0:57:06
OLDEN GOLDIES
Fun word-play-y theme today, with old song titles turned into funny answers. For example, my favorite, ICITETHEWRONGS (23A: Traffic cop's answer upon being asked "Describe your job"? [1975]). Frannie knew more of the songs than I did, but still, it was fun. My second favorite was YOURHEATINCHART (108A: Data request from a good ol' furnace repairman? [1953]).
Interesting clue for ATEASE (40A: Chilling). I might have preferred "chillin'," but really, the G is fine, and better, really, because it makes it harder. And maybe 75A: Stressed (TENSE) could have been something like "Not so chill," but really, I don't know why I'm obsessing over this. Let's move on. APIAN (3D: Generating some buzz?) was fun. The clue for ATILLA (16D: Supposed ancestor of Dracula) was interesting. And I liked the novel clues for EGRET (46D: Marsh hunter), and NAVE (73D: Mass gathering site).
Funny that our new knowledge of the existence of DRU (94A: R&B's ____ Hill) came in handy so soon! Didn't we just learn that a day or two ago? And before that I'd never heard of it. Ever.
I don't particularly like AGREERS (106A: Yes-men) nor NONWORD (60D: "Truthiness," e.g., before Stephen Colbert), even though the clue mentions a favorite comedian. And I have a beef with SEPIAS (131A: Some Civil War shots), because I don't believe that sepia toning was yet in use during the 1860s. Most Civil War photographs were probably either Ambrotypes, which were printed on glass and not toned, or tin-types, which were also not toned. Wikipedia seems to agree with me, claiming that sepia toning was introduced in the 1880s. Hmpf.
Still, though, a decent enough Sunday.
- Horace
Untimed, finished with my mother. Felt hard for a Sunday, which is not a bad thing. I had the hardest time in the middle east section, because I had helices for STRANDS, and it took some time to work around that. Never heard of TABORET, but it was the only thing that fit. I liked the theme a lot (and Hope helped with the mid-70s songs). But my beef with this puzzle are the NE and SW corners, which have only a single entry. I don't like sections to be so isolated. Otherwise it was fine.
ReplyDelete1:27
ReplyDeleteI was hung up in the middle west (with TABORET, ATEASE, SEERED and STRIVES). Those four answers took probably 1/2 hour! I liked ICITETHEWRONGS the best, too, and starred 40A Chilling (ATEASE) because I thought it was weird. I also starred the clue for ATTILA because I wasn't aware of that, and 18D Big name in TV talk (ARSENIO) because REALLY? The rest was fairly easy. Oh, I liked 72A Roast pig after a pig roast? [1956] (DOWNEDHOG) very much.