I thought the theme was fun, and the puzzle played pretty easy overall, but the bottom tier had some POOP in it. Well, for me anyway. I got completely stuck on the TO_O/O_AI cross. I was not aware of OJAI. My tourism tends to be in a more easterly direction. But my history knowledge was not easterly enough, as I was also unfamiliar with Mr. TOJO.
Also in that neck of the woods, I thought 52D. Former Cleveland Orchestra conductor George (SZELL) was a little much, especially when a person had to know there was another whole category of nurses (LPNS). If there's one thing that doing the NYTX puzzle makes clear to me, is that there's a lot I don't know.
~Frannie
8:22
ReplyDeleteI thought JOKE was a bit of an understatement at 1A for quite some time, until I got the point of the theme. Nice to fit 12 answers in, symmetrically, and in a pleasing pattern, not to mention the revealer, THEDIRTYDOZEN. I had to choose between T and H at the cross of HAMMS and HEHE. Chose correctly, but it was a guess.
16:21
ReplyDeleteYou have to be kidding me with the cross of HOAR and OJAI. Finished the rest of the puzzle in 8 minutes and then let this corner sit for a few minutes longer until I just asked my son to finish it on principle. I guess I should look these things up so I know for next time.
Theme didn't do much for me. Usually Thursday is a bit more twisted, but good enough I guess.
7:04
ReplyDeleteI was, as Colum was, a bit non-plussed by the answer at 1A, until 7D's [DIRTY]MARTINI gave it away, and then it was just a race to the finish.
19:41 (FWTE)
ReplyDeleteI chose incorrectly at HAMMS/HEHE and guessed wrong at RIRE/EAR, even though the down should have been obvious (I entered a "t" in both cases, thinking with the latter that one could pick things up with a glob of tar). The rest was easy enough. Maestro SZELL is familiar to me, even though he died when I was 4 (his recording of The Ninth Symphony ranks among the best). After finishing the puzzle, I read in the Telegram that it was the fiftieth anniversary of THEDIRTYDOZEN release, so this was quite timely, and who doesn't love a dirty puzzle?
What's even more funny about this particular puzzle is the fact that there is a very dirty song called The Dirty Dozen by Jelly Roll Morton…
ReplyDeleteEver hear it? You'd remember if you did:
it's repeated verse contains the line "... and your mama don't wear no drawers."