Despite some real cream puffs ("Plaza resident of fiction" (ELOISE), "Neither's partner" (NOR), "1983 hit song that begins with 'Domo arigato'" (MRROBOTO), "Ones being pointed to at a distance" (THOSE), QB ELI Manning, and friends), I still had LOTSA slowdowns in this grid. At 4A: "Submit, as homework" I first tried turnIN then pAssIN and then finally HANDIN. When I got to "What some flakes are made of" I entered 'snow' instead of BRAN. And I didn't get any of the theme answers until I got the revealer. ERGO, a fast time today? UMNO. I guess I just wasn't ALVIN the best day. My consolation prize was a lovely palindromic time: 12:21.
Once I knew understood the theme, it was easier to come up with the correct PICKUPLINE for each situation described in clue. On can pick up a tab (ITSMYTREAT), a receiver (ANSWERTHEPHONE), one's bed chamber (CLEANYOURROOM), or a passenger (DOYOUNEEDARIDE). My favorite pick up line of a type suggested by the clue for the revealer ("'Come here often?' ... ") is, "I'd like to rearrange the alphabet so U and I can be together." Ha!
The puzzle was not without its own amusements. I enjoyed "'I'm FROND of you' (Valentine's Day message for a plant lover?)" and its neighbor, "Mole that should definitely be removed?" (SPY). I also liked "Letters of amusement" for LOL. "Certain itinerant musician" (PIPER) was fun.
Fill-wise, I liked BETCHA, NETTLE, and DIVINE. I would have preferred OHO instead of OOH for "Sound of intrigue" at 33A, but maybe that's being too picky.
~Frannie.
Great theme today! And a palindromic time followed by (on Thursday) a double-number time? Nice job, Frannie, even if it's not entirely planned (or at all, for that matter). I came in under ten, which is usual, I guess, for a Wednesday. Well, MRROBOTO: a song I never much cared for, but at least it's not rap. FROND was excellent.
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