0:08:35
Interesting Tuesday theme of DOUBLEUP (60A: Share a single bed … or a hidden feature of 17-, 23-, 36-, and 50-Across), with the letters "UP" appearing twice in each theme answer. Not bad. I've never heard of CHUPACHUPS (50A: Confectionery brand with a logo designed by Salvador Dalí), but the clue validates it.
Nice to see LOUISCK (55A: Stand-up comedian with multiple Emmys) in there. I wonder if this is his first time in a puzzle? AFTERDARK (8D: Under the cloak of night) and LOVECHILD (33A: 1968 #1 hit for Diana Ross & the Supremes) are pretty nice long downs. SPLOSH (45D: Quiet sound of water on the side of a pail, say) is a bit much. ALLCAPS (18D: WHAT THIS IS IN) and PLATEAU (24D: Stop getting any higher), though, are both great.
Overall, this has lots of interesting (MAITAI (57A: Drink that gets its name from the Tahitian word for "good")) and uncommon (TRITON (19A: Moon of Neptune)) fill, which is always welcome, and it played a little harder for me than Tuesdays sometimes do. I give it an enthusiastic "thumbs up!"
- Horace
5:59. In retrospect, it's a pretty good puzzle. Somehow, during the solving, I didn't love it. I've seen CHUPACHUPS in a puzzle recently. I've never had any CHUPACHUPS in real life, though. Things I liked: MACULA, HAIKU (I had the K and was stuck for a moment thinking of "troika" - too many letters - before rolling my eyes), SOUSA, ALLCAPS. Didn't like OKAY ("Halfway decent?" I guess. It's lost that sense in my mind), OISE (another European river), the pile up of three-letter answers in each corner.
ReplyDeleteI know, RIGHT?
16:08
ReplyDeleteOf course, I filled TRITON in without any crosses. Mark me down for never having heard of CHUPACHUPS I liked SHTETL (haven't we seen that recently?) and MACULA. I thought that Horace would've mentioned HAIKU due to his recent project. The puzzle wasn't SUPERDUPER, but it was good. Other likes: CUPASOUP (though I'd never eat it), LSD, TARS (40A Seamen), and INKPAD (49D What gets rubber-stamped?). Unlike: GASSED (64A Pooped). Is that what it's come to?