Constructor: Tom McCoy
Relative problem: Medium
THEME: “Enlargement Pack” — theme solutions do not seem to suit the clue; they’re all two-word solutions, the place you must learn the primary letter of the primary phrase as *its personal phrase*, after which take the second phrase usually (e.g. BOTTOM LINE = “B” LINE = BEELINE for 23A: Direct path) (there have been “Puzzle Notes” that provided normal clues for the precise solutions that appeared within the grid …
Theme solutions:
- BOTTOM LINE = “B” LINE = “beeline” for 23A: Direct path
- OLDER BROTHER = “O” BROTHER = “Oh, brother!” for 29A: “Sheesh!”
- PUTTING GREEN = “P” GREEN = “pea inexperienced” for 41A: Coloration of the Owl and Pussy-cat’s boat
- IN CONTACT = “I” CONTACT = “eye contact” for 63A: One thing prevented throughout awkward conditions
- CHARLEY HORSE = “C” HORSE = “seahorse” for 84A: Fish with a prehensile tail
- GIVING THANKS = “G” THANKS = “Gee, thanks” for 97A: “Oh, that is so good of you to say!”
- THIRD PARTY = “T” PARTY = “tea occasion” for 105A: Mad Hatter’s social occasion
Phrase of the Day: CLANGOR (84D: Cacophony) —
: a convincing clang or medley of clangsthe clangor of hammers (merriam-webster.com)
• • •
There’s gotta be a greater strategy to execute this idea. I type of loved determining what the hell was happening with the theme, however being confronted with the horrible “Puzzle Notes” forward of time actually mucked every thing up. Simply put plenty of wordy and uninteresting and pointless blather between me and the puzzle expertise. It isn’t That uncommon for difficult puzzles to comprise what are primarily unclued solutions, so I do not know what the Notes had been essential. The primary a part of the “Notes” is definitely tremendous—the half that claims, primarily, “yo, a bunch of those solutions aren’t gonna match their clues, you gotta work out why.” That looks like loads of assist for any solver who may marvel what the hell they’ve stumbled into right here. However the half the place “normal clues” are provided up, in no specific order (???) as in the event that they had been in some way a function and never a bug … I do not get. The unclued solutions stay a bug. You’ll be able to embrace the bug-ness and simply allow them to be, or you may attempt to eradicate the bug however find yourself smushing the bug and making an terrible mess, which is actually what occurs right here. With out the “Puzzle Notes” … I feel I like this idea tremendous. I positively loved not having any concept what was happening for somewhat bit. I like difficult themes that do not reveal themselves so simply, and this one positively delivered on that depend. Did not put the trick collectively till proper … right here:
Earlier than that, I used to be below the impression that the primary phrase of the themers was merely ballast, and its existence can be defined at some later level within the resolve. That’s, I assumed the literal reply to 23A: Direct path was LINE, that the colour of the Owl / Pussy-cat boat was GREEN. Each solutions appeared to work tremendous, so the entire first-letter idea did not register. Then, as you may see (within the incomplete grid I simply posted above), I had no concept tips on how to spell GALL-VANTS, and whereas the one phrase that made sense at 63A was IN CONTACT, I wasn’t about to decide to that reply till I had a grasp of what the hell was happening. Then I bought to OLDER BROTHER, and noticed the “Oh, brother!” connection instantly. Then I appeared again on these earlier three themers and so they all abruptly and clearly got here into focus: beeline, pea inexperienced, and eye contact. True aha second there. That was positively the place the puzzle peaked. The remaining was simpler and fewer thrilling as a result of the thriller was gone, however conceptually I feel this one holds up fairly nicely. The unclued solutions had been all the time going to be an issue, and I simply did not just like the clumsy try at dealing with them. In any other case, thematically, thumbs up.
I additionally loved the lengthy Downs, notably the truth that 3/4 of them had been bouncy colloquial phrases. “LET’S GET ON WITH IT!” “WHAT’S YOUR SECRET?” and particularly “ON THAT NOTE …” had been all winners. There have been a couple of instances when the fill felt somewhat anemic or downright ugly. That ATARUN (?) / TERCE nook (SW) may be very unpretty (aside from PRINCE, who may be very fairly), and the “WAH!” “AH, ME” AMIGO cluster within the mideast was no looker both. “AH, ME” is all the time terrible, and … nicely, AMIGO is ok as a solution, however man do I hate that clue (46D: Broseph). Do individuals actually speak that approach? It is like a caricature of a caricature of how a “bro” talks. AMIGO is such an honest, all-purpose phrase, so why go and muck it up with fauxbrospeak, why? Sigh, ah me, and so on. However past these two little sections, the weak spots seem solely sporadically. My ALECTO (the one in each translation of the Aeneid I’ve ever learn) has two “L”s, in order that was bizarre (88A: One of many Furies of Greek fable). However I suppose Virgil’s spelling is anomalous. Or only a Latin variation. Dunno. No concept re: “A TO Z Mysteries” or ALDEN. I assumed the Boxcar Youngsters had been strictly a latest phenomenon, however it appears to be like like they date again to the Nineteen Twenties. Ah, I see the e book collection died out within the mid-70s however then bought rebooted within the ’90s. I missed each incarnations. The “A TO Z Mysteries” began in ’97, approach well past my time (they in some way missed my born-in-2000 daughter as nicely—bizarre).
Errors? Positive, some. I had UNAPT at 5A: Not suited (for) (UNFIT) and that was oddly consequential for some time, since that reply contained the primary letters of two Downs I did not know (7D: The yolk’s on them and 8D: ___ Malcolm, Jeff Goldblum’s position in “Jurassic Park”). How is the yolk “on” FRIED EGGS any greater than it is “on” any eggs? I get the pun, however it’s UNAPT for the FRIED a part of FRIED EGGS. I had BLAST earlier than BEAST at 14A: Wild factor. I like that mistake. LOATHE earlier than SCATHE at 94A: Excoriate. I like that mistake much less. And CLANGOR, yeeeeesh. I needed to jot down in CLAMOUR (British spelling?) and now the extra I take a look at CLANGOR the much less wordlike it appears to be like (84D: Cacophony). It is like … it desires to be CLAMOR, but in addition desires to be from BANGOR. It additionally feels like an obscure “Star Trek” race, possibly one which bought talked about as soon as, in a single episode of “TNG” in 1992, after which was by no means spoken of once more. “Klingon” + “Borg” = CLANGOR!
Taking every week off from Letters to the Editor this week. Extra subsequent week. Any crossword or blog-related questions will be despatched to me at rexparker at icloud dot com. Have a stunning remainder of your 4th o’ July weekend.
Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld
