0:05:54
Right in my wheelhouse, and fun. Love seeing LEGIT (1A: For real, in slang) in there, and I also liked the mini-theme of single letters in certain clues - PLANB (20A: Backup strategy), EASYA (23A: Course that's a cinch), HIGHC (66A: Note an alto is unlikely to hit), and DPLUS (59A: Pretty poor grade). I suppose you could also count ITUNES (4D: ____ Store (source of many 99¢ downloads) in that category as well. Impressive.
The real theme of LOWHANGINGFRUIT (7D: Simple things to pick ... or what 5-, 11-, 29- and 38-Down have?) was pretty nice as well. Seems like a lot of theme squares, too - 53 theme squares out of 189 total filled boxes? Is that high? It seems it. Yet the fill was quite clean. Sure, you get APER and ULEE, but really, it was pretty damn good.
Fun Monday.
- Horace
p.s. Mr. Livengood has the syndicated today, too. That happens somewhat frequently, I've noticed. Maybe that's the minimum amount of time that Shortz has decided must pass between publications by the same constructor.
7:21
ReplyDeleteEasy, especially after tackling Saturday's. But as usual, the theme(s) and fill were satisfying, especially after grinding out the Monday Telegram puzzle. Odd that 5D Kingpin (TOPBANANA) and Sunday's 27A Big kahunas (with 28D -) TOPDOGS (with TOPEKA across the top) would occur so close together.
6:34. C'mon, you can't talk about "wheelhouse" on a Monday. Does your wheelhouse include knowledge of "Nothing___net"? Pleasant enough puzzle, I guess. Cute theme. I'm not even sure LEGIT qualifies as slang anymore. Maybe informal. Letter motif was indeed a nice touch. Never like to see MANUP in a puzzle, or anywhere else. Always nice to learn a little geography, like the largest inland city in Cali.
ReplyDeleteOK, I suppose you're right, but some Mondays are still easier than others.
ReplyDelete