Monday, May 6, 2013

Monday, May 6, 2013, Joel Fagliano

0:15:32

This one was all over the place and, unless we're missing something, themeless. It had odd variants like HOODOO (22D: Jinx) instead of the more common voodoo, and AWMAN (9D: "This is the worst!") instead of the all-to-common adman. And we've got UNAPT (40D: Not fitting) (don't we wish!), and STET and ESTE... no "eel," but then, you can't have everything.

On the plus side, we could find some enjoyment in the utter absurdity of UCANTTOUCHTHIS (51A: Signature song for MC Hammer) crossing OHOLYNIGHT (31D: Carol with the words "hear the angel voices"). It's May, in 2013, right? And not December, 1990?

We liked NEATNIKS (39D: Tidy types), SLOSH (65A: Wade noisily), and MEME (18A: Viral phenomenon), and the puzzle did require a little more effort than most Mondays (we actually got to pass it back and forth once or twice!), so on balance, it comes out slightly ahead.

- Horace

p.s. We did miss the theme. The answers for 20A, 3D, 38A, 31D, and 51A start with the five vowels.

p.p.s. I almost liked it better before learning that.

3 comments:

  1. 8:55
    Hmmmm...vowels? Well, OK. I found this to be pretty easy. I liked LAGOON and am always a fan of ADZES and of the MAFIA. How about 66A "Now I get it" OHOK. That's kind of strange, no?

    I did end up skipping the Saturday and Sunday puzzles due to time constraints. I should be able to hit them all this week. (Actually I started the Sunday but only filled it in for around 39 minutes before having to move on with my life.

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  2. Hmm... you're probably lucky you stopped when you did on the Sunday - it contained your biggest nightmare, REBUSES!

    OHOK was ok with me. I'd rather have something like that, that someone might actually say, than something like UNAPT.

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  3. 7:33. Seemed slower, but probably because I had a big, messy write-over on one of my first answers: "tasty" for YUMMY. That's not really a theme, is it?? I did like this one pretty well. Nice clue for the ubiquitous AFRO.

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