Saturday, June 5, 2021

Saturday, June 5, 2021, Peter Wentz

Today was going along great until a microplane and my thumb created a bad combination. Now I'm typing with nine fingers because my thumb is wrapped in a thick pad of gauze. Otherwise, it's a lovely day, and the Saturday puzzle was a fun solve, once again with Cece.

It's really a perfect day for GAZPACHO, given the heat index, and that answer along with POPASHOT made me feel in a Summer mood to start the solve. I haven't played Battleship in yonks, but I enjoy a good game of cribbage, which also uses a PEG or two. Horace, we need to renew our rivalry. It's been too long since we've been able to be face to face.

And speaking of faces, I liked the pair of clues at 33D: Spot on a face (PIP, referring to face cards) and 9A: Bad spot for a date (PIMPLE). That's some nice playing around with expectations. My other favorite clue was 43A: Sta4nce, for instance (REBUS). The four is in stance, thus, "for instance." Although perhaps it should have been "Sta4nce, for for instance."

The British REGALIA

There are some great long answers in the grid, such as BLACKSABBATH (not my favorite kind of music, but it's a good entry) and 38A: Climactic court moment (MATCHPOINT) - Cece got that off of the MA____. That last one has its own minitheme with 34D: Cause for a replay (LET). 

Wait, I just remembered another good clue! It's at 10D: It won't react well (INERTGAS). Indeed it won't. Very nice.

Why is this puzzle not quite as lovely as yesterday's? It's a personal taste sort of thing, I guess. SACBEE is an odd thing to find on a Saturday, and perhaps not even necessary with a little work in that corner. INARUG is a peculiar partial. These are small things, but when you're operating on a high level, the bar is raised. Or perhaps your hoist by your own PETARD.

- Colum

7 comments:

  1. For the longest time, I thought PETARD was some kind of item of clothing - and to be hoisted by it was akin to getting a wedgie. ha ha! 9:03 today, after a sluggish start. Once RHEA was in, it all flowed from there...

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  2. Sheesh! Nice time, Philbo. I had quite a slow start today - and also a slow finish. :) Tried "spacejam" instead of POPASHOT, and UPPEDTHEantE in the SE, which didn't help things.

    Lovely puzzle once it was filled in. 21:00.

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  3. Oh, and I think it should have been "St4nce, for 'for instance,' for instance." :)

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    Replies
    1. Sounds kind of recursive!! Recursion is good :)

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    2. Kind of reminds me of "The Department of Redundancy Department."

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  4. Amazing puzzle, fiendish but eminently fair clues. For the longest time I thought "St4nce" was yet another band I'd never heard of. :-) My time? About a day...

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  5. Solved on paper, so I don't know my time, but relatively fast for me for a Saturday since I had no slowdowns. I entered ____SHOT off of the clue, but needed the crosses for the "POPA" part. I didn't like SACBEE at all, and no one likes PREGGO, but other than that the fill was fine. I'm watching "Better Call Saul" but did not know the name RHEA; her character is excellent. And when we have a PIZZAPARTY here at the YBH, it is not an "order in" event.

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