Monday, December 31, 2018

Monday, December 31, 2018, Brian Thomas

3:32

Ooo!

I do like a set of answers with odd collections of letters. Today's features three Os in a row, and the revealer, appropriately enough, comes at 65A: Another name for O3 (as appropriate to 17-, 25-, 44- and 58-Across?) (OZONE). My favorite today is ITSAZOOOUTTHERE for the zany ____ZOOOUTTH___ in the middle. My least favorite is BOOOFFSTAGE because who wants to think about "boof" again this year? Maybe next year would be soon enough.

Oh, no, wait. That's tomorrow. Definitely still too soon.

There are some oddities for this Monday level puzzle. Some might be annoyed by starting with 1A: Exchange after a lecture, informally (QANDA). This more experienced solver did not have much difficulty with it, but it's a tough go for novices. Similarly with STELMO.

There aren't a ton of interesting clues or answers either. But I enjoyed GEEWHIZ. Also, DROUGHT is one of those one-syllable words that extend to seven letters somehow.

Here's another odd thing with English. __YPT can be completed either by EGYPT or "crypt". How very different those two words are.

In any case, I hope everybody is celebrating tonight in celebration of the outgoing year and in hopes for what the New Year may bring. For anybody reading my little outpouring, here's to you and yours. May 2019 be exciting, interesting, and fulfilling.

- Colum

1 comment:

  1. HORIZON was another good one. Hadn't heard of a TOERAG (and SHERI Lewis is someone i only know from crosswords), so that was the last to go in. Oh and liked the "sestet halved" clue for TRIO.

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