Happy Earth Day, Everyone! We've got a heck of a puzzle to celebrate it with, so let's get right to it.
The classic refrain of REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE is invoked today to create a very clever puzzle. Each of the three pillars of the environmental motto is represented in a different way in the grid. First, the three Across answers with circles in them take one answer and REDUCE it to a synonym, as in "Spurred on" being answered with ENCOURAGED first, and then the circled URGED, or "One offering lessons" being answered with INSTRUCTOR and then TUTOR. Beautiful. Second, REUSE is represented by the word CAN being used four different times. Hah. And finally, for RECYCLE, four answers are created by reusing the first three or four letters of a word, as in REAPPEAR for "Emerge once more" and TEAMMATE for "You might pass to one." The more I write and think about this, the better it gets. It's just really, really well done.
What else is there to say? Well, I suppose I should add that for all that beautiful theme, it doesn't even feel like there's much slop or glue. Sure, our old crossword friends Teri GARR and UTA Hagen make appearances, but there's nothing wrong with that. And there's the usual smattering of abbreviations: USC, UPC, NSC, ATVS, VSOP, etc. Again, nothing outrageous. We even get some entries that feel like bonuses - GOODALL (Jane ____ Institute (wildlife conservation group), some nice pairings - CELTIC and GAELIC for "Like some Scots" - and some fancy words - LOUCHE (Rakish) and AVERSE (Opposed (to)).
Really, just a lovely, lovely puzzle.
- Horace
LOUCHE is a new one for me, but the crosses were easy enough. I always enjoy seeing HELEN in the grid, for some reason. Not so much HEROD, but we need a villain, although I'm usually much less AVERSE to seeing Iago in that role. BEDSLATS was nicely clued (9D Supporters of a king or queen?). I agree; well done. SHEESH, what'll they think of next?
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