Today's puzzle resulted in one of those solves where I go through the grid top to bottom and am able to enter about three answers with some confidence. Then begins the retrace and re-think step with a gradual build up of entries until, finally, I'm stuck in one corner. Maybe that's just me. :) Today's problem corner was the northeast. I seem to have missed the entrance of ELKMEAT into the group of available lean proteins. Turns out my diet is as out of date as the rest of me! Other problem C/APs in that area that contributed to the slow down were "Stretches" for LENGTHS and director SACHA Gervasi, of whom I've never heard. The answer to the clever clue "Basic analysis?" eluded me for a time, but when I figured that one out (PHTEST), some of the other answers became more obvious and I was able to complete the puzzle. Total time: 38:54.
I thought the triple stacks of grid-spanning entries were all pretty solid, although for some reason, I was looking for something a little more colorful for "Exhausted beyond belief" than TOOTIREDTOTHINK. While I twigged immediately to what I think was intended misdirection with the clue "Teddies and such," it took a few crosses for me to get the full answer (INTIMATEAPPAREL). Other clues of note in the misdirection category were "Do some modeling" (SETAGOODEXAMPLE) and "Canine protection org.?" (ADA) - ha! I also forgot Shuffles were IPODS so I spent rather too long trying out things like 'steps' and 'plays'. Derp.
There were some interesting and unusual answers in the mid-section, such as DECILES, SAPOR, and FATTAIL, that thanks to the increase of shorter answers in that area, didn't cause me too much trouble. Other unusual fill - at least for this solver - included ANOSMIA and MUSETTE. I liked "One way to manage expectations" (AIMLOW), and, of course, "Spreadsheet specification" (ROW) and the LARCH. SCREEDS and GRIMACE are nice - in a word-way, not so much in IRL.
And so, dear Readers, another puzzle week comes to a close. I leave you in the more-than-capable hands of CLUBPRO, Colum Amory.
~Frannie.
I'm still scratching my head...math is high on the list o' my least favorite things, but I somehow enjoyed this puzzle. I confidently dropped in INTIMATE APPAREL and STEADY AS SHE GOES. TAKE A CAB was pretty easy (once I realized GOLF PRO was wrong!) as was TE DEUMS. I also confidently put in RIP SAWS instead of the correct answer which slowed me way down. But finally it all came together...EAT DESSERT FIRST cracked me up. 28:05 -- Thanks, Frannie!
ReplyDeleteYou don't want to know what my solve time was. :) But same thing, I went thru almost the whole grid one time and ... nothing ... until the Homer Simpson quote started the dominoes falling. WILLA, SACHA and ANOSMIA were new to me, and I thought MUSETTE only had a musical meaning...
ReplyDeleteOh go on, Philbo... it's only numbers. :) I was mostly done in about ten minutes, but then it took me another 3 to figure out the SHREW/FATTAIL/WILLA/SACHA/PHTEST situation. Clock stopped at 13:18.
ReplyDeleteNow, Horace, if Philbo doesn't want to reveal his time, that's his choice. :-)
ReplyDelete11:45 for me. ANOSMIA was an immediate get for this Neurologist.
ReplyDeleteFunny, Colum, ANOSMIA was an immediate get for me because of an episode of Scrubs, one of my favorite shows.
DeleteAll right, all right, all right : 7:34 :)
ReplyDelete