This Monday puzzle was more difficult than usual, and a bit meatier, too, with six stacks of seven-letter answers. There's a game in the middle of each stack, one more in the middle, and a revealer running vertically through the center game. Kind of elegant, really.
And in spite of all that theme action, the fill is pretty good. There's 18 or so three-letter answers, so you're bound to get some ESE, LTR, ILS, HAN, DOS, and TRI, and who's heard of PANAY (9D: Philippine island in W.W. II fighting), raise your hand? Not me, that's for sure. Other than that, though, you've got a lot of interesting entries, so I think it ends up with more good than bad.
A few highlights: SPACELY (8A: ____ Sprockets, George Jetson's employer) (I needed a few crosses), PORSCHE (1A: German auto whose logo depicts a rearing horse) (If they had just gone with "European auto" I bet a lot of people would have tried "Ferrari."), and HEROICS (59A: Brave deeds).
Not tremendous, but certainly a fine Monday.
- Horace
6:26
ReplyDeleteI liked the CROQUET/SQUATS cross in the NW and the STIX/RELAX cross in the W since they both use an unusual letter. I've always meant to learn SNOOKER, having seen Andy Capp playing it in the comics, but have yet to actually do it. Finally, since Horace so nicely summed the puzzle up, I'd mention that I enjoyed some SAKE yesterday at our favorite sushi place, Kaizen in Sturbridge.
5:21. I liked the SQUATS/CURLS/HEEL trio in the NW. I actually put Peugeot in at 1A off of PCS, but immediately thought to myself: Hang on, that doesn't sound German. I didn't know SPACELY, although in hindsight it makes sense, and PANAY was terminally unfamiliar, so my initialy SnAvELY had to be revised.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely grid, with all of those 7x3 spaces, and the theme is well done, especially as we're in the baseball post-season. I'm hoping for Royals-Giants, with the Royals winning.
What, Huygens, no LACY call-out?
Whoops! Missed that one, Colum.
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