NYT Crossword 08/31/17 (Thu.)

Cruciverbalist: Zachary Spitz
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 24:18 (Southwest corner gave me fits)

Puzzle uniqueness:

Two answers, CORNER and OFFICE, are clues to the fact the each corner of the puzzle is a rebus (More than one letter in a square) with a word that precedes OFFICE. Example:  1-across BOXCAR with the clue "Transporter with sliding doors" across and 1-down BOXSEATS with the clue "Luxuries for theatergoers." Hence, "box office."

Words I hadn't known until now: 

YAKITORI - "Japanese style of chicken"

Trivia I didn't know: 

MAMIE - "First lady with a popular recipe for 'million -dollar fudge'" (Eisenhower)
BRANDI - "Soccer star Chastain with two Olympic gold medals"
DIANE - "Rehm of public radio"
FUNHOME - "Alison Bechdel memoir made into a hit 2015 Broadway musical"
ALONSO - "King in 'The Tempest'"
NAS - "Rapper who famously feuded with Jay-Z"

Junk answers:

IMET - "'How ____ Your Mother'"
INC - "Business add-on?"
REN - "Kylo ___ of 'The Force Awakens'"
NAS - (See above)
NCO - "Base fig."
ENO - "'Music for Airports' composer"

Clever clues:

GASOVEN - "Pilot's surroundings"
FDAAPPROVAL - "Need for drugs" (One of the corner rebuses, OVAL)

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

MAMIE - (See above)
NONET - "Odd group of musician's?"

NYT Crossword 08/30/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalist: David J. Kahn
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 09:09

Puzzle uniqueness:

Word ladder  from  BLUNT to SHARP in eight steps.. I hate word ladders. 'Nuff sed.

Words I hadn't known until now: 

DOREMI - "Cabbage or kale"

Trivia I didn't know: 

ZEB - "Grandpa Walton, for short" (Never watched the show)
FIERI - "'Guy's Big Bite' Food Network host"
SLADE - "Rock Band with six #1 British hits in the 1970s"
CUTTLE - "Sea creature with eight arms"
EWELL - "Mayella ______, 'To Kill a Mockingbird' character" (Rather obscure, one would think)

Junk Answers:

ZEB - (See above)
FIERI - (See Above)
LEI - "Kauai keepsake" (Overused)
ELA - "She, in Portuguese"
ANERA - "End of _____" (Really?)
INBAD - "Not getting along (with)"
ABBR - "Rep. or Dem., e.g."
EPEES - "Pentathlon needs" (Overused)

Clever clues: 

RADIO - "What comes in waves?"

IGLOO - "Ice pad?"

LOB - "Upshot?"

SLAT - "Blind side?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

BARRE - "Ballet support"
ANNEAL - "Temper, as metal"
ZEB - (See above)
FIERI - (See above)
CUTTLE - (See above - usually referred to as "cuttlefish")
DOREMI - (See above)
ETAIL - Cyber Monday business"
EWELL - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/29/17 (Tue.)

Cruciverbalist: Adam G. Perl
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 09:44

Puzzle uniqueness: 

Three answers across the entire 15-square puzzle beginning with numbers that are increased 50% with the answer TOOCLEVERBYHALF a clue. Example: TWELVEDAYSAWEEK clued with "1965 Beatles hit ("Eight Days a Week")

Words I hadn't known until now: 

OTIS - "'Miss' with regrets" (I have absolutely no idea what this means)

LOLCAT - "Many a feline Facebook posting"

Trivia I didn't know: 

EAMES - "Charles or Ray after whom a chair is named" (Seems a bit difficult for a Tuesday)
NAS - "'N.Y. State of Mind' rapper"

Junk Answers: 

NAS - (See above)
EMS - "Ambulance letters"

Clever clues:

STOLE - "It's a wrap"
CAIN - "Third person"
OLAY - "Big name in oil?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

EAMES - (See above)
NECCO - "Brand of candy hearts"

NYT Crossword 08/28/17 (Mon.)

Cruciverbalist: Dan Margolis
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 05:39

Puzzle uniqueness:

Phrases with a various equines as last words. Example: STUBBORNASAMULE

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know: 0

Junk Answers:

TAVI - "Rikki-tikki-___ (Kipling mongoose)"
CGI - "Staple of sci-fi filmmaking, for short"
ASSN - "The first 'A' of N.A.A,C,P,: Abbr."
OHMS - "Units of resistance"
IMUP - "'No need to wake me'"
SEC - "Instant, for short"
RES - "Hi-___ monitor"
HTS - "Elevations: Abbr."

