# Today's (3-17-24) NYT Crossword **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [March 17, 2024, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942 "2024-03-17T12:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [March 18, 2024, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/21 "2024-03-18T20:59:30Z")
I do my daily crossword on the Seattle Times site, which is a pretty good app and it’s free, but it’s (I think) three weeks behind the NYT. And sometimes, for rebus squares and the like, the person who put it into the app put it down slightly differently than I do, so it doesn’t mark as “completed” (and sometimes, the “official” answer isn’t even possible to enter into the app). ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/22 "2024-03-19T21:00:34Z")
I did this puzzle in 24 minutes. But my answer to the “common clue” did not make complete sense to me, seeming like a partial fit. Having read the above explainer, I think this puzzle is pretty neat. I probably would have never figured out the other variations. I did an old puzzle which had been sitting around an unknown number of weeks. It had a “Scrabble triple letter” clue for horizontal words. I thought that was clever too. That one took me longer. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2024, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/23 "2024-03-20T04:27:38Z")
I guess it was from last week. This one was clever too. > **[Rack ’Em Up](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/crosswords/daily-puzzle-2024-03-10.html)** > > Enrique Henestroza Anguiano and Matthew Stock are friends with words. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/24 "2024-03-22T19:58:05Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > You can print them. > [@needscoffee](#): > > You can print them out. Just wanted to throw a thanks your way. I stopped my local paper and subscribed to the electronic NYT. Printing out the crosswords was a dandy idea. It’s not too often that you find something cheaper that also turns out to be better. mmm ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/25 "2024-03-22T20:03:14Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Well, I have not solved this one yet, it arrives in my local paper two weeks later than when it appears in the NYT. > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I stopped my local paper and subscribed to the electronic NYT. Now you have 2 weeks’ worth of puzzles to catch up on. ---
**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:** [March 22, 2024, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/26 "2024-03-22T20:07:51Z")
And you have access to the archive too for whenever you run out of puzzling! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/27 "2024-03-22T20:29:35Z")
The archive is one of the best parts. I am sad however that they removed the acrostic archive… ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/28 "2024-03-22T20:54:58Z")
I wish it went back farther. It would be fun to try some puzzles from various decades. The first ever Sunday NY Times crossword from February, 1942 is available without a subscription: > **[Play The Crossword](https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/daily/1942/02/15)** > > Keep your mind sharp by making The Crossword part of your daily routine. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2024, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/29 "2024-03-22T23:51:50Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I wish it went back farther. I have a NYT crossword book that contains, I think, one representative puzzle from each year going back to 1940-something. The old puzzles are interesting, but I wouldn’t call them fun to solve. mmm ETA: Oh yeah, I just completed the specific puzzle referenced in the OP. I didn’t get the full gimmick of it until I read Rex Parker’s write-up. This one was probably more enjoyable for the creator than the solver. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/30 "2024-03-24T12:14:30Z")
I am about 15 clues into solving today’s puzzle. This is the first time I’ve tried solving electronically rather than on paper. I gotta tell you, I think I may be sold on this method. Much to my surprise, I might add. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/31 "2024-03-24T13:45:04Z")
I truly hated Saturday’s puzzle, which Sam E. designed. It wasn’t just that it was hard (it was), but some of the clues were attempts to be clever that were instead just poor clues. I felt better after reading the comments - more than 500! - since I wasn’t alone in that. ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/32 "2024-03-24T15:01:21Z")
The barber clue was misleading because I don’t consider the answer to be one word, so I started with the more obvious answer until it didn’t work. The Cleveland answer baffled me even after it was filled in until I read the Rex Parker column. That was fairly obscure. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/33 "2024-03-24T17:11:11Z")
Yeah, the Saturday puzzle was pretty bad (I didn’t like the barber clue or the “smacks forehead” one, and the NFL anagram was lazy and I imagine very annoying for a non-football fan). I found today’s (Sunday) one pretty boring too. The one in the OP I actually found really fun and clever. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/34 "2024-03-24T17:27:46Z")
If it hasn’t already been mentioned here and/or isn’t widely known, Will Shortz had a stroke a few months ago. He’s been absent from his weekly puzzle gig at NPR for a while but all they would say every week is that he was “away” and they’ve had some other puzzle guy filling in for him. They finally announced a couple weeks back that it was due to a stroke. Sounds like he’s recovering ok but will be awhile before he’s back. Anyhow, I’ve noticed in the puzzle app the last couple weeks that Joel Fagliano (the guy who does the NYT daily mini puzzle) has been doing the editing, and it seems to me that the crosswords have been a little harder than usual. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/35 "2024-03-24T17:46:08Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > and it seems to me that the crosswords have been a little harder than usual. Good, because they’ve been getting too easy. I too was mildly infuriated by the barber clue (I put in ‘oops’ as I suspect many others did) and got off to a bad start. Otherwise, Saturday was properly difficult even though it wasn’t a great puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/36 "2024-03-24T17:58:12Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > The barber clue was misleading because I don’t consider the answer to be one word, so I started with the more obvious answer until it didn’t work. The Cleveland answer baffled me even after it was filled in until I read the Rex Parker column. That was fairly obscure. Yeah, those bothered me, the first one in particular. In addition, I think _lastin’ line_ was intended as a pun on elastin, except if you put an apostrophe at the end with the elision of the ‘g’, I kinda think you need one for the ‘e’ at the front as well. Except, that would make no sense. I just didn’t like this clue. ---
**Author:** ![Chingon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chingon/32/17645_2.png) [@Chingon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chingon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/37 "2024-03-24T18:17:26Z")
It’s not elastin. It’s “lasting line” and the answer makes sense to me. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/38 "2024-03-24T18:32:17Z")
But why the apostrophe at all? Why is the clue “Lastin’ Line?” instead of just “Lasting Line”? Typically, in my very limited crossword experience, you only would abbreviate/shorten the clue if the answer was also abbreviated. If it’s just to make the pun with “Last In Line” that is stupid, because the answer has nothing to do with it, unless they are making a _very_ tenuous connection to Scar from the Lion King who was “last in line” to the throne (which just occurred to me, but can’t actually be what they were intending, right?). ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2024, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/39 "2024-03-24T18:50:56Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > But why the apostrophe at all? Why is the clue “Lastin’ Line?” instead of just “Lasting Line”? Typically, in my very limited crossword experience, you only would abbreviate/shorten the clue if the answer was also abbreviated. Exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2024, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942/40 "2024-03-26T04:49:09Z")
I thought the NYT paper puzzle on March 24 (Feeling Possessive) was very hard. Took me seventy-five minutes and I had to look up several clues. Sometimes I just know exactly what the creator is thinking. Not this time. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/todays-3-17-24-nyt-crossword/998942.md?page=3)