This went pretty smoothly, over all, so I was surprised when I got the error message. Turns out I'd put SoP in at 19A: One easily duped (SAP) and didn't check the crossing closely because it was in Spanish, which I don't know. Anyways...
The theme is okay: take a well known television show title (and all four are essentially contemporary, although Mad Men finished this year), and interpret it literally. Thus Mad Men becomes PSYCHOPATHS and House of Cards HALLMARKSTORE. These two are fine. I think I like Game of Thrones being MUSICALCHAIRS the best. The Walking Dead being PALLBEARERS is off. It is true that they carry the dead while walking, but it's not quite right.
By far my favorite clue-pair answer was 31D: "All but one" win, in bridge (SMALLSLAM). I keep on trying to get Horace and Frances interested in bridge. It's the best card game there is out there. And it has such a bum rap as an "old people's" game.
1A: Paris pyramid designer (IMPEI) is becoming a standard entry, but because of the topicality and the complete name (or at least complete as he usually went by), I'll give it a B-.
Don't like SINUS or it's clue (Stuffy site?). 18A: Grp. on the range? (NRA) isn't really clever enough to merit a question mark.
On the other hand, I was amused by KIRK crossing AMUCK, if only for the classic Trek episode "Amok Time". 3D: Disappearing conveniences (PAYPHONES) is so true. They're just not around anymore. I am reminded of the scene in Airplane! when all the reporters run into the payphones at the same time and the whole bank falls over. Good times.
Anyway, a ton of glue, and not much more. Didn't love it.
- Colum
9:36
ReplyDeleteYou know, Colum, I tried "twelvebid" where SMALLSLAM ended up. That's right, in a way, isn't it? And it's not that we aren't interested in bridge, it's just that we don't know how to play it! :)
Is it wrong to dislike the variable spellings of a word like AMUCK? Well, I do.
Agree that PALLBEARERS is off. Not to mention its being such a downer. Just as one comes to the end of the puzzle one is reminded of the end of life...
The long downs are nice, and I like the unusual theme. I like this one all right.
10:24
ReplyDeleteExactly double, as it turns out, Colum's time, but with no errors. MESA is pretty well known, isn't it, even if one doesn't know Spanish? But I guess if one doesn't check the crosses, that will happen. I agree with Horace on AMUCK (don't like) and with Colum/Horace on PALLBEARERS (that's way off). I think that STARSIGNS is a bit of a stretch, too; I mean, does anyone say that? Sue and I happened to enjoy some MANGOs this week, as it turns out, and I liked the clue for HEIGHT (45A It may be measured on a doorframe) and CANTO, which always reminds me of Dante, of course. SMORES should take a rest, perhaps, but DISPARATE is nice. I agree with the B- for IMPEI, but I thought Colum would like SINUS for some reason, and UVULA being right by MOLAR. SEXED could have been clued differently, but it was OK. I thought this was an all-right Tuesday. (BTW, I knew that would be the photo chosen!)