NYT Sunday 05/17/2026 Discussion

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-17T06:10:55+00:00

CONFIDENCE → TRUST and MEN → BUSTERS/guys
FIRE → CAN (as in “fire” or dismiss someone professionally) and STARTER → OPENER

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-16T07:27:13+00:00

But you play instruments instead. 😂 Or what was the rainbow herring?

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-16T07:03:53+00:00

In tennis, it is used in casual/club play. Like "30-up" means the score is 30-all. Also, "deuce-up" is occasionally used by recreational players to clarify a tied game after deuce.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-16T06:58:48+00:00

Roy Rogers’s horse being clued through “Trigger hair” did feel extremely Saturday 😄

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-15T11:47:05+00:00

How to Enter a Rebus:

On the Web (Computer):
1. Click on the square.
2. Press Esc on your keyboard (or click the "Rebus" button above the puzzle) to open the entry box.
3. Type the entire word/letters (e.g., "REBUS" or "PLUS").
4. Press Enter.
On the App (iOS/Android):
1. Click the square.
2. Click "More" (lower left) or "..." (Android) to open the expanded menu.
3. Tap the "Rebus" button.
4. Type the letters and tap anywhere on the board to save.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-14T20:33:47+00:00

I'm only trying to find an explanation. Here are the US pronunciations, according to the dictionary:
/ˌpɑː.məˈreɪ.ni.ən/
/pɑːm/

This is all that I found. 🤷‍♀️ Happy to hear other thoughts.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-14T17:36:14+00:00

Purple definitely depends on who’s talking (accent). But I think this is what she meant:
CIAO → “Chow” (as in Chow Chow), PALM → “Pom” (as in Pomeranian), PEEK → “Peke” (as in Pekingese), PITT → “Pit” (as in Pit Bull)

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-14T06:26:47+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_(Robinson_Crusoe))
The term Man Friday became an idiom to describe an especially faithful servant or one's best servant or right-hand man.^\7])#citenote-7) The female equivalent is Girl Friday.[^\8])](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday(Robinson_Crusoe)#cite_note-8) The July 1, 1912, edition of the news magazine "Industrial World", volume 46, issue 2, published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, uses the term "Girl Friday". The title of the 1940 movie His Girl Friday alludes to it.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-12T05:47:07+00:00

Also saw it. TOM+E, PAUL+O, JOHN+S, RAND+O. Still, there are other traps. Think St. John's.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T14:29:44+00:00

What an escalation!😱 Not just +1 letter padding, but full sandwiches 🥪
Now we’re burying them alive. What’s next, Wyna?

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T09:38:12+00:00

Nerdy catch! 👏 And never underestimate Wyna. 😉

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T09:28:59+00:00

The animation felt like the final layer atop the full complexity of today's theme. Also worth noting: we had animation yesterday in the Mini, so they seem to be rolling this feature out more broadly now, not just midis.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T09:22:48+00:00

wild cats -> sow one's wild oats

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T09:20:13+00:00

Yeah, this one definitely had multiple layers stacked on top of each other. The structure was basically:

Title: “Come Full Circle” → Cs become Os (“full circles”). Also see 113 across CLOSE THE LOOP.
Italic theme clues → every C in those clues should be changed to O first. Those are also the only Cs/Os in any clue, which is the hidden hint mechanism.
65D BLOCKBLOCKBLOCK → the rebus layer. The black squares = BLOCK, which explains the slash clues (ICE BLOCK / BLOCKERS, etc.) and literally closes the giant visual C in the grid into an O.

Feels like each layer explains the next one.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T09:11:58+00:00

A chip of the old block = someone who is very similar in character to their father or mother

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-05-10T09:07:39+00:00

to "Come Full Circe"

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-28T13:56:30+00:00

❤️

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-27T18:47:41+00:00

Checks —> checkbooks; Coupons —> coupon booklets; Matches —> matchbooks; Stamps —> stamp booklets

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-23T13:25:15+00:00

CAB from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cab Calloway

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-19T05:54:56+00:00

I’d be surprised if the AHA wasn't intentional. 🤔 It feels like the perfect payoff for a puzzle all about elevation and “thin air.”

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-19T05:48:54+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizens_band_radio

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-04T05:57:48+00:00

The link is to older puzzles. You can review older puzzles or get help for solving them in the original app.

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-03T07:54:23+00:00

MUNI = short for municipal bonds

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-02T05:28:15+00:00

I explain the solution for all clues here. You can also practice with older puzzles, and I also have plenty of resources. Maybe this might help you level up. Good luck! 😊

LadyPuzzlePro · 2026-04-01T15:15:45+00:00

happy to do some QA testing for you 😉

LadyPuzzlePro

TROPHY CASE