LAT 2:44 (Stella) 
[5.00 avg; 1 rating] fee it
Newsday tk (pannonica) fee it
NYT 6:18 (Amy) 
[3.83 avg; 3 ratings] fee it
Common tk (Matthew) fee it
USA Right now tk (Matthew) fee it
WSJ tk (pannonica) fee it
Gene Louise De Vera’s New York Instances crossword—Amy’s recap
NY Instances crossword resolution, 5/24/25 – no. 0524
This 16×15 grid accommodates an ideal pair of spanners, CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM and PLEASANT SURPRISE.
Different fave fill: ENTRY LEVEL, SEA TURTLE, “YOU WOULDN’T!”, SAFE HOUSES, “STILL I RISE,” ILL-ADVISED.
New to me: 2nd. [Location where a video game character starts (or restarts) a level], SPAWN POINT.
And likewise: 35D. [Place for a camper], RV LOT. Right here’s an article explaining what RV heaps are.
Not satisfied that “I NEVER WILL” is de facto idiomatic sufficient to be a crossword entry. Crosswordese EPODE and awkward COLEAD and REMET are additionally within the debit column.
Favourite clue: 24D. [Xi’s language], GREEK. That’s the Greek letter xi and never Xi Jinping. Did that pressured capital X trick you?
3.5 stars from me.
Erik Agard’s Los Angeles Instances crossword — Stella’s write-up
Los Angeles Instances 5/24/25 by Erik Agard
If the LAT had titles for his or her puzzles, this one may appropriately be referred to as “Erik Agard reminds us that he’s one of many GOATs.” So many lengthy solutions on this puzzle to marvel at, together with the triple-stacked 15s within the heart crossing a pair of 11s which are each fascinating and begin with a high-Scrabble-value letter. So many wish-I’d-thought-of-that clues, too…
- …beginning with [Point guard?] at 1A, which is PEN CAP. Get it? It guards a pen level.
- 16A [Upper management?] for HAIR CARE can be fairly nice.
- 29A I really like the entry LANGUAGE BARRIER, and in addition the clue [Foreign exchange issue].
- 45A [Paul with an axe] After all you’re meant to think about Paul BUNYAN, however the three-letter entry size means we’re speaking about LES Paul, and the “axe” is a guitar.
- 54A [Fiction title?] is MISNOMER. Nice clue.
- 2D [“Shogun,” for one] is EPIC DRAMA, which is a cool entry, and I like that the superb present Shōgun was the instance chosen.
- 9D Though I’ve by no means learn any KIESE LAYMON, his inclusion within the puzzle feels very present and really Erik.
- 23D [Pacific counterpart] is QUARRELSOME. My favourite clue-entry pair within the puzzle, each as a result of QUARRELSOME is a enjoyable phrase to say out loud and since the clue is so misleading with the position of a usually uncapitalized phrase in the beginning of the clue to imitate the proper-noun Pacific Ocean.
- 31D [Grocery payment meth.] however, which clues EBT, is my least favourite clue within the puzzle. I personally am attempting to maneuver away from abbreviations one just about sees solely in crosswords, like “grp.” and “syst.,” and I feel “meth.” (a minimum of, as a shortening of “methodology” and never “methamphetamine”) falls on this class.
Anyway, 31D apart, this was a totally pleasing resolve. See above re: title I might give this puzzle if I may.
