Tuesday, February 28, 2023, Gia Bosko

Although I had a relatively quick solve today (EMIR 7:57), I'm SLOE to post the review again. Going to work today was a PREREQ for getting paid. Slogging back and forth INTHERAIN didn't help matters. But, on to the matter at hand. During the solve, I didn't LOITER over any particular clue or area, but I did, unFORKSunately, end up with an overlooked FWOE. I entered SNOoTY instead of SNOTTY for "Overbearing and unpleasant, say") and I didn't notice what became of the answer to "Collect it all!" in the process (SEo instead of SET). This is a problem that occasionally BESETS me if I forget to leave an open square to allow for review before the app makes its pronouncement. 

The GREENEGGSANDHAM-based theme answers are fun, however, SAMIAM not. None of the proffered settings or accoutrements would get me to eat the title product. For one thing, despite its much touted NUTRIENT content, I don't take an egg, and a green egg is right out. While I do like a ham - both the acting and viand types - I don't eat it very often these days having shifted to a largely meatless diet. INATREE, ONABOAT, or WITHAGOAT, it's still no. I looked the book up on the Wikipedia, and apparently, "the vocabulary of the text consists of just 50 words and was the result of a bet between Seuss and Bennett Cerf, Dr. Seuss's publisher, that Seuss (after completing The Cat in the Hat using 236 words) could not complete an entire book without exceeding that limit. ... "Anywhere" is the only word used that has more than one syllable." My TOPHAT goes off to Dr. Seuss. 

Elsewhere in the grid I enjoyed the the C/APs "Dis-band?" (GOSOLO). "Swallows, e.g." for BIRDS and "Grub" for EATS were nicely slightly tricksy. I also liked the clue "Name that's practically synonymous with synonyms" (ROGET). Fill-wise there were some real winners including KEMPT, GAM, SWIG, BILGE and SIMP. Also, have others noticed that SHROOM(s) are popping up all over these days?

TATA for now, dear Readers.

~Frannie.