A solid puzzle today with plenty of long fill. Three stacks of tens at the top left and bottom right, plus two sixteen running top to bottom in the west and east. A number of the clues were entertaining including 1A Line judge? PALMREADER, 43A Noted evictee (ADAM), and "Something that's had its head turned? (EMOTICON). My favorite answer is EMBITTERED, which reminds me of Strindberg and Helium: F & S. As for the sixteens, GETANAFOREFFORT was better than LINKEDINPROFILE, but I could DIG both.
I got a good start with PEPYS, whose diary I am reading intermittently. EPICFAIL is always nice to see written down, if not to experience. The shout out to Somerville at 28D (EDT), which I'm going to assume refers to the city in MA, helps me overlook the otherwise uninteresting crosswordese. While it's true that EEL has also slipped in, but I confess I've grown quite fond of eel - in a puzzle setting - and I miss it when it's away for a long time. The clue at 63D, "Letters for the detail averse" (TMI) struck me as particularly APP. APP! And speaking of, it's always nice to have KRUSTY make an appearance.
I had quite a time of it with 24D. I started with rUST, then took it out because I wanted Skin for 23A (Fruit throwaway), then went to dUST to accommodate SeEd after I got LINKEDINPROFILE, then finally got to MUST and STEM. Fun! I notice that this puzzle also has a two-part clue whose parts were next to each other as the app flies: ONE PLAYER. Sweet.
The shape of this grid allowed for some robust long answers, but REAPed AFEW less fabulous short answers like ISP, EDU, SGT, WBA, and JEN. And no one likes a FEE, but I do like a NUT.
~Frannie.
13:03
ReplyDeleteNice review. That STEM/MUST cross was my last square, and I actually started with "peel" at "23A: Fruit throwaway," and so had an even tougher time of it!
You've hit most of the highlights, but I also liked EYECONTACT (something I struggle to maintain) and DIRTYTRICK.
Fun Friday.
20:30
ReplyDeletePINKVIAGRA is new to me, as I don't keep up on such things. ITWASAJOKE is good, as is EMIGRE, speaking of Richard. I think this puzzle was ACES.