Friday, January 7, 2022, Robyn Weintraub

Friday fun from Robyn Weintraub with a nice variety of clue styles, topics and quality. The only trouble I had was in the mid-west. I blame my lack of awareness of NONAPOLOGY and the two excellent and tricky clues "Numbers not meant to be shared" (SOLOS) and "Secretly unionize?" (ELOPE). For the former, after I finished the puzzle, I was discussing the puzzle briefly with Horace and said to him, "I still don't really get SOLOS, but as I read the clue aloud - much like yesterday's theme reveal - I suddenly understood the answer. Funny how the key to a tricky clue is often about where the emphasis is placed on a word in the clue, something that would be clear in speech is not so obvious - at least to this solver - in written text. Maybe my lack of emphasisthy is one of the many reasons I'm not a super fast solver. :)

The kind of clue I think I'm better at grasping quickly - most of the time - are ones that rely on a word's multiple meanings. Two good example in this puzzle are "Lashes makeup" (HAIRS), and "Looks like a jerk" (OGLES). 

In addition to the two very fine C/APs mentioned above, I enjoyed 

"ID seen at the post office" (IDAHO)

"Story that goes over your head?" (ATTIC)

"One constantly craving kisses?" (CHOCOHOLIC)

"Broadway show where everyone knows the ending?" (LIMITEDRUN)

"Simple matter of probability" (COINFLIP)

"Air France confirmation" (OUI) - ha!

There were also a couple of nice hidden capital clues:

"Othello, for one" (GAME) - not fooled by

"Driver in 'House of Gucci'" (ADAM) - fooled by at first

In short, though not a WARPDRIVE time for this solver (16:33) - not bad for Frannie for a Friday - and enjoyable throughout. 

~Frannie.