49:33
Well, not my fastest Saturday solve on record, but at least it's not a DNF. I found today's puzzle challenging, but satisfyingly so, despite my performance not being an ACER, say.
I was almost completely stymied in the southeast. SHOWROOMS and PARTYHOPS seemed right, but my misconceptions about other clues in that section left a lot of EMPTY squares - I was stuck on 'paper' ("Common recyclable"). And I really wanted something more Greek-letter-y than OHMS for 50Across. I also had absolutely no idea what "Super Six, of old autodom" might be (ESSEX), nor who the daughter of Tethys in Greek mythology is (STYX). Not a very ROSY picture! I eventually guessed MUTE for "Zoom call option" and the corner came together after that.
Other tough ones for this solver were "Seat of Hillsborough County with a population of 400,000+" (TAMPA) and "Actress Price who co-starred on CBS's 'Rules of Engagement'" in the northwest. I didn't know the actress's name and the "Y" spelling of MEGYN added another level of difficulty. Also, the clue "Smart" at 6A had me stumped, even when I had CHI_. The interesting sounding, but unknown to me "Conjoined title character of 1990s-2000s Nickelodeon cartoons" was no help, but when other across answers gave me the dog half, I decided the answer had to be CATDOG, and then, I got smart about CHIC.
Another place I got stuck was at "Entered angrily, say" in the southwest. STOrmEDIN fit perfectly *and* it worked with 70% of the downs that crossed it, so I thought it had to be correct. Of course, it wasn't. The similar STOMPEDIN was what the constructors required and what also finally revealed the answer to the very nice clue "Turns down" (DIMS).
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I liked "Metaphorical source of irritation" (THORN). "Downplay the significance of" is the perfect clue for SOFTPEDAL. And "Place to go that requires cash at the door?" (PAYTOILET) was amusing. I also love "Word that sounds like 'orange' in a classic knock-knock joke" (ARENT). It's funny because it's not true. :)
I'm also a FAN of the fun fill HUMDINGER, BEERRUNS, and UFOREPORTS.
Maybe IMS, ERE, and GEE are a little weak, but there' no de NINE this is a fine puzzle.
~Frannie.
23:42
ReplyDeleteI wanted UFOsightings so badly that I was stumped completely with that one until the crosses started coming in. Also, the "dispensary" part of POTDISPENSARY wasn't happening for me. I've never been to one, and think of them as "pot shops." I also DIDNT know that STYX was a female, so that slowed me down in that corner. And who's heard the term MODELMINORITY? Like Frannie, I tried STOrmEDIN where STOMPEDIN belongs at first. Not too much NONSENSE in the grid. TRUMANERA is a timely entry.