Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Wednesday, March 20, 2019, Erik Agard, Amanda Chung, and Karl Ni

10:16

In today's theme answers, the letters INK at the end of three phrases letterally fall off one by one. They all show up at the start in the nice full-grid-spanning ICANTSLEEPAWINK before the K tumbles off into the KITCHENSIN (Leaving dirty dishes on the counter, say), then NK goes underground giving us HOTPI (Sexy detective), and then the removal of INK MAKESYOUTH (Works like an anti-aging serum). The revealer, DISAPPEARINGINK, is another nice full-grid-spanning answer. Fun.

I thought it was good, in a way, that another brand of root beer, Mug, could also fit at 21A (Root beer brand) where IBC was wanted. I say 'in a way' because some solvers might have entered Mug first before realizing their mistake. Some solvers might also have had a similar experience with "honk" and BEEP (Rush-hour sound) at 44D. :|

I enjoyed the clue at 49D: Bends at a barre (PLIES). And, I thought 11-12D: "With 12-Down, actress Joan whose last name consists of two different conveyances" (VAN ARK) was rail good.

I thought all of today's QMCs were entertaining. These are three of my favorites:
31D: Grounds for discussion? (FORUM) - location, location, location!
56D: Letters at a filling station? (DDS) - a gas!
31A: Part of a Swiss roll? (FRANC) - dough!
VENA


There's not much to like about OVATE, TSOS, or PDT but sometimes, the show must go on.

~Frannie.

3 comments:

  1. 9:05 (paper)

    I thought this was a fun theme. I especially liked HOTPI. Always good when things get wacky in a puzzle, and even better when they get sexy wacky!

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  2. 8:19
    I'd have liked HOTPI better had it been math-themed somehow. Great theme, IMO, and although he was terrible, it was nice, in a way, to see DONHO in the grid. I have an album of his that I was thinking of sending out to nephew Scott.

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  3. This was a fun theme. And yes when I got to DONHO, I just thought of how well known he is and how much my father dislikes his music. So I guess we are both on the "terrible" page even though in my case it is by reputation. I don't know whether I've ever heard him myself.

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