The "A-T"s is the theme today. My least favorite musical decade (that I've lived through) (see: OATES), but a fine Tuesday crossword puzzle theme. Three of the four theme answers are in every day use, but I wanted ANCHORTENANT (63-Across, once) (really, but not really) to be "anchor store." Still, it's fine. Besides, "ATEIs," "tBERT," "oOISE," FrNG," "AeDHOW," and "INI_" didn't work. Heh. I can't believe I just typed all that out. What's more, I can't believe I'm going to leave it in my review! :)
It's a WORLDCLASS blog I tell ya. WORLDCLASS. :)
I like all the two- and three-word answers today. UPFOR (12D: Enthused about), GOTBY (13D: Coped, barely), IMOFF (1A: "Gotta go!"), TAGUP, ASIAM (32A: Just the way you see me), NOSIR (49D: Polite refusal), and ANDHOW (47D: "You can say that again!"), to name just seven. And then, of course, there's also PIANOTUNER (11D: One involved with a grand opening?). Great clue there. And speaking of clues, my last letter was the V of MVP (54A: Star athlete, for short). After I got the "Congratulations" screen, I went back to look once more at "55D: Pair of skivvies?," and wouldn't you know it, they got me again! I just could not make sense of that when I was solving, but after the fact, I see it's yet another meta-clue (there are two Vs in skivvies) that stumped me. UGH!
Fine theme with good bits (SPURN, LOIN, WREST, SOLAR) scattered around. A fine Tuesday.
- Horace
Thanks Horace- WORLD CLASS review fer sher! Bruce
ReplyDeleteHaha, as I filled in VEES I thought of this blog and how good we are here at that kind of clue.
ReplyDeleteJust did the syndicated puzzle yesterday. Funny, I saw the phonetic clue as "The Eight T's," since--cleverly--there are a total of eight in the theme answers. Nice double-edged revealer! Rex had a cow about ANCHORTENANT, I saw; but I much prefer it to "anchor store," which strikes me as too generic and much less snappy. "Word spoken before and after 'James'" took me way too long, but I love it! Also enjoy the inclusion of SEARS, which used to be--pause for wistful, nostalgic sigh--a common ANCHORTENANT. Love Hall and Oates! "She's Gone" is one of the great pop songs ever. Excellent Tuesday.
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