland's territorial waters could be a Greenland expanse, so OK.
Other than that, the puzzle was really easy. I got PARACHUTE IN from the P, for example, and there were lots like that.
I liked the SWIG/SWAG crossing, though SWAG in the puzzle usually refers to tote bags and tees. I almost put in swan, as in swanning around. Without having the S I woulld have gone with elan.
I adored the grid art, though, even if the top of the heart was too flat.
OK, time to read the rest of you.
Exactly. Love isn't dirty. The clue fo "SHAG" was particularly disgusting.
Same, 5:55 PR and not even going as fast as possible
I was just imagining a scene at Lewis’ household where guests are ready to go out for wEEkend brunch: (wriTTen with evol)
- Lewis, are you ready to go?
- not yet, I haven’t finished my semordnilapping.
- Huh?
- I need to read every word of this puZZle backward, to see if any of them is also a word in reverse. OOh, there’s a rare 5 leTTer one! This reminds me to get a STOOL at the diner instead of a bOOth.
- isn’t that leSS comfortable.
- yes, but htoob isn’t a word.
: 10 minutes passes
- Lewis, we really need to go. Are you finished with your semordnilapping?
- Yes, but I now nEEd to go back and do some alphadoTTertoting.
- huh?
- I nEEd to count aLL the double leTTers in the puZZle to see if there are slightly more or leSS than usual.
- why do you nEEd to do that?
- I don’t know, it’s inexplicable
- how so?
- it just became my role one day, but everyone is counting on me.
- (loud sigh) We’ll miSS our reservation, why don’t we go separately?
- okay, just save me some pEEled epoulatnac!
End scene
loots is 12-D
I agree: Easy. PEACE SIGN went in right away, which was helpful. And I agree with most things Rex wrote, except for "Screw or nail, to a Brit", where (1) my reaction was immediate, not delayed -- I knew right away what they were getting at, and (2) my reaction was not "very nice", but rather, "oh no you didn't". Even if my eyebrows didn't literally shoot up, they might as well have.
I don't like it. I just don't like this stealthy creeping normalization of vulgarity in the NYTXW. I'm not at all opposed to vulgar expressions in private conversation -- I hear and use 'em all the time myself, including in many of my posts here -- and they're completely fine in novels for example. It's entirely a matter of register (in the sense of language tonality or linguistic context). The NYT generally upholds a higher register of language (as shown for example in the maddening politeness and deference shown to "Mr. Trump"), and coarseness and vulgarity of language is just flat-out absent from the rest of the paper as far as I know, except possibly when they quote someone. Thus its creeping presence in the puzzle always comes across to me as jarring, and in a wrong register, as far as I'm concerned. It's also presumptuous. They go ahead and presume we're all going to be just fine seeing "ass" (in the vulgar sense, and with an accompanying residual tee-hee even if not) in the grid, all the time. But maybe only after spending a lot of effort to normalize it, so that we're suitably softened up and our reactions are blunted (the whole point of efforts toward normalization). Anyway, presumptuousness is probably the main thing that irritates me about this trend. I blame the editorial team, who are going about this very intentionally.
Anyhoo, back to the puzzle. I've never seen GTG either, but in fact that's what immediately popped into my head with that first G squared away. Still, not a great entry. And speaking of vulgarity, TOOLS as clued is synonymous with "dicks" or "schmucks" -- they all refer to penises (penes?) in one way or another, which I guess exhibits a certain thematic consistency, along with SHAG and SEX TAPE and even COME, and some other instances noted by Rex where a naughty or "filthy" interpretation is being slyly encouraged. Oh yes, there are HEHS aplenty in this puz, as in "heh heh", as in what Butthead (the cartoon character from 90s MTV) says all the time, his head in the gutter, as ours are with today's puzzle. (Don't get me wrong: Beavis and Butthead could be pretty funny at times. And crucially, they "nailed" it in terms of register, as opposed to the goofballs over at the NYTXW. Yes, you guys are being a bunch of goofballs. There, I said it.)
And please: enough with all the ICE. I also waggle my hand a bit, with a kind of "6-7" motion, at SOMALI PIRATES, who certainly exist, but there's already quite a bit of really xenophobic anti-Somali sentiment going around these days in the States, fueled and stoked by the soothing and healing missives emanating from Truth Social. Maybe an inopportune time to drag in an unpleasant association like this, is what I'm suggesting.
Best entry: PARACHUTE IN, for a certain vividness of language. (Isn't "vividity" an SB word?) I immediately think of "helicopter parents", also a vivid expression.
