Thursday, October 31, 2024

Zhouqin Burnikel’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Cast a Spell”—Jim’s review

Theme answers are familiar phrases that collectively have the letters W, I, T, C, and H added to the beginnings. The revealer is WITCH (46d, [Halloween figure who cast a spell on this puzzle]).

Wall St Journal crossword solution · “Cast a Spell” · Zhouqin Burnikel · Thu., 10.31.24

• 17a. [What farmers view during harvest season?] WHEAT WAVES.
• 26a. [Screen image designer?] ICON ARTIST.
• 36a. [Minimal but sufficient amount of medicine?] TRACE FOR THE CURE.
• 43a. [Checks of a reef’s health?] CORAL EXAMS.
• 57a. [Wig store service?] HAIR SUPPLY.

Always happy to see Zhouqin’s byline. She invariably delivers professional, smooth, and lively grids.

This one’s theme is more on the straightforward side than I would have expected for a Thursday, but the wordplay is good, the puns are solid without being eyeroll-worthy, and the clues are on target. I will admit to hoping for some other connection between the phrases or some other layer to the theme, but sometimes a clean, smooth grid with a solid theme is sufficient.

SKEPTICAL and BURST OPEN are our anchor points today. I stumbled at MIC’D with its clue that I felt was awkward [___ up (audible to viewers, like some athletes)]. I would have called it a “feature of some sports broadcasts”.

Other clues of note:

• 62a. [Caine’s “Deathtrap” co-star]. REEVE. I have not seen this film, but would be interested in hearing from others who have. Any good?
• 2d. [Phoenix surroundings?]. ASHES. I immediately went for MESAS, just as I tried to go for TARPS for [Turf protectors] (instead of GANGS). Good clues.

Peter Gordon’s Fireball Crossword, “Themeless 172” – Jenni’s write-up

Not the hardest Fireball themeless I’ve ever done and still fun.

A few highlights:

Fireball, October 30, 2024, Peter Gordon, “Themeless 172,” solution grid

• I have always been too old for HOT TOPIC.
• I solved the puzzle while watching the World Series and thus the barrage of political SMEARS masquerading as ads. Life in a swing state six days before the election.
• Film pairs: 18a [Noted film role the same year as Borat] is IDI and 23a [Noted film role the same year as Alvy] is HAN. Alvy Singer is the Woody Allen character in “Annie Hall.” I don’t think I need to explain the other, do I?
• More movies: 34a [Amy Adams played his mother in a 2020 film] is J D VANCE. Speaking of political SMEARS.
• 40a [Puffer, e.g.] is the WINTER COAT, not the deadly fish.

What I didn’t know before I did this puzzle: that Leo was Bert Lahr’s STAR SIGN.

Sarah Sinclair and Paolo Pasco’s New York Times crossword — Zachary David Levy’s write-up

Difficulty: Average (13m34s)

Sarah Sinclair and Paolo Pasco’s New York Times crossword, 10/31/24, 1031

Today’s theme: MONSTER MASH (Halloween-themed hit, with a hint to four squares in this puzzle)

• PRI(DE MON)TH / DES(DEMON)A
• CRESCEN(T ROLL) / TEA (TROLL)EY
• PR(OGRE)SS BAR / MICR(O GRE)ENS
• MAN(GO LEM)ONADE / MON(GOL EM)PIRE

I stared and stared and stared at MONGOLEMPIRE and could not get the letters to parse themselves into coherence, but we got there.  Also, what’s the difference between MONET and MANET?  In this case, three columns and two rows, which is a better answer than I could muster if you confined me to the world of fine art.

Cracking: BABE RITH, the Sultan of Swat, the Caliph of Clout, the Great Bambino (who also, FYI, won 23 games and had a 1.76 ERA in 1916)

Slacking: the orphaned MANCHA

Sidetracking: the only thing CAPOTE ever did that was worth a damn