Remember talking about those aha moments? I surely had one today. I had much of the top half filled in and even most of the two revealer answers before the shoe dropped, metaphorically speaking, that is. Filling in 16D: Gift of persuasiveness (TONGUE) and 10A: Second-best era (AGE), I was completely at sea. Once again metaphorically, you understand.
And then I finally filled in SILVER / LINING, and my eyes filled with the shining light of comprehension. Every border answer is best understood with "silver" supplied before hand. Thus, "silver-tongue" and "silver age." I love seeing The [SILVER]SURFER as well as the [SILVER]SCREEN. Very nicely done. It's such a nice change of pace when we get an around the outside theme like this one.
We've been thinking some about the LONDONAREA, because we've been watching the second season of Ted Lasso. It's a fun series, although I'm not as convinced by this go around as we were by the first season. When you take a character that's mostly created for the surface fun and supply back story and psychologic difficulties, it's going to feel like a bit of a stretch.
I was slowed down today by thoughtlessly putting Yeti in at 53A: Hairy Tibetan beasts (YAKS). I mean, I was right, in a sense. Only, what is the plural for our favorite cryptid? I see that it's "Yetis." So that should have alerted me.
Some nice answers in DEVOIDOF and EARWORMS. Strangely, for a Thursday, not much in the way of clever cluing. But overall a fun solve, and a good start to The Turn.
- Colum
I loved it, and got my AHA moment after solving 3/4 of the puzzle, or so the NYT app that I'm really getting to like using told me. My favorite clue? [Silence] for NO RESPONSE. I think. Unless it was the other way around. Since I've been using the app, I don't have the .puz to refer to and I'm posting this the day after. Anyway, a really sweet and fun puzzle!
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