I seldom have much to say about the Monday puzzles—but if you've got something you'd like to say, comment away!

I liked the overriding Middle Eastern vibe in Lynn Lempel's Monday-puzzle-that-wasn't-in-the-applet-last-night. After encountering PASHA, MULLAH, ALIBABA, AQABA, and AFGHANS (clued as blankets rather than people), other words started to look Arabic. Like ZAPPA (is that Italian?) and SHANANA (Donna Shalala was of Arab descent, I believe, though one is not to confuse Sha Na Na with Donna Shalala).

How many of you devour the whole week's NYS puzzles (or your favorite days' worth) on Monday, and how many of you mete them out to yourself on a daily basis? I go back and forth. If you're a wanton devourer and tell me how great one of the later-week puzzles is, I won't be able to resist. If I'm bored, I won't resist. But otherwise I try to save them as daily treats to look forward to.

CS 3:45
LAT 3:09
NYT (Lempel) 3:03
NYS 2:57