This is a cute theme. I know some in the field of NYT crossword blogdom might decry the fact that the initial theme entry is split into two parts, but I say "Fie" to them. "Fie, sir, Fie!" Wouldn't it be great if we lived in the time when you could capitalize words indiscriminately? My goodness, I'm taken with the Idea.
SWEET/GEORGIABROWNIE won me over. Maybe it's because I made Brownies on Sunday. You may or may not know that our Domicile here in (recently) sunny Albany is a Haven for Chocaholics. So much so, Indeed, that Desserts of a non-chocolate Variety are frowned upon. Despised, I say! It makes one long for a Peach Cobbler (to extend the Georgia Metaphor).
The other them'd Entries are p'raps not so Highly esteem'd. You, Sir, or even Madam, I daresay, should any of my Priz'd Readers be of the Gentler Sex, may disagree with this Solver's Opining, but for my Part, each Entry went downhill as I solv'd Further. The Revealer, howsoe'er, has a Fine Ring to't. ADDIE. A fine Wit, Sir! A fine Wit!
There were, on the Whole, some Answers within the Fill, whose Quality escap'd me. CASITA seem'd forced, while ESPRITS was not a Noun I had, in my Sparse Experience, discover'd in a State of Pluralization ere now. More than one Brand Name from the East in a Puzzle, is, if you will Allow me to say, one too Many (AIWA and DAEWOO). I knew not MARLA Gibbs, though some of my Readers, whose age Surmounts my own, may have some Recognition of that fine Personage.
Enough is Enough, however. Peace, my Fever'd Brain. Let be, and Know that What is, is What is.
- Colum
A most entertaining review, my good sir! Despite my advanced age, I did not know MARLA either, but MSN helped me out with that one. Theme-wise, I also enjoyed RAREBIRDIE, possibly due to the word "duffer" in the clue. BARSTOOLIE does have something of an unpleasant ring to it. Nice to see OSCAR the Grouch so close on the heels of Ernie. I was happy to be able to drop ILO into 23A thanks to its recent appearance in another puzzle. The sad thing about learning Crosswordese, though, is that there are very few occasions to use the language outside of the grid, or talking with other crossnerds. :)
ReplyDelete~Frannie
20:46
ReplyDelete"Crossnerds?" Anyhoo, I loved SHOCKINGPINKIE more than the other theme material. Even more than BARSTOOLIE, tho I oft hang out on one. Nice that both PUB and SOT appear in the same grid as the aforementioned "bar" answer, and I liked PARSE (14A Analyze, as syntax). ISAAC has been in the grid for two days running, but with different cluing, thankfully; I prefer today's since it's of the Asimov variety. REEBOKS came to me slowly, even with __EBO_S filled in! Add me to the list of older Americans not familiar with MARLA. An entertaining review by Colum, but I come down on the side of enjoying the puzzle.
9:37
ReplyDeleteWay to follow through on a Bit! Huzzah!
This theme made me smile, too, and what more can you ask of a Tuesday? MILLSTONE, IMPEDE, and even the pluralized SWAPMEETS were all good. ECCLES? well... not so great. I got SOT from crosses and inference, but later looked up "dipsomaniac," which comes from the Greek "dipsa" for "thirst," which reminds me of an old favorite line, "They talk of my drinking, but never my thirst!"
Those "playground comeback" clues (DIDSO) make me smile even though I hate them. They can be so many things - "am not," "did too," "are so," "is not," etc. - and I always guess one of them and I'm always wrong.
And Huygens, no mention of WANG?
p.s. I love the "crossnerds" coinage, Frannie!
I thought WANG was too much for the kiddies.
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