0:36:13
Again with the grossness, and this time right off the bat! Frannie said she immediately thought of WIPE for 1A: Napkin, e.g., but she didn't want it to be right. But after that, it perked right up. Loved the clues for NEAR (15A: Warm, say), REPOS (37A: Some seizures, for short), and BANJO (39A: Something a picker picks). And I love how WAR is reduced to 1D: Hostilities.
Good musical entries today, too, with PATSYCLINE (3D: "Walkin' After Midnight" singer, 1957) and MCGEE (55A: Bobby in a 1971 #1 hit), but I could do without being reminded of 13D: Seals's partner in 1970s music (CROFTS).
I looked up EFFETE in my Random House just now, and the first definition is "exhausted of vigor or energy; worn out." It's similar to "22D: Washed up," but not the same, I would argue. Neither of us liked that clue.
Even though Frannie hates to see circles in a grid, we both thought that the theme today was well done. I errantly put "Bee in your bonnet" for BEEINONESBONNET, and because of that, the central section was quite difficult. Finally, Frannie struck "your" on the basis of no 35D: French article (UNE) ending with a U. Sure, beginning with a U, that's fine. Good even, as it turned out. BOSOMED (39D: Big or full follower), too, was not easy to guess. (I'm sure Huygens will be adding that to his list of lewd (or should I say OBSCENE (40D: Disgustingly large, as an amount of money) material found in the NYT crosswords!)
Overall, I'd say this was a very well-made puzzle. The long stuff is beautiful (ACAIBERRY, REHNQUIST, SEIZEDUPON... and others already mentioned), and the theme, as we said, was solid. A good Thursday.
- Horace
34:28
ReplyDeleteYes, a good Thursday. I loved the theme, also. My favorite themed answer was SEEYOUINCOURT. It reminded me of the "Where's the Beef?" ad campaign. And I learned something today (which, no doubt, I'll forget): that EFLATS are 29A Final dramatic notes of the "1812 Overture." While I enjoyed BOSOMED, I also noted the more blatant SEX (57D Driver's license info).