I’m old school, I guess. The NYT Sunday puzzle has been my preferred for the last forty years, and I just buy collections of them at the local bookstore. One is always in my briefcase, and has helped to kill time in airports, courthouses, various waiting rooms, and other places where I need to kill time.
Always in pen, of course.
I don’t remember that one being particularly difficult - which parts gave you trouble? Looking over my solved puzzle, nothing is jumping out at me. (I’m not claiming that I am particularly outstanding at crosswords, just wondering).
I don’t pay attention to my time because I rarely complete a puzzle in one sitting.
mmm
This was me up until a few days ago when I discovered the benefits of online solving.
I still have a big stack of unfinished paper Sunday puzzles to get to if I’m feeling nostalgic.
mmm
Hmm… Like @meanmrsmustard I just reviewed it and nothing jumps out. Finished in just under 30 minutes, according to the app timer. I didn’t know the author Scott-Heron’s first name, and “Slangy Greeting” was I think the last one I filled in. The two chess-themed clues were easy if you play chess at all, and I was lucky that the other “random names” were ones I happened to know (the NBA Analyst, for example, and the undefeated boxer).
The theme was kinda lame (the “use a possessive like it’s a noun” thing) but the first one FUELSEXPECTATION was straightforward enough with a good number of easy crossers to make figuring out the theme pretty quick.
Did you struggle with the theme answers or just the random typical punny answers?
Maybe I was tired when I did it. It took me a longer-than-usual time to decipher the puns. It didn’t help I know nothing about “Stranger Things” or some of the specific celebrities and authors they used. For whatever reason, I did not feel a “mind-meld” with the author. I got at least half the answers straight away.