SPORTS NUTS
Sorry, Colum, I thought I'd get things back to normal this week by taking the slot after you, but does that mean you've had an extra week? I can no longer remember...
What? A blog post isn't the appropriate place for personal communication between two people? All you sports nuts will RAISEHELL if I don't start commenting about the puzzle? Well ok then.
The theme today takes sports-related words and re-clues them to make them into non-sports-related words. The classic SEVENTENSPLIT in bowling, for example, is turned into a "Plan to leave at a very specific evening time?" (I'm hoping that was an afternoon barbecue, because if it's a soiree, they're not really giving it much of a chance.) In another, baseball's DESIGNATEDHITTER is moved to the realm of card games with "Blackjack dealer?" And things get all meta when track and field's STARTINGBLOCK is clued with "First square of a crossword?"
It's a fun idea, and most of them at least made me smile. FLOOREXERCISE (Kegels, e.g.?) moving from the gymnastics mat to the pelvic floor, was the most surprising, and UNPLAYABLELIE (Conspiracy theory so wild that it can't be aired?) made me wish that it actually happened more often...
In other areas, I was fooled by "Word that can precede or follow pack," dropping in "rat" instead of ICE, and it took me a very long time to get "Things you can crack without damaging them" (DOORS) (When is a door not a door? When it's ajar!) And today I learned that I have not been pronouncing VIOL correctly. Anybody else say "vee-ole." Or is it "vie-ole?" No? Ok, well, I guess I maybe I should switch to avoid being RAZZed by all those symphony-goers.
Lastly, I only just now got the clue for DEE (It's just passing). It's just above an F - and, theoretically, an E, were teachers to choose to give that grade. (Hey, there's room for it, Colum, it's just that no one has had the SPORTS NUTS to start handing them out.)
There I go using this platform to communicate directly with Colum again. But really, in doing so, aren't I also bringing you, Dear Reader, into the conversation? Aren't I letting you into my story a bit? Isn't that what writing a blog is all about? Oh, what do I know? I'm just a rube who goes around saying vee-ole! Ay CARAMBA!
- Horace
Horace, I have not had an extra week. Or at least not yet. In any case, it's all good. I am amused that I tried pEE for DEE (It's just passing). Hah! My favorite theme answer is OFFENSIVEREBOUND.
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