As usual on a Monday, I had no idea what the theme was while solving, but looking at it now, I think it's a decent idea, with slightly light density. The UFO part always appears across word boundaries, which makes it slightly more elegant. The phrase YOUFORGOTME (23A: Annoyed "Hel-LO!") is a bit contrived, and I looked for UFOs in the last two long-ish across answers, PAGELAYOUT (18A: Web designer's concern) and CONFINEDTO (58A: Locked up in), but, well, that's the way it goes.
One possible result of the limited theme is a general decent-ness to the fill. It's not completely without its LAMER (19D: Less funny, as a joke) parts (LAUDING, AFAR, ISIN), but none of it is terrible, and you do get such gems as SCALENE (9D: Like a triangle with sides of different lengths), USURY (32D: Exorbitant interest charge), and FOGHORN (42D: Blast from a lighthouse) (Does it really come from the lighthouse, though, or does it come from a foghorn house, like at Cape Elizabeth?).
Least favorite clue today, and possibly ever: 57D: 21st word of the Pledge of Allegiance (ONE).
Not great, but a serviceable Monday.
- Horace
4:13. I don't like that the theme doesn't extend to the other two long answers, but you're right that that likely explains the essentially decent fill. And who can complain when GEORG Solti is referenced? Definitely more difficult than cluing it with Handel. I happily did not even see the worst ever clue as I did the puzzle, which is typical of a Monday that I miss about a third of the clues. My favorite answer was USURY. Very nice.
ReplyDelete8:47
ReplyDeleteApart from GEORG and SCALENE (both mentioned above), I starred 24D Roots (around) (GRUBS) because I hate the creatures of the same name so. For other horrible fill to add to Horace's list, but with a slightly blue clue, I submit 28A Tit ___ tat (FOR). Finally, Camel makes another appearance with 56D Marlboro or Camel, informally (CIG).