Enough for now. Wishing everyone a happy Valentine's Day.
It looks just like a heart! I see a heart. My wife and seven-year-old daughter both think it's a good heart. I held my phone up to my two-year-old and asked him what he saw and he said, "Red!" But when I asked him what *shape*, he replied, "A heart!" Is this a blue-black/white-gold dress situation?
But yeah, way too easy for a Saturday.
Very easy enjoyable Saturday puzzle. Nepo baby, gtg and Carib beer were unfamiliar to me. Took me the longest time to get shag as I was thinking of real tools.
The grid heart and initial PEACE and LOVE got me, like others, hoping for a warm Valentine hug of a puzzle. The SOMALI PIRATES quickly scotched that notion, and I wasn't crazy about the SEXual nudge-nudges. I did like SLEEVES across the center of the heart - reminded me of wearing your heart on your sleeve.
D'oh. Facepalm! Thanks @jberg and apologies, @Lewis. Still, it's worthy of mention that there is a rare-in-crosswords 5 letter anagram pair LOOTS/TOOLS.
Anyone else want CCCP instead of USSR for 'Miracle on Ice loser'? That was actual lettering on uniforms
I see why this ran on Saturday (hard to miss that heart grid art) but it was meant, difficulty-wise, for a Friday, or at least that's what my solve time says.
I saw PEACE SIGN right away but unlike Rex, I didn't have the courage to splatz it in without confirming crosses. ION and NOLAN and ENE was enough. Like Rex, I was looking for hardware rather than sex euphemisms at 6D so SHAG was a "huh" momentarily.
In my small town in the 60s and 70s, the parish priest requested a certain decorum in dress - no SLEEVEless dresses in summer. Now I'm guessing they're just happy to have people walk into the nave for Mass.
SWAG SWIG SHAG, heh.
Thanks, David Karp, and Happy Valentine's Day everyone!
Totally agree re: the vulgarity. Crosswords used to provide a reprieve from that.
Twenty-four minutes for a Saturday is moving, by my standards. Once SOMALIPIRATES dropped in, it was non-stop. And, it definitely looked like a heart to me. ❤️
Between MINNESOTA NICE yesterday and SOMALI PIRATES today, I'm sensing a pattern. Coincidence ? Maybe, but if OMAR is in the grid tomorrow then we’ll know Shortz is up to mischief .
Me when I saw “Features of many romantic dramas”: “Oh oh oh…I just learned this one from crosswords…what is it…MEET CUTE!!!” Of course, that was nowhere near long enough, though it would have pulled the puzzle closer to the romantic end of the holiday.
Getting into crosswords has forced me to deal with a lot of text speak, which has me pondering…why does it still exist? I mean, it made sense for millennials in the ‘00s who were writing with flip phones—I think they get a pass. But that it lingered into the smart phone era and also infiltrated computers, where it saves essentially no time, seems unfortunate. Anyway, that to say, I had never seen GTG either, but it was easy enough to parse.
Amen!
Well, I kept my modest 2-week+ streak alive, but only with a "keep-guessing-until-you-get-lucky-and-hear-the-Happy-Music" ending. Among expecting a Nordic sounding name (ASe, ASi, ASa?) for that "Tree of life;" and the ECG/EkG/EeG kealoa; and the CARIB or kARIB beer, I finally hit on the right combination.
Even with all that guesswork-driven delay, I finished a few minutes under my usual Saturday time.
Just to set the record straight the ‘80 Olympic hockey team defeated Finland for the gold medal, not USSR.
Your dad called. He's coming alone today. SO NO MA?
The ballpark in Pittsburgh is gorgeous. I'm sorry to learn the Pirates moved to Somalia.
My British friend got a shag haircut and shagged his partner on a shag carpet. That's meshaganeh.
Whoosh! Now what am I going to do in the next 1/2 hour I allotted for this? I'm a little surprised at just how prim our little group is. It's OK. Yes, it was racy. I thought Gary would have a field day but he wisely took the day off. Oh and @tht I think the word you're looking for is penipodes.
Vacationed in Tobago nearly 50 years ago now and remember liking the local brew but couldn't come up with the name. Kept running into its Jamaican cousin Red Stripe.
SHAG, SWIG, SWAG? Not for me.
And I found the red squares distracting.
Happy V day everyone :)
I thought it was fun, but definitely not Saturday like. More like Tuesday or Wednesday. Never got a Saturday puzzle done so quickly
I likewise assumed the Nordic tree of life would be a Nordic name or word. The clue was perfectly fair, but since I didn’t know AGHA, that was a rough cross.
