1:29:21
Frannie always says that the stacked-15 puzzles are a little easier because you eventually figure out the long ones, then everything else falls into place. Well, that often happens, but today, the "everything else" was chock full of VARIG (22D: Flier to Rio), OTOMIS (7D: Mexican Indians), EARLAP (44D: It's turned down for warmth), and ETAMESON (9D: Electrically neutral subatomic particle). We did get them, thanks to the crosses, but jeez... there wasn't much joy in it.
But it wasn't all bad. I liked seeing (and learning about) OCARINA (3D: Instrument whose name means "little goose"), and I liked the clue for STEREOS (34D: Rock collections may sit beside them), but those, and a few others, didn't really make up for the rest of the fill. Even the 15s weren't especially good. Who has ever said EMAILDOMAINNAME?, raise your hand. That's right, no one.
- Horace
DNF because of an incorrect guess of pines/parig instead of VINES/VARIG. I have never been around forests in which vines are prominent plants. None of the long crosses inspired me in any way, shape, or form. CHOOSEONESWORDS? Seriously? The answer requires part of the clue to make sense. ORNAMENTALTREES? I though topiary was usually bushes or shrubs. I guess I did like a few of the clues and answers. OCARINA was nice. Thinking of that actually was the catalyst for filling in the top section. Liked the old school STEREOS. Liked seeing PHAEDRA. Kind of cool clue for LOCHNESS. Happy to learn what the "Star City of the South" is.
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