0:23:40
Another side-by-side solve, and as such, it went down fairly easily. Got TWOWAY/STREET (5D: With 6-Down, mutual relationship) very quickly, and then we knew what to expect for the rest of the grid. As we were doing it, I felt that the theme was very thin. It seemed like there were only four short theme-related answers, but really, there are eight, plus the 15-letter revealer, AND, four of the answers are upside-down, so I think I have to reconsider my complaint of "not much theme for a Thursday." As I look more and more at it, it's really quite slick.
Neither of us could believe it when PIEHOLE (28A: Trap) started to come into focus. Both the answer and clue are great. (Huygens, maybe this kind of thing will get Sue more interested?) And off of that, LOCAL (30D: What pulls out all the stops?) was another good clue. As was the clue for RENEWED (15A: Bought more Time?). For "18A: One-third of a French revolutionary's cry," (EGALITE) we both frantically counted out the letters of each word, only to realize that we could only put in the "té" at first, then had to wait for more crosses.
When Frannie saw Rubens mentioned in 21A: Like the women in a famous Rubens painting (SABINE), she immediately threw out "zaftig" as an option. I had never heard that, but it would have fit, and it could have been appropriate. More my speed were the dual "QB" questions, but I couldn't think of either Jim MORA (32A: Either of two N.F.L. coaches named Jim) for the life of me. Sigh.
Funny about 45A: What the Beatles had but Wings didn't? (ARTICLE), eh? But then why, if it's part of the name, don't they capitalize "The" in "The Beatles?" Because it's not really a part of the name, right? But then how can they be said to "have" it? Just because you have to use it when talking about them? Ugh. I'm just confusing myself needlessly, I fear.
Lastly, the clue "49A: Flotsam or Jetsam in "The Little Mermaid" was so novel that we didn't even really notice that it was our old favorite crosswordese, EEL!
- Horace
1:11:07
ReplyDeleteWell, I didn't see the theme so quickly, but when I did (and it was TWOWAY/STREET first), I filled the grid in with all haste. I showed 28A Trap (PIEHOLE) to Sue, and she acknowledged that it was a nice clue/answer, but said she'd never have gotten it. It took me awhile to get it, that's for sure, but I was very pleasantly surprised when it came out. I starred 24D Scope (AMBIT) as a great clue/answer, and 26D Something made in a chocolate factory? (AROMA) as another great clue/answer, along with the one mentioned by Horace for EEL, for a crosswordese bit of fill. I thought this a satisfying Thursday.
Didn't time it, but I was falling in and out of sleep while I did it latish yesterday afternoon, so my number is probably somewhere between youse two. I have no complaints about this one. Cute theme, well-executed. PIEHOLE is indeed refreshingly terrific. And its clue was a real bear for me for the longest time. Did not get anywhere near that definition. Almost as good as HOS a day or two ago. Oh wait, that wasn't properly clued, was it. MORA confused me for a while, as well. It was late in the game that 1.) fully comprehended the question, and 2.) remembered that Jim Mora, Sr. (of the famous "Playoffs??!!!!" rant) has a son who coaches. I don't think it's important or even relevant whether or not "the" is an official part of the Beatles name. All the clue is saying is that the article is present, which it always is. I thought of Horace and Frannie as I filled in EGALITE. Aren't you touched? What else? "End of an era?" was lame-o. No acknowledged era ended with One BC. Wait, I guess that counts as a complaint. But I did love seeing the two eels from my favorite Disney animation mentioned. Ahh, Ariel . . .
ReplyDeleteWe are touched, yes. But I didn't mind "End of an era?" so much. It's one that definitely merited the question mark, then, right? According to you? And speaking of that, when did the re-numbering happen anyway? I should know that. I feel I've looked it up before. They didn't just decide then and there to basically rewrite how they defined time, did they? No. They didn't, but even still, you've gotta cut Mr. Collins some slack on this one.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I prefer the newer BCE/CE labels. But just to be thorough, the BC/AD system was created in 525 C.E.,
ReplyDelete