Clever clues: 

SIESTA - "Rest of the afternoon"
ATTIC - "Web site?"
GIGS - "Play dates?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

BERM - "Road shoulder"

NYT Crossword 08/27/17 (Sun.)

Cruciverbalist: Jeff Chen
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 30:13

Puzzle uniqueness: "Location, Location, Location"

Phrases in which words are created within the phrase and the word within the phrase has its first letter on a numbered square. There are cross reference answers which are literal locations of the words within the phrases. Example: Across answer CINDERELLASTORY has the word LAST with the "L" on square numbered 23. The cross reference clue "23-Across, literally?" has the answer LASTPLACE. Whew!

Words I hadn't known until now: 

PTRAP - "Backflow preventer in a drain" (I'm not a plumber)
TSTRAP - "Ladies' shoe fastener" (I'm not a lady)
SCANDIUM - "Metallic element that's #21 on the periodic table"
UTZ - "Snack food brand" (Huh?)
UNI - "Sea urchin, at a sushi bar" (Not a big fan of sushi...it's OK)
RATINE - "Loosely woven fabric with a rough texture"

Trivia I didn't know:

FER - : "Iron,: Fr."
POSITRON - "Antiparticle first observed in 1929"
MIDI - "Noon, in Nantes"
ETIENNE - "_______ Lenoir, inventor of the internal-combustion engine"
OAHU - "Location of Waimea Valley"
LIBERIA - "Africa's oldest republic"
IVANI - "Old Russian ruler known as 'Moneybag'"
SAMSA - "Gregor _____, protagonist in Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis'"
HAN - "___ characters (Chinese writing)"
LILI - "1953 Leslie Caron film" (Thought it was Gigi, at first)
KARACHI - "Former world capital called 'City of Lights"
CSU - "Sch. in Fort Collins"
SUN - "Symbol on the flag of Argentina or Uruguay"

Junk Answers:

MDS - "E.R. V.I.P.s"
FER - (See above)
UTZ - (See above)
UNI - (See above)
IDI - "Uganda's Amin"
AFBS - "Where fighter jets are found: Abbr."
STL - "1904 world's fair city: Abbr."
ORA - "___ pro nobis (pray for us)"
ELS - "Winner of four 1990s-2000s golf majors"
DST - "Setting eschewed by Hawaii: Abbr."
CSU - (See above)
INS - "Networking assets"

Clever clues:

EROTICA - "Spicy fare?"
DENTED - "Made an impression?"
STRADDLE - "Take both sides?"
TIPS - "Word on a jar"
EDSELS - "Bombs developed in the 1950s"
OILSLICK - "Disaster film?"
CLEFS - "Staff openings?"
PAR - "What one will never be, in golf"
GRAPH - "Results of some plotting"
LIDS - "Lens caps?"
MORAL - "Takeaway, of a sort"
ANAGRAM - "Asked for a desk, say" ("Asked" is an anagram of "a desk")
SANTA - "International package deliverer"
EGOSURF - "Try to find oneself?"
KEYS - "What a designated driver takes"
EDITOR - "Line judge?"
YIN - "The dark side"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

HORST - "Actor _____ Buchholz of 'The Magnificent Seven'"
SAMSA - (See above)
UTZ - (See above)
RATINE - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/26/17 (Sat.)

Cruciverbalist: Peter Wentz
Editor: Will Smith

Solving time: 30:14

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

POMELO - "Exotic salad ingredient"

Trivia I didn't know:

BOYLESLAW  "PV = k, to a physicist"
MALAWI - "'The Warm Heart of Africa'"
BODYMAN - "President's aide"
YESAND - "Phrase used as a basic tenet of improve comedy"
GREG - "Daniels who adapted 'The Office' for NBC"
KNEEHOLES - "Some office openings" (I have no idea what this is, unless it's the space you put your legs under an office desk)
JAYGATSBT - "Storied party host" (Never read the book, so I didn't know his first name)
OLAF - "N.C.A.A.'s St. ____ Oles"
LEBANON - "Cedar Revolution locale" (Though "cedar," as in "Cedars of Lebanon" is a big clue)
LESH - "Grateful Dead bassist Phil" (Only a Deadhead would get this right off)
BASIL - "Lime cooler ingredient"

Junk Answers:

TASTEOK - "'How's the food?'" (WTF? I would think it should be "Tastes OK")
GAH - "Cry of frustration" (Again, WTF? "Bah" maybe or "Pah," but "Gah"?)
RNS - "Careful workers, briefly?"
LESH - (See above)

Clever clues:

ORALPHASE - "Nursing is a key component of it"
AFTERSHAVE - "It hurts when you rub it in"
WOMB - "'Oven'"
NORMA - "Woman's name that becomes a man's name when its first letter is added to the end"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

KNEEHOLES - (See above)
MULAN - "1998 Disney princess"

NYT Crossword 08/25/17 (Fri.)