I likewise wondered if it might be SHAG right away, but didn’t enter it until much later, thinking “surely not in the NYT…”
After getting PARACHUTE IN, and forgetting it was Valentine’s Day, I thought the grid was a person parachuting. :)
MGM, which had her under contract, refused to loan her to Warner Brothers
As for Charles Boyer, Le Pew was based on the character he played in the movie Algiers, Pepe le Moko, alongside his co-star.......Hedy Lamarr.
Algiers also starred Lassie's grandfather, Gene Lockhart, whose daughter later, tragically, became lost in space.
I'm shocked, shocked to find gambling going on in this puzzle!
I very much appreciate and agree with your anti-vulgarity rant. I wish I’d said it. And you are exactly right about it creeping in - a little here, a little there and pretty soon nobody notices. In the meantime, those of us who do object are dismissed as prudes and told get with it and stop being so uptight. Well I’m tired of it too and IMHO today’s was much worse than just a little insinuation. It felt downright dirty and I am very disappointed that the Times allowed it.
Oh, if only Valentine’s Day had been on Wednesday, this would have been appropriate. But it’s Saturday and it probably should have been shelved.
There were some nice longer answers, especially the two longest downs. The clue for SERIAL NUMBERS was very good. Too bad that so many other clues were just plain and obvious.
The sexual references didn’t bother me. GTG and CUSH did for reasons explained by Rex. Also, the heart “art” was pretty lame.
So, as a non-constructor, I have to admire anyone who can make a puzzle, but this just didn’t work for me.
True the “Miracle On Ice” as clued, was not the gold medal game.
Rex, I gotta say your writeups have been great lately. You're really on your game!
Oh boy yes this was easy; I finished just over 8 minutes but it would have been a lot less if I didn't have ETHIC at 26 down. (The crosses of TOILS and PCT looked fine, so I guess I never read their clues!) I must have spent at least a minute tracking down my mistake.
And at 10 down I read the clue and instantly typed in SOMALI PIRATES. It's a bit eerie when you get such a long specific answer like that!
Only one Unknown Name today, and it came at the very end: "Maryland governor" WES.
Still no snow here. There were flurries forecast for this weekend but they just changed it to flurries NEXT weekend!
Easy. No real problems with this one except for not understanding the SERIAL NUMBERS clue which caused some hesitation. AGHA and ASH being WOEs didn’t help.
Cute and a tad racy with a bit of sparkle, liked it.
@Greater FRCforP&J. You could have gone with Yggdrasil and just called him Iggy. We once named a dog Tisiphone (Greek fury) but ended up calling her Tiff.
It's been almost 50 years, but I remember the jingle well: "A beer is a Carib, a beer is a Carib"
Predicted 2-1/2 stars for this due to easiness (Saturday?!), corner black squares, clue coarseness (the predominant topic here), and the whole "Is it or isn't it (a theme)?" vibe. When I count down from the longest words, the first one I get that might be considered theme worthy is LOVE TRIANGLES. But...Love TRIANGLES on V-Day??
Best part of the experience (as often the case) was the write-up: Rex's seemingly blushing admissions, CASBAH-induced commentary on "Algiers" (now on to-watch list) and "Join ICE"...bravo! Best of all is my admission of seeing the clue "Golden Girls" (crucially, plural) and immediately thinking of (unlike the character names, long forgotten) Bea Arthur, Rue McLanahan, Estelle Getty and incomparable Betty White.
This was exactly my reaction. Well said.
Could have used a biblical clue for CUSH. Might have bumped up the difficulty a tad.
SANTA PHOTO, LOVE TRIANGLE, LOOT, SOMALI PIRATE, SERIAL NUMBER, DEPT, SLEEVE, TOOL, WARE, HEH, SPAT, SACHET, REMOTE WORKER, TAKE A BET.
What, SWIG, SWAG and SHAG but no SNOG?
I didn't find this as easy as some - it gave me a proper Saturday workout and I really enjoyed it. Loved the stacks both top and bottom and there was some clever word play.
And boy oh boy was this a rated R puzzle. What with SHAG, SEXTAPE, CLAP, COME... maybe this is what Valentine's day boils down to in 2026. It was all kinda fun, though.
I thought the grid art was close enough and respect the architecture. Had a few re-writes, buyinto before GETINON, I also figured *clue* was a valid answer for "follow me" (14A) as I didn't pay attention to the quotation marks. Both these were very short lived and didn't hold me up for long.
All in all, a fun and sexy workout. Looking forward to more from David.
