Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Mike Shenk’s Wall Street Journal crossword, “Showcases”—Jim’s review

Broadway musicals are hidden within other phrases. Clues also provide a hint to the musical.

Wall St Journal crossword solution · “Showcases” · Mike Shenk · Wed., 10.30.24

• 17a. [Island hotel offering guests a warm Willkommen?] CARIBBEAN RESORT.
• 26a. [Rusk so light it defies gravity?] TWICE-BAKED BREAD.
• 42a. [Place that’s a better hangout on those summer nights?] GREENER PASTURES.
• 53a. [2000s voter registration campaign while June was bustin’ out all over?] DECLARE YOURSELF.

This was not for me. Someone who’s more into Broadway musicals probably enjoyed this more, but most of the references to song lyrics were lost on me. “Grease” within GREENER PASTURES was the highlight for me since the phrase is idiomatic and I got the reference in the clue. But the last one was particularly outside my wheelhouse since I barely have any knowledge of the musical, and never heard of the voter campaign (though it is highly relevant right now).

I also got hung up at PNC PARK which I swore was GNC PARK. Neighboring FEET with the tricky clue [Mules bear them] did not help matters in that section. And knowing that neighboring AMON-RA has multiple possible spellings did not help matters even more.

Clue of note: 60a. [Bear in the air]. URSA. Is it quibbling to argue that there’s no air in space?

Three stars.

Elly Zupko’s AV Club Classic crossword, “Mysterious Case”—Amy’s recap

AV Club Classic crossword solution, 10/30/24 – “Mysterious Case”

Okay! A theme that goes this way and that and has multiple levels, and I have no idea what’s what. Let’s add it up.

37a. [Technical/ethical issue in machine learning regarding the invisibility of some aspects of a solution (and a hint to the challenge presented by solving four sets of four starred clues in this puzzle)] clues BLACK BOX PROBLEM. Long clue! Ah, okay, now I see. 1a clues the movie BLACK ADAM and 1d is Prince’s BLACK ALBUM. There’s an invisible BLACK BOX that works like a rebus to affect those starred entries at 1a and 1d. The next corner has 10a BLACK MASS and 13d BLACK SWANS. In the southwest, 45d BLACK MARKS and 63a BLACK STAR. Last corner, “Fell on BLACK DAYS” crosses BLACK SHOES.

Lots of trivia clues involved in the theme, four of the eight black-box entries. Nope, I didn’t know the three music ones!

New to me: 10d. [“DuckTales” villain ___ De Spell (including *The dark arts, e.g.)], MAGICA. Asterisk, so another black-box item? Wait, there are other asterisks, too, wielded weirdly. 23a. [Slot for a letter (including *Extortion based on illicit knowledge)], MAILDROP incorporating BLACKMAIL, followed by DUCATS embedding BLACK CATS … you get the gist.

Eh, this one’s not really for me. Your mileage may vary!

Josh Kaufmann’s New York Times crossword—Amy’s recap

NY TImes crossword solution, 10/30/24 – no. 1030

A seasonal movie theme for the pre-Halloween puzzle. Take the circled letters in the midle of the puzzle: BEAT, ULGE, and OOSE. 17a PUT THEM TOGETHER. 59a. SAY IT THREE TIMES. What do you get? 29d. [Ghoulish character who appears after someone follows the instructions at 17- and 59-Across], BEETLEJUICE. For the sake of symmetry, ANTAGONISTS is wedged in at 4d, but it doesn’t strike me as a great fit, a plural linked to singular BEETLEJUICE.

The fill’s got C AS, ENOL, ETO, plenty of other abbreviations since the grid is accommodating a lot of thematic material. I like the “assemble the syllables out loud” gambit, but overall, this one’s not attuned to my sensibilities (other than that I want to see the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice sequel).

3.25 stars from me.