Cruciverbalist: Sam Trabucco
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 21:36

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

HEGIRA - "Muhammad's flight"
INDRA - "Hindu war deity"

Trivia I didn't know:

CONEHEADS - "TV family from the planet Remulak"
ROSSSEA - "Waters near Mount Erebus"
CAF - "Half-___"
AVON - "Maker of Scentini fragrances"
PERTH - "State capital on the Indian Ocean"
ALEWIFE - "Member of the herring family"
SKYS - "'____ the Limit' (Notorious B.I.G. hit)"

Junk Answers:

OOH - "Sound of admiration"
RDS - "Ways: Abbr."

Clever clues:

PASTS - "They often come back to haunt people"
ODOREATER - "Shoe-in?"
FORAGER - "Raccoon in a Dumpster, e.g."
PEN - "John Hancock item"
TEE - "It gives a driver a little height"
GENE - "One with a feature role?"
GRADS - "Their number increases every May"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

HEGIRA - (See above)
INDRA - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/24/17 (Thu.)

Cruciverbalists: Neil Patrick Harris and David Steinberg
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: DNF

Puzzle uniqueness:

Another goofy puzzle that I hate. Tribute to HARRYHOUDINI. That's all I want to say about this.

Words I hadn't known until now: 

ADORBS - "Like, so cute!" (WTF?)

Trivia I didn't know: 

ANNA - "Elsa's sister in 'Frozen'"
AMYS - "All-vegetarian frozen food brand"
TAXCO - "Mexican silver city"
EDWINA - "Lily Tomlin's role in 'All of Me'" (WTF?)

Junk answers:

EEK - "Apt rhyme of 'squeak'"
INS - "Tip-___ (easy baskets)"
SCI - "51-Across (ECOL), e.g."
ECOL - "Paris accord subj."
WWI - "'A Farewell to Arms' setting, briefly"
PAU - "___ Gasol, six-time N.B.A. All-Star"
EMI - "Classic record label"
NIC - "Actor Cage, informally"
ETS - "A.P. exam inits."

Clever clues:

APP - "Purchase that can be deleted"
NAPS - "Goes out for a while?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

PHREAK - "Old-style hacker"

NYT Crossword 08/23/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalist: Joe Kidd
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 08:14

Puzzle uniqueness:

"El" inserted between the last letter "s" and the penultimate letter. Example: SECURITYCAMELS where the clue is "Dromedaries on patrol?"

Words I hadn't known until now: 

MOSH - "Slam-dance"

Trivia I didn't know: 

HOSEA - "Book between Daniel and Joel" (I didn't know "Joel" was a book)

EMAJ - "Key with four sharps: Abbr." (I used to play trombone in band, too long ago for me to remember this)

Junk Answers:

NOMAYO - "Sandwich shop request"
AHME - "Sighed words"
TBA - "'Still open,' on a sched."
EMAJ - (See above)
UEY - "One-eighty"
COM - "Common URL ending"

Clever clues: 

ORES - "What you might take your lead from?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

HOSEA - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/22/17 (Tue.)

Cruciverbalist: Timothy Polin
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 09:24

Puzzle uniqueness:

Cities whose state abbreviations are within the spelling. Example: ASTORIA has the Oregon abbreviation within it (OR).

Words I hadn't known until now: 0


Trivia I didn't know: 

LLB - "Undergraduate law degree"

CHAKRA - "Spiritual center, in yoga"

Junk Answers: 

LLB - (See above)
PAC - "___-Man"
IMSET - "'Nothing for me, thanks'"
SKA - "Calypso-influenced genre"
SEC - "1/60 of a min."

Clever clues:

IGLOO - "House that's cool to live in?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

NYT Crossword 08/1/17 (Mon.)

