0:06:48
Foiled by entering "KeBaB" instead of KABOB (43A: Serving on a skewer). And by my clumsy "thumb-typing." Sometime I'll have to try to hook up a keyboard to the ol' iPad Mini and see if that helps the speed at all… But, really, as we all know, it's not about speed. It's about enjoyment, right? And who doesn't enjoy clues like 48A: The "L" of L.A. (LOS), and 55A: "There ____ is, Miss America" (SHE)? Nobody, right?
I liked seeing AENEID (58A: Epic work by Virgil) in there, but it pains me a little, because I decided not to enroll in an extension school Latin class which was reading selections from that work this spring. What with this blog and all… where would I find the time to read Latin? Oh, I know… I should have made time. Stop hounding me, all of you!
Where was I? Oh, right. I don't like DOLCE for 39A: Softly, in music. Softly, in music, is "piano." Dolce, in music, is "sweetly." Sure, the sweet passage might also be played softly, but that's not the first thing it means. And while I'm complaining, I'd rather see UPENN than PENN (29A: Ivy League school in Philly), but really, that's not terrible, and I guess the "Philly" shortening opens the answer up a bit. And one last thing - they left out the zero in the beginning of the FIBONACCI (34D: Eponym of a number series that begins 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, …) sequence again, but the answer is still a good one. As is CLEOPATRA (11D: 1963 Elizabeth Taylor role).
It's a little amazing to me that on a Monday you can have USA (5D: It's between Can. and Mex.) (!!) two spots away from OLEIC (7D: Kind of acid used in soapmaking), but, well, you can, apparently. I guess I should just be happy to see 69A: "America's Finest News Source," with "The") (ONION) in there and call it a day.
- Horace
8:57
ReplyDeleteGet to Latin class. I liked seeing LIFELINE in there (32A *Contestant's help on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire") because I see that show three days per week. The theme was fine, I thought. NICAD was good, but I agree with DOLCE and PENN for that matter. I didn't star anything today, but IDUNNO (21A "No idea"), there were a few gems.
5:48. Bleah. Not an interesting Monday, and the theme doesn't really help. I agree completely about DOLCE. Poor cluing.
ReplyDelete7:07. I too got a kick out of seeing The Onion in the grid. Pretty standard fare for a Monday. This one didn't really have much that would qualify as egregious. HES for "Guys" probably comes closest. PENN seems just fine to me. When I think of or refer to the school, that's what I hear in my mind or say. As you note, those are two terrific non-theme nines for a Monday. LDS makes me think of Star Trek IV (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgHxFNFWlZc). Wish it had been clued for that, but I suppose that would be too obscure.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's probably too obscure. Good clue for a Saturday, though.
ReplyDelete