C2 is very difficult. Look at the two words individually. Another word for equal is...

I don't have C2 or D1 either, and not positive of my answer for A2, though it works.

Well, FINALLY got the bonus. Even when I got it I had to figure out WHY it was the answer. I couldn't get truckers and Norman invaders out of my head

So funny, I got C2 pretty quickly but the bonus that so many found easy, drove me nuts.

My answer for D1 is so mundane it can't possibly be right.

I got C2 pretty quickly too. It’s one of those puzzles where there’s a word inside the letters. Then think of a synonym for that word.

bpath! Norman invaders? Have you started reading Asterix comics? 😃

(As an aside, I made Queen Bee this morning!! Wahoo!!!)

Oh goodness yeah my C2 was wrong for sure! Thanks Rox!

A hint, a hint, my kingdom for a hint — for A2!

Ahhhh.....got C2 - thanks for the hints! Now that I look at it again, it should have been more obvious to me.

Maybe I have C2 wrong. Have we not had it before but with a different hidden word?

bpath, I have three guesses for A2. They’re all equally iffy. (Just a comment, not a hint)

Well, four guesses but the puzzle isn’t drawn quite right for it.

Am I the only one not getting D3? Anyone have a hint, please? I have a couple of ideas for A2, based on the names, but I haven't figured out how to put them together for a solution.

(Annie, what is 'Queen Bee'?)

Rusty

Rusty, are you a fan of James Bond movies? That might help.

If not, the saying for D3 is often followed by ”And so are the payments”

Also, look at the symbols in the puzzle and think of a similar phrase.

I don’t think Rusty is to familiar with James Bond movies, but she might have seen an engagement ring commercial, which was my first thought for the solution. (DH and I have decided we need to have a James Bond Film Festival at home, because i have never seen one all the way through.)

There is a game called Spelling Bee, and if you score high enough you are Queen Bee. I have it on my phone, alongside the Daily Mini Crossword, but they are from the New York Times and I don’t have a subscription so I can only get up to maybe 45 points or a dozen words spelled before it cuts me off (and tries to lure me with ”Hey, you’re good at this, why don’t you subscribe so you can keep playing?)

If not James Bond, think of Liz Taylor

I keep thinking of Carol Channing, but that’s a different title.

With the great hint I finally got C2 but I am still clueless about D1!

I have something dor D1 but it’s just too simple to be right. Kind if along the lines of my answer for A3, my answer isn’t as clever as these usually are!

For A3 I’m thinking of Franz. Ok that’s a slighyly obscure hint but if we’re on the same page it might make sense.

FOAS, did you go to college? (I've no idea what 'Franz' might hint at.)

No, I'm not a James Bond fan. Liz Taylor? Guess I have to change my line of thought for D3, so far all that comes to mind are things related to card games.

Thanks for the info, Bpath.

Rusty

Franz? I can't imagine any connection to any Franz with my answer. Golly, these are hard lately! Did I accidentally walk into the advanced class?

Wait, I CAN think of a "Franz connection". Send me a telegram if you think I might have it.

Yes, Rusty, I went to college. I never got any honors, was too busy drinking de beers.

Rusty, you may be overcomplicating D3. Say the first shape you see (pluralize it) and then think of what the final symbol means.

bpath I don’t think we’re on the same page!

Yes, Rusty, I went to college. I never got any honors, was too busy drinking de beers.

Hmm, so you weren’t on anyone’s honour roll then.

LOL Rox I know the answer I was trying to throw out another hint for D3

Foas, lol! I guess not! I’m looking forward to the answers later to see what Franz means! And then I’ll explain why I could twist Franz into my answer lol

Well, i finally got C2, but still working on A2 and D1 and the bonus I’m not sure of. i agree with foas, we’ll be laughing at our wrong answers and guesses for this one.

edited to add, i ’might’ have an answer for D1 but it’s a stretch.

Jasdip, a hint on A2 before the big reveal?

Sorry, I just saw your request now, bpath. I was working.

I'm going to post the answers and go to bed.

Two peas in a pod

Rough around the edges

the Dean's list

Reverse the charges

Same time next year

Connect the dots

Piece of cake

A friend in need is a friend indeed

Too little too late

A day at a time

Star Wars

Diamonds are forever

And

Gross income

Star Wars seemed too obvious and not quite right. That’s what I guessed but thought it was something more.

A2 I guessed cornermen. Then I thought rough corners or tough corners. I thought about rough around the edges but I felt the names should be along the edges rather than on the corners.

Thanks Jasdip.

Wow, I was way off base on a few!