Cruciverbalist: Tom McCoy
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 07:06

Puzzle uniqueness:

Breaking up a word in familiar phrases into two words and having a wacky clue. Example: Clue - "Feet in the city?" Answer - URBANLEGENDS (Urban leg ends).

Words I hadn't known until now: 0


Trivia I didn't know: 0


Junk Answers:

ECO - "___-friendly"
GIS - "Audience member for a U.S.O. show"
ONT - "Toronto's province: Abbr."
OFA - "'Son ___ gun!'"
ITGUY - "Computer-savvy office fellow"
SSS - "Air-escaping-from-a-tire sound"
PSST - "'Hey, you!"

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

TOULON - "City in Southern France"

NYT Crossword 08/20/17 (Sun.)

Cruciverbalist: Ruth Bloomfield Margolin
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 27:38

Puzzle uniqueness: "Found In Your Inbox"

Using "Re:" as pun for phrases beginning with "re". Example: "Re: ____ (Song lyricist's subject line) with answer being VERSECOURSE - "Reverse course"...get it?))

Words I hadn't known until now: 

FAUVE - "Matisse, e.g., stylistically"
APERCUS - "Pithy observations"
DACAPO - "From the top, to a musician"
HOSTA - "Lilylike plant"

Trivia I didn't know:

STPIERRE - "The first pope, to French speakers"
EVAN - "Hansen of a 2016 Broadway hit"
ESTER - "Perfume compound"
ARP - "'A Navel' artist, 1923"
VERDE -     'Mesa _____, National Park"
ORSAY - "Paris's Musee d'_____"

Junk Answers:

CHIS - "XXX"
ROWA - "Seats by the orchestra pit, perhaps"
KAL - "Carrier to Seoul, for short"
ORDS - "Municipal regs."
ESTS - "Repair shop figs."
TKOD - "Eliminated by a ref's decision"
ANUT - "'Are you some kind of ___'"
EOE - "Want ad letters"
STAC - "Short and detached, in music: Abbr." (A music major critiquing this elsewhere claims the actual abbreviation is "stacc.")

Clever clues:

BASSES - "The lowest of the low"
SOAPS - "Bathday cakes"
FOG - "Thick coat on a cold day"
UNARM - "Take the heat from?"
RAIL - "Third one's a harm?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

FAUVE - (See above)
APERCUS - (See above)
ESTER - (See above)
HOSTA - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/19/17 (Sat.)

Cruciverbalist: Mark Diehl
Editor: Will Smith

Solving time: 41:01 (This was a toughie)

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

ORRIS - "Root used in perfumery"
UDON - "Noodle soup noodle"
GRIDIRONS - "Primitive cooking equipment" (Only knew this as a football term)

Trivia I didn't know:

ISOLDE - "Singer of the Wagner aria 'Liebestod'"
FLORIO - "James _____, 1990-94 New Jersey governor"
VISA - "Company added to the Dow 30 in 2013"
MARCUS - "Dr. Brody of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'"
ACACIA - "Tree favored by giraffes"
ACORN - "Kind of squash""
MACRO - "Photog's lens"
MESNE - "Intervening, at law"
LORENA - "______ Ochoa, 2017 Golf Hall of Fame inductee"
OISERIVER - "Waterway that lent its name to two French departments"

Junk Answers:

UDON - (See above)
MIR - "Station that people once looked up to"
LATEN - "Draw toward dark"
WILEE - "Toon who uses his middle initial"
UPDOS - "High styles"

Clever clues:

DOWSES - "Looks forward to the next spring?"
TRESPASSES - "Goes over the line?"
LOCKER - "Box at the gym?"
DENTALINSURANCE - "It covers bridges, typically"
PEENS - "Ones always banging their heads against thing?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

ORRIS - (See above)
UDON - (See above)
SEINING - "Method of fishing"
MESNE - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/18/17 (Fri.)

Cruciverbalist: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 16:53

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

DIABOLO - "Toy consisting of a spool on a string"
ELEA - "Birthplace of the philosopher Parmenides"

Trivia I didn't know:

BEDE - "Theologian called 'The Father of English History'"
SADKEANU - "Internet meme of the star of 'The Matrix' looking sullen"

Junk Answers:

SAS - "Carrier in the Star Alliance"
IWON - "Exultant cry"
IOS - "Platform for Siri"
ITTY - "Minute, to a tot"
OHHI - "'Surprising to run into you here'"
AMA - "Health org."
AAH - "'That's the spot!'"

