So much to like here! I broke in with 5D: Cross-outs and others (EDITS), and then when I put in TOYCAR, I was able to get TOMRIPLEY, which really opened up the NW. 1A: Reject someone, in a way (SWIPELEFT) gets an A+. Great clue, contemporary answer, made me laugh. Hit the trifecta. I also love ARMADILLO.
With the NW filled in quickly, I was able to hit the NE fairly well, because EXCALIBUR was a gimme with the X and the clue. ABORIGINAL is excellent as well. 14D: Keeps the beat? (PATROLS) didn't fool me for a second, but it took a while to figure out 24A: Without having a second to lose? (SOLO). Pretty clever stuff!
I had newyorkBAY for a while at 40A: Giovanni da Verrazano discovery of 1524 (CAPECODBAY). I daresay the Wampanoag tribe would cavil at the thought that Verrazano "discovered" the water they'd been fishing in for centuries. Perhaps they should have clued it: Verrazano was the first European here in 1524. In any case, I went for New York, thinking of the Verrazano Narrows, across which is the bridge connecting Staten Island with Brooklyn.
34D: "Ya got me?" (CAPISCE) is excellent. Somehow the clue sounds like it's in a Brooklyn accent. The MINIATURE dollhouse furniture reminds me of the character Lester Freamon in The Wire. I'd like to point out that I got 29A from Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" ("Dien BIEN Phu falls, Rock Around The Clock...").
For some unclear reason I tried Brisket at 36D: Entree often served with a moist towelette (BBQRIBS). Sure, you can get brisket at a BBQ joint, but it's a lot cleaner usually than those ribs. In any case, FAQS helped clear that up.
I love 55A: 60s sorts (DSTUDENTS). I did not see that coming, and the DST at the start had me scratching my head for a while. I finished in the SE corner, where ALMADEN was unknown to me. Things I did not like included DEWED, which seems like a possible but never actually used word, and and maybe BLU, but we get so much French and Spanish, it seems reasonable to do Italian once in a while. Otherwise, I liked it all.
- Colum
49:18 (FWTE)
ReplyDeleteI misspelled CAPISCE, using an "h" where the second "c" belongs and not paying any attention whatsoever to the cross, and entered AnORIGINAL instead of ABORIGINAL, again not checking the cross. I finished all but the NW in under 20 minutes, and the next half-hour was spent trying to figure all of that out. SWIPELEFT was my last entry. NERTS was difficult since I'd not heard the expression used in the clue, I knew the Ripley part of TOMRIPLEY, but needed crosses for the rest, and I didn't know the trivia about the ARMADILLO. Alas, I'm familiar with ALMADEN, but I'm happy to report I've not had any in quite some time. Favorite word in today's puzzle: EBULLIENT.