For a while I was thinking that it might be funny to not do a review today, indicating that the puzzle had "left me speechless," but then, well... it probably wouldn't be interpreted that way by everybody, and, well, it's also not that funny. So let's get on with it, shall we?
The only theme answer that literally means, "left speechless" is DUMBSTRUCK, all the other ones mean, more or less, "Wowed," but I guess "left speechless" means that too, so I don't know why I'm fighting with it. I didn't mind it so much while I was solving it, and I like all the expressions, especially GOBSMACKED.
I also liked all the two-word answers in the grid. HECKYES (21A: "You betcha!"), TAKETHAT (8D: "So there!"), ONESEC (45D: "Hold on ...!"), GREEKGOD (37D: Hermes or Hades), and even the partials APTTO (31: Is ____ (probably will)) and NOTOF (28D: ____ this world), the latter because it looks so odd.
I didn't particularly like the "informally" clues - 14D: Precious stringed instrument, informally (STRAD) and 65A: Transylvanian count, informally (DRAC). But on the other hand, I enjoyed CANTO and KNACK, and HOOKAH, so on balance, I'd give this a thumbs up.
- Horace
4:36
ReplyDeleteNearly a full minute longer than last Monday's puzzle. I liked KICKEDINTHEHEAD parallel with KNOCKEDFORALOOP and connected by KNACK, even though the former 15-letter answer is, I agree with Rex, nothing I've heard used before. Cece got GOBSMACKED off of a few scattered letters. I liked HERA as an add-on to the GREEKGOD. Don't like ORU, neither the abbreviation nor the school itself. It's a decent puzzle, nothing amazing.
We GET it! You were in the threes... :)
DeleteYou clipped me again today, but I'm getting closer!
I wasn't sure anybody noticed... :...(
Delete8:19
ReplyDeleteI hadn't noticed Colum's time last week. Congratulations! I didn't like DRAC, not one little bit. Other than that, this was a fine Monday. Because I'd never used KICKEDINTHEHEAD, I had to work all of its crosses without their first letters, which took me a while. HASH crossing HOOKAH, especially with "Hashish" in the HOOKAH clue, was a bit brazen. Also, I liked that our two 75%-vowel states were represented (IOWA{N] and OHIO). We also could make a case that BLEW and ORAL both appearing in the grid was no accident. Wait a minute...is this a family-oriented blog? Forget that I said that.