Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Tuesday, April 13, 2021, Michael Lieberman

I had trouble getting my schist together today, so I'm posting this review later than I wanted to, leaving me feeling a certain degree of kinship with today's theme. How, you ask, is this review like today's puzzle theme? It's off to a ROCKYSTART, that's how. Give the same treatment to the four theme answers and you'll find some common phrases crop up, from a flavor of ice cream (ROCKY) ROADRUNNER to an icon of film (ROCKY) BALBOAPARK - not to mention the inclusion of an interesting bit of history in the clue for (ROCKY) MOUNTAINDEW. Who knew beverage brands had mascots? 

35D: SIDEB

I had very little trouble with the solve today, which I chalk up to experience. My time was faster today than yesterday's, although, "Eating surface on an airplane" turned out to be surprisingly tuff one for this solver - I guess it's been too long since I've been on a plane. I thought PAPERJAM and WAKANDAN were fun fill. The clue "Communication during peak times?" (YODEL) was a real gneiss one. 

Hopefully, tomorrow I'll be less sedimentary and start with a clean slate. 

~Frannie. 

3 comments:

  1. I love the comment about eating surfaces. If this keeps up I suppose the next step will be "what's a plane?"

    My time was typical for a Tuesday. bside before SIDEB, needed most of the crosses for SIERRA, WAKANDAN, that sort of thing. Although I'm a bit surprised my mind was stuck on "hmmm African doesn't fit" for the Black Panther one. I mean I didn't see the movie, but Wakanda was around in references which I did see.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Quite an amusing review, Frannie. I've been to BALBOAPARK more than once, but don't take a HORRORFILM in general (the "Rocky" variety is an exception). The ROADRUNNER is probably my favorite of the theme answers. Despite the terrible things that happened to him, I never felt too much sympathy for W.E. Coyote. He was, after all, trying to kill the creature who, despite causing the mammal so much pain, seemed amiable enough. The puzzle went along at a normal Tuesday pace for me (7:56) with no real slowdowns.

    ReplyDelete
  3. My time on today's was faster than yesterday's too - by three seconds! (4:00 vs. 4:03) And hey, Worcester's own Polar Cola has that polar bear mascot. I suppose he has a name, but I don't happen to know what it is. Sorry.

    ReplyDelete