Oh, this is too cute. I love the idea: standard phrases reinterpreted as names for specialized online dating sites. There are eight of them, all of them top drawer, really top drawer. My favorite however, has to be 57A: Good name for a dating site of massage therapists? (RUBBERMATCH). First, the sense of the two words are completely reworked by the clue. Second, it's a phrase drawn from the card game bridge, which always has a soft spot in my heart.
Also, shout outs to OPENFLAMES and ORGANICCHEMISTRY. Very nicely done.
I didn't love the flow of the grid. It's very segmented, probably so that those eight theme answers don't interact too much. That being said, twice in the grid, two theme answers are right next to each other, and another theme answer crosses one. That's impressive.
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| TRINIDAD |
Other clues I liked:
41A: Member of a southern colony (PENGUIN). Hah!
67A: Patty alternative? (TRISH). Dang, I only just got that one. Two different nicknames for Patricia. Very funny.
109A: First things to go into jammies (TOOTSIES). Cute.
125A: Ones passed on a track (BATONS). Not at all what I'd been thinking of.
I'm not sure where I stand on 53D: ' (FEET). (Sorry... I didn't mean it as a pun when I wrote it.) The reference is unclear to begin with, but what about the following mark: 1'. Isn't that "foot?" I think so.
And of course, the clue-answer entry that makes the whole puzzle worthwhile comes at 85D: Command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (MAKEITSO). I tried to squeeze "Enterprise" in there, but that was a no-go, obvi.
- Colum
I agree with your assessment of the theme. I heartily enjoyed it. As I am currently in Paris, I'll select FRENCHCONNECTION (Good name for a deep kissers' dating site?) as my top theme answer, but I enjoyed them all. ACTIONITEMS and STUDFINDER sound like they might be NSFW.
I actually entered "selma" at first for Patty alternative. Ha! And for 85D, when I saw that "enterprise" wasn't going to work I tried "starship" which fit, but was totally wrong. MAKEITSO is excellent.
I liked both the clue Noggin and its answer COCONUT. I also liked 105A. Certain layers (HENS), and RECESS for Swing time? (48D) Ha!
Our trip is winding down, and I am ready to take up the reviewer's mantle again starting tomorrow. Thanks for a week of great reviews, Colum, or, as the French would have it, merci!
~Frannie.
28:02
ReplyDeleteEven though it was fast, it was, indeed, enjoyable. And Frannie, I had _ENS for a very long time for 105A before I figured out that it wasn't the tier type of layer that was being referenced. And Colum, I tried fOOTSIES, but found that an IfGUY probably wouldn't be too good with technology. I generally enjoy a MONDAVI product, and have never heard of SEANBEAN (but when I looked him up, I recognize his mug). Everyone - everyone - loves a DATASET, but to the theme. I suppose I'd have to pick FRENCHCONNECTION as my favorite with ORGANICCHEMISTRY a close second. I finished both this puzzle and the LA Times Sunday offering in under a half-hour each, which is unusual.