People wanted the puzzle ot be sweet instead of dirty, that's all. The graphic promises a Valentine and then delivers a crass _____. Context is everything.
The Wordplay column says the fill includes "romance-adjacent entries that range from sweet to quite tart." That's one way of putting it, I guess. On another day I might not have minded the smuttier entries, but on Valentines Day, with that sweet pink heart, I wanted LOVE and generosity.
...On second thought, that clue for SHAG is just so crass, and feels so demeaning,. that I don't think I would ever feel good about it. Hope tomorrow's puzzle brings back some good feelings.
Agreed about primness. Scolding puritans. Pearl-clutchers. Far more unappealing than anything in this puzzle.
Ahh …yeah. Love to have you over for thanksgiving. Your brain works in marvelous ways.
My first ever Saturday puzzle in the years I’ve spent doing NYT puzzles. Yeah, needed a little, ahem, research, but I got 95 percent. Gonna take the win.
Well, hey -- I had no hesitation recognizin the Valentine heart shape. And LOVETRIANGLES then matches up quite nicely, as another name for the Jaws of Themelessness in all four puzgrid corners. soooo ... all OK, with m&e.
SEXTAPE and SHAG were interestin bonuses, I'd grant.
staff weeject pick: GTG. Go Time Goodbye?
fave stuff: SANTAPHOTOS & its clue. PARACHUTEIN. AGELIMIT clue. POC-ed longballs galore [yo, @AnoaBob dude].
Thanx, Mr. Karp dude. Yer puz had a good heart.
Masked & Anonymo3Us
p.s. Happy V-Day, y'all.
I know Yggradsil! When I found out what it is, I thought it was cool! The ole brain amazingly enough remembers it!
Roo
Personal best me too
Anon 2:35
Huh? I haven’t read any scolding. Not a whiff.
Vulgarity, immature innuendo, celebration of concupiscence, yeah.
But scolding? No.
Not easy for me. I saw the heart right away when I printed out the puzzle. I did not get PEACESIGN until the end - I wanted some kind of victory sign - and did not think the Brit version where you turn the V the other way could possibly make it to the NYT. But then there was SHAG, which surprised me - thank you Rex for the explanation. It could have been clued as a bird like a cormorant to a Brit.
CUSH was weird.
SIMONEBILES was in the audience and saw Ilya Malinin get the YIPs, poor man.
Yes, gambling is truly a curse!
@tht 10:23 AM
I am 100% on board with you too. It's a 5th graders in charge mentality rampant in the Times puzzle department I've been cataloging in my Tee-Hee section for years and it should be embarrassing for them, but right now they're busy high fiving each other.
I agree that they crossed the line. I used to enjoy the occasional ASS when it was a novelty. This is too close to out and out smut for comfort. Not Will’s finest hour, signing off on this one as NYT-worthy.
The puzzle was easy for me except for one word. Somehow I got in my brain that you eat in a dinner car. I have actually been in a dining car but that glitch persisted preventing me from finishing that final AREA of the puzzle. When I finally saw my error, I finished it
quickly. Odd things the brain does.
Liked it better than Rex as usual. The puzzle art did nothing for me but I wasn’t annoyed by it either.
PEACE SIGN should have been a gimme for this Boomer but I needed crosses. I haven’t looked yet but I am guessing that CARIB will get a lot of complaints. But a-beer brand from a country in the Caribbean made that one easy for me. Also it took care of is it a k or c for CASBAH.
Never mind Norse mythology. In Yiddish mythology it's the "Tree of Oy, You Call This Living?"
Michael
Ah yes. Rocking the Casbah
I immediately thought of that song also.
The lyrics are , using an old term, not exactly PC But I always think of it as a justified satire of the oil rich Arab leadership.
@Gary J, No te entiendo. ¿Por qué fue asomboroso? But the Tee-hee factor was spot on.
Anonymous 9:40 AM
Nice try at inventing a reason to call it a lousy clue. The tree is an ASH and also the Yggdrasil. Nothing with the clue answer combo
Jberg
I couldn’t help myself and I looked it up. According to National Geographic, there are only two ice sheets on earth. The Antarctic ice sheet and the Greenland ice sheet. According to the site, these ice sheets are large agglomerations of ice fields, which in turn are made up of glaciers. Ice sheets are not defined as only over water.
Here’s a big Amen for disappointment with normalization of vulgarity in the NYTXW puzzle. But it’s here; we actually had another instance of HELL yesterday, and today my reaction to the SHAG clue (as I checked the crosses in disappointment) was “Please, no!” With so many words available, and so many (I think “most” but have nothing in the way of evidence) solvers eager to be challenged and to learn things like yggdrasil for example (hi @anon & Greater Fells River!) why resort to absolute junk just for a 12 year oldish snicker/snigger? Boooo!
