Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Tuesday, August 20, 2013, Zhouqin Burnikel and Don Gagliardo

0:17:07

A known thematic trick done pretty well here. Starts of strong with an interesting clue for INTO (1A: Digging ... or word after "digging"). Never heard of ARNEL (16A: Synthetic fiber), but I guess I learned it today.

Frannie was instrumental with some nice long ones like PATTYDUKE (9D: Helen Keller's portrayer in "The Miracle Worker") and the very nice TOUSLES (40D: Messes up, as the hair), but she guessed the wrong persona (Jekyll) for 49D: Half of Stevenson's "strange case" (MRHYDE). Me, I didn't even know to what it referred...

Enjoyed SOUSED (53A: Lit), FSTOPS (22A: Camera adjustments), and the somewhat complimentary ETUDES (47D: 27 Chopin works) and SONNET (43A: One of 154 for Shakespeare).  And a nice nod to Spock with 63A: Vulcan mind ____ (MELD).

Oh, and one more thing - ABSSYSTEM (33D: Auto safety system feature, redundantly) I found oddly amusing.

Overall, a decent Tuesday.

- Horace

1 comment:

  1. 10 minutes
    This seemed Tuesday-ish easy, though I first had the AR--- for 16A Synthetic fiber and mistakenly filled in ARlon for it thinking it was part of the -lon family. I thought that 17A Research that may be outdoors (FIELDWORK) was a little cutesy, but other than that it was OK. I thought that 26A Variable spring period (HOLYWEEK) was good, and don't remember ever seeing a reference to Mr. DOUBLEDAY in a puzzle prior to today.

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