Wednesday, August 9, 2023, Caryn Robbins and Matthew Stock

Well, well, well. Now we're getting somewhere. A fun, language-y theme with punny clues. To wit, the wits came up with:

GHOSTLYPRESENTS, or "What's found under Casper's Christmas tree?"
NOCHANTSINHELL, or a "Rule that forbids singing hymns to the devil?"
"Doctor's concern when a rival clinic opens up next door?" - LOSINGPATIENTS
and "Evidence at the robbery crime scene?" - PRINTSOFTHIEVES

Ha! I laughed at each one of them in turn.

Add in some CALZONES and a PITACHIP or two, a catchy tune (DOREMI), and the glamor of TINSELTOWN, and you've got a real fun puzzle.

I was briefly confused by "Famed backboard-breaking dunker of the  1990s," because by then I had stopped watching basketball and could only think of Darryl Dawkins, not ONEAL. Adding to the confusion for me was that I had never heard of OTTO Porter Jr. But that's the way it goes sometimes, and the crosses were fair.

I enjoyed the pairing of FAT (What "Gras means in "Mardi Gras") and TUE (What' "Mardi Gras": Abbr.). I like to think Jean Arp would have liked those clues too. It's almost like The Turn started early today. :)

- Horace