Friday, May 8, 2026, Rafael Musa and Geoffrey Schorkopf

DNF. So, there's that. I haven't DNF'd in a long time - and maybe I wouldn't have, if I didn't have this blog post to write. In order to get the review done, I had to give up on the puzzle and look up a few squares in the southeast. :( Normally, I would have just put the puzzle aside for a while and come back to it after my little gray cells had woken up. Although, to be honest, short of a complete RESET, I'm not sure they would ever have been able to come up with MANIOC, RONDA, HES, and the cromulent-but-difficult-to-parse TODIEFOR - all in the same quadrant - especially when a solver had confidently entered PLan where PLOT was called for (55D: "Something that's hatched"). Derp. 

I found the rest of the puzzle challenging as well, but, ultimately, gettable. Regular blog readers will know that "quote" clues such as 14A: "'Not to worry ...'" (THERENOW), 7D: "'Good riddance'" (NOLOSS), and 15D: "'It's a date!'" (WEREON) are a SORESPOT for Frannie. Not that she HATESON them, but almost invariably, the "equivalent" expressions in puzzles don't leap to HERS mind. 

I enjoyed both the clues and answers at 16A: "Chichi" / SWANKY, and 37D: "Goofballs" / KOOKS. Also good were "It might bring you to tears" (ONION) and "It's a wrap!" for SARAN. I thought WHENINROME for "Comment from one who's going along" was clever and fun. SLIPS follows MOORS in the puzzle, but they are not tied together. Ha. 

In the QMC category "One away from one's duties?" (TAXEXILE) required a bit of calculation, but that's what we like in a QMC. :) I also liked STARTERKIT for "First gear?" and SINKHOLE for "Great depression?" However, I thought the QMC at 44A: "Really nasty fall?" (ICESTORM) was less successful. 

TWOS as the answer for "All slam dunks" didn't score so well with this non-sporty solver, and neither did its neighbor at 10D: "Accessory turned down on a cap." I assume some people must call that an EARLAP or it wouldn't be in the puzzle, but I am more familiar with an ear flap. Also, "hair stylist's concern" for PART seemed a bit over the top. That is pretty much the least of one's worries at the salon, non? 

A demain! That's my "French exit" - SORTIE.

~Frannie.