0:07:58
I got WHEREOHWHEREHAS/MYLITTLEDOGGONE (17A: With 62-Across, question in a children's song) very quickly, but didn't see where he had gone until after I was all finished. He's scattered about between the two lines. SPOT, REX, ROVER, MAX, and am I right in thinking that SONIA and ELSIE could also be seen as theme material? Not everyone has male dogs, right?
I thought this a good, clean puzzle with a lot of good fill for a Monday. ROCOCO (15A: Elaborate architectural style), REGALE (27A: Entertain in a festive manner), PLENA (40A: Full political assemblies) - are these Monday words? And there seemed to be a lot of the more crosswordese-type fill, like OREM (34D: City near Provo), REATA (27D: Rodeo rope), and the ubiquitous ELAL (55D: Airline to Israel). I don't include CLU (24D: Gulager of "The Last Picture Show") because I've never, ever heard of him or her.
But I still thought it was decent. It's Monday, after all, and it pushed back a little, at least. I also appreciate the nod to my current illness with ACHOO (9D: Sneezer's sound). That was a nice, touch, and I'm touched, but now it's time to go rest again.
- Horace
A somewhat ragged 7:11. Sorry you have a cold. I didn't mark anything for positive or negative distinction, but you are right about all of your second-paragraph call-outs. PLENA is especially nice on a Monday. Not sure you can include ELSIE in the theme since the clue itself references cows. With just the four names you mention, I thought the theme was a bit weak. How about diagonal dog names in circles? You love circles, don't you, Horace?
ReplyDelete14:01
ReplyDeleteI'd only seen REATA spelled riata, so I thought that I may have a DNF, but I guess not. I thought this a bit more difficult than most Mondays, but not bad. MCAN fooled me once quite awhile back, but never again. The clue was more difficult then, though: "Big name in shoes," or something. Who thinks of Thom McAn? Nobody. But this was just handed over with a ribbon on it (12D Thom _____ shoes). Of course I enjoyed TRYSTS as well as all of the X usage (MADMAX/RXS, OEDIPUSREX/NIX): well, I guess it's only two X uses, but still, it's nice.