Clever clues:

EXWIFE - "Frequent designation for Elizabeth Taylor"
THIEVE - "Take things the wrong way"
TOME - "One might require an oversize jacket"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

MOHS - "____ scale"

NYT Crossword 08/17/17 (Thu.)

Cruciverbalist: Peter A. Collins
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 15:21

Puzzle uniqueness:

Answer GANGOFFOUR  refers to three groups of four circled squares in which the circled squares form words that follow the word "four." (Example: Letters T-O-P-S in circled squares are clue to "Second set of circled letters" = Four Tops, so the answer is MOTOWNSINGERS.)

Words I hadn't known until now: 

AZO - Like some synthetic colorants"

Trivia I didn't know:

QAT - "Arabian stimulant"
LEY - "ESPN broadcaster Bob"
AVON - "River through Bath, England"
PLATTE - "River paralleled by I-80 through a long stretch of the Plains"
URALS - "Range located along the 60th meridian"

Junk answers:

ABIT - "Somewhat"
QAT - (See above)
AZO - (See above)
OTC - "Like Tylenol PM, for short"
LBS - "About 1,400 of them is the record for a human: Abbr."
TIA - "One in la familia"
OPS - "Black ___"
FAS - "Scale notes"
ISR - "Eastern Med. land"

Clever clues:

AVOID - "Verb for a dieter"
ATOMS - "Smithereens"
GENES - "Things in pools"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

QAT - (See above)
AZO - (See above)
BORZOI - "Russian wolfhound"
ZELIG - "1983 Woody Allen film"
TWYLA - "Tharp of dance"
HAGEN - "Golfer

NYT Crossword 08/16/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalists: Andrew Kingsley and John Lieb
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 07:58

Puzzle uniqueness:

Answer SPINCLASS clue to four answers pertaining to people who spin. (Example: SKRILLEX is a DJ who spins records)

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know: 

SKRILLEX - "Grammy-winning electronic music producer and D.J."

MARADONA - "With Pele, co-winner of FIFA's Player of the Century award"

ASSAM - "Kind of tea from Asia"

Junk Answers:

LSTS - "D-Day carriers: Abbr."
FORA - "Fit ____ king"
OXO - "Losing tic-tac-toe line"

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

NYT Crossword 08/15/17 (Tue.)

Cruciverbalist: Zhouqin Burnikel
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 08:28

Puzzle uniqueness:

Types of "collector" clues with wacky answers (Example: Clue = "Stamp collector" with the answer being PASSPORT)

Words I hadn't known until now: 0


Trivia I didn't know: 0


Junk Answers: 

BTU - "Energy measurement, for short"
RTE - "A detour offers a different one: Abbr."
ITAL - "Slanted in print: Abbr."
UFOS - "Subjects of some fuzzy photos, for short"
ENT - "Sinus doc"
ISH - "Kinda sorta"
AHS - "Sighed sounds"

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

NYT Crossword 08/14/17 (Mon.)

Cruciverbalist: Rich Proulx
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 05:59

Puzzle uniqueness:

Three entrée menu items to serve as clues for answer MEATLESSMONDAY.

Words I hadn't known until now: 

LUI - "French for 'him'"

Trivia I didn't know:

VESPA - "Italian scooter brand"

Junk Answers:

LUI - (See above)
ABS - "Torso muscles, briefly"
WISC - "The Dairy State: Abbr."

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

NYT Crossword 08/13/17 (Sun.)

Cruciverbalist: Eric Berlin
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 41:19

Puzzle uniqueness: "The Magic Show"

Magic terms utilized within the puzzle. (Example: CHANGINGCARD answer represents changing another answer from "Peking" to peace," i.e., the "king" is changed into an "ace.")

Words I hadn't known until now: 

RAGA - "Bit of a Bollywood soundtrack"
TRIOLETS - "Eight-line poems"
AGFA - "Name on some boxes of film"
CONTIES - "Furs from rabbits"
TITI - "South American monkey"
DICTU - "'Mirabile _____!' ('Wonderful to state!')

