I will start by saying that any grid that has MALAPROP in it is a winner in my book. The term comes from a play by Richard Sheridan, The Rivals, where a character, Mrs. Malaprop, continually misspeaks. For example: "Why, murder's the matter! slaughter's the matter! killing's the matter! - but he can tell you the perpendiculars." There are many more examples, all quite amusing to my taste.
There are some other really nice entries. BADAPPLE is great, as is SWEETPEA. 39A: Upper crust (SOCIETY) is a great clue and answer. Also, 1D: Draft pick (STEIN) is nicely clued.
But I wasn't as impressed by the long answers in the corners. I told myself the other day that I wasn't going to be such a critic in this blog. I've wanted to be as positive as possible, so I will first and foremost go on record by saying this is a well constructed puzzle. I could do without STUPES, which I don't believe is a real word, and the crossing of NEC and COREY was an out and out guess for me, which I lucked out on.
I'll put up with things like that, though, in service of answers full of pizzazz. And today's didn't do it for me. Perhaps others will disagree (and that's what the comments section down below is for! Please, our handfuls of readers, let me know if you think I'm wrong!).
But let's end on an upbeat note. 7D: Arms provider? (ESCORT) is outstanding stuff.
- Colum
15:44
ReplyDeleteColum is correct: STUPES is not a thing. When I think of EAGLESCOUT, that old ad with Gerald Ford always comes to mind, but was I one? NOTI. This seemed a typical Friday offering and it moved right along for me. My brother Peter (who celebrates his birthday on 1/25) RANTRACK in high school. I, like Colum, had one guess that worked out for me: the CALPHALON/RYNE cross. Both are unfamiliar to me. Now, LETSPARTY!
11:05 (FWOE)
ReplyDeleteSTUPES may not be a thing, according to you lot, but Frannie uses it all the time. I was also familiar with both COREY Pavin and CALPHALON (although I've never liked that brand and do not own any), but I ended up somehow with the drain-cleaning kind of AUGeR, which does not AUGUR well for my ACPT scores this year... and as neither STERN nor IMUS means much to me, they did not help me to avoid the MALAPROP.
I liked the nines all right today. EAGLESCOUT and TETEATETE were good, and ICESCRAPER is timely! I liked it fine.