Maybe it's just me, but I have a soft spot for puns, and so I was delighted to see all the clues in today's puzzle that consisted of questions with partial responses...begging for punny completions! And so it was. The theme could be said to be an understocked magazine stand - each theme clue a request for a certain type of magazine, followed by an "Apologies, but..." type response. (Reminded me of Monty Python's cheese shop skit!) It's up to you the solver to complete the response, which contains the name of a magazine of the type referred to in the question. Clever, in a gentle sort of way! To wit:
"Got any news magazines? Sorry, we're STRAPPEDFORTIME"
"Got any fitness magazines? Sadly, we're OUTOFSHAPE"
"Got any showbiz magazines? Regrettably, we're LACKING VARIETY" (this one's split across two answers)
"Got any LGBTQ magazines? Unfortunately, we're MISSINGOUT"
"Got any celebrity magazines? Alas, we're SHORTAFEWPEOPLE"
It was fun to try and guess these as I progressed through the grid, before too many crossers had been entered. I got two of the five right off the bat, which helped things along. (Of course, this compels me to try to come up with one of my own.... hmm "Got any architecture magazines? Sorry to say, we've run OUTOFHOUSEANDHOME" .. maybe I should leave this to the pros?)
Other amusing fodder : "Run just for the exposure?" (STREAK) was smile-worthy, as was "Hex nut?" (WITCH). I do love a good QMC! I didn't know Amazon Handmade was a thing! Not my thing, but a thing anyway.
Unfortunately, I got into a terrible tangle in the middle, entering FINAL instead of FETAL for 25D "____ position", which I had to stare at for a while, trying to reconcile that with 30A "Doesn't measure up, so to speak", which had to be PALLS, right? (Nope: PALES) Eventually, reason prevailed and I wrapped up in 4:26, a bit slow for me on a Tuesday. Oh! and also I initially put in MOLE instead of WEED for 10A "'Whacker' target". Anybody else do that?
ARE we done here? Yes we are! "See" y'all tomorrow!
-philbo
Nice. I didn't think of "mole," but it is funny to think about that whack-a-mole craze. I had an error somewhere, but I can't quite remember where now. Maybe it was LEAPat instead of LEAPTO ... because there was already a CHOSETO ... but it could have been something else too. Anyway, this isn't important now. It was a cute theme.
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