Anonymous 11:10 am
The Soviet Union uniforms had the Cyrillic lettering on their uniforms.CCCP That is true But the equivalent in the Roman alphabet is. SSSR., So the clue would have to be looking for the initials of the country’s Russian name in the Cyrillic alphabet That would be a bit much. even for Saturday.
The “tee-hee factor” today disappointed me enough to consider canceling my subscription, and for me - a devotee of this puzzle for over 60 years - that’s a huge decision.
Don’t misunderstand me folks, after over 40 years in the legal trenches, I can make myself understood with the crudest of the crude; it’s the only language a few understand. However, on the a day when all I want to think about and emulate is the deep and unconditional love I received from my Gran and my husband and how their love contributed only wonder and awe and beauty to my life, and how I try to share this deep and abiding love with my kids and granddaughter, all this puzzle accomplished with its misshapen heart was to illustrate the disconnect between the NYTXW’s editorial goals, its editorial staff, and a host of the puzzle’s subscribers.
At least a majority of those who post here seem to enjoy sharing anecdotes, experiences during the solve, a love of words and language and so much more (see, e.g. the 6:21-9:42AM references to yggdrasil and zbornak). This puzzle has never before been a forum for juvenile snickering (or sniggering if you prefer) at getting away with language and inferences that you wouldn’t use in front of your grandmother. My disappointment is palpable. I cannot imagine my Gran’s deep disappointment.
Oh sure I can. She would have known all the answers, and very likely would have completed the puzzle. She would also have followed it with a handwritten letter to the Editor in Chief of the NYT on her expensive, reserved for only her most important correspondence linen stationery in her copperplate script outlining her displeasure, giving examples and offering corrective ideas. It would have included a stern admonition that examples of improper language included in the puzzle as clues or answers not only sullied the NYT’s reputation in the hallowed halls of journalism, but also set a poor example of communication between or among people, especially for the young solvers just learning to enjoy solving crosswords.
I think I shall channel her energy and righteous indignation and do just that, all the while wishing I could write in copperplate or at least Spencerian script. To be legible, alas, I must use a computer for the text, but I shall print my missive on 24lb watermarked bond and will address the weighty envelope in my best broad-edged calligraphic italic hand (after a couple decades of study, I just could not master the pointed pen) hoping that it receives notice in the undoubtedly swamped Times mail room. I will defer my decision on cancellation to see if I receive a reply.
Oh, I thought the puzzle too easy for a Friday, but I expected some sort of thematic material, perhaps even a red heart, but certainly not so much blue.
You state your case very eloquently as always, and of course you already know that I agree with you 100%. I sincerely hope your letter generates a response, if nothing else just so that you know someone actually read it. And BTW, I hope you’re over your California crud and feeling much better by now
@CDilly52 5:19 PM
5D "Totally awesome!" Like you. 🤪
Whoops! Well, spoke to soon, the double-E did arouse some antipathy.
@CDilly52 6:44 PM
While I wouldn't recommend holding your breath waiting for a response, I love the real letter idea. Gran was a rock star.
Great puzzle🎈🎈🎊🎊
Thanks @Whatsername and @Gary J. As for the Cali Crud, antibiotics and a steroid shot have me on the mend.
fun puzzle. - rated adult. the wsj All You Really Need puzzle is a gem late night valentine solving in Denver thanks Rex
love to listen to music while I solve here's some I created grazie mille' https://linktr.ee/glassjonespiano
Once we’re past screw it’s only a matter of time until we see f*ck.
In other parts of my life, I don't blush at risqué or rude talk, and I'm often the source. But please, not in the NYT crossword. I'd have the same reaction to some of the clues and answers even if it weren't Valentine's Day. Some of them are just NOT OK by me.
SHAG does not need to be clued in a vulgar way, nor does TOOLS. I can do without SEX TAPE, too.
My best moment was 10D, where I wasn't familiar with the movie and thought SODA POP PIRATES might work till I counted the letters. I'd still like to see that made. Maybe they could also smuggle CARIB?
Xword serendipity—Because I had POUTS for 12D (“Takes badly?”), my intuited answer for 18A, “Go heavy at the buffet, say” was LUAU UP. Hmm, never heard of that one before. Then I realized my down errors and saw the correct solve was LOAD UP. My answer was better! Get me my lei!
solve puzzles other than when groggy grouchy its a whole other solve
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