Debut alert! Congratulations to Mr. Bisen-Hersh for his first published New York Times Crossword puzzle.
Sad tweet: yours truly has an unpleasant upper respiratory infection. Does not appear to be COVID, by home testing, but who knows. I don't call that a great start to the year, but it was more than offset by the wonderful time I had with Horace and Frances celebrating New Year's.
Today's puzzle takes the classic song ITHADTOBEYOU (I am most familiar with the Harry Connick, Jr. version, as that was the defining music from "When Harry Met Sally"), and reinterprets the title as "it had 2 B-U." Thus, we get three theme answers with the letter string BU repeated twice. TRIBUTEALBUM (clued with Queen) is great, and BUNSENBURNER gets bonus points for both words starting with the letters in question. HAMBURGERBUN is also fine.
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| Steve MARTIN |
As is usual for a Monday, there are few scintillating clues, but I very much like the fill, and the puzzle plays smoothly. Notable answers include BABKA (yum), ASS (why not?), and GUITARS.
We were just talking about OPERA the other day. I'd like to get some more opera viewing in my life. Maybe at La Scala, if we're lucky!
Overall a lovely Monday offering, which went by in 2:45.
- Colum
Really nice puzzle. And that song makes me melt!
ReplyDeleteHey - welcome to the URI club! Or something like it anyway. Almost two straight weeks of coughing. Absolutely ruined my holiday. >:(
ReplyDeleteI didn't super love this puzzle (apologies Mr. Bisen-Hireh, congrats on getting published). Thought the theme was a bit thin. I did like the appearance of MARTIN, my favourite comedian as a young teenager. 2:44 for me.
Hope you're feeling better soon Colum!
Thanks, Philbo!
DeleteI found a number of personal ROIs in the puzzle (References of Interest) including Count BASIE, ELLA Fitzgerald, ERNIE, and TAURUS :) Fill-wise, I liked BIGIF and FENCE - a word with many meanings. I also enjoyed the fact that I knew ANTON of the answers right off the bat, leading to a PB of 4:09. Woot.
ReplyDeleteGreat time, Frannie!
DeleteWow, great times everyone! I thought I was fast with 5:24, but I guess not. To BOB for apples is not done any longer, is it? I mean, gross. Anyway, I think that Sue and I saw Steve MARTIN in his kitchen window as we were going by on a Hollywood tour bus. He seemed to have an apron on and was busily washing dishes. We were hoping to see Bob Barker, who is often sitting out in a lawn chair waving as buses pass, but he wasn't doing so on that occasion.
ReplyDelete3:12 for me. It's among my fastest times, and it makes me think that maybe I will someday break three. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely going to get there, Horace!
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