Thursday, June 1, 2017

Thursday, June 1, 2017, Derek Bowman and Sarah Keller

20:23

Heigh ho, Frannie here  - as if you hadn't already guessed by the tardiness and the dashed high numbers above. (I've just finished a Lord Peter Wimsey mystery in which I quite enjoyed the lingo.)

I am a little rusty at this review business after two months off, but with any luck and a little Easy Off, I'll be back out of the fire and into the frying pan before you know it.

Call me a square if you want to, but I'm not super happy when I open a puzzle and see circles. Figuring out how to parse the circled letters into THEWORLD took me a little minute at the end of the solve. That done, I'm not quite sure I get the point of the four sets, one each in a corner. If it's supposed to be four WORLDs circling the [SUN], then shouldn't it be just WORLD or aWORLD? Which brings to mind the old red wheel barrow. But, maybe it's four corners of THEWORLD? But those don't go around a sun. I'll have to ask Horace about it when next I see him. Or, perhaps one of our esteemed readers will enlighten me.

Anywhoo, I think the circles started me off on the wrong foot and I didn't have such a good feeling about the puzzle while I was doing it and after I finished it, but when I reviewed the clues and answers, I found some goods ones.  To wit:

5D. Leave nothing behind? (STIFF) - this one could double as Huygens material. Maybe ADRIENNE could, too.
56A. Owing (SHY) - what, did a bunch of cheapskates put this puzzle together? :)
48D. Makes sound (HEALS).

Also, RATHOLES, SADLOTS, and BITER are all nice, in a not-so-nice way, and ETRURIA at 15A. brought back some very pleasant memories of time spent in that part of THEWORLD. Ha!


There were a few of what I'd call NYETS in the grid, such as ASASON, ULNAR, TORO, DEW, AHL, or INKER, but perhaps others would stamp them FDA. That's just the way TIS in this world.

~Frannie

5 comments:

  1. 8:11 (FWOE) - this was HORSY and SNOOPY. I had HORSe which just didn't work, and I knew it. I'm not sure I understand the four "the world"s, except that it seems to be rotating around the [SUN] in a sort of graphic novel type of montage sense. I liked the rays coming out of the central sun, though. It's overall a pretty good puzzle.

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  2. 10:47
    I liked this one OK. Didn't much enjoy the SATATs or the INKERs, but there was some fun stuff, too. And I guess it must be THEWORLD revolving around the [SUN]. I guess they've got to do something.

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  3. 14:45
    I was thinking of something like this:
    https://www.windows2universe.org/the_universe/uts/seasons_orbit.5x7_jpg_image.html

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  4. 18:13 (FWOE)
    ULNAR/RITTS cross, where I'd put in an "l" because ulnal seemed fine and I don't know this Ritts person. That kind of cross shouldn't survive editing. I don't like THEWORLD going around the Sun, as it should be the Earth (if "the" is going to be used), IMO. Kind of a disappointing Thursday offering, but Like Horace mentions, they've got to do something.

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  5. 16:52
    I thought it would be easy sledding on a Thursday once I figured out theme, but it was a struggle for me. Tough week. Apparently I don't fare well when ORAN is next to DIECI. Maybe I just need to spend more time outside the USA.

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