Each set of circled letters in a quadrant of the grid contains the name of a fish that dangles off the end of a noun or noun phrase in the shape of a FISH HOOK. The hooks bend left or right and are attached to "rods" of seven or five letters. So "Xbox or PlayStation" is GAMECONSOLE with SOLE in the circled letters. The complete kettle of fish includes PIKE, HAKE, and SHAD hooking to the left. The four fish are in good company with a FROG, DAM, and OARS floating around. So, maybe not the trickiest Thursday theme ever, but circle puzzles have their plaice.
PERMS for "Waves to a hairdresser" was creel nice, but the catch of the day, for this solver, was "Chase vehicle, once, in brief?" (SNL) - ha!
I don't like to carp, but I'm not a big fan of the recent clue trend that styles a "Modern pic" as an INSTA. Maybe I'm just out of tuna with the outside world. And speaking of, I was shocked to learn from the puzzle that AROD and J.Lo split up. Does pledging one's trout mean nothing in today's world? At least it sounds like they'll remain chums.
~Frannie.
P.s. What was the Nicholas II's favorite fish? – Tsardines.
Fast solve today for a Thursday, probably reflecting the less than terribly tricky theme. We ask so much of our constructors, don't we? It's a fun theme, with a little twist at the bottom of each answer. Also nice that they're all down answers so they look like lines and hooks. 4:58
ReplyDeleteAmusing review, Frannie.
ReplyDeleteThis puzzle went quickly for me, too (7:16), and I thought it was a nice twist. As it were.
I can't hear "hake" without thinking of Bill Weld, who, as Massachusetts governor, when faced with some kind of crisis involving cod fishermen, supposedly said, amusingly, and most likely jokingly, "Let them eat hake!"
As soon as I got to GOLDENSPIKE I knew something was up and it didn't take a lot of crosses to see what. Although I'm glad I came here because I just noticed the fishhook shape, not that there was the name of a fish caught on each one.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Why did Nicholas II have to deal with pandemic influenza?
A. Because the TSARS coronavirus wasn't around yet.
Timely and apt! :)
DeleteSpectac time Colum! I did 7:49 and felt pretty good about it. Always on the lookout for Canuck references, I appreciated Maple SYRUP. Quebec syrup (and northern VT + NH) is the best, for some esker/glacier/geological reason. Or maybe I'm just biased..
ReplyDeleteIf you squint your eyes, the grid layout resembles the front view of a Koi fish. :)
Had my 2nd Jab today (Moderna). Will see how the next 24 hours go!
Good luck, Philbo! We had the Moderna, and the day after #2 was a washout. It really did only last one day, though, so power through, and then it's time to party!
DeleteThanks Horace! Super rough night and feeling like I got hit by a truck today, but I think it's passing. Eyes on the prize, as it were!
DeleteI'm still cracking up at Frannie's review! Definitely worth the wait!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have great luck regarding speed with this solve, coming in at a glacial, evidently, 19:12. It seems that we may have seen something like this little twist before, but maybe not. Not a HIDEOUS puzzle, but not my favorite Thursday ever, for sure.
ReplyDelete