It took me a while to get started on this Monday puzzle, and it's not hard to see why, given the NW corner. 1A: Covered Greek walkway (STOA) is hardly Monday fare, although it's a common crosswordese entry. And 1D: Garbage boats (SCOWS), while familiar enough, wouldn't come to mind. I had to circle around.
Anyway, none of the other answers are as difficult as those first two, and there's really no other crosswordese to be seen. Some nice answers include SPLENDID, PIERRE, DEIGN, and VNECKS, which looks great in the grid. And didn't the puzzle feel just a little bit, well... racy? I think Huygens would approve.
So, after a rocky start, I'd give this puzzle a thumbs up.
- Colum
9 mins.
ReplyDeleteI approve. Corsets were terrible, as must have been the shock to the guy when they came off as he was probably expecting something else. I liked 14A "Phooey!" (CRUD) and thought that 57D Misery or Missouri (STATE) was a great clue/answer. I'm surprised that Colum didn't mention 61A Rome's home (ITALY), even though it was so damned obvious, even for a Monday. My favorite theme answer was 48A Army unit (LONGDIVISION) because it suggests reproduction, albeit of amoebas, as well as math, and my favorite cross was JINX/TAXIED (love those Xs). I also enjoyed the two "curse" clues (OATH and JINX).
21:37
ReplyDeleteFor about the last 5 weeks or so, Jeremy and I have been doing the Monday puzzles together. We've been a little behind on dates because of the move, but we've caught up now. Jeremy, of course, misses some of the cultural references. He, for example, would never come up with MEG or even, a cellist he, ERIC. And STOA is beyond what they're teaching in the 6th grade and the BUYIN reference, well, that'll come later, too. That said, he got Colin POWELL from the P___LL, even though he'd left office when Jeremy was 3, and got several before I did and was right with it the rest of the way. (Jeremy's actually been legitimately helping with the turn puzzles, as well, but the cultural references come in far greater numbers.)
We particularly liked the JINX TAXIED cross, and laughed at the cluing for STATE (57D: Misery or Missouri). ITALY was fun given our December trip. And we were able to figure out the theme, albeit filling in half the each * answer, before eventually going back and figuring the rest from the crosses.
A wonderfully spent 21 minutes.
Icarus, I enjoy doing the puzzle with Cece, also.
ReplyDelete