My time today was faster than yesterday's by almost a full minute, lending further support to the idea that yesterday was a more difficult than usual Monday.
Today's theme is a regular house of cards. We get three grid-spanning entries that contain the names of tarot cards within common phrases or titles, including THETOWEROFBABEL, THEDEVILYOUKNOW, and THESUNALSORISES. Taking advantage of the cards on the table, the revealer, also a fifteen, is "One examining the starts of 17-, 27- and 28-Across," or TAROTCARDREADER. It's nice that the last theme answer features the Sun, which, according to the Wikipedia, represents good things and positive outcomes to current struggles. What could be more apt for puzzle solvers? Apt!
Elsewhere in the puzzle, Ms. Framke played her cards right by doling out a number of fine clue/answer pairs, including a couple of jokers.
"Mad Libs prompt" (NOUN)
"Walk lurchingly" (REEL)
"Frosted flakes?" (SNOW)
"Leaves home?" (TREE) - ha!
Fun fill like DATA, APOP, SPONGY, and HUNCH only sweetened the deal.
The clue at 43A: "Wasn't naturally" (ACTED) struck me as a bit of a wild card, but I was still able to divine the answer.
A fun puzzle overall. I predict a ROSY future in puzzle construction for Ms. Framke!
~Frannie.
3:33
ReplyDeleteMore of a Monday time today, as Frannie mentioned. This was a slick theme, IMO. I love how each answer has the definite article in it, which is appropriate for the names of the tarot cards. I did want to put KISSEDass in at 40D, but there was one too few squares available, tant pis.
I enjoyed the puzzle too. Unfortunately, we do not seem to have many 20 acrosses anymore! (“It must have been A SLOW news day”)
ReplyDelete4:11
ReplyDeleteWhy is 43A clued as "Wasn't naturally" - it doesn't make sense to me for ACTED. Shouldn't it just be "Wasn't natural?" It can't just be an extension of the ridiculous practice of saying "I'm well," can it?
And yeah, Music Man, the only way to get ASLOW news day these days is to turn it off. I've been in a media blackout for the past week and a half or so, and let me tell you, it's blissful.
So true! I thought the same about 43A. And yes, I take breaks from news to keep my sanity. I just wish my gym would turn those news channels off so I could workout in peace! Happy Thanksgiving
Delete6:47
ReplyDeleteDuring my daily workout is when I see the news; there's not much on at 3:30 AM other than world news (I watch CBS). Yes, the clue for ACTED is odd, but it works a little, in the way that Horace mentions, I guess ("...an extension of the ridiculous..."). I took the GMAT and did quite a good job on it, but that was a while ago. I wonder how I'd do if I took it ANEW?