I do the Mini crossword every day in the New York Times. I can usually do it in under 60 seconds, and I feel okay about that even though my kids are ashamed when they complete it in over 30 seconds. There have been reports of single-digit solving times from them.
Today the NYT said, Congratulations! Such cheerful font. An exclamation point (exclamation mark in British English), another indication of sincerity. The star with the happy, bright blue border shows how genuinely pleased they are pretending to be.
Then it gives my time, 4:19. Just to be painfully clear, this is four minutes and nineteen seconds. Could they be mocking me?
Here’s the issue, not that I feel the need to defend myself or anything. Spoiler alert for anyone reading this on Dec 2, 2021, and plans to do the puzzle. If that’s you, stop now, and come back to this story in under 60 seconds. Under 30, if you're one of my kids.
So, the clue for three down was, Snacks topped with cilantro and lime. I had the T, four blanks, then an S. TAPAS, clearly. Two down was UHOH, which turned out to be right. For the word that crossed them in the third position, I had _OP_S. The clue was, Good thing to keep at work. HOPES? Keep your hopes at work because there’s little chance they won’t be dashed at home? ROPES? Is that even an acceptable way to deal with people who don’t meet their deadlines and pretend you won't notice?
Those of you who completed the puzzle already know that my answer to three down should have been TACOS. At work it’s good to keep your FOCUS. Once I’d figured that out, I finished the puzzle, though I had to guess at 1 down, Tag on explicit content. That’s not the kind of thing I know, and I’m OK with that. Even once I’d figured it out from the crossing word, I didn’t recognize it. Perhaps you do. Well, good for you.
To add insult to injury, on the Congratulations! popup the NYT wrote, Game for something new? And suggested the Spelling Bee. Sheesh, don’t they know I do the Spelling Bee nearly every day, immediately after the Mini? Maybe I’ll punish them today and not do the Spelling Bee.
Take that, NYT.
When I was doing this very same puzzle last night, and had figured out the TACOS answer, I grumbled aloud about it, even as I continued to finish the puzzle. Tacos are not snacks; they are part of a meal. It was a BADLY-WRITTEN clue. Take THAT, NYT!!