Happy Saturday!
Yesterday I was wondering if today's puzzle would be a real stumper, and when I saw Mr. Charlson's name, I knew it certainly could be, but it turns out that when the grid-spanners come to you, they fill in a lot of letters, and things went along pretty smoothly, all things considered.
There are eight (!) fifteens, so let's rank them.
ALABAMASLAMMERS (Southern Comfort cocktails) - as much as I loathe SoCo, I can't not like this name.
BEETHOVENSTHIRD (Symphony originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte) - I think this is pretty well-known, but I actually entered BEETHOVENeroIca at first, and was mad about it, thinking "who would ever say that?" I really should have learned by now that when I think something is really off, it's probably my own dumb brain.
EUCALYPTUSTREES (Bush growths) - Fun realization, when it came clear.
After that, the rest are all pretty much the same. DOORTODOORSALES (Revenue source for a Girl Scout troop) was a little surprising. Does this still happen? And I wanted an "and" in SOCLOSEYETSOFAR, but it's ok as it is.
ODEON, STENOS, and PTL were OYS, but SATAN, FLYROD (Casting choice), and ATEALIVE (Creamed) were NEATO. "Seat in Parliament" (ARSE) always gets a chuckle. LATE (One way to run) was surprising in that it was not "amok," and NMI (Letters used in the absence of a letter) sent me to the reference desk. I can report back that I believe it means "No Middle Initial," and probably not "Notice of Mental Illness" in this case.
Lastly, I've flown into Paris a dozen times or more, always on Air France, and I've never landed at ORLY. I don't doubt that it's a hub, but it must not be their international hub.
It took me longer than yesterday's, but only about a minute more.
- Horace
It took me a few minutes longer than yesterday's, but mostly because of the middle section, and still under 20, so it's fine. Yes, surprising number of long answers in the grid which helped immeasurably. I, too, wanted "Eroica" somewhere in the Beethoven answer, and "amok" where LATE belongs, but these didn't last in place too long given the crosses. Of course I didn't know the LARAMS answer, but the MELS cross really helped out there. I also didn't know George SEGAL or Edmund HOYLE, but both were fairly easy to guess with a couple of crosses filled in. Too bad HARPO can't always be clued in a Marx Brothers way.
ReplyDeleteHorace, we were in sync today as I also actually typed in AND as part of SOCLOSE.. before realizing that it couldn't be. Also AMOK was sitting in there, in place of LATE, for a while. This had the feel of one of those ACPT Puzzle #5's for a bit, but it wound up yielding somewhat easier in 8:12.
ReplyDeleteTo my friends Colum, Horace and Frannie, and those of you who grace these pages but I haven't yet met in person - I wish you the happiest of holidays, peace and love in your lives, and great joy and success in 2023!
-philbo
Right back at ya, Philbo!
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