New York Times, Monday, October 17, 2022

I've been an avid puzzle solver for as long as I can remember. During the pandemic, I decided to use the extra time at home to tackle the #1 item on my bucket list; getting a puzzle published in the New York Times. I signed up for an online puzzle construction course and began my foray into constructing soon after.

The inspiration for this theme came to me as I was about to tell a story to a friend, and she remarked, "Go ahead — I'm all ears!" Suddenly an image popped into my head of a person whose ears were the dominant feature of their face. This led to a brainstorming session in which I came up with both real and fictional candidates who fit the bill. Ultimately I decided to stick with fictional characters to not insult any actual people.

I'd like to give a shout out to my puzzle mentors, Matthew Stock and Rich Proulx, as well as a special thank you to my daughters, my husband, and finally, my dad, who instilled in me my love of puzzling. I hope you enjoy!

What did the stalk of corn say when the farmer asked, "Hey, can I tell you something?"

(I blame my kids and their insatiable appetites for corny joke books.)

Fun collection of ear-heavy characters today, perfectly summed up by the punny I'M ALL EARS. A Family Feud survey asked this very question, and BUGS BUNNY and MICKEY MOUSE were numbers one and two, just like Caryn presented them!

(The fact that the third response was "Mouse" ... I fear for these survey respondents.)

ALFRED E. NEUMAN is another great find. What, me worry about these giant ears?

I wasn't so sure if MISTER SPOCK fit. Is it logical to include him along with three cartoon characters?

Ow, stop Vulcan nerve pinching me!

WELCOME MAT is apt for Monday puzzles, as they should be welcoming to all(ish). Caryn had a difficult task, gridding around a central 13. I appreciated the BUFFET MENU of mid-length bonuses. Not an easy thing to accomplish, given the constraints. LAYMEN OSSIFY KNEECAP — there's a story in there somewhere. Worth the dings like ETE LAMS EDY? I'd say so.

I love slang terms like BOUGIE (think "bourgeoisie"), as these EDGIER entries spice up the joint. Crossing it with AGITA might create some solver agita-tion, though. Perhaps a black square at the S of SERB might have helped.

Head-scratching Ok Boomer moment: There's such a meme as IT ME?

It be.

I had a ton of fun daydreaming about what other themers might fit. I think Caryn made the right choices, given that my oddball results spanned from FERENGI to DROOPY DOG to KING MIDAS AFTER APOLLO GOT THROUGH WITH HIM. I don't think twice after solving most Mondays, so well done getting my mind churning, Caryn!