Trivia I didn't know:

MALTOSE - "Sugar found in beer"
YWCA - "Female org. since the 1850s"
ORFF - "'Carmina Burana' composer Carl"
NINE - "Musical based on Fellini's '8 1/2'"
EDWARD - "Part of P.E.I."
NAUTICA - "J. Crew competitor"
KATT - "Stand-up comic Williams"
DOLAN - "New York archbishop Timothy"

Junk Answers:

AGFA - (See above)
DYS - "Bad: Prefix"
MASC - "Like the Spanish nouns 'gato' (cat) and 'perro' (dog): Abbr."
YOWEE - "Shout of pain" (Spelling sucks)
ANTH - "Literary collection: Abbr."
LAH - "___ di-dah"
INFRA - "Prefix with structure"
MANI - "___-pedi"

Clever clues:

FORD - "Escape maker"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

NYT Crossword 08/12/17 (Sat.)

Cruciverbalist: Kameron Austin Collins
Editor: Will Smith

Solving time: DNF

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

CANTAB - "Cambridge student, informally"
TOPONYM - "Champagne is one"
LATKE - "Applesauce-topped nosh"
LEGARMOT - "Greaves, e.g." (Never heard of "greaves")
BAYBERRY - "Candle scent popular at Christmas"

Trivia I didn't know:

LILIAN - "Mystery writer ______ Jackson Braun"
BARNEYS - "_______ New York (upscale department store chain)"
EMORY - "Prestigious research university"
BRAINPLASTICITY - "Ability to learn and adapt neurologically"
DRESS - "Habiliments" (Never heard of the clue)
CATT - "Suffragist Carrie Chapman ____"
ATLI - "Gudrun's victim, in Norse myth"
CELA - "That, in France"
EPISTLES - "Mass readings"
WYNNE - "Arthur _____, inventor of the crossword puzzle"

Junk Answers:

HRS - "Billing units: Abbr."
CATT - (See above)
ATLI - (See above)
ORK - "Sitcom world"
CELA - (See above)
MOC - "Cozy footwear, for short"

Clever clues:

ARI - "TV Gold?"
SILLS - "Places to cool it?" (I assume this is clever, but I don't understand it)

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

CANTAB - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/11/17 (Fri.)

Cruciverbalist: Hal Moore
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 17:25

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know:

IONE - "One of the Nereids"
THAI - "Language in which 'seven' is 'jet'"
ERIE - "Home to Double-A baseball's SeaWolves"
ALTA - "Wasatch Mountains resort"
LEOI - "Hilarius succeeded him in A.D. 461"
URIAH - "David had him slain, in the Bible"
IRV - "Music producer Gotti"
LIA - "___ Fail (ancient crowning stone"

Junk Answers:

LEOI - (See above)
LIA - (See above)
IONE - (See above)
PLEB - "Common sort"

Clever clues:

ECHO - "Return from a tunnel?"
FEES - "Loads of investments?"
SALAD - "Preparatory course?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

PHILEAS - "Fogg of fiction"
EGALITE - "'Liberte, _______, fraternite' (France's motto)"
LIA - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/10/17 (Thu.)

Cruciverbalists: John E. Bennett and Jeff Chen
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 12:21

Puzzle uniqueness:

Black squares on either side of the puzzle form a "hook" and a "crook.' The circled letters FISH are in the hook and the circled letters LAMB are in the crook. Answer BYHOOKORBYCROOK clues the theme.

Words I hadn't known until now: 

CLONK - "Sound of metallic impact" (I've heard of "clank" and "clunk," but this is a new one"

Trivia I didn't know:

ASPEN - "Home to an annual Ideas Festival"
TONIO - "'Pagliacci' role" (Huh?)
PER - "What a '/' may mean"
TYNE - Newcastle upon ____, England"
LASCRUCES - "Seat of New Mexico's Dona Ana County"
OTHO - "Roman emperor who overthrew Galba"
AMINOGROUP - "-NH2 attachment, in chemistry"

Junk answers:

BLT - "Diner staple, for short"
SST - "Attraction at Boeing's Museum of flight, for short"
BMOC - "Standout in a quad"
STP - "Indy racer sponsor"
ABIT - "Somewhat"
NYNY - "Letters that might precede 10001"
THEM - "Silent part of 'mnemonic'" (A junk interpretation. "The M." really?)

