Has anyone heard of EERO? I was sure it would be EchO. I guess it's better than cluing that answer to long past architect Saarinen (died in 1951). It didn't hold me up much, fortunately.
My other shortlived error was to confidently put in XIn for XIA at 45A. But I changed my tune when I saw that "Some German cars" was coming out as nUDIS. Almost wish it were true, but AUDIS is the correct answer.
In any event, our theme today is CELESTIALBODIES, here represented literally with appropriately placed circles. Thus [MOON] takes up an orb-shaped space in the NW corner, while [COMET] streaks earthward in the NE. A [STAR] twinkles in the SE, while an [ASTEROID] (belt?) sprinkles the SW corner. In the middle, a circular [GALAXY] is found. A fun theme idea, carried out well.
Adding to the theme material, 34A: One leaving its pad quickly (ROCKET).
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| Some SOX |
As I've said in the past, these themes which have triple-checked letters, makes the fill challenging. I think they've done a good job here. The NE corner is a good example: 7A: What's found in cafés but not coffee shops (ACCENT) is elevated by its clue, and DROOLER is excellent. 16A: Goofus (BIGDUMMY) is great on both sides of the C/AP. And in exchange, we get standard crosswordese NEMEA and EPEES. Not bad.
Great quote for PUN. Although I'm not sure I agree. I love a good pun, and even enjoy a really bad one. Horace and Frances gave me a 365 day calendar with jokes and puns. So I'm going to be living with them daily for 2023. Good times! 4:26. (Okay time?)
- Colum
Nope, never heard of EERO, but then, I've been avoiding all things Amazon for a while now. And I keep trying to decide whether I should also be avoiding AIRBNBS. We have used them a lot, and they're often great places to stay, but in some cities, they are becoming so popular that they are driving up rents and pushing out locals. So many trade offs in life... SORRY to bring the mood down with the first comment...
ReplyDeleteOn the bright (CELESTIALBODIES) side, I thought the theme was very good. I guess sometimes circles can be ok. See? Trade-offs...
Agreed about the downside to AIRBNBS. But it made for a great place to stay in Le Marais...
DeleteI, of course, enjoyed the theme and the circles, especially with an important (to me) astronomical event taking place on this day (the aforementioned perihelion). But yes, lots of trade-offs. I've never used any AIRBNBS -- we typically stay at a hotel -- but I'm not against them. Were we inclined to cook for ourselves more often when on vacation, I'd consider them as they seem to work out well for Frances and Horace. DROOLER is gross. What's wrong with dog lovers? (Please don't answer that; I know that it's a passionate group, many of whom exist in my own family, and I know that they wonder the same thing about me but from the opposite side of the aisle. Let's agree to disagree, like we all like.) I've read about the Chinese dynasties, but XIA did not stick in my head properly. Maybe now it will, but I doubt it. Never heard of EERO.
ReplyDeleteWell, we don't have droolers for dogs, as a rule. Our dogs are clean around the mouth area.
DeleteNice to know! I like a clean floor and furniture as a rule.
DeleteGood day for a celestial bodies theme, with the Earth at perihelion today - as foretold by Huygens a few days ago. :) I liked the C/APs “Patty’s place” (BUN), “Was behind” (OWED), and “Place to wash up” (SHORE). I didn’t know EERO and was duped by the “Sorento and Telluride” clue for a time, until the answer ROSEN my mind. Nudies - heh.
ReplyDeleteI kind of wish it had been the answer!
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