MIXED RESULTS
It took me a long while to grok the theme today, but once it came into focus I enjoyed it quite a bit. I will try to explain it like this - Where the equals signs appear in the grid, one side of the equation is given an additive clue, the answers to which are combined (one circled, one not) into a new word or phrase, and that new phrase becomes the clue for the word on the other side of the equals sign. Phew! Perhaps an example might help.
96-Across is clued with "Online broadcasts + Obvious," and the answers, "streams" and "patent" are combined into SPATREATMENTS, which in turn clues 100-Across, FACIALS. See? Nothing to it.
One more: "The Great Lakes, e.g. + Computer gurus" yields "quintet" and "it pros," which are combined into QUITINPROTEST which clues WALKOUT. It's really quite convoluted, yet there's a beauty in it.
In addition to all that, the puzzle had a lot of really nice cluing. My thinking was far removed from AACELLS when I read "Remote power sources," and "Take an inch from a yard, say" (MOW) took me a while too, but got a laugh when it finally did come together. Speaking of laughing - "Impaler of note" (VLAD) is just so absurd, isn't it? And "'I'm done explaining myself!,' to a mathematician" was an amusing way to get to QED. Hah!
For me, ALIVE didn't quite equal "'Bumping,' as a party," but "Petty cash holder?" for MISER was inspired, and "Attempt at a royal flush?" (PALACECOUP) was cute. I also enjoyed the paired clues "Washington, but not Lincoln" (STATE) and "Washington or Lincoln" (CITY), and the (sort of) paired answers BEMUSE (Stump) and BEFALL (Come upon) that came one after the other.
It's interesting that TWOBIT means "Third-rate" isn't it? And is "Bean or gourd" (MELON) referring to the head? If so, that's a really nice Non-QMC.
Overall, I found this to be a very satisfying Sunday. I hope you liked it too. It's good to be back at the keyboard, and I'll see you all again tomorrow!
- Horace
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