September's Theme of the Month

I thought I'd take a look back at this month's theme, where I evaluated the clue and answer at 1A and gave it a highly subjective grade.

First, to round off the month, today's 1A: "____ goes it?" (HOW) was just nothing inspiring at all. It gets a C.

Without further ado, I present all of this month's 1A in order by grade.

Date	Clue	Answer	Grade
9/5/2015	Book whose last line is “Ask me tomorrow but not today”	HOPONPOP	A
9/19/2015	Dream acquisitions for huge fans	VIPPASSES	A
9/27/2015	“I am not ____” (1975 show business autobiography)	SPOCK	A
9/4/2015	Shop class cutter	BANDSAW	A-
9/9/2015	Inhaler user’s malady	ASTHMA	A-
9/25/2015	Product of Champagne country	PINOTNOIR	A-
9/22/2015	Italian scooter brand	VESPA	B+
9/11/2015	Recharged, so to speak	SLEPT	B+
9/26/2015	Related thing	TALE	B+
9/15/2015	Like all students of Morehouse College	MALE	B+
9/23/2015	Engrossed	RAPT	B+
9/17/2015	Almost a controlling interest	HALF	B+
9/18/2015	Like Blofeld in Ian Fleming’s “You Only Live Twice”	SCARFACED	B
9/21/2015	Emperor after Nero	GALBA	B
9/13/2015	“We must go”	ITSTIME	B
9/6/2015	One raised in church?	ALTAR	B
9/28/2015	Meows : cats :: ____ : dogs	ARFS	B
9/10/2015	Chophouse orders	STEAKS	B
9/16/2015	Fancy wheels, familiarly	BENZ	B-
9/20/2015	Just	FAIR	C+
9/2/2015	Platform for a drum set	RISER	C+
9/7/2015	Has debts	OWES	C
9/1/2015	Buddy of “The Beverly Hillbillies”	EBSEN	C
9/30/2015	“____ goes it?”	HOW	C
9/14/2015	Hiking trail reference	MAP	C-
9/24/2015	Not much, but better than none	SLIM	C-
9/3/2015	Small group, as of trees	CLUMP	C-
9/29/2015	Surrender	CEDE	C-
9/8/2015	Leader with an –ism	MAO	C-
9/21/2015	1969 and 1986 World Series champs	METS	C-

My quick analysis notes that, of the 6 C- answers (I never got the guts to give any answer a failing grade), four came on Mondays or Tuesdays (the other two were Thursdays). Of the 6 A or A- answers, four came on Fridays or Saturdays (with one Sunday and one Wednesday). 

In retrospect, I'd give GALBA a lower grade, BENZ a slightly higher grade, and HALF a lower grade for sure.

I was definitely influenced by nostalgia, because SPOCK and HOPONPOP got very high grades, as did VESPA. Meanwhile, METS is at the bottom. Simply on the merit of the actual answer, I'd give VIPPASSES and PINOTNOIR the top marks. The best clue is "Shop class cutter."

Well, it's been fun. I'll come up with something different for November.

- Colum