Sunday, October 4, 2015

Monday, October 5, 2015, Mike Buckley

0:05:42

Who doesn't like money? And finding out that there were once THREECENTPIECES in the US? Priceless.


Who knew? But seriously, PENNYDREADFUL (Showtime series named after an old fiction genre) and QUARTERHORSES (52A: Mounts for cowboys) are pretty tough for a Monday, but they get a little easier if you figure out what's going on. NICKELANDDIMING (38A: Charging for every little extra), on the other hand, is pretty much Monday material. Not a bad theme.

1A? CREST (Top of a wave). Pretty nice word. Not offensive, not particularly inspired. B-.

In other areas, we have pretty nice open areas in the NW and SE, and the middle sides. EVILGENIUS (11D: Lex Luthor, for example) and TECHNIQUES (30D: Ways to do things) are both lovely, long downs. DOCILE (21D: Tame, as a pet), AMENRA (37A: Supreme Egyptian god) (we just recently watched the first two "Night at the Museum" movies, so this was fresh in our minds), and REMORA (36D: Fish that can attach itself to a boat) are all pretty nice. But then there's PSAS over PSI, ADEN, UIE, UVEA, KOD, RONI, and partials like MATA and COCA. I guess I'd still come out on the positive side, but it's not exactly OOLALA material.

- Horace

2 comments:

  1. 4:30
    It's fine. I don't like the -ING and the two themes that have to be pluralized to fit, but what are you going to do? I didn't even see EVILGENIUS until I read your post. I'd filled in that whole area with the acrosses only. I hate (really really hate) UIE. The alternative, "uey" is just as bad, honestly. TECHNIQUES is a great word, but the plural and the plural clue made it seem awkward in the end.

    ReplyDelete
  2. 7:51
    I may have three-cent piece somewhere. Once I saw the PENNY___ and NICKELANDDIMING I immediately filled in QUARTERHORSES (with one cross on the "horses" part). Sue and I will be flying somewhat near the Gulf of ADEN shortly, but hopefully won't be close enough to actually see it. NESS and NEST right next to each other isn't the best setup. I didn't know AMENRA or REMORA, but the crosses were easy enough. Good Monday...not great.

    ReplyDelete