Monday, July 31, 2023, David Litman and Andrea Carla Michaels

Dearest Readers, it seems like it has been an age since I last sat in the reviewer's seat. It's been a busy summer, despite having given my job the OLDE heave-ho. Anyhoo, that's not why you called me here. If you are here at all, you came to read a little bit about today's NYTX offering, so here goes. 

Today's 1A is STAR, clued as, a "Reference point for nighttime navigation" but it is also a way to evaluate things. This puzzle rates more than one star, both review-wise and because it also contains the names of three famous people: a tennis star, a tabloid star, and a legal star. What else do these three have in common? Each owes her or his fame to a different kind of court, summarized by the apt revealer SEEYOUINCOURT. Well played!

My sovlesperience started off very smoothly; it was read a clue, enter the answer. That is, until I hit "Actor Epps" at 17A. Unfortunately, I also didn't know the answer to the cross at 17A "Actor Malek of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'" - putting me in danger of what you might call a double fault. Not to make a federal case out of it, but names crossing names can be murder for a solver! Let that be as it may, I moved on, completing all but that one square of the puzzle in a speedy-for-me five something. For a few moments, I feared I was royally screwed. In the end, I used my best judgement (and a few extra cycles) and settled on the letter M making OMAR meet RAMI and was rewarded with congrats from the app. 

The C/AP that made my ALIST today was "For-prophet institution?" (SEMINARY) - ha! Fill-wise, I enjoyed CHIMESIN - it sounds so pleasant, doesn't it? - and the always-hilarious CLOWNCAR ("Comically packed circus vehicle").

In short, I think it's a crowning achievement that the constructors served us a puzzle perfectly suited to a Monday.

~Frannie.

Sunday, July 30, 2023, John Kugelman

DOING FRONT FLIPS

Everybody loves a Spoonerism, right? Does that need to be capitalized? Are eponyms capitalized? .... let's move on.

I very much enjoyed seeing CHAUTAUQUA (Social movement that Teddy Roosevelt proclaimed "the most American thing in America") because Frannie and I just spent the past few days in one such community. It isn't quite the same as it was when I was little, but what is, right? People have been complaining about the downfall of society since society itself became a thing. 

Speaking of society. Are we part of the problem if we celebrate a clue like "Dreaded collectors" for TAXMEN? Are we agreeing to a social contract or not? And if we do, should we not also agree that shared funds are a universal good? Sure, there is always the question of how they should be spent, but if you want to change that, get involved in local politics, don't just complain that there's a pothole in front of your house. Ugh. Sorry. 

My favorite of the themers is "Can you believe I sneaked into Buckingham Palace in a trunk and saw the king? I was a ..." (THRONESSTOWAWAY). Guffaw. But honorable mention goes to THREEMARESQUEALSADAY ("Enjoy your stay on our horse farm. I hope it's not too noisy. You can expect ...") for the audacity.

Good C/APs include: "With these, one can surely walk on water" (SEALEGS), "Rare treat, maybe" (STEAK) (Eat less of this), and "Didn't pick up what someone was putting down" (MISSEDACUE). And in the interesting trivia department - "Choctaw word for "people," as seen in a U.S. state name" (OKLA). 

Frannie takes over tomorrow for the WEEKDAY puzzles. Enjoy!

- Horace

Saturday, July 29, 2023, Sam Ezersky

OK ... yesterday I bragged a little about finishing quickly. Not so today! Although admittedly I was a little distracted because while I was solving I was following an online auction that was being conducted in Dutch ... but whatever excuses I might throw up, for a little while I was in PANIC mode thinking IGOTNOTHIN. 

I think the first big break I got was FRIGIDAIRE (Cool brand to have in the kitchen), and I had guessed TONKA (Truck maker since 1947), so that led to BANKCARD (Precious plastic), but even when that whole corner was done, I thought of Colum when the only way into the center was the still-unsolved 27A. 

Speaking of, nice use of Qs in this grid. In the first instance, it is used both ways without a U, in QTIP (Canal implement) (not "lock"!) and QRCODE (Element of many modern ads). The second use is more standard, with QUITEBAD (Not just subpar) and QUASH (Shut down), and in the third place, it is in the middle of BEQUEATH (Pass on) (nice), and at the end of MEMPHISBBQ (Some slow-cooked Southern fare, informally). 

And finally, at the end of the review, I'll praise the very beginning of the puzzle. Both CAMELHUMPS (These don't hold water) and AREYOUHIGH ("What?! That's absurd!") are excellent. Also, the misdirection in "Song in mariachi?" (ARIA), and the related clue "Met highlight" (GALA) were great. 

A fine, tricky Saturday. Thanks, Mr. Ezersky, may I have another?

- Horace

Friday, July 28, 2023, Rafael Musa and Hoang-Kim Vu

A pleasing grid today. Open corners, attractive symmetry, and some nice entries. 

I really should end the review right there, but I'll mention a few things I liked.

WHODOESTHAT ("The nerve of some people!") reminds me of our good friend Kath. We bonded with her at a party by saying that very line over and over again as guests left napkins in plants and plates on sofa backs. Good times.

