Thursday, October 27, 2022

Thursday, October 27, 2022, Barbara Lin

Great theme today that it took me some time to figure out. Early signs indicated a rebus. Right at 2D, I couldn't make INORGAN[IC] ("Not derived from living matter") fit without one, but it took me a bit longer to figure where to squeeze in the extra letter. I only realized later that the clues for the theme answers that took a rebus were in italics, a delay justified, I thought, by the fact that the one at 32A was a quote. I "thought" - if I can even call the momentary consideration my mind gave the clue a thought - that the clue was in italics because it was a quote. As I advanced out of the northwest, however, I picked up the pattern and began to make sense of the situation.

I'm not sure why I'm rambling on about that. What I really want to say is that this is a really cool theme. To come up with these theme answers that are regular expressions (of the non-computer variety :) that change just one letter AND fit them into a puzzle is pretty amazing. 
BREA[KD] (BREAK BREAD)
FAC[ET]S (FACES FACTS)
TAL[LE] (TALL TALE)
[PM]OWER (POWER MOWER), and the big finish ...
[GT]OTOE] (GO TOE TO TOE]

48D: MONACO

Plus, the corresponding Down answers are good - if, in the case of A[PM]USIC, a little farfetched - is that a thing in high school? The rest of the puzzle is also good, with fun fill like BRAYS, ADIPOSE - you don't see that every day - well, maybe some of us do :) - ROCOCO, IFFY, CATCONDO, and HIMOM. 

Not to mention a number of fine C/APs like VOID for "Vacuum", OUTDO for "Best", "Alternative to a boot" (TOW), and the amusing, "Solution to some chemistry problems?" (LYE) and "Place where everything should have a mate" (SOC[KD]RAWER). I don't get SOTU for "D.C. address?" I'm sure one of our dear Readers can enlighten me. 

In short, ILOVEDIT!

~Frannie.
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5 comments:

  1. Kelly ClarkOctober 27, 2022 at 2:45 PM

    SOTU stands for "State of the Union," Frannie. Nice write-up!

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  2. Jim KingdonOctober 28, 2022 at 9:38 AM

    Took me what seemed like forever to get the theme. I was doing things like trying to put it in as AP[MU]SIC instead of A[PM]USIC and likewise throughout the grid. And I figured something like GOTOE was half an answer but was wanting the other half to be, oh I don't know a diagonal or in some synmetric place or (other vague notions which are hard to even explain in the context of a grid which was filling up and not leaving much room for that sort of thing). Eventually got the aha moment with BREA[KD] (where I had even filled in the down as a rebus because the down clue and its crosses seemed to allow little else, but where I couldn't figure out what that had to do with the across).

    Anyway I said my solve was long (although the timer says only 25 minutes, not really shocking for a Thursday for me), but this comment will be even longer at this rate.In other news, planning an East Coast trip to include the ACPT.

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    Replies
    1. Frances PageOctober 29, 2022 at 9:51 AM

      Great news about coming east for the ACPT. C U there!

      Delete
  3. HuygensOctober 28, 2022 at 9:53 AM

    [GT]OTOE was by far the most surprising (and best) of the theme answers, even though the *idea* of A[PM]USIC is great (I realize it's not technically a theme answer, but it's related). We certainly didn't have that option in the small town where I grew up, but it would've been nice. Enjoyable theme; I always love a rebus on a Thursday and am usually a little let down when it doesn't happen.

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