Tuesday, December 6, 2022, Ross Trudeau and Wyna Liu

Today's seven theme answers are the names of famous women whose first names are all of the three-letter VCV pattern, where V=vowel and C=consonant. Reading from top to bottom of the grid, the names form a word ladder, starting with INA and ending with EVE, although wouldn't it be fun if everything started with EVE? :) By substituting one letter in the first name you get the next. For example, to go from ADALOVELACE to ANADEARMAS, just replace the D with an N. That's all there is to it. :) 

My lack of current culture knowledge definitely served to LESSEN my pace on this puzzle. I have heard of all the "theme" women, but several of their names didn't leap to mind, especially the three in the lower half of the grid, so I had to rely on the Down answers to finish the puzzle, some of which gave me trouble. It took me a while to come up with STEAMUP for "Make R-rated, say" and AMNIOS for "OB/GYN tests, informally." I also entered 'swimlanes' off the clue "Pool divisions" but the correct answer turned out to be LANELINES. Derp. In the ACR category,  I was tricked by "Some computing platforms," putting in DEllS at first, until AKA ("Alias inits.") set me straight (DESKS). Total solve time: 15:20.

Some C/APs I enjoyed today include "Bulb unit" (LUMEN),"Wrangler alternative" (LEE), "Yield" (CONCEDE) and "Clear plates, say" (BUS). Fill-wise, I liked BERATE, LUNGE, BEATDOWNS (and its clue, "Shellackings:), AMALGAM, and ROUE. 

Less popular with this solver were ULTA, EELIEST, and EASTERS - the latter is odd as a plural, IMO. Of course, I AVA admit that IDAB INA fix if I EVA ADA create ANA thing like this myself. 'EVE forbid!

~Frannie.