Tuesday, April 8, 2025, Barbara Lin

Today's theme is CHIPSIN - four things that have chips in them. The two grid-spanners are the best: TOLLHOUSECOOKIE (Treat from a recipe printed on a Nestlé package) and DESKTOPCOMPUTER (Office workstation). POKERGAME (Bluffer's activity) is fine, and I guess TACOSALAD (Crunchy Tex-Mex bowl) is ok, but I've never had one, so I can't really picture it. I guess it has corn chips in it?

Once again the longest Downs were good: TAKEASTROLL (Wander through the neighborhood after dinner, maybe) brings to mind the passeggiata, one of life's great pleasures; and KINESTHESIA (Awareness of body position, scientifically) is just a good word. 

As for the shorter stuff, I always enjoy a little connection between clues, as in 3-Down "More than most" (ALL) and 15-Across "More than a few" (MANY). "Hit and run, but not error" (VERBS) had me stumped for a while even though I've seen that same trick many times. Sigh. 

I'm not sure I would have said "fad" and MANIA (More than a fad) were all that different. And it's odd to think of ODES as "Poems that express approval." I'm not sure that's entirely true. Can things be appreciated without approval? 

- Horace