For ”Dean’s List”, I had ”six + dean” for ”16”. That ”franz” suggestion from FOAS confirmed my singing the song ”16 going on 17“ from The Sound of Music when I couldn’t remember the name of the messenger boy who sings it with Liesl. (And tonight I remembered, it’s Rolf, not Franz. Franz was the butler.)

For ”A Day at a Time”, well, I finally came up with ”4 times a week”. I don’t think it’s any worse than the puzzlemaker’s answer lol!

Finally, ”rough around the edges”. I still don’t get it. Well, I do if I think real hard. But it’s late and I don’t like to think that hard after dinner. But I don’t like it anyway lol!

Thanks for a real workout today, Jasdip!

Thanks for explaining ”Franz” bpath.

That really had me puzzled🤔

Eek! I was just going to bed and Franz just hit me…..Franz Liszt. LOL

Good one, FOAS

I did not get A2 and was never going to get it.

For "A day at a time" D1, I had "anytime, anyday" but the rest I got.

I thought this was the toughest one yet and I still don't get some of the answers like A2 and C2 and the bonus.

Two peas in a pod - Yup.

Rough around the edges - Closest I got was Champions’ Square which had just enough references online to make me think ”mayyybe.”

the Dean's list - I came up with 16 initially but didn’t like it. Yes, roxol, Franz Liszt! bpath - when i googled I saw there’s a messenging app called franz; thought you were spinning something together with that.

Reverse the charges - I had back charges

Same time next year - I thought same time each year which I think is a better answer

Connect the dots - dotted line

Piece of cake - Yep.

A friend in need is a friend indeed - originally had paled in comparison but didn’t like it. Thanks for the hint!

Too little too late - Second too late. Aargh. I’m realizing now that my German steered me wrong: a period after two makes it second.

A day at a time - I had random times of the week but wasn’t convinced because the days weren’t random, they were every third day.

Star Wars - got it.

Diamonds are forever - yes, De Beers (kind of)

I guess that’s a 50% for me. Even with contesting some plus the bonus there’s no chance of making Dean’s List.

Instead of rough around the edges I thought it was boxed in.

Ended up with dot to dot instead of connect the dots.

Missed the dean's list entirely.

All I could come up with fire A3 was "having a pro in your corner" which sounds like an advertising line, but I'm not sure about the choice of pros.

I was with bpath and was thinking having a champion in your corner... if I were doing "rough around the edges" I might've put a kind of dog in each corner instead....

I was thinking "sixdean" or sixteen and completely missed dean's list...

And for D1 I was thinking simply, "time and day".

Looks like my thinking was along the same lines as some others here.

I never would've guessed the ones I was having trouble with. Those answers don't make a lot of sense to me.

Three wrong for me. For A2 I had defensive corner, which I know is a football term, but I thought maybe Tyson and Holyfield were defending champs....a stretch, I know. For A3, I also had 16 and for D1, all I could come up with was time of day, which I had a feeling wasn't right, but I'm not sure I like a day at a time much better. : )

'Til tomorrow....

Yeah - I was thinking 'one day at a time' for D1, and also 16 was all I came up with for the 6 deans, and for the square thingy, all I could think of was 'sports roundup' - which makes about as much sense as the correct answer does, IMO.

I never did settle on anything for A2, tried to come up with something about contact sports, boxers, sports ring, etc., nothing worked. Don't think I'd have ever figured it out. 'Sixteen' was my first guess for A3, then thought that couldn't be right. (Glad to see others came up with the same thing.) and changed my mind to 'Dean's list'. Had 'Follow the dots' for B3, close enough? And 'One Day at a Time" for D1, and that song has been going through my mind ever since. Never did get D3, even with the hints. All I could see was something to do with cards, but I don't know enough card game terms, so thought maybe 'Jack of Diamonds'. But knew from the clues that that was wrong. (But I like it better than the real answer.)

And the bonus gave me some trouble, too, until I realized I was reading the 'o' as a zero. Then it got easy.

This was really a good puzzle, a good mix all the way from easy to durned near impossible. At first glance it looked like it was going to be really tough, but after a closer look, some were pretty easy.

Lots of fun, as always, thanks, Jasdip!

Rusty

Those were good, and a real challenge. I never got close to A2. I kept going down the Sports arena rabbit hole on that one. Didnt get D1 either, and the only thing that ever came to mind for me was ‘3 ways from Sunday’ which didn't really make sense either.

I gave up on the bonus. SMH, as i could see Income, but the word gross never came to mind.

Make the next one easier...lol

I also thought boxed in and never did get anything for D1. So it goes. I assume Peas in a Pod is close enough.

I thought cornermen for A2

“What is the meaning of cornerman?

1 : one who plays in or near the corner: such as. a : cornerback. b : a basketball forward.”

They are all men’s names and they are in the corners.

I think knowing that 144 = 1 gross helped with the bonus...