I enjoyed the many contemporary, conversational entries today. The central stutter-step trio of EXQUEEZEME (Cutesy "I beg your pardon?"), BIGSURPRISE ("What a shocker"), and GODIHOPENOT ("Heaven forbid!") provides a lovely core, up top we have MINAJ, AGGRO, and SHUTYOURPIEHOLE ("Put a sock in it!"), and as we HEADINTO the corners we find HOTSTART (Cause of an early lead, maybe), MINDGAME (Psychological trick). GOTOPOT (Fall apart), and WORKINGIT (Strutting one's stuff). That's a lot of good material!
The rest of the mid-length stuff, while maybe not super-current, is still very good - FORESIGHT (Important leadership skill) is an unusual entry, GROWINGUP ("Losing some illusions ... perhaps to acquire others," ...) is elevated by the Virginia Woolf clue, PAGEONE (It's just the beginning of the story) was fun, and BONAFIDE always makes me think fondly of Holly Hunter in O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Looking around the grid, there's really nothing but good here. I mean, you need little entries like ANI and GOO, but they're not partials, and they're not not words, so they're fine. Right? This is very clean.
On a side note, I thought I was up on my typefaces, but I didn't know how the term "neo-grotesque" (ARIAL) was applied to fonts. From Wikipedia, I learn that "According to Monotype, the term "grotesque" [is used] due to their simple geometric appearance. The term arose because of adverse comparisons that were drawn with the more ornate Modern Serif and Roman typefaces that were the norm at the time." Hmm. I guess that helps.
Lastly, I wish I had a pound of PESTO right now. I'd put it in a cup and drink it.
Loved it.
- Horace
FWOE, but I don't mind because the puzzle is so clean and nice...well, except where I goofed. In the marquis answer. I just don't ever remember hearing anyone say EXSQUEEZE ME before. So I put a C to lead 31 down, giving me C-SHAPE and why I thought that would answer the clue "Double curve" I can't tell you. But a very good, solid grid, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThis is a prime example of what a themeless puzzle should be. Clean, fun entries.
ReplyDelete