Monday, September 6, 2021, Joshua Rosenblatt

Today's theme wasn't tailor-made for this solver. I mean, I get (or I think I do) that the first parts of the theme answers might be found INVOGUE, the fashion magazine, but I'm not fashionable enough to recognize Chloe or Celine as things (?) separate from their complete selves as spelled out in the puzzle (CHLOEZHAO, CELINEDION). I've never 'chaneled' my inner super model, I guess.

On the other hand, there was a lot of fill that was my style. I liked SPUR, BAGGY, LEGIT, BAFFLE, and PEP - and who doesn't love MOCHA? - two great tastes that taste great together - to coin a phrase. :)

There were a couple of CAPs I thought were dressed for success: AGREE for "Match in opinion" and "Increase unnecessarily, as an expense report" (PAD). I also enjoyed the A-level Britishisms ARSE and AGGRO.

I didn't know MMA ("Combat sport on pay-per-view, in brief"), but had no trouble with it thanks to the Downs. The puzzle was bedecked and bedazzled with acronyms and abbreviations (YMHA, AOC, SCI, AMS), which I found a bit unseamly (heh), but sometimes you have to cut corners to make things fit.

~Frannie.