Clever clues:

PEW - "Seat of Christianity?"
WEARIEST - "Spent the most?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

TONIO - (See above)
CLONK - (See above)

NYT Crossword 08/09/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalist: Adam G. Perl
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 07:59

Puzzle uniqueness:

Impossible poker clues describing every day phrases. (Example: Answer CHESSMATCH in which the clue is "Where a queen can beat a king")

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know: 

EMIL - "Disney's '____ and the Detectives'"
LEO - "Soccer's Messi, informally"
BEHAN - "'Borstal Boy' author"
PYE - "Onetime English poet laureate Henry James ___"
LEHAR - "'The Merry Widow' composer"

Junk Answers:

ISR - "Mossad's land: Abbr."
EDU - "School email suffix"
OMG - "Texter's 'Yikes!'"
PDAS - "Forerunners of smartphones, for short"
PED - "___ Xing"
AMC - "'The Walking Dead' channel"
MRI - "Radiology exam, briefly"
IPA - "Hoppy brew, briefly"
IES - "Certain plural ending"
RES - "In medias ___"

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

NYT Crossword 08/08/17 (Tue.)

Cruciverbalist: Dan Flanagan
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 07:24

Puzzle uniqueness:

Four fractions with the same number above and  below, each representing something in everyday life (Example: COMMONTIME. Clue: 4/4)

Words I hadn't known until now: 

TODDLE - "Walk like a two-year-old, say" (I had no idea "toddler" came from this. BTW, I have no kids)

Trivia I didn't know: 

OMAR - "Vizquel with 11 Gold Gloves"

Junk Answers: 

ENE - "Indianapolis-to-Cleveland dir."
ECO - "Green: Prefix"
SSN - "I.R.S. digits: Abbr."
OER - "'___ the land of the free ..."
ESE - "Suffix in many language names"

Clever clues:

DIRE - "Like some straits"
QUICKSAND - "Something that gives you a sinking feeling"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

TREME - "Onetime HBO series set in New Orleans"

NYT Crossword 08/07/17 (Mon.)

Cruciverbalist: Kevin Christian
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 06:22

Puzzle uniqueness:

Answer FILMDIRECTOR  is clue to the three answers whose second words are "lights," "camera," and "action." Typical words of a director.

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know:

MOTET - "Sacred choral work"

Junk Answers:

MSG - "'No ___' (menu phrase)"
SSN - "XXX-XX-XXX fig."
MASC - "Not fem."
ISR - "Tel Aviv's land: Abbr."
ONT - "Toronto's prov."
RTE - "GPS offering: Abbr."
DOR - "Palme ___ (top prize at Cannes)"

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 

YAKOV - "Comedian Smirnoff"

NYT Crossword 08/06/17 (Sun.)

Cruciverbalist: Patrick Berry
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 35:00

Puzzle uniqueness: "Anchors Away!"

Maritime puns. (Example: SEMITRAWLER Clue - "Fishing vessel that can pull only half a net behind it?")

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know:

LOTUS - "Fruit mentioned in the 'Odyssey'" (Thought it was a flower, not a fruit)
BOORTZ - "Libertarian pundit Neal"

Junk Answers:

GPS - "Speaker on a car's dash"
RNA - "Messenger ___"
LSD - "Deadhead's hits?"
LPGA - "Women's Open org."
NEO - "Revival movement prefix"
OLE - "Cheer with an accent"
FDA - "Pharma watchdog"

Clever clues:

CURB - "Walk on the edge"
SEQUEL - "Second story?"
SUB - Under goer?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

SWIRLY - "Forming spiral patterns"

NYT Crossword 08/05/17 (Sat.)

Cruciverbalist: David Phillips
Editor: Will Smith

Solving time: 24:48

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

ENOKI - "Mushroom added to udon soup"

PANTO - "Silent dramatic performance, to Brits" (There is a bit of a controversy over this clue)

Trivia I didn't know:

ANA - "Actress Ortiz"
ENOKI - (See above)
NIGER - "Third-longest river in Africa" (Really?)
ELEVEN - "Number of sides on a loonie" (Don't know what this is)
SEEKER - "Position in Quidditch"
NERO - "Enemy captain in 2009's 'Star Trek' film"
NOE - "San Francisco's ___ Valley"
CRU - "Word on une bouteille de vin"

Junk Answers:

AVE - "Colosseum greeting"
URE - "Cult follower?"
SRA - "Title for Queen Isabella: Abbr."
NOE - (See above)
CRU - (See above)

Clever clues:

PEACESIGN - "Double-digit figure?"
MORPH - "Reform?"
TECH - "Apple field"
SANSSERIF - "Unembellished type"
BITES - "On-line jerks?"
OXEN - "Draft picks?"
ESP - "Picking things up?"
PINATA - "Party animal?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

PANTO - (See above)
GENESES - "Beginnings" (Rarely used in plural)

NYT Crossword 08/04/17 (Fri.)

