Monday, March 31, 2025, Ryan Mathiason

The crossworder's high holidays are approaching this coming weekend, so in preparation, I have decided to write reviews all week. If you happen to be among the very few who will both read this message and attend the A.C.P.T. this weekend, and you know my real name, then by all means, come on up and say hello! :)

This puzzle went quickly (3:46), as Mondays often do, and then after that it took another minute or so to understand what it was that was "growing on me." Turns out, it was hair. Or the lack of it. I guess it was about the appearance of the head, unless you consider "bald" a haircut. The others theme entrants, "buzz," "fade," and "afro," are all valid haircuts.

In other news, 1-Down recalled the great Roger Miller classic, "King of the road" (HOBO). I never considered that "king of the road" might have been used as another word for HOBO before that song. Was it? I'm not sure I have the time for such research this morning, but if anyone wants to tell me, I'd be interested. 

I enjoyed "Standard announcement of a pilot upon landing" because I couldn't think of anything at first, but then when LOCALTIME came into focus I thought "Oh yeah... they do always say that." Heh. I thought "Like good knives and pupils" was a SHARP clue (see also "Word after poison or bull" (PEN), but back when I was running, a HILL never really phased me. Well, I should say that going uphill was never an issue. Going downhill, on the other hand, especially in the last 6.2 miles of a marathon, for example, was often ...  "noticeable." And who knows, maybe that's what Mr. Mathiason meant.

Lastly, "Kids in the 90s?" was a great clue for ASTUDENTS.

May you all have a FELIZ Lunes. A demain.

- Horace

Saturday, March 22, 2025, Katie Hoody

This was a doozy! It started out easy, with DADA (Style of Duchamp's so-called "readymades"), DONTMOVEAMUSCLE ("Stay still!"), and even the guessable ETON (____ blue (original team color of the Chelsea Football Club)) and ANTOINETTE (____ of Bourbon, grandmother of Mary, Queen of Scots). But the CONTROLLEDCHAOS (It's not as random as it seems) at the bottom of the grid was like a TICKINGTIMEBOMB (Plot device in some suspense thrillers). 

I initially guessed shoES for "They come with strings attached," and from that entered smU for "The Wildcats of the Big 12 Conf." I have never known anything about college sports. If it weren't for Doug Flutie I might not even know that it's the Boston College Eagles. Anyhooo... I could remember hearing other English actresses talking about ELLIE Bamber, so that helped put a few letters in, but still it was a long time before I would figure out that "Cry before a shot" was SMILE. And me, a photographer! On the other hand, I was thinking as a photographer when I read "You might sit for one," but no, this time it's babysitting a KID! Hah!

Another slowdown was entering sidES instead of EDGES for "Pentagon quintet." I did not remember the ICEPALACE (Massive hockey arena in St. Petersburg, Russia) until it was forced on me by DRAGONCON (Annual Atlanta gathering of sci-fi/gaming fans) and the excellent DAISIES (Links in a certain chain). And then it was SODA (Pop) that finally squared the pentagon clue.

I've seen mis-directions like "Angled for attention?: Abbr." before, but did it help me to think straight and enter ITAL? No, it didn't. See also: "Cream alternative." I was seeing all kinds of plant-based milks, but not the color ECRU! And how about "Way-out fun?" (MAZE). Wow. Took me a long time to get into that one! 

Overall, I loved it. What did you think about it, Kelly? ;)

- Horace

Tuesday, March 4, 2025, Hanh Huynh

Another lovely Tuesday puzzle. I was rolling right along in this one, minding my own business, when I got to that SE corner and found three clues so good I had to write about them. 

Nine to five, for example - RATIO
A red one is rare - STEAK
and
Make two dos, say? - TRANSLATE

Nice! 

The revealer, IMSHOOK ("This news has got me rattled!" ... or a hint to...") (An all-too-common phrase these days), is a fun one. I was a photographer who used 4x5 Polaroid film for about twenty years, and I never shook them - I rubbed them between my palms, but I have seen that shake, so I'm not complaining. And does a TAMBOURINE really "jingle?" Maybe so... and people definitely shake those. Sometimes rather too much. :)

There's a little bit of an unfortunate cross in OHHI/OHYOU, but, hey, I came here to write about it because I enjoyed it. Did you?

- Horace