| Total | Debut | Latest | Collabs |
| 11 | 11/6/2018 | 10/22/2022 | 6 |
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| Scrab | Debut | Fresh |
| 1.54 | 58 | 63% |
Sat 10/22/2022
| A | D | D | I | S | A | B | A | B | A | | E | V | E | S |
| C | O | A | S | T | L | I | N | E | S | | M | A | L | L |
| I | S | T | H | A | T | A | Y | E | S | | P | L | E | A |
| D | E | A | | B | A | S | I | N | | S | T | U | N | S |
| | P | A | I | R | E | D | | U | H | Y | E | A | H |
| D | O | L | L | | S | E | A | S | O | N | | | |
| T | O | I | L | E | T | | A | P | U | | E | C | H | O |
| H | I | N | T | S | A | T | | P | R | O | S | H | O | P |
| A | N | T | I | | I | A | M | | P | H | T | E | S | T |
| | | M | A | L | B | E | C | | R | E | S | T | |
| W | A | G | E | R | S | | L | O | S | E | R | S | | |
| I | D | A | H | O | | V | I | S | T | A | | M | I | X |
| S | E | M | I | | P | O | S | T | A | L | C | O | D | E |
| P | L | U | G | | I | T | S | A | L | L | O | V | E | R |
| S | E | T | H | | N | E | A | R | L | Y | W | E | D | S |
Sat 5/21/2022
| C | A | R | P | A | Y | M | E | N | T | | C | R | A | P |
| O | R | E | O | C | O | O | K | I | E | | L | O | L | L |
| M | E | D | S | T | U | D | E | N | T | | A | C | L | U |
| M | O | D | I | S | H | | | J | E | T | S | K | I | S |
| A | L | I | T | | E | S | T | A | | R | H | I | N | O |
| S | A | T | | B | A | T | H | T | O | Y | | D | A | N |
| | | M | A | R | R | Y | U | P | | R | O | L | E |
| T | V | G | U | I | D | E | | R | E | F | I | L | L | S |
| W | O | O | D | | M | E | A | T | R | U | B | | | |
| I | T | O | | S | E | T | P | L | A | N | | E | B | B |
| H | E | D | D | A | | S | P | E | C | | A | M | I | E |
| A | D | V | I | L | P | M | | | A | L | L | O | T | S |
| R | O | I | D | | H | A | N | D | P | U | P | P | E | T |
| D | U | B | S | | D | R | I | V | E | S | H | O | M | E |
| S | T | E | T | | S | T | A | R | S | H | A | P | E | D |
Jim here, sitting in for Jeff Chen, who is testifying before the Jan. 6 committee.
Another great start with an outstanding clue at 1-Across. "Rolls dough" isn't a verb. It's the do-re-mi you need to finance your Rolls Royce. I know, I know, you paid cash for yours.
That aside, today's clear star is "Nipple ring" at 2-Down. AREOLA is a popular answer going back to the 1940s thanks to its useful combination of letters, but cluing has been handled delicately. "Interstice on an insect's wing" isn't fooling anyone. Last August, for the first time in the NYT, the protective reticence got punctured with "Spot for some piercings." Today's clue ups the ante a bit more. Can other useful (but crappy) words like ANUS and ENEMA be far behind?
Some solvers will be offended by a nipple reference. Others will be relieved to see the NYT dial back its prudishness and acknowledge the existence of a body part we all have. Editors have to carefully balance competing concerns. They don't always get it right.
It's impossible to be objective about crosswords because they tie together whatever topics happen to work. Some of those topics will resonate with you, some will annoy you, some will confuse you; it depends on your background and interests. I saw an IBSEN play a couple of weeks ago. Jules and Jim is one of my favorite films. Today's crossword won my heart before I was halfway through it. This personal aspect is why I find it difficult to say whether a puzzle is good or bad, only if I enjoyed it. It's also what makes crosswords unique among puzzles and why they're such great fodder for bloggers.
Jeff's back tomorrow, and if you've been following his lack of POW picks this week, it's apparently with a crossword he admires.
