Friday, October 28, 2002, Will Nediger

Another busy day, dear Readers, which has caused me to bring you this review so late. I started the puzzle in the early AM, but didn't get far. I sat down with it again after dinner and chipped away, section by section, and finished it just now in a longish, 41:53.

The grid was pretty empty after a first pass at the Acrosses. I knew "Number written as a simple cross in Chinese" was TEN and then my next fairly secure answer wasn't until 36A "'___ advice?" (ANY). The latter was the only fill-in-the-blank answer that came easily to me. The connection between the clue "___ law" and OHMS was a long time coming. I was very late to the game with "Late ___" (FEE) as well. The amusing "Subway fare?" for HERO helped me break into the top middle section, but I had the wrong end of the stick when considering "Like overcast skies, in England." I spent too much time searching for a four-letter word that meant 'common' rather than the British spelling of GREY. Derp. On a happier British note, I did know the slang TOFF for "Aristocratic type," which opened up the tiny little section in the middle of the bottom of the grid. And so it, went, section: break in, chip away, complete the section, move on to the next. I never really got a flow going.

That being said, there was much to enjoy on the journey. C/APs I particularly liked were "Roll with many functions" (DUCTTAPE), "You might throw a wrench a wrench into it" (TOOLSET), and "Segment made of lines" (SCENE). "Stocks" and "It goes door to door" were nicely SLY clues for BROTHS and CORRIDOR, respectively

There was also lots of good fill including BURNERACCOUNT, BLOWAFUSE, RUBBISH, DISCOANTHEMS, and LIFEHACKS. Nice crossing of AMATEURNIGHT with ROOKIEMISTAKE as well. 

The only thing that gets ANON from me was APT for "Likely" which seemed neither likely, nor apt, but you know, dear Readers, the fondness I AFFIX to that word.

~Frannie.