I'm trying to get an early start to my reviews this week, to allow for extra time in the evenings to prepare for the Holidays. Let's see how well I keep up with it!
Today's Monday puzzle has a clever theme, using a meta-revealer: of course all of the theme answers have a COMMONTHREAD tying them together. Otherwise, it wouldn't be a theme, right? But also, they are phrases that can be interpreted to relate to sewing. Of course, HEMANDHAW and DARNITALL are better examples than STITCHINTIME, which is in fact referring directly to sewing.
As is fitting for a Monday, the cluing and answers are mostly straightforward, but there were a few that required slightly more thinking. I love the answer HALCYON, such a pretty word. And I'm not expecting a WOMBAT to grace a typical early week puzzle, so that was fun. By the way, if you don't already know them, the Wombats are a really great band.
It seemed fitting that THROBBING should cross 59D: You might do it after stubbing a toe (HOP). Me, I definitely hop, but I also tend to curse loudly. The damn things are so sensitive down there!
I'm not entirely convinced by 39D: Sound from a pug (SNORT). Not the first thing that leaps to mind. But really, this is a smooth and enjoyable Monday.
- Colum
Sometimes I think that in my quest for speed, I may not derive as much enjoyment as I might out of the cleverness of these puzzles. That's part of the beauty of this blog - as a place of communal reflection and appreciation.
ReplyDeleteEnough philosophizing. 3:11 on this one, thanks to an untimely interruption. Now I must go find some Wombat music to listen to.... :)