I suppose this kind of theme is a lot harder to pull off than it feels like. I never get that excited by it. This puzzle is a perfectly workmanlike example, without a heck of a lot of pizzazz. And that's about all I can work myself up to say about the theme.
Elsewhere, there was the unusual clue for MODE (41A: 6, in the set [3,5,5,6,6,6,7]), as well as the odd clue at 62A: Place where things get stuck (CRAW). 51D: U.S.S. Enterprise journey (TREK) was also a roundabout way to clue that word. It's fun to see clues that work their way around an answer like that.
The cross of BAHAI and SANAA is unholy for a Tuesday. I was left with that letter, and figured A was the only likely choice. I suspect many people would trip over it. There were a few other words that seemed hard for a Tuesday, but the crosses were all fair (HALAL, OCHS).
I wish LOKI could have crossed HERA, but clearly, that wasn't going to happen.
Well, that's about it.
- Colum
11:13 (FWOE)
ReplyDeleteThe BAHAI/SANAA cross was, in my opinion, quite fair as SANAA is a very common crossword answer. The theme was fine, but I felt that 17A Debate team or Model United Nations (SCHOOLCLUB) was a little forced. SKYLIGHT was, of course, my favorite of the theme answers. My big problem was at the 22-block: FARO crossing FEU, neither of which meant anything to me and, hence, led to an FWOE (the "F"). ALIS (61A Boxers Muhammad and Laila) looks weird in the grid, even though I filled it in right away.
6:44
ReplyDeleteThe SE was tough for me, too. I liked OAKTREE's clue, and ZED's.