Sunday, January 21 2024, John Westwig

Greetings out there in Crossword-Land, from sunny, wintry Toronto!  Today's theme is a humourous narrative about a series of failed ventures, spread over the puzzle in the form of six punny business-related expressions.  All you parents out there will appreciate the level of Dad Humour herein - groaners abound!  I could enumerate them here, but I won't - you'll discover them for yourselves - it won't be hard, as the substrate is relatively mild.  Perhaps the fictional author of the narrative could have benefited from a stint at 16D ("Sloan or Wharton" = BUSINESSSCHOOL)!!  I like the diagonal line of black squares that almost bisects the grid, for aesthetic reasons at least.

As noted, there was little trouble encountered.  I just left the theme clues until the end, at which point they were pretty much filled in - it was fun to go backwards from answer to clue.  Along the way ... "Common resolutions" gave me pause until DIETS revealed itself - makes sense, especially this close to New Year's - both temporarily and spatially, as "New Year's Day" appears just below and to the left (ONEONE - an unusual way to say NYD, but a nice change from "Final score in a soccer game", or some such).  

I liked the arithmetic of TEASPOONS (1/768 of a gallon) and also a few learnings:  Hyperion is a 380-foot tall REDWOOD - impossibly huge!  TSURIS is Yiddish for "woe" - I thought this one might be something like KVETCH, but no... "Tobiko or masago" refers to types of ROE ...  Oh and I loved that "Swiss cheese" appears in two side-by-side Down answers - GRUYERE and FRANCS.  I don't think I've ever heard of money being referred to as "cheese" before, so chalk that up as another learning!  STRAUSS was clever as a "Big name in jeans", instead of the more common LEVI.

You know what would have been cool?  ONEG clued as "Global force" instead of "Universal donor's designation".  I really must think harder about getting into the setting business, but I expect I'll quickly discover it's harder than it looks (and it already looks hard).

Sayonara until tomorrow, all!

-phil

Saturday, January 20, 2024, Caitlin Reid and Matthew Stock

A FINE Saturday puzzle rounds out the week. As seems to be forever the case, I get stuck in one particular place. I suppose that's better than getting stuck in many places, but still. Today's problem area occurred at the cross between an unknown-to-me "Plant-based protein brand" at14A, and the problematic Down clue was "Rap pioneers, slangily." Anyhoo, I ran the alphabet on INCO_MEATO and realized that G resulted in the amusing name INCOGMEATO. I've never seen it - maybe it's regional? - but I'll keep an eye out for it at the supermarket. The Down turned out to be OGS. Horace tells me that is short for Original Gangsters - learn something new everyday thanks to the NYTX. My total solve time today was just under 30 (29:29) - good for this solver, but not the ACME of puzzledom by any means.

Some of my half hour was used to PORE over several clever attempts at misdirection in today's clues, including "Gardener's item that breaks down a lot" (COMPOSTBIN), "Something that may be hard to drink?" (CIDER), and "Signature items" (PENS). 

In addition to those clever entries, a STARSEARCH for today's best clues came up with multiple winners: 

"Plans a getaway for, perhaps" (ABETS)

"Beverage with an oxymoronic name" (FIREWATER) - heh.

"Tried to take a seat?" (RAN)

"Bad drawing?" (SHORTSTRAW)

"See what's in store?" (SHOP) - ha!

TOBEHONEST, there were a few C/APs that didn't quite sing to me, "Got ready"/RIPENED for one. Maybe I'm being to fussy, but "got ready" seems to me to indicate some level of intention that is absent from the process of ripening. I thought "View with disdain" for HATEWATCH was a clever idea, but thought the word 'disdain' missed the mark slightly. I didn't like either answer for "More golden, say" (PURER or RARER), but I suppose ITDEPENDS on how one thinks of the word 'golden.' 

BACONATOR is a great name, and probably good fill, although I don't eat them myself. Also, I always love to see SEETHE. Starting tomorrow, dear Readers, you'll have some NEWTS takes on the puzzle from our esteemed co-blogger Philbo. Enjoy! 

~Frannie.

Friday, January 19, 2024, Jacob McDermott

Well, dear Readers, it's Friday. Themes go by the wayside, clues get more difficult, and, perhaps in a few cases, constructors rub their hands together and have a few EVILLAUGHS. :) I have to admit, I was concerned when my first pass through the Across and Down clues left me with very little to show for it (SAYAH, SNL, POSE). But, the second time through, with a OINKS here and a TSKS there, lo and behold, three quarters of the puzzle was completed. But then I HITASNAG in the northwest, and hit it hard. The combination in that corner of two "quoted phrase" type clues - my Kryptonite! - no information about bladderball (?), and a clue involving a world capital spelled trouble for this solver. I chipped away at the short answers, finally guessing NONO for "Leaving a participle dangling in English class, say" and SOAK for "Saturate" which gave me OKOK ("'Yeah, yeah, I get it'"), all of which led to an AHAMOMENT or two and I could finally say LOOKIEHERE, I completed the puzzle!

Of course, we expect and enjoy a challenging puzzle on a Friday, and this one passes the SMELLTEST. There were some nice QMC clues including "Good speller?" (MAGE), the KINDASORTA pair "Break in?" (STAYCATION) and "Breakout group?" (SECT), and, a very difficult one for me, that I didn't get (two ways) until all the letters filled in from the Across answers: "Galactic scale?" (LIBRA). Ha. And speaking of pairs, there was another fun set in "'Ready!'" (IMSET) and "'Not ready!'" (HOLDONASEC).

Other good entries were INHOTWATER, HOMEATLAST, and THEOREMS, but my favorite fill - literally - is TATERTOTS. Mmmm, tater tots...

~Frannie.

Thursday, January 18, 2024, Jon Michnovicz and Carl Michnovicz

Today's theme takes yet another turn, this time it's ONE[EI]GHT[IE]S. The theme answers contain rebus squares into which one wedges the letters I and E, which are then read as either IE or EI depending on placement. Where the Across answer takes an IE, the crossing Down answer requires the two letters to be flipped so they are read EI. For example, at 17A, the answer is VIV[IE]NL[EI]GH ("Actress who portrayed Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche DuBois"), and the relevant crossing Down answers are TH[EI]ND[IE]S and CR[IE]R. Quite a piece of work to find these pairings and to fit them in a puzzle, if you ask me. The remainder of the grid forfeits a little pizzazz, yielding an alphabet run (LMN), an odd C/AP or two (NOTAT for "Away from"), and a few odd plurals (TADAS, AMENS, H[EI]GHHOS), but overall is still very niece.

I was amused by the C/AP "Something that a ram and a Ram have in common" (HORN). Heh. Also, good was "Ones getting the last word in" (EDITORS). I thought the hidden capital at 1D: "Expeditions, e.g." (SUVS) was particularly sneaky. The clue "Open on Christmas, say" was a nice possible mis-direct (UNWRAP). Fill-wise, I enjoyed GROG, ANTSY, and STINGERS, although, based on the description in the clue, I don't think I'd enjoy the drink itself, but I should probably seize a chance to size it up before making up my meind.  

Adieu, cher lecteurs,

~Frannie.

Wednesday, January 17, 2024, Morton J. Mendelson

Although it's a Wednesday, this puzzle has a twist, or rather a turn. However, if there's a clue that reveals this puzzle's angle, I missed it. When I saw the first hyphen clue at 4D, and having no entry yet in 1A, I entered the word 'blank' as the answer. Ha. As I solved along, though, I began to see hyphens all over the place - well, not all over exactly, but in a number of Down clues. As it turned out, the hyphen clues were paired with Across clues and the answer was a two-word noun or phrase with the same last letter of the first word as the first letter in the second word. In the puzzle, the doubled letter shares a square rather than being entered twice. For example:

FAST                    PEP                STRIP

     R                       I                        O

     A                       L                        K

     C                       L                        E

     K                                                 R

 

After first drawing that blank, the rest of the solve went right along, thanks to solid and straightforward C/APs. There were a few tricks here and there, but for some reason, I wasn't fooled today. The hidden capital in "Potter's area of expertise" appeared to me as if by MAGIC, I read the amusing QMC "Pre-nursing homes?" and UTERI popped out (too much?), I struck gold with the clever clue "Expensive bar" for INGOT, and I even got the signal that "Silently acknowledge" should be NODAT. On the other hand, and I'm not sure why, but RHODE for "____ Island" took me completely by surprise. Maybe because it's not really an island? Why have I never thought of that before? Also in that corner, I had a minor ACPT PTSD moment at 65A: "Crash, with 'out'". Would the answer be konk or conk? Fortunately, in this case, unequivocal TACOS cleared things up. 

I very much enjoyed the W.C. Fields quote: I am free of all prejudices, I HATE everyone equally. I was also charmed by the slightly old-timey ASKAFTER. And, nice for KANGA to finally get a little screen time. I wonder if she could, would she rue the Roo who has completely upstaged her in puzzle land?

~Frannie.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024, Marshal Herrmann

Wel, dear Readers, this is ONEL of a puzzle, wouldn't you agree? Every answer in this puzzle contains exactly one letter L and, drum rol please, it's not ful of junk! Good clues and good fil abound, with only the occasional abbreviation or acronym - with one in particular, ELO, seeming kind of apt anyway. Apt! Another excelent outcome was the cross of BULGE and BILGE right in the center. Cool. 

Two of my favorite clues today were both QMCs: "Criminal records?" for BOOTLEGS and "Green vehicle? for GOLFCART. I also enjoyed the previously-unknown-to-me SELFFIVE. Can't wait to see one of those IRL. 

There was also a SLEW of great content. I had a FIELDDAY entering PEARLs such as BILKS, ANVILS, REDFLAGS, TROWEL, and SPRAWL - that's a great looking word. And who doesn't love a YODEL?

My only quibble is that while in today's world it may perhaps be true that many a BLOG has only one contributor, there are a few rare cases out there when more than one contributor - nay, maybe even four contributors - make the best reading, particularly when the topic is crossword puzzles. 

~Frannie.

Monday, January 15, 2024, Peter A. Collins

Today's puzzle is a fun, fast grid with many enjoyable references of interest for this solver and a theme to put a real spring in one's step. The four theme answers are common expressions that begin with a vigorous take on events that are BOUNDTOHAPPEN: HOPONTHETRAIN, JUMPINTHESHOWER, and LEAPATTHECHANCE - ha!

After one false start, with LOll where LOAF belongs, I was off and running. The solid-but-not-stolid cluing gave the whole thing a real bounce. I particularly enjoyed "Cover for Claudius" (TOGA), "Not at all 'whelmed'" (UNAWED), "Concoct, as a plan" (HATCH), Render speechless (STUN), "Pain relief brand with an oxymoronic name" (ICYHOT), and "Citrus shade" (ORANGE) - aren't you glad I didn't say banana?

The number of personal ROIs was off the chart today, including OUI, CHIC (Très stylish), OUZO, FTROOP, PIKACHU, ANNI, NUIT, CHIA pet, and SIL ("The 'S' of R.S.V.P.). Fill-wise, I enjoyed TWISTS, GASH, SEETHE, JOSTLE, and, something of an outlier in this group I note, TACQUITO - cute!

I can't quite remember if I saw her name in another recent puzzle, or in an archive puzzle I was looking at, but today's MALIAOBAMA made me wonder what she thinks about being a crossword puzzle darling. I know that if I ever get famous, I'm going to do it using a nom de plume that would beguile puzzle constructors as a bid to extend my 15 minutes. :)

~Frannie.