0:28:45
If there's anyone who's wheelhouse we are solidly in, it's Patrick Berry, but he sure keeps a fine wheelhouse. He of the "Soft T's" Sunday (remember "A scythe for sore eyes?"), the "Two by Fours" ("W[ER]N[ER]KLEMP[ER][ER]"), and now five Fridays since our blog began, all of which we have dispatched in just about thirty minutes or less. He is always entertaining and clever.
Frannie, especially, seems to share his 2A: Way of looking at things (ANGLE). Some of her favorites today were 14A: Reading light for an audiobook? (LASERBEAM), 15D: Depression creator (METERORITE), and 36D: Car collectors? (OILPANS). Oh, and, of course, 23A: Seat cushions? (GLUTEI). We had put in "Glutes" immediately, but had to change the ending when we ran into 24D: Old-fashioned respirator (IRONLUNG). What a nice entry, that. Iron Lung.
I tried "Slazenger" at first, for 33A: They make a racket (CONARTISTS), which would also have been tricky, I thought. If, that is, Slazenger is still a company. [They are. - H.] Oh, and 40A: Change places (COINPURSES) was another nice clue. So many in here, really. Frannie also liked the intersecting of LUNK (34D: Lamebrain) and HULKING (42A: Heavy and clumsy).
So, yet another fun, clean puzzle from Mr. Berry, if a little on the easy side.
- Horace
I didn't time it, but this was one of my fastest Fridays ever. I guess, unlike you, I found that to be a less than desirable thing. I want more of a challenge on a Friday. My favorite clue was "They arrive by the truckload." I wanted "army men" at first, but I realized, sadly, that that wouldn't quite work. Would have to be "They may arrive by the truckload." All of the ones you cite in your second paragraph were fine, but I thought of all of those very quickly, if not immediately. Very well-constructed puzzle, for sure.
ReplyDeleteDNF (after 83:44)
ReplyDeleteI got stuck in the top part of the NW and couldn't make any progress. The remainder filled in quickly. For example (in the NW), I had --S----AM for 14A, but couldn't make LASERBEAM out of it. Oh well, sometimes I have trouble with Fridays and Saturdays, sometimes I don't. I thought that there were a couple of gimmes, though, like 35A Like each word from this clue (FOURLETTER) and 34A Cell alternatives (LANDLINES), but I liked 41A White spread (BRIE) thinking at first that it was the OFT-seen "oleo."