Monday, December 15, 2014

Monday, December 15, 2014, Zhouqin Burnikel and Dennis Ryall

0:06:59

STOP is today's theme, or "S to P." It's fine, I guess. I like STEELTRAP (56A: *Sharp mind, figuratively) and SKINNYDIP (20A: *Go swimming in one's birthday suit).

Nothing too outrageous today. Maybe ERL (9D: Schubert's "The ____ King"), but I'm pretty sure Colum will know that, so I can't complain too loudly. ALAE, ESAI, EPEE… the usual stuff.

LASHES (29A: Punishment for a mutineer) was colorful, and took a few crosses, WEAPON (45A: One-third of a Clue accusation) was fun, and could have been "person," I suppose. And ALFAROMEO (34D: Sports car with a Spider model) was unusual to see, although not at all difficult.

Best clue: 50D: Trash-talking Muppet? (OSCAR).

- Horace

2 comments:

  1. 3:55. A breeze in the park. S-TO-P is cute. One could also do PTOS, ATOP, STOA, etc. etc.

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  2. 4:57
    SUB-5:00!!! Well, it's exciting for me, anyway. I knew ERL and got MEHTA (24A Maestro Zubin) with no crosses. The rest just went without any slowdowns whatsoever. Nothing stuck in my CRAW; in fact, I especially enjoyed PORTALS (but would have liked a more sci-fi clue) and ORBIT being right next to each other. But isn't 27D _____ diet (early 2000s fad) (ATKINS) once again the RAGE, though under another guise? I know at least four misguided individuals headed down that path as we speak.

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