Cruciverbalist: Damon Gulczynski
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: DNF

Puzzle uniqueness: 0

Words I hadn't known until now: 

GIGECONOMY - "Labor market short on long-term work"
BIGA - "N.Y.C. racetrack, informally" (Have no idea what this represents, grew up in the southwest)
SHIM - "Level" (I know a shim levels, but didn't know these were synonymous)

Trivia I didn't know:

SCOTT - "White Cloud competitor"
LINA - "Chinese tennis star who has won both the French and Australian Opens"
PRATT - "Brooklyn art institute"
AILEY - "The _____ School  (Manhattan dance institution)"
ARMANI - "Fendi rival" (Never heard of Fendi)
RONNY - "'The Daily Show' correspondent Chieng"

Junk Answers:

BSS - "Some undergrad degs."
ISH - "'Sorta'"
PRE - "Nova Scotia's Grand ___ National Historic Site"
TVPG - "'Modern Family' rating"
EXEC - "C.F.O., e.g."
ODON - "Go crazy with, in a way"
XOXO - "Love letters"
DCAREA - "The N.I.H. is based in it"
ISSO - "Playground rejoinder"

Clever clues:

VERB - "What fish or chicken can be, but not turkey"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

PERESTROIKA - "Historic 'restructuring'"

NYT Crossword 08/03/17 (Thu.)

Cruciverbalist: Timothy Polin
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 11:36

Puzzle uniqueness:

Answer BELTLOOP clue to three answers which have types of belts within the answers and also wrap the puzzle from east to west. (Example: WOOLYMAMMOTHS has "Ammo" in the answer (ammo belt) and "MOTHS' is on the west side of the puzzle, the bulk of the answer on the east side.)

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know:

KRISHNA - "Deity often depicted with blue skin"
LIBYA - "Modern home of ancient Tripolitania"
JACOB - "Patriarch with 12 sons"

Junk answers:

AKA - "Otherwise called"
ASKNO - "_____ quarter (refuse mercy)"
ETS - "Figures in the 2016 film 'Arrival,' for short"
CCS - "Also keeps in the know, in a way"
TLC - "'Cake Boss' channel"

Clever clues:

STIGMA - "Tough to remove stain"
OMERTA - "Code broken by rats"
LODE - "Lucky strike?"
LIEGE - "One working for the lord"
ART - "Works in a salon"
SOD - "What might make up for lost ground?"
DUEL - "Drawing contest?"
VINYL - "Like records that are easily broken?"
MOOED - "Made field calls?"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words:

SKYY - "Grey Goose competitor"

NYT Crossword 08/02/17 (Wed.)

Cruciverbalist: Bruce Haight
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 08:21

Puzzle uniqueness:

Contronyms. Words with two opposite meanings. (Example: OVERSIGHT Clue: Watchful care ... or careless mistake)

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know: 0

Junk Answers:

HEHS - "Sneaky little snickers"
SFO - "Bay Area airport code"
KAMA - "____ Sutra"
ISBN - "Card catalog ID"
INI - "Suffix in many pasta names"
SHH - "'Zip it!"
NCO - "Cpl. or sgt."
OEN - "Wine: Prefix"
NAV - "___ system (car option that may speak to you"

Clever clues: 0

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0

PELEG - "Co-owner of the Pequod"

NYT Crossword 08/01/17 (Tue.)

Cruciverbalist: Jay Kaskel
Editor: Will Shortz

Solving time: 07:40

Puzzle uniqueness:

"Shocking!" phrases that are tagged to professions. (Example: OHMYSTARS - Clue: "Shocking!," to an astronomer?)

Words I hadn't known until now: 0

Trivia I didn't know: 

MAMMA - "With 6-Down (MIA), 'Dancing Queen' musical"

Junk Answers: 

CAB - "Zin alternative" (Zinfandel vs. cabernet...I just hate the cluing"
XER - "Gen ___"
ISTOO - "Childish comeback"
NEA - "Teachers' org."
ATIE - "End in ____"
TRE - "Uno + due"
OED - "Multivolume ref."
ELO - "'Strange Magic' band, for short"
SSE - "Chicago-to-Indianapolis dir." (I really hate these)
ADT - "Big letter in home security"
EDS - "Mag heads"
AGER - "Ending with teen"

Clever clues:

LOO - "English head"

Obscure (i.e., really reaching) words: 0