What was the theme? Phrases with "OPS" in them? Strange, but fine, I guess.
Let's see... what can I talk about? COHIBA (43A: Deluxe Cuban cigar brand) - that's a thing? A known thing? Hmm... And I get ERST (21A: Previously, in old usage) again, so that's nice. Doesn't it always make you think of Sonnet #12?
When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls all silver'd o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy beauty do I question make,
That thou among the wastes of time must go,
Since sweets and beauties do themselves forsake
And die as fast as they see others grow;
And nothing 'gainst Time's scythe can make defence
Save breed, to brave him when he takes thee hence.
A perfect poem for Fall, and it's always good to think about one's own mortality, and if that's all that we take away from a Monday crossword puzzle, well, I think it's enough.
- Horace
p.s. Many years ago, I sent a postcard with this poem on it to a friend when I heard that he and his wife were expecting, or perhaps had delivered, a child. He never commented on it.
7:46
ReplyDeleteHe's probably still trying to figure it out.
COHIBA is not known to me, either. I liked seeing STOPSHORT (17A *Suddenly slam on the brakes): it's a Seinfeld thing.There was nothing difficult or striking in this puzzle. It was a good pairing of CDRACK and ITUNES (30A and 43D Means of music storage). I'd not have guessed that CESSNA is 24A Corporate jet manufacturer. I was thinking more along the lines of a Learjet. This seemed a typical Monday. I hadn't thought of the Sonnet #12 due to ERST, but I'm glad that you did. Thanks for printing it.