Fri 10/8/2021
| A | H | A | M | O | M | E | N | T | S | | P | L | E | D |
| T | O | M | A | T | O | S | O | U | P | | A | E | R | O |
| I | M | P | R | O | B | A | B | L | E | | P | T | A | S |
| L | I | L | I | E | S | | | A | C | C | E | S | S | |
| T | E | E | N | | | T | A | N | K | A | R | D | | |
| | | | F | O | R | C | E | | T | H | I | N | G |
| R | O | C | K | I | D | O | L | | S | E | A | G | A | L |
| I | N | H | E | R | I | T | | M | A | R | T | I | N | I |
| T | E | I | G | E | N | | W | I | N | E | S | N | O | B |
| A | G | A | S | P | | S | O | L | E | D | | | | |
| | S | T | I | P | E | N | D | | | T | S | P | S |
| T | E | A | T | A | X | | | D | M | I | T | R | I |
| W | H | E | N | | I | T | S | M | E | A | G | A | I | N |
| M | A | D | D | | G | O | T | O | E | T | O | T | O | E |
| D | I | S | S | | E | Y | E | O | P | E | N | E | R | S |
Fri 5/14/2021
| A | C | C | R | A | | R | A | T | E | | A | S | P | S |
| T | R | A | I | L | M | I | X | E | S | | U | T | A | H |
| M | I | D | D | L | E | S | E | A | T | | C | E | R | A |
| S | P | Y | | S | L | E | D | S | | N | O | R | T | H |
| | | R | Y | E | S | | E | M | O | N | E | Y | |
| A | B | A | S | E | | G | R | O | T | T | O | | |
| A | C | E | I | T | | S | E | A | T | U | R | T | L | E |
| P | A | E | S | E | | T | E | D | | P | A | Y | E | R |
| T | I | R | E | M | A | R | K | S | | T | I | P | I | N |
| | G | A | S | H | E | S | | B | O | R | E | S | |
| H | A | G | G | I | S | | L | O | S | E | | | |
| M | A | R | L | O | | S | T | A | I | N | | C | H | O |
| A | L | D | A | | F | O | R | T | S | U | M | T | E | R |
| I | V | E | S | | B | R | U | T | E | F | O | R | C | E |
| D | E | N | S | | I | S | E | E | | F | O | L | K | S |
Sat 2/27/2021
| B | A | L | L | I | S | L | I | F | E | | H | A | M | M |
| I | M | E | A | N | T | O | S | A | Y | | A | S | E | A |
| T | E | A | S | E | R | V | I | C | E | | I | C | E | S |
| E | L | S | | S | U | E | D | E | | F | L | I | T | S |
| M | I | E | N | | T | T | O | P | | L | E | I | C | A |
| E | A | S | Y | A | | T | R | A | C | I | | A | U | G |
| | | L | I | T | | A | L | A | C | A | R | T | E |
| S | T | O | R | E | D | | M | R | K | I | T | E | |
| M | O | O | N | B | E | A | M | | D | E | M | | | |
| E | L | Y | | A | S | T | I | R | | D | A | D | A | S |
| T | A | P | A | S | | A | L | E | C | | T | A | T | A |
| G | R | I | P | E | | M | A | S | E | R | | N | O | N |
| A | C | A | I | | F | I | N | E | D | I | N | I | N | G |
| L | A | N | A | | I | N | O | N | E | P | I | E | C | E |
| A | R | O | N | | B | E | S | T | S | E | L | L | E | R |
POW Wed 2/3/2021
| P | U | B | S | | | | C | A | B | S | | G | P | S |
| I | S | A | A | C | | O | U | N | C | E | | R | O | I |
| N | O | N | V | I | O | L | E | N | C | E | | A | P | P |
| | G | E | O | R | G | I | A | S | F | I | F | T | H |
| R | O | O | M | | B | A | N | | | I | N | T | R | O |
| C | R | U | E | L | | | | B | I | T | C | O | I | N |
| A | C | T | | O | C | A | S | I | O | | A | N | O | S |
| | | J | O | H | N | L | E | W | I | S | | | |
| B | I | W | A | | A | T | O | N | A | L | | S | A | O |
| A | N | E | M | O | N | E | | | | K | N | A | C | K |
| D | E | V | I | L | | | O | F | F | | A | Y | E | S |
| F | R | E | E | D | O | M | R | I | D | E | R | S | | |
| A | T | M | | G | O | O | D | T | R | O | U | B | L | E |
| T | I | E | | A | L | O | E | S | | S | T | O | O | L |
| S | A | T | | G | A | R | R | | | | O | O | P | S |
Thu 7/2/2020
| S | E | R | A | | U | N | P | E | G | | | M | A | N | E |
| O | M | A | R | | P | O | L | I | O | | N | I | C | E | R |
| C | O | M | M | I | T | M | E | N | T | | I | N | C | U | R |
| U | P | S | | R | O | S | S | | T | S | H | I | R | T | |
| T | O | E | T | A | P | | S | T | A | Y | A | L | E | R | T |
| E | P | S | O | N | | D | Y | E | | R | O | A | D | I | E |
| | | M | I | C | E | | C | P | U | | B | I | N | S |
| T | M | S | | S | U | N | C | H | I | P | S | | T | O | T |
| R | O | A | R | | E | Y | E | | N | Y | E | T | | | |
| I | N | L | E | T | S | | D | U | E | | P | I | D | A | Y |
| G | A | S | P | R | I | C | E | S | | S | T | O | O | G | E |
| L | A | T | I | N | O | | M | A | U | I | | G | E | L |
| T | I | B | I | A | | S | K | I | P | S | C | H | O | O | L |
| I | S | A | L | L | | M | E | N | S | A | | B | O | N | E |
| C | A | R | E | | | O | A | T | E | N | | O | D | E | D |
POW Thu 4/23/2020
| E | T | T | A | | W | A | N | D | | | | S | H | Y |
| B | E | A | N | | A | B | O | U | T | | | C | U | E |
| B | A | K | I | N | G | B | R | E | A | D | | O | M | G |
| L | E | M | O | N | Y | | | C | U | E | R | V | O |
| S | E | S | A | M | E | | I | N | T | H | R | E | E | D |
| L | O | I | T | E | R | | M | O | I | | O | D | E | S |
| A | N | G | E | R | | | P | I | L | E | S | | | |
| B | I | N | | C | A | T | E | R | E | D | | C | G | I |
| | | M | Y | B | A | D | | | G | I | L | E | S |
| A | S | I | A | | O | L | E | | D | E | M | O | T | E |
| C | O | M | P | A | R | E | D | | O | O | P | S | I | E |
| T | I | L | S | I | T | | | A | M | U | L | E | T | |
| I | R | A | | R | E | L | O | C | A | T | I | O | N | S |
| N | E | T | | | D | E | L | H | I | | E | N | O | S |
| G | E | E | | | | E | D | E | N | | S | E | W | N |
POW Sat 4/4/2020
| B | L | O | W | D | A | R | T | | | G | R | I | N | D |
| A | L | P | H | A | N | E | R | D | | P | O | D | I | A |
| G | A | P | I | N | G | M | A | W | | A | V | A | N | T |
| E | M | O | T | E | | S | I | A | | S | E | R | T | A |
| L | A | S | E | | U | L | T | R | A | | D | E | E | P |
| S | S | E | | O | N | E | O | F | F | S | | S | N | L |
| | | E | U | L | E | R | | R | A | M | A | D | A |
| C | R | O | P | T | O | P | | C | A | R | R | Y | O | N |
| S | O | N | A | T | A | | S | E | M | I | S | | | |
| I | M | S | | A | D | S | A | L | E | S | | L | A | B |
| M | A | A | M | | S | O | U | L | S | | L | A | R | A |
| I | N | F | E | R | | A | T | M | | B | A | S | I | N |
| A | G | A | T | E | | R | E | A | D | A | T | H | O | N |
| M | O | R | O | N | | S | E | T | A | T | E | A | S | E |
| I | D | I | O | T | | | D | E | M | E | N | T | O | R |
Mon 6/17/2019
| S | C | R | U | B | | | S | L | A | M | | M | O | S |
| P | R | U | N | E | S | | L | O | B | E | | A | A | H |
| F | U | N | I | N | T | H | E | S | U | N | | C | S | I |
| S | E | T | | G | O | O | D | S | | O | N | A | I | R |
| | | M | A | L | T | | | A | R | O | U | S | E |
| I | C | I | C | L | E | | S | P | L | A | T | | | |
| M | A | D | E | I | N | T | H | E | S | H | A | D | E | |
| O | R | E | S | | | I | O | N | | | C | R | A | W |
| B | A | C | K | I | N | T | H | E | B | L | A | C | K |
| | | H | I | R | E | S | | L | A | U | G | H | S |
| T | E | R | E | S | A | | | B | E | N | E | | | |
| U | S | E | R | S | | E | P | I | C | S | | O | O | H |
| P | I | C | | E | Y | E | I | N | T | H | E | S | K | Y |
| A | G | O | | R | E | N | T | | S | E | A | L | E | D |
| C | N | N | | S | A | Y | S | | | E | R | O | D | E |
Tue 11/6/2018
| U | N | P | A | I | D | | S | P | A | | U | G | L | I | S |
| P | O | O | R | M | E | | C | A | L | | P | O | I | N | T |
| D | U | K | E | O | F | K | E | N | T | | E | E | N | S | Y |
| A | G | E | S | | Y | I | N | | E | O | N | S | | | |
| T | A | R | O | T | | S | T | A | R | K | N | A | K | E | D |
| E | T | S | | A | H | S | | V | E | E | | H | A | L | O |
| | | I | C | E | | S | A | G | E | | E | T | A | L |
| F | O | U | N | T | A | I | N | S | O | F | W | A | Y | N | E |
| A | T | T | A | | T | N | U | T | | F | E | D | | | |
| W | R | E | N | | M | A | C | | B | E | E | | P | A | S |
| N | O | S | Y | P | A | R | K | E | R | | P | S | A | L | M |
| | | C | O | P | A | | R | A | T | | A | S | E | A |
| B | R | E | A | D | | B | A | N | N | E | R | Y | E | A | R |
| L | A | S | S | I | | I | D | S | | C | O | H | O | S | T |
| T | Y | P | E | A | | C | O | T | | H | O | I | S | T | S |
