GIMME A SECOND!
Happy New Year, Dear Reader. May 2024 be a good one for you.
Kind of a low-key theme today of the same clue being used for consecutive Across answers on the same row. As in "It might be pressed before work" being answered by POWERSUIT and SNOOZEALARM, or "They're home to spinners" giving SPIDERWEBS and PRAGENCIES. And each second answer contains a highlighted emotion ("zeal" and "rage" above), which is explained by the revealer ONCEMOREWITHFEELING. Hah. Not bad.
Interesting to learn that the pleasant AROMA of rainfall on dry soil is called "Petrichor." It is apparently true that rain releases an oil from the dirt (petra = stone + ichor = blood of the gods), and that oil carries the scent. It is believed that camels use petrichor to find oases, and it is posited that humans enjoy the smell because water has always been essential to our existence. Cool.
Also interesting to learn that the GNU was so named because of the sound it makes. And that there was a tribe called the ARIKARA (Dakota tribe). So much in here I didn't know!
Furthermore, I don't remember hearing the term UPPISH (Snooty) before (I would have said "uppity"), and SWIMSHIRT (Certain beach top) isn't something I'm all that familiar with. And speaking of uncommon, it was nice to give Ann Landers (DEARANN) some love instead of the more popular "Dear Abby." Or do I just think she was more popular because I know the John Prine song?
I like when I learn things from a puzzle, so let's give this a thumbs up.
- Horace
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