What better day to return to blogging than a Thursday? It's the start of The Turn, as we call the Thursday-Friday-Saturday string of puzzles, and it's a perfect one for our restart, because I get to mention Bruce Haight again. He created a puzzle with two large black-square Is in 2016, and I gave it a not-very-positive review. I met him in person a couple months after posting that review, and we discussed that puzzle, my review, and the whole idea of "stunt puzzles." It gave me a better understanding of the constructor's art, and it made try to be a more balanced reviewer. So, thanks again, Bruce.
Now then, on to today's T-ridden grid. You'd think after all this time that I'd take a look at the shape of the grid right away. And to be fair, sometimes I do, but it's usually on a Saturday, when I marvel at huge swaths of open space. Today, I was so bent on finishing quickly so I could start the review (he offers as an excuse), that I just tried to get a foothold anywhere I could. When I finally realized what was going on and widened my view to see the six bold Ts staring out at me... well, I felt like an idiot.
So what am I talking about? The revealer, DOWN TOAT explains that fifteen (!) Down answers use those large black-square Ts to complete the answers. And all the entries are valid and mostly normal. Some are quite good, even - "Source of a deal with The Devil?" (TAROT), and the nice geologic clue "Igneous rock that makes up most of Venus's surface" (BASALT). Sure, I can come up with that quickly, but could I remember that TOPAZ was number 8 on the Mohs Scale at the A.C.P.T? Not until it was almost too late! ... grumble grumble...
Sorry, sidebar.
OK, so the best clue today was "This isn't working!" for LEISURE. That's beautiful.
- Horace
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