Monday, September 12, 2022, Michael Lieberman

HELLOS again, dear Readers, Frannie here, ready to discourse uponda puzzle. The answer, SHONDARHIMES, when said aloud, reveals the theme beyonda doubt. Each is a two-word phrase, the first of which rhymes with Shonda. We have FONDATHEATRE, WANDAVISION, and HONDAACCORD (nice double A and double C in that one). I find it interesting that someone would come up with this idea for a theme, and, while the resulting answers left me a little cold, it turns out there's not a tonda words that  that rhyme with Shonda.

I didn't break the 5-minute barrier (5:18) as ABET many did on this puzzle, but truth be told, I didn't really try - one problem being that I spent part of the first couple minutes chatting with Horace as I solved. I'll have to give it a little more ELMO grease next week. I found the cluing so apt today that there wasn't much to ponda, resulting in a "read a clue enter an answer" experience for this solver, and, unfortunately, leaving me without a single misstep to report today. :(

That doesn't mean that there weren't some answers I didn't NOAH, including Gospel singer CECE Winans and "Sugarhill Gang song with the repeated line 'Jump on it!'" (APACHE), but those answers filled themselves in with crosses so I didn't have to search the great blue yonda.

There were also some fun clues such as "Went down, as hearts or ships" (SANK), "Made sounds while sound asleep" (SNORED), and "'Dear old' family member" (DAD), which struck me as amusing. I enjoyed RYES, THREADS for clothes, and of course, everyone's favorite, DATA. :)

The puzzle also featured abonda answer pairings including TRANSITIONS and ASIDE, CINCODEMAYO and BODEGA and SAND and SEASHELL, one a purposeful souvenir of a trip to the beach, and the other accidental. 

Take a minute to responda, dear Readers, and let me know what you think. 

~Frannie.