I completed today's puzzle with my mother, visiting from NYC. Together, we stared at the grid for quite some time. We tried "Baghdad" for 17A: "The Hurt Locker" setting (IRAQWAR), guessed ASARULE for 16A: Mostly, and fit TRISTE in for 48D: Blue, in Burgundy. Then we stared for a long time more. I wanted EMERITi for 65A: Professor_____, but it didn't make sense, as that would pair a plural answer with a singular clue. Still, we broke in finally with the SE corner when we figured out 67A: Solution for storing contacts? (ROLODEX). Now there's a question mark that wasn't needed. I also enjoyed 47D: One might get past a bouncer (FAKEID). And we were on to the middle.
How often do you get three answers in a grid with 2 Xs each? 42D: Valentine letters (XOXO), 42A: WorkCentre maker (XEROX), and 36D: People plot things around it (XAXIS, one I'm getting used to seeing) were all very reasonable answers. I love TABOR and SWISH, and NOTES was clued well (34D: Las, e.g.). LEGOS was also a nice discovery.
In the NE, I don't like the cluing for FESTERED (14D: Decayed). It seems off somehow. Otherwise, we finally figured out what was to huarizo as donkey is to mule (LLAMA), which allowed us into the NW. MCQ (4D: 1974 John Wayne title role) I'd never heard of, but I liked the trivia that ANACIN was introduced in 1916.Finally we made our way to the SW. FEARNOT had been entered already, which suggested FOOSBALL, and the rest spilled out quickly. I very much liked 38D: High (EUPHORIA).
It was a struggle for each step of the way, but a rewarding struggle, without much I can complain about.
- Colum
Untimed.
ReplyDeleteNice Wayne poster! 23A Cut down to size, maybe (EDIT) was great cluing, as was 10D Enrich (LARD). I agree that all of the Xs were fantastic. ROLODEX was nice to see, as was ARTEMIS and BOSCO (reminds me of the Seinfeld episode featuring the product). I had quite a number of write-overs, but I finished it so thumbs up.