I started this one and then fell SOUNDASLEEP, and when I took it up again this morning, it went pretty quickly except for that SE corner. Since when is "1000, familiarly" TENAM? What am I missing? Why is there no comma or no colon? And another thing - SNOWCRAB is a "Deadliest Catch?" ... ok, I read about this, and there is a high death rate among workers in the Alaskan crab industry, but it's not because the SNOWCRAB is dangerous, it's due to dangerous conditions endured while trying to get them. It's weak, but I can't fault Mr. Kingsley for the TV show.
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| Contrabass style |
1A: Yankee fare (POTROAST) - B. Pretty good.
Favorite: 13A: "I meant to tell you ..." (ABOUTTHAT) - Nice and current.
Least: PUTIN (17A: World leader who's a judo master) - Just don't want to think about him.
I don't know about you, but I learned a thing or two about the phrase STRAITLACED (21D: Very conservative) today. Mainly, how to spell it properly (I'm fairly certain that my two fellow bloggers already knew this, being much more literary and erudite than I...), and that it has its origins in the corset industry.
Interesting that SCAT and SKAT are both in there, and that SOUNDASLEEP and CATNAP are side-by-side. The Italian pair of SOAVE and PISAN didn't do much for me, but there was kind of a lot of other stuff that I enjoyed. SPASMS (41D: Jerks), SHOT (7D: Opportunity), PARLANCE (47A: Vernacular) (although I would have preferred "common PARLANCE"), even REHEM (51A: Take up again?) made me smile when I finally got it.
An enjoyable Friday.
- Horace
13:06
ReplyDeleteI had misentered CArNAP for 10D: Siesta (CATNAP), which made PUTIN hard to see. That extended my time by quite a bit. I enjoyed TAVERN (not medical related, those rounds), MOSES (timely, considering it's Passover). I was grateful for BALALAIKA, which I got with no crosses, because it enabled SNOWCRAB. I never would have gotten that off of the clue. 40A: Kayak alternative (EXPEDIA) did not fool me in the least, hidden capital be damned.
I did not like 29A: Some long sentences (BADRAPS), but in retrospect I realize I was thinking of "bad reps" which has nothing to do with prison sentences. Also RAINDATE is fine but feels a little awkward. I will quibble with ARIOSE crossing ARIAS. These two clearly have the same etymology, and essentially deal with the same concept.
Otherwise I very much enjoyed this puzzle. Nice themeless with an unusual grid.
14:56
ReplyDeleteI smoked this one. My only slowdown came in the SW, but once I entered SHOCK (after already getting STRAITLACED, ASKS, PARLANCE and ARIAS), it fell in two seconds. 1000 is military time for TENAM. PISON is excellent. Lots of great stuff in here. Now, on to today's (Saturday), which I see Horace has already finished.