Saturday, February 24, 2018, John Guzzetta

10:40

Yes! I've been loving doing the puzzle this week, from Wednesday through Saturday (and even Monday and Tuesday were not so terrible). Today's is not nearly so stunning as yesterday's, and it was easier to boot.

I finished all but the NW corner in just over 7 minutes, which left nearly 4 minutes for that section alone. Of course, our most devoted readers will know that I don't love the ultrasegmentation of the grid, which leaves the NW and SE corners as their own minipuzzles. Still, they're large enough sections that it felt like there were multiple possible toeholds to get in.

I broke in with EST, CRU, and NEO in the SW corner. Crosswordese to the rescue! I'm not sure I agree with the tone of 31D: Slow and steady types (PLODDERS). Couldn't one rather think of them as careful, or meticulous? Meanwhile, each of the long answers at 32A, 31A, and 28A went in off the first letter alone. SLIPPERYSLOPE is such a wonderful term. And we don't know anything about BINGEWATCHING in this household.

By the way, has anybody seen Scott and Bailey, a British detective series starring two women with another woman as their Detective Chief Superintendent? It's so well done, we've been watching it non-stop round here.

Oh. Yeah, about that binge watching? Um...

The other long answers in the corners are quite good as well. I particularly like CANTILEVERS and RUMORMONGER.

I was not convinced by RESHIPS until I finished the puzzle and looked at it again. The clue, 21D: Forwards, is quite vague. I had __SHIPS, and was convinced it would be a nautical direction. Thus I missed the actual meaning of receiving a package and sending it along to where it was meant to end up. Between that answer and COLLET, I was definitely worried I might have FWOE'd, but all is well that ends well, as they say.

26D: Buster of myths (SNOPES) gets my nod for favorite answer of the day.

- Colum