ACETIC acid took me back to my darkroom days, and SOUSA took me back to Flag Day at Tatnuck Elementary, where I used to bring in my family's album so they could play marches at the outdoor assembly. I think I may have even read something about the flag at a lectern while wearing my cub or boy scout uniform one year. Again I say - good times.

One more thing - I didn't realize that "accouterments" was an acceptable variant of "accoutrements," as in "Camp accouterments" (BOAS). But then, this is coming from the guy who lost every single game of mancala when he played Colum's daughter, who was maybe six at the time. And I wasn't just being a polite guest. I don't throw games. Cece could work magic with those STONES.

On the other hand, the puzzle went pretty quickly for me today. How about you?

- Horace

Thursday, July 27, 2023, Guilherme Gilioli

Interesting little trick today, where the first two Across answers on four lines must be combined into one word and used as a clue for the third Across on that same line. To wit:

EPIC + CENTER = CORE
LIME + RICK = VERSE
DISCO + VERY = FIND
CONS + TRAIN = BIND

It's a nice little theme. I like a bit more of a trick on a Thursday, but whatevs, it did take me almost two minutes longer than the Wednesday puzzle, and that is, I understand, the main criteria for a Thursday, so we're all good. 

In the fill... who doesn't love the AMISH, with their resistance to progress? If we were all AMISH, we wouldn't be in this climate situation today. I used to love playing CANASTA as a child, even though back then my hand was only just barely big enough to fan out thirteen cards evenly. (Also, we never had to ANTE in CANASTA. That was more for Michigan Rummy.)

The three names in the center were VERY tricksy for this out-of-touch solver. "Actor Werner of 'Jules and Jim'" (OSKAR), "Rea ____, graphic designer who created The New Yorker's typeface and mascot" (IRVIN), and "Morty's cartoon pal" (RICK), are all pretty narrow fields of knowledge, and when combined with the weird plural ACMES (Peaks) ... well, it made for a little stress. I ended up getting RICK from the theme.

Speaking of being out-of-touch... what's "dirty POOL?" Am I supposed to know this? And the CHEVY logo looks like a bowtie to you? Did it change recently?

Sorry. Sorry. Too snarky. Now I FEELBAD.

Kidding! I was just fitting in more words from the puzzle! :P

OK. I should really go. See you tomorrow! 

- Horace

Wednesday, July 26, 2023, Mary Crane

Another interesting theme of FINISHLINEs. A SHRINKWRAP, for example, could be a pyschiatrist's "I'm afraid our time is up." And "Sorry you're upset! Gotta run, late for my nail appointment" is definitely a SHALLOWEND. Hah! Who thinks of these things? Well, Mary Crane, that's who. This is her debut as an NYTX constructor, and maybe the key to getting new themes is to keep getting new constructors. It's kind of cool that humans, who are all so similar, can be so different. My little one-line bio for a lot of the online FRIENDZONEs is "Just like you, only different." I think it applies to everyone.

I enjoyed the old-timey HASTEN (Speed up), and Oscar Wilde never fails to disappoint ("IRONY is wasted on the stupid"). "Revolutionary invention?" (WHEEL) was cute, as was "Company making tracks" (LIONEL). Is Lionel still making tracks? - the short answer is no, but kind of. Like with many companies, the original Lionel ended (in 1969) and then the name continued on. It still operates as Lionel, LLC. But that's not important now.

Had a little trouble in the SE, where I guessed ZEd instead of ZEE (26th of 26) and Red dOTS (?!) instead of Red HOTS (candy brand), but things were straightened out quickly enough.

Fun Wednesday. Looking forward to the Turn tomorrow!

- Horace

Tuesday, July 25, 2023, Gary Larson and Doug Peterson

In the words of the great Amy Reynaldo, "Tuesdays gonna tuez." Today we have familiar generic "[something] and [something else]" phrases that are humorously assigned to specific things. As in "Two things associated with Gene Simmons?" (KISSANDMAKEUP). See, Gene Simmons was (is?) the lead singer for the band Kiss, and he is known for wearing elaborate make-up on stage. Or "Two things associated with the Vatican?" (TOWNANDCOUNTRY), because it is both an independent country (an elective absolute monarchy) and a city. Which I guess can be called a town? Anyway, you know what they mean.

"Two things associated with the tale of Sisyphus?" (ROCKANDROLLER) is maybe my favorite. It's so compact. You've got the rock, and you've got the roller. Heh.

So what else? The musical scale comes into it again, complete with the three-letter fifth note, in "String before fa-sol-la" (DOREMI), I loved the clue for OCEAN (It goes from coast to coast), and AMENITY (Wi-Fi or room safe, at a hotel) is a decorative word. Some nice etymology in "Unit that derives from Old English for 'open field'" (ACRE). That Old English "aecer" and Latin "ager" should both mean "the amount of land that a yoke of oxen can plow in one day" seems to indicate an older Indo-European origin for this word. And that's not really surprising, given the age of agriculture itself.

Anywho..  I enjoyed "Setting for a bicycle race?" (GEAR), and "Place for lions, thieves or a TV" was cute for DEN.

A fine Tuesday.

- Horace