# NYT crosswords after Wednesday **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [September 16, 2022, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677 "2022-09-16T14:51:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/21 "2022-09-16T18:19:02Z")
Ah yes! That was from a day or two ago. Other ones like that could be: “Cold opening?” (CEE), “Center of gravity?” (VEE). “End of times?” (ESS). I don’t know if any of those specific clues have been used, but clues of that nature show up I feel once every week or two. That question mark is there to let you know something’s afoot. It often means some other type of trickery going on, but have a scan to see if the clue can be interpreted in a literal way. Also, there’s often clues that refer to adding a prefix or suffix to a word in the clue, like today’s “Vapor trail?” IZE, as in “vapor”+“ize” = “vaporize.” ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/22 "2022-09-16T18:30:29Z")
As one who has enjoyed the NYT Sunday puzzles for years, I’d say that they are at about a Thursday difficulty, they do have themes, and they occasionally do use gimmicks. But they’re not impossible. Once you uncover what the theme or gimmick or both is, they’re not terribly difficult. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/23 "2022-09-16T18:41:14Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > As one who has enjoyed the NYT Sunday puzzles for years, I’d say that they are at about a Thursday difficulty In fact, NYT puzzle editor Will Shortz says they are about Thursday difficulty. I think he also called Saturday “the bitch mother” or something. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/24 "2022-09-16T18:47:34Z")
I read someplace that the actor Paul Sovino said that about the Saturday puzzles. One reason I don’t do them. ---
**Author:** ![Joeu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joeu/32/2911_2.png) [@Joeu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joeu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/25 "2022-09-16T18:55:10Z")
For years I’ve been doing only Wednesday through Saturday. It’s like an addiction. Wednesdays are almost too easy for me now, but once in a while a pretty tough one sneaks in. Multiple times, on a Thursday, I’ve successfully solved the whole puzzle, filled in every square, and still have no idea what the gimmick is! When that happens, I have to go to the blog to get it explained. Usually that makes me feel like an idiot for not seeing it! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/26 "2022-09-16T18:58:31Z")
My streak was almost broken a few times when I knew the theme/trick but didn’t know how it wanted me to enter it – sometimes, it’s multiple letters or a whole word, or a symbol – what does it want? And, I would try everything I could think of and then realize that I had an answer wrong somewhere, fix that, and try it all again. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/27 "2022-09-16T19:03:32Z")
Note that when the correct answer requires multiple letters (such as a complete word) to be entered in a single letter box, you can instead just enter the first letter of the word. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/28 "2022-09-16T19:06:24Z")
Yeah, I figured that out over time. Sometimes, it’s a different letter across than down – maybe one goes first? Anyway, it led to some panic when I was in the high 800s or 900s. Now, I just click the “check puzzle” if I’m getting too frustrated. ---
**Author:** ![Joeu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joeu/32/2911_2.png) [@Joeu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joeu)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/29 "2022-09-16T19:10:27Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > My streak was almost broken a few times when I knew the theme/trick but didn’t know how it wanted me to enter it – sometimes, it’s multiple letters or a whole word, or a symbol – what does it want? In my own personal statistics, I count those as a win. They don’t break the streak. After all, YOU know you got it right! ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/30 "2022-09-16T19:22:19Z")
Haha! No, I needed the gold all the way and that 1000 for Longest Streak. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/31 "2022-09-16T19:27:31Z")
I like doing the crosswords with Mrs. Cheesesteak. It’s MUCH easier as a team, to the point that Wednesday is barely a challenge, and Monday is a joke. Of course, like in golf, I’m an inveterate cheat. I’m not playing for money, so if I need to improve my lie, and look up who sang some song I never heard of from 1972, I’m doing it. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/32 "2022-09-16T19:29:08Z")
Probably ELO, or maybe Brian ENO, or possibly REO Speedwagon. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/33 "2022-09-16T19:29:13Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > Yeah, I figured that out over time. Sometimes, it’s a different letter across than down – maybe one goes first? Anyway, it led to some panic when I was in the high 800s or 900s. Now, I just click the “check puzzle” if I’m getting too frustrated. Yeah, for those multiple letter ones, I think I’ve only tried the first letter of the across clue, and it’s worked. Not sure if the first letter of the down clue would work, too. I’m very liberal with “check puzzle” as I don’t have any real active streaks, nor do I have the patience to hammer away at them. (Were I at 900, though, I’d find it very annoying not figuring out how the puzzle wants me to enter the answer.) I try to beat my fastest times, that’s about it. Still can’t quite beat 4 min on Monday. I’m really close. I don’t understand how people do it in two minutes and change as I feel I’m going as fast as I can. But, yeah, Sunday is said to be Thursday difficulty. I usually find it a hair more difficult than a typical Thursday, though. I also find Sundays too tedious for me, so I don’t really do them anymore, but a lot of people live for Sundays. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/34 "2022-09-16T19:30:09Z")
I don’t even think I could fill it with, say, random words for across clues in 2 minutes! I think my Monday record is like 5 and change. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/35 "2022-09-16T19:31:57Z")
If I’m home on Saturday evenings, I usually will jump on the Sunday puzzle as soon as it’s released at 6pm Eastern time. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/36 "2022-09-16T19:38:36Z")
I’ve seen YouTube videos where they do it in like 3-3.5 minutes, and it actually seems doable watching it, but doing it myself, the four-minute Monday seems on the edge of possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/37 "2022-09-16T19:42:58Z")
I get pretty chafed sometimes but my AMAH always brings some ALOE in her ETUI. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/38 "2022-09-16T20:05:22Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > … a lot of people live for Sundays. I’m one of them. No local newspaper carries them, so I buy the collections. I’ve always got one on the go at home, and the collection in my briefcase has helped kill time when flights have been delayed, or other times when I have to unexpectedly wait. Say, why aren’t you folks participating in the “Crossword Clue Game” over in Thread Games? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/39 "2022-09-16T20:13:57Z")
Here’s the guy I’ve seen before; does six days in like 20 minutes. His Monday solve in this video is around 1:30 (!) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WiHQoxqQicA/hqdefault.jpg "Dan Feyer Speed-Solves A Week Of New York Times Crossword Puzzles (6/15/2020-6/21/2020)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiHQoxqQicA) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2022, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677/40 "2022-09-16T20:58:34Z")
I usually do them at the Seattle Times site. The interface is good and it’s free, but they’re two or three weeks behind the NYT itself. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-crosswords-after-wednesday/971677.md?page=3)