Sunday, September 29, 2013

Sunday, September 29, 2013, Norm Guggenbiller

1:06:05

OVERHEARD IN NEW ENGLAND

Is everyone from New England as tired of hearing people try to correctly pronounce the accent as I am? And are they as irritated as I am when it is not done right? Does "cod" really sound like a Bostonian saying "card?" Maybe if you're JFK saying both words, and you assume that "cod" itself isn't being pronounced correctly, and maybe then it rhymes with the way he might say "card," but that's a bit of a stretch. If, on the other hand, you're assuming that we say "card" the way the rest of the country says "cod," well, I think that you're crazy. Now, if you're talking about my nephew Jeremy, then yes, he would, probably, say "card" like you say "cod," but he's an unusual case.

So, the theme didn't go over well. Did that poison the rest of the puzzle for me? or was it really as bad as I think it was? ESTS (1D: They're probably close: Abbr.)? Weak. CERO (3D: Large sport fish)? Really? ERN (6D: Directional suffix)? Really? That's half of the first six downs! It'll take me forever if I want to get all the way to SOONEST (122A: Immediately) (No.).

We did, somewhat coincidentally, get NEAT for 2D: Undiluted, which Huygens was just talking about recently... so that's nice. Maybe I'll go pour myself something neat.

Did. Not. Like.

- Horace

1 comment:

  1. 1:30:36
    I agree with both NEAT and Horace's review of this puzzle. Does it sound like POT when I say part? No. Though I did like 95A Sexy operators? (HOTSURGEONS), though ET59 wouldn't, and I thought that 101A Femmes fatales (MANEATERS) was OK. Also good was 24A A "Star Trek" officer and a physician are going to board a plane? (SPOCKSWILLFLY), but again, ET59 would probably be agin' it. And who doesn't like to see CRETIN once in a while. It took me a bit to figure out the theme, but once that was done this was TOOEASY. Anyway, Horace, you're right about there being a good amount of rubbish in here. I had SOONEST starred, as well as 84D Hoarders' problems (CLUTTERS). I know it's probably grammatically correct, but doesn't the singular clutter cover it all? Maybe not. Oh, I loved seeing 92D "WKRP in Cincinnati" news director Les ___ (NESSMAN) in there. One can't get too much of him.

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