This is the crossword puzzle thread

I do the Spelling Bee most Sundays - tbh I didn't realize there's one on every other day too - and it's good to hear that their judges are fallible. I think it was the Sunday before last when I found at least five legit words in it that weren't accepted by the website. I was expecting to be classed some kind of mega genius, but the rejections humbled me back down to a more average level.

I only play the Bee occasionally, partly because all I ever hear about it is ckmplaints about what it will and won't accept.

I mean, I empathize on COPE (or whatever) but the continual lawyering about the word list is (a) boring and (b) a disincentive to play the game.

* complaints

I agree, everything I hear about Spelling Bee is complaints about the word list

I play it every day and enjoy it, shortcomings and all. Even if I chafe against its word list (AARGH and YECCH and YECH are all accepted), it's broadened my vocabulary (tomtit, lanai).

I’m past bitching about the spelling bee word list; all games have arbitrary rules or else they wouldn’t be games. I don’t have enough time in the day or brains in my head to ever reach “queen bee” but as long as I hit Genius and get a pangram I’m happy.

I do wish they let you play through past spelling bees like the regular puzzle and track stats. I’ll assume that’s coming if enough people keep playing it.

Today's Spelling Bee is brutal.

I just barely managed genius. I hate that E sitting in the middle ruining all the easy -ing options

Exactly!

weekly themeless tournament starting in October, looks cool:

https://www.boswords.org/

Additional rules here which definitely answered some questions I had: https://www.boswords.org/nuts-and-bolts

Can someone explain 117 Across from today's puzzle?

like "reputation"

hey will shortz “panini” is plural you donut

Ah thanks, Yellow!

Boswords pre-season starts this Wednesday!

preseason puzzle was tough! took me over 13 minutes, but no wrong squares

typing out and retyping out today's goddam rebuses on a tablet fucked up my time something fierce

first sub-six minute Wednesday tho

i don't entirely know how to go much faster than that? I can often get to 5 on mondays but doing any quicker than that on any difficult level seems impossible because of the time spent reading and inputting clues. do people faster than that just immediately know all the answers?

yes

seems like that would get a little boring but what do i know

Mondays are boring, no doubt. It's basically just typing. But streaks and low average times are nice so I just do them, like taking medicine.

can someone explain Thursdays crossword to me?

i thought i understood the concept of rebus but im confused by

Stage a coup RGAONTROL

grABControl

Thursday’s broke us too, we had a really nice streak going and I had just been thinking “60 more days of working from home in lockdown and we’ll finally crack the previous streak record!”

thx!

I loved Thursday, but then I am a 1970s person, aware of the now-dated gimmick.

I could see that numbers were going to be involved when I filled in 3 down, but it wasn't clear yet what was going on so I just went ahead and kept solving.

I think what gave it away (for me) was GENGHIS not fitting unless you did a rebus for the GHI and that was my "aha" moment.

We stupidly attempted plugging in the actual numbers into the rebus a couple of different ways

Yes, I'm hearing that it was picky about how you typed it in, but I didn't have trouble.

i hated it but i am a crossword noob

tom what was

Bisected INA

It was In 2. The conceit of the puzzle was that in one direction the answers were a number and in the other direction they were the 3 letter sequence paired with the number on a touchtone phone.

I signe up for Boswords w/ a friend, on the medium difficulty. Incidentally, I am not fast and he is. Proud to be deadweight.

Stage a Coup: grABControl
bisect: In2

so that one square was ABC/2 which was unpleasant to type and requires you to remember push button/rotary phones.

You could just leave it as ABC though?

Iirc it accepted 2, and then once the puzzle was complete it displayed as ABC.

didn't try that!

It was In 2. The conceit of the puzzle was that in one direction the answers were a number and in the other direction they were the 3 letter sequence paired with the number on a touchtone phone.

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Saturday, October 3, 2020 4:28 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

Omg... mind blown

completed my first Saturday today :)

The most recent Saturday was another tough one, especially the SE. Nearly a DNF.

Did pretty well for Bosword's week 1!

Boswords week 1 wrecked me, but I did much better on week 2

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/27/crosswords/do-you-play-spelling-bee-lets-talk.html

Made a boneheaded error in week 2. :(

Did the puzzle today for the first time since, well, whenever I last posted here. Seemed super easy for a Friday.

Same re: Boswords. 'loci' for 'foci' and another error took my score to the crapper.

oh that was my week 1 mistake too!

434 monday is my new top speed. I think i am approaching apex there for me.

some nice chewy answers on saturday. loved it.

Saturday was really challenging! But well-constructed enough that I didn't get naticked.

I see the Bosword standings for week 2, and they did not dock me for my incorrect answers (unless I had a major brain fart and actually answered correctly).

I don’t seem to have shown up in the week 2 bosword standings?

boswords week 3 was tough, got in under 12 minutes clean