A breezy Wednesday puzzle with a holiday theme, cirlcles, and a bonus rebus. Not bad. It's a little odd, I think, to have PUSSYGALORE (27A: "Goldfinger" temptress) in the same puzzle as TINY[TIM]. THEVERYIDEA! And while we're on the topic, shouldn't the rebus just be able to stand on its own, without the "TINY?" Of course, that would be just one square, but still...
Love the long downs of EPHEMERA (9D: Things meant to be used and then thrown away) and RATSNEST (37D: Total mess). I also like EVOLVE (45D: Change over time) beside VENEER (46D: Facade), and DIABLO (8D: Dios's enemy) next to UNCOOL (7D: Like wearing socks with sandals, say). And really, the paucity of actual thematic fill leaves the grid ROOMY for a lot of interesting material, even in the Acrosses, where we find OLYMPIA (26A: West Coast capital), NOBLESSE (22A: French upper crust) (clued without the almost obligatory "oblige"!), and SKINTONE (53A: Complexion).
I don't like the clue for 28D: Not music to a chef's ears (UGHS). What does that even mean? Shouldn't it be something like "yuck?"
And finally, I am amused by the combination of "GOD," GODOT, and IDOL all hanging out in the NW.
1A: Singer Williams of the Temptations (OTIS). Is this known? Not by me. C
Favorite clue/answer - 55A: All hands on deck? (SEAMEN). Cute.
Didn't love it, didn't hate it.
- Horace
5:23
ReplyDeleteEasier than yesterday's for sure (although I didn't realize Tuesday's grid was 15x16). I was surprised, although I don't know why, to find out that Waiting For Godot was written in French first. I liked LEGO crossing EGGO, reminding me of Sunday's fiasco.
11:30
ReplyDeleteI was shocked that there was a theme and a theme-based rebus, too. OTIS was not known to me: C is an apt rating for that junk. The only bad thing about this kind of puzzle is that once I filled in PUSSYGALORE (with the "US" circled), I filled in all of the circles off of the revealer. Nice clue for BRAS (63A They're measured in cups). Maybe a tad too many proper names, although Suzanne VEGA is